View Full Version : 7 seater availability
Just a note to all who are hiring 7 seaters. Be prepared during busy times, (Easter/Chistmas) to wait for your vehicle. We arrived on a saturday during Easter weekend at 10pm, and there was a 3 hour wait for a 7 seater. Luckily as there was only 5 of us, we were offered a suv/ 4x4 which we could (just) fit the luggage into along with us all. We did swap it a week later but dollar did request we go back to the airport to change it. (Which wasn't too harsh as we combined it with a trip to old-time pottery and florida mall on sand lake road:))
sunseeker
12-04-2005, 23:44
We arrived at the Dollar desk at 5pm on the same saturday and waited 30 minutes for a 7 seater.
Dave
Magical Dreams
16-04-2005, 21:13
You'd think they would have known of availability when booking the vehicles.
Although if the flights are delayed, the rental starts from the minute you pick it up.
So maybe this has a knock on effect.
Curly Wurly
18-04-2005, 18:28
Does it not work that you've booked a 7 seater so your automatically allocated one? especially if you've paid all costs beforehand?
Just wondered [msnembarrased]
floridadreamvilla.co.uk
18-04-2005, 19:37
Yes, but occasionally circumstances dictate that the car may not be available on arrival in which case the car hire companies do promise a free upgrade.
For example at very busy periods like Easter and Christmas if enough people return their cars late then it creates a short term shortage of a car of that size as the car hire companies will be utilising all their fleet for bookings.
I have to say these situations are rare - you only hear about them on places like this as the majority of people who turned up and got the car type they wanted are not going to post on forums and tell people about it, but the minority who had a problem probably will post.
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Curly Wurly
Does it not work that you've booked a 7 seater so your automatically allocated one? especially if you've paid all costs beforehand?
Just wondered [msnembarrased]
[/quote]
Ray&Sarah
18-04-2005, 20:14
We always hire a 7-seater through Dollar for our holidays, we have been during both peak and off peak times and so far have not had any delays, the longest wait is usually in the queue to sign for the vehicle.[msnsmile2]
Katys Grandad
18-04-2005, 20:23
I don't know if there are other 'Seinfeld' fans on this forum but there is a classic scene where he turns up to collect a car he has reserved but there isn't one available. If you're not a fan then you will wonder what I am going on about but if you are you'll know it is very funny and quite instructive.
I must be lucky because I have never had any problems with car hire over the years and, from my experience, I would agree that these are pretty rare occurences.
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:[i]We did swap it a week later but dollar did request we go back to the airport to change it. (Which wasn't too harsh as we combined it with a trip to old-time pottery and florida mall on sand lake road:))
[/quote]
We had to swap a car before as it had a warning light on that wouldn't go away. Dollar head office in Orlando have a depot on the road to Orlando International Airport ( to the north ) , so we just took it there. No queues no hassle parking very easy.
Might be worth asking if you can do it here if it happens to anyone else[msnwink]
Thorogoods
19-04-2005, 03:02
So far we had no problems, but have always used Alamo this will be our first time with Dollar and we have an 8 seater to pick up in July........can not wait.[clap]
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by wilfy
Just a note to all who are hiring 7 seaters. Be prepared during busy times, (Easter/Chistmas) to wait for your vehicle. We arrived on a saturday during Easter weekend at 10pm, and there was a 3 hour wait for a 7 seater.
[/quote]
We were there the same day as you, a little earlier in the eve I think. We booked Dollar through this site and we were taken care of very well. We'd booked an 8 seater which was unavailable so they upgraded us to a 12 seater FOC. Our friends had booked a fullsize which was also unavailable, they were offered either a convertable or a premium upgrade FOC.
flyrr100
19-04-2005, 06:46
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Katys Grandad
I don't know if there are other 'Seinfeld' fans on this forum but there is a classic scene where he turns up to collect a car he has reserved but there isn't one available. If you're not a fan then you will wonder what I am going on about but if you are you'll know it is very funny and quite instructive.
I must be lucky because I have never had any problems with car hire over the years and, from my experience, I would agree that these are pretty rare occurences.
[/quote]
Thay have no trouble 'Taking' the reservations. It's 'Keeping' the reservations that's the problem.
I also love the line about 'Other Drivers'!
We have so far had no problems getting the 7 seater we have ordered, but if there were a problem what sort of vehicle would they offer us[msneek] we are very happy with the level of trim etc. on the 7 seater, but would not want anything smaller, we like plkenty of space.
We did hit at probably one of the busiest times, Easter Saturday. When we picked up the replacement a week later it was a top of the range 7 seater.:)
Aiminghigh
20-04-2005, 08:49
We've had this problem twice. Once at Orlando International, where we'd ordered 7 seater, and once at Miami where we'd ordered a 4x4.
In mid-Aug at Miami, we waited over 2 hours and even though we agreed to settle for a different vehicle, there was initially nothing available to take our luggage. There was a similar wait at Orlando once which I think was at Easter. It makes you wonder if they do anyhing to try to reserve specific pre ordered cars at all. It's particularly annoying when you specify your arrival time etc well before.
Last year we got a Town & Country which was very nice, top of the range 7 seate