advice please!!

[owensy]

Sorry about this but I'm getting in a bit of a twist regarding car hire!
Firstly I'm sorry but we booked our trip with a tour operator and our car hire is with alamo. As I have commented in the past, I do have a credit card but dont have the $500 deposit on it but I have also have a visa debit card.
I have spoken to my tour operator, first choice, and they have only told me because I asked, that I need $500 deposit but I spoke direct to alamo uk and on their international hire I was told that I need a credit card but only for a swipe for address and info and no money will be taken. All good I thought, until an email from first choice said that this was not right and only a credit card would do and no debit cards!! I went to the agents for a face to face and thier 'agent' said that the credit card only was correct! The assistant in the store rung alamo uk and they said $150 per week deposit.
So I am at a bit of a loss at the moment as everytime I contact someone I get told a different answer!!
HELP ME PLEASE BEFORE I CRACK UP!!! lol

thanks,

Paul

[steph_goodrum]

I'm not sure how we can help Paul? The people who took your money and the people who will be supplying the car are the only people (and ultimately really only ALamo) who can give youu their decision. They may have different terms to those for the car hire here since First Choice for example may not be so reliable at paying invoices etc. so Alamo may insist on stricter terms (not saying this is so but only suggesting an example).

Because UScarhire do have a good reputation and rapport the suppliers may offer more flexibility to their customers.

I think your only real solution is to email Alamo customer services and ask them and at least whatever they tell you in writing (hopefully it will be good news) you can take with you in case of any problems at the other end.

[Albert the Frog]

i might be able to put a different slant on this that hopefully will help. i have a visa debit card linked to my bank account.
whenever i am in the states i use my visa debit card for all purchases/deposits/etc and don't think twice about it.i have used it at alamo.
the american system however does not recognise it as a debit card and processes all my purchases through the visa system as a credit card. i see no difference at my end because when the visa system has processed the purchase it just comes out of my account as normal.
this might explain why the people are saying credit card only-because in their eyes the uk debit system and the us system are incompatible but the Visa system is international.the only thing that you have to remember is that when the pin machine(in stores not in alamo),says debit or credit? press credit otherwise for the reasons outlined above it will reject it.
in all the times i have used alamo i have never had any money taken from my account as a result of a "pick up" swipe.

[owensy]

Thanks,
I will wait and see but thanks for your advise! I know where to get my car from next time!
Thanks,

Paul