Completely off topic mini rant!
 

So, I recently purchased a nice little used car. Great shape, but I wanted to "cherry" it out and it needed a couple hundred in cosmetic items, etc. Dropped it off and the nice lady said they would have to order a few parts. "OK" I said. Went home and proceeded to try and rent a car for a day or two. Only tried two "Enterprise" and "Alamo". Prepared to give them all info over phone, After said and done, both co's said...You have to have a credit card. "I don't have a credit card, will a debit card do?" "No! You have to have a CC", "How about cash?? "No!" You have to have a credit card. WTF?? Debit card is no good!!? Cash is unacceptable??? I have to charge the cost? I just cannot wrap my head around it. So bottom line, I wasn't "allowed" to rent a car because I have money. End of Rant.:mad:

I have never had Credit Cards. Everyone has told me that I would need one to get a car, yet I have never had this problem. I have rented from Enterprise multiple times and have always gotten away with a visa debit card. I guess I have just been lucky, because one of the people who said can't be done was a friend whom works for corporate enterprise and he said he hasn't even been allowed to do it.

I believe what most do(I won't speak for all though), is actually put a hold on your card, or debit card(with credit card logo) for a nearly absurd amount of money, and then after return of the car, they then do the official charge and release the held funds. I only know this from one time my buddy had to rent a car, they held some crazy amount of money on his bank account(might've been in the $7-800 range, and the rental only ultimately cost him like 300. What's worse is that the hold doesn't release immediately either. So be prepared for that amount of money to be Un-available in your account for up to a week...

It has taken a CC to rent a car since 1999 for sure. I have one of those horror stories to tell also. I was one of those fools who in 1999 bought tickets to the Cubs at St Louis series. The last 3 games of the year for $800 a ticket. Remember the anticipation of those two(Sosa/McGwire) ending the season against each other when they were both on pace to hit over 70 homers.

I reserved a car at the airport in St. Louis with my Debit Card. When my flight arrived they said I needed a CC or I could not get the car. Well no credit card no car.

I got really lucky and one of the other places rented me a car so it seemed all was well. It was till the last day on the way to the stadium a guy pulls out of the Department of Social Services and T-Bones me. Rental agency had to deliver a new car on a trailer and haul the old one away.

Fun Times. It was even better when the rental agency wanted me to pay for the car because the guy that T-Boned me did not have insurance.:eek:

Same here with the Visa debit card - many, many times - as recently as 3 months ago.

I do agree with the other poster though. They did put a hold on the card, but I only remember it being like $250 or so (no more than $500).

They put a hold on my credit card when I rent a car. I bet they let you use the debit card because they didn't know it was a debit card. There isn't anything from the numbers that would identify it as a debit card.


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He rented from a dealership, rather than a typical rental place. I believe that's why his hold was so high...