Why I’m still using Autoslash.
Over the past few years, I’ve read dozens of articles detailing how to save money on rental cars. Various sources have embraced Costco travel, promoted Hotwire and Priceline, and encouraged me to use the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal. While I have tried them all, I keep coming back to Autoslash.
Why? I find that it offers the best results for the least amount of time spent.
When I’m planning a vacation, I don’t want to spend my time searching for a rental car: I just want to grab a deal and move on. This is interesting because I really enjoy the rest of the planning process, especially researching different airline and hotel options.
When it comes to car rentals, I find it aggravating to sift through seemingly-endless sites in search of coupon codes. I’m frustrated by the huge variations in price from company to company and day to day. I feel confused by all of the different combinations of points-earning vs. money-saving possibilities.
I just want to rent a stupid car at a decent price. So this is what I do:
1. Start at VroomVroomVroom.
VroomVroomVroom is a site that compares the rental car prices from 15 suppliers. You don’t need a credit card to hold your reservation, and you can easily cancel if you decide you no longer want the car.
Just click on the car that you want, and go through the normal booking process.
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2. Head over to Autoslash
This is where the magic happens. Enter your rental details in the “Track a Rental” box. Then sit back and relax.
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You’ll get a confirmation that looks like this:
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3. Wait for an email.
This can arrive at any moment, which is what makes it so exciting. I’ve received emails minutes, days, or weeks after booking. The email will detail the lower price and also note any additional information.
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Tip: once you receive the email, act quickly, because the rates really do change rapidly. I’ve missed out before when I waited too long!
Another tip: don’t forget to cancel your VroomVroomVroom reservation! It’s the nice thing to do.
4. If you get another email, celebrate!
Often, the price will drop again before your trip. This is another thing I love about Autoslash – they will rebook you automatically!! This is so perfect for people like me.
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I know that there are plenty of other ways to save on car rentals. However, I love this method because of its simplicity and ease. I can rest assured that I am getting a very good (or even a great) rate, without having to spend a ton of time thinking about it (or worse, dealing with it).
Do you use Autoslash? What do you think?
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I always run my car rental reservation through Autoslash, for the exact same reason you do. Sometimes I stumble on an especially good rate that they can’t beat. Often though, they are able to save me a considerable amount off my original reservation. No reason not to check them. They make the process quick and easy.
I have used Autoslash too and have received reduced prices on car rentals in Europe and in the States. One thing that I think should be mentioned about it though. It is my understanding that several of the main car rental firms have prohibited Autoslash from selling their products for presumably the obvious reason that they are making those companies loose revenue. My take away is that Autoslash is good but it is only one of several in my rental tool box.
I heard the same thing so I stopped using them. Does anybody know what companies will not allow Autoslash to sell their products?
Skywardbd – I am all about the quick and easy when it comes to this piece of the travel puzzle!
Chuck – I don’t care as much about which rental company I end up with – I am more interested in a deal 😉
Anne – I don’t know the answer. If anyone else out there does, please let us know!
I’ll give it a whirl and let you know
I’ve used Autoslash several times since you first wrote about it and I’m totally hooked. It has never failed to save me money. My son just used it for the first time – he booked his car through Costco Travel and so far Autoslash has almost reduced his rental cost by half!!!
Thank you Kendra for introducing me to autoclash. I was able to grab a lower rental price for an up coming trip. However, just a quick question for you and anyone who has used Autoslash, does their price include all the fees and taxes? Autoslash’s confirmation email states that they were sorry for not being able to show the break down of the price. Is this typical? BTW, I’m typing this while I’m on the phone calling Autoslash for the answer and I’ve been waiting for ten minutes already….long wait. Thank you!! I love all of you tips!!
Sorry one more question, I usually contact the rental car company to confirm my reservation, I went to Alamo’s website and entered my confirmation number, but Alamo.com cannot find my reservaiton and asks me to call. I haven’t called yet and will later. Is this typical too since it is a reservation through a 3rd party?
JustSaying – great, thank you!
Patty – I’m so glad! Thanks for telling me!
Sandy – I reached out to AutoSlash and here is what they told me:
Yes, the price shown as the “TotalPrice” does include all taxes and fees.
Sometimes the rental companies have trouble sending us the specific price breakdown through the antiquated computer systems they use, but rest assured your TotalPrice is guaranteed. (If you pull it up on their own site, you can confirm the total prices match.)
As for not being able to pull it up on their site, that’s not common but does occasionally happen (the systems the rental agencies use are antiquated and can be touchy).
Hope that helps!
I love autoslash. It’s saving me $40 on my upcoming rental with Avis. I’ve never used as a first stop for booking a car, only for tracking rates & getting better deals.
Hi Kendra and everybody, I just wanted to give everyone an update. I stopped waiting at about 36 minutes and emailed Autoslash. A response was provided after about 5 hours. Like Kendra stated above, the TotalPrice is the final total. As for pulling up the reservation, I made the cheaper reservation with Alamo through Autoslash. So I’m supposed to ignore all the letters and just enter the numeric part of the confirmation number. And I was able to pull up my reservation, see the breakdown of the pricing and the final price. I’ve also mentioned the long wait time on the phone; here’s what the CSR stated in the email:
“The phone number you were on hold with isn’t for AutoSlash—it’s for Travelocity, whose reservation system we contract with to process reservations. Their customer support folks are outsourced to India and leave much to be desired; plus, they don’t know what AutoSlash is or how we work. Best to ignore that number and just email us here if you have any questions.”
With this information, I’d confirm any rental directly with the car providing company before the trip just to avoid any hassle of having to contact Autoslash at the rental counter.
Thank you Kendra for this post, you’ve saved me soooo much money. This is a 4 day rental from OAK for a total of $56.23!!
A gold Star next to your name Pixie! I can’t believe how slow they are as it took them 9 hours and 15 minutes to drop a $101.38 rental to a $69.49 rental for FTU in Seattle……Geez they can’t drop the rate more than 31%……next stop Normandy for 70th D-Day Reunion…..I’m looking forward what they can do in downtown Paris! Logistics is such an overlooked art form and your focus on the rental car is just a pure stroke of genius…………..What other dust are you throwing up in the air?
justSaying – I’ve got a lot of glitter and sprinkles flying around over here 😉
I look forward to meeting you at the FTU.
Rebecca – Exactly, me too.
Sandy – Thanks so much for all the great info! I’m REALLY glad that you got such a great deal!!
@Sandy @Points Pixie
When y’all confirm your reservation with the particular car company, are you asked for any other information upon the rental pick up? Like a company ID card or something of that sort?
I’m asking this coz I’m worried for the fact that there is a rental offer code that is entered in the Rental Car company’s itinerary, which usually reduces the rental cost by a huge amount.
I have a one-way rental which I booked through Autoslash, and as mentioned here, the rates are phenomenally reduced.
Do let me know folks.
YmFoodie – As long as you booked through Autoslash, you should be fine. I’ve never been asked to provide any ID other than my driver’s license and credit card. However, if you have any concerns, I would email Autoslash directly to ask. They’ve got great customer service, in my experience!
[…Why I’m still using Autoslash. – Points and Pixie Dust…]