View Full Version : Alamo Silver Option
Hi
One for Roger, can you confirm on Alamo silver option, do you return the car empty?
Thanks
Yes, you must return empty on Silver with Alamo, and pay Alamo for that tank of fuel. Note, unlike the others, Alamo's cost for the tank of fuel is pretty much in line with the pump price.
Hi Roger
Thanks for the information, much appreciated
Roger,
I asked this very same question by email back in September. The answer i got from Roulla Dicarlo was:
<span style="color:red">Hello Garry,
Thank you for your email.
We can cancel your current booking and you can re-order with Silver Hire Option.
Please bear in mind that if you booked on the Silver option Alamo will always charge you for a tank of fuel on return of the car at a considerably higher price than the average pump prices.</span id="red">
We only want one driver so it seems silly to stick with gold but i didn't do anything as i did not want to be shocked by the charge for the tank of fuel.
Can you confirm that Alamo will charge a reasonable amount, similar to that of the pump price?? I'm confused.
Thanks
christhear
23-11-2009, 14:33
If you pay for the fuel when you pick up the car it is a reasonable price. If youpay when you return the car theprice is about 150% of the original price. Silver option seems to work out besyif you have 2 or less drivers and are there for anything over a week.
In the past Alamo (like Dollar and Budget) have charged considerably higher than the pump price.
They have more recently advise that their Fuel charge is now more in line with the pump price.
We hired from Alamo in Atlanta in April and Budget in September. Alamo were considerably cheaper than Budget for the fuel, although a little more than the pump price. However, the price of fuel in Atlanta was quite a bit less than in Orlando, so was miles less than Budget!
The nearer we got to the Orlando area the more I drove DH mad exclaiming every time we passed a garage OMG just look at the prices! He keeps telling me to think what it is back home and just shut up[msnwink]. Which is similar to when I exclaim about the cost of car hire (in US), he just reminds me what we last paid in Europe, and he's quite right it's vastly more!
lafifille
24-11-2009, 11:30
We rented Silver with Alamo and Budget last summer.
Budget was charging outrageous price for gas (sorry can't be more specific as we returned full and were not charged anything, but they told us how much they charged and we became quite motivated not being charged [msnwink]).
Alamo charged the average pump price, actually less than one gas station we stopped at. Again I don't remember the exact figures, but they were very fair. I think it was £42 something, the car was a Buick Lacrosse, full size category.
If I rent again with Alamo and need just one driver, assuming their policy remains the same (which Roger seems to confirm), I'll go for Silver. Then I'll make sure I return the car as empty as possible, as they still charge for a full tank.
Isn't Roulla's answer some sort of "automatic" warning?
Just one thing to note, our Silver option with Alamo allows 2 drivers, so even with 2 drivers the Silver option will often be beneficial.
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by lafifille
We rented Silver with Alamo and Budget last summer.
Budget was charging outrageous price for gas (sorry can't be more specific as we returned full and were not charged anything, but they told us how much they charged and we became quite motivated not being charged [msnwink]).
Alamo charged the average pump price, actually less than one gas station we stopped at. Again I don't remember the exact figures, but they were very fair. I think it was £42 something, the car was a Buick Lacrosse, full size category.
If I rent again with Alamo and need just one driver, assuming their policy remains the same (which Roger seems to confirm), I'll go for Silver. Then I'll make sure I return the car as empty as possible, as they still charge for a full tank.
Isn't Roulla's answer some sort of "automatic" warning?
[/quote]
I have now changed my booking to silver option.
Do i need to pre pay for a tank of fuel when i collect the car or just return it empty???
You do both. You pre-pay Alamo for the tank of fuel when you collect your car (in fact payment is actually taken from your card when you drop the car off) then you return empty since you have paid for that tank.
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by gpullan
I have now changed my booking to silver option.
Do i need to pre pay for a tank of fuel when i collect the car or just return it empty???
[/quote]
gwensvilla
24-11-2009, 23:57
so do they ask you on pick up if you want to pre pay.. and that is the cheapest option?? gwen
and to clarify.. if you declined pre pay but took it back full they would charge you anyway....
lafifille
25-11-2009, 01:42
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by gwensvilla
so do they ask you on pick up if you want to pre pay.. and that is the cheapest option?? gwen
and to clarify.. if you declined pre pay but took it back full they would charge you anyway....
[/quote]
I'm not sure you are given the choice, as you selected Silver option. They just charge you with the fuel when you get there to collect the car.
I remember clearly that when we picked our car at Alamo I was confused (it was our 3rd out of 5 rentals on the same trip at that time and I had done it months before, some Gold and some Silver), I thought I had nothing to pay, and the woman explained (very nicely) that with Silver option (Alamo calls it something else I think) we had to pay for the tank of fuel on collection, then she advised to return as empty as possible, of course. I'm pretty sure she didn't offer any other choice, and as I've said before the charge was about what we paid outside for a tank of fuel.
I don't know if they would cancel the charge should you return full, but I doubt it, as our card was charged right away. Personally I wouldn't bother taking the chance.
They don't ask you if you want to pre-pay on Silver as the Silver option means you HAVE to pre-pay for the tank of fuel on collection. If you bring it back full then they sill charge for the tank of fuel.
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by gwensvilla
so do they ask you on pick up if you want to pre pay.. and that is the cheapest option?? gwen
and to clarify.. if you declined pre pay but took it back full they would charge you anyway....
[/quote]
Hi Everyone
Following my initial post and Roger confirming that Alamo Silver option is returned empty, I hired a 4 door compact and I was charged $35 at pick up for the tank of petrol, which I don't think was too bad.
My only negative comment is that the car had 32,000 on the clock and was not really as clean inside as we have been used to with Alamo in the past.
The interior was badly stained which was not apparent when we picked it up as it was late and the 'subdued' lighting in the car park did not help.
I know that they are keeping their cars longer than before but I think they need to watch the standard of cleanliness when re-allocating the cars.