Budget Rental car help!!

[wdwmom2+1]

OK. so I used to use rental cars often.. never had a problem at all. But I am very confused. We rented through budget.. It said all this small print about why you shouldn't use a debit card.. only a major credit card etc. So I did the prepaid option and used my mastercard. I paid the total amount due. Well when I called to day to verify the reservation they said I would still need to put a 200$ deposit down even though my reservation is paid in full.. This didn't sound right to me so I called the 1800 number they said NO I would not owe anything else upon picking up the car. So I called back the local budget center to clarify and they said yes I will still owe 200$ deposit and I wouldn't have owed it if I would have paid for it using a debit card but because it is a mastercard I still have to do it.. I know its just a deposit and will be cleared etc. But i'm just frustrated because first this doesn't sound right. second online it gives all these reasons why NOT to use your debit card so I didn't then BAM I find out it would have been better to use it... What the heck so confused can anyone help me understand this situation??

 

[bsiev1977]

OK. so I used to use rental cars often.. never had a problem at all. But I am very confused. We rented through budget.. It said all this small print about why you shouldn't use a debit card.. only a major credit card etc. So I did the prepaid option and used my mastercard. I paid the total amount due. Well when I called to day to verify the reservation they said I would still need to put a 200$ deposit down even though my reservation is paid in full.. This didn't sound right to me so I called the 1800 number they said NO I would not owe anything else upon picking up the car. So I called back the local budget center to clarify and they said yes I will still owe 200$ deposit and I wouldn't have owed it if I would have paid for it using a debit card but because it is a mastercard I still have to do it.. I know its just a deposit and will be cleared etc. But i'm just frustrated because first this doesn't sound right. second online it gives all these reasons why NOT to use your debit card so I didn't then BAM I find out it would have been better to use it... What the heck so confused can anyone help me understand this situation??

Definitely sounds sketchy to me. Like the person at the local office is trying to rip you off.
I'd call the central number again and explain to them that the local place is insisting you owe the deposit even though you paid in full with your credit card.

 

[ddrongowski]

Can you do a 3 way call? If so, call the first place, tell them what is up, and then get the second place on the line. If you can't maybe the first place can conference call them.

 

[john edward]

I think that's a cheat and you need to report them or try to contact the higher authority of them.

 

[radiohost]

$200 is for incidentals, ie not bringing gas back at full tank , cigarette burns to seats, cracked windshields ect. They would rather you not use a debit card because it takes 100% of that $200 out of your bank account immediately and depending on the speed of your bank takes up to 2 days for that to post back. If you use a major credit card that $200 is a hold, nothing at all is charged.

If you prepaid for the rental, then you should be fine. That's all that $200 hold is for, incedentals.

 

[tare]

Do not use a debit card. Fees taken right away from your bank and can take up to 2wks to be put back into your account. Most company's have a deposit policy.

 

[ford91exploder]

Hertz does the same thing with Credit Cards - 200 hold which they keep for 30-45 days, Stopped using hertz because of it and I was presidents circle hertz at any time would have $2000 in holds on my Amex