ORLANDO, Fla. – An Iowa snowstorm not only delayed a flight to Orlando by several hours, but it cost Roderick Davis, 54, his rental car reservation and a $249 advanced fee to hold the vehicle.
“My flight was delayed. There’s nothing I could have done about it,” Roderick Davis told News 6. “I had to take the LYNX bus halfway to Altamonte Springs. My sister picked me up and took me to my parents’ house.”
News 6 confirmed the Feb. 16 storm left six inches of snow in Cedar Rapids, where Roderick Davis and his wife Maggie now live.
“The snowstorm started at 6:30 in the morning,” Maggie Davis said. “He couldn’t get to Florida until after 2pm”
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She gave her husband the plane ticket to celebrate his 54th birthday and his recently earned high school diploma with his family.
“I was trying to find out if there was another car and they said, ‘No, we don’t have any more cars,'” Roderick Davis said.
5 tips to avoid losing money on a rental car:
He told News 6 he had called the company Mex Rent a Car to let them know he would be late.
He said he was assured the car would still be available, but admits he didn’t get the name of the employee he spoke to.
He emailed News 6 a copy of the Expedia.com receipt confirming the $249 advance payment to reserve a midsize car.
When News 6 and Make Ends Meet explained the circumstances to Expedia.com, the company’s team investigated and agreed to a refund.
“Our customer service agents contacted Mex Rent a Car to evaluate possible solutions. According to the rental company’s policies, they only guarantee the reservation of the car for 2 hours after the pickup window. However, in this case, Expedia will issue a full refund as a courtesy,” a travel company spokesperson wrote in part.
According to Expedia, “it is common practice” for car rental companies to offer a strict pickup window.
To avoid this type of inconvenience, remember these two tips:
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If your flight is canceled or delayed, please contact your car rental company to update your pickup time.
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When booking a car, opt for ‘book now pay later’ rates which allow free cancellation while you still own the vehicle.
Roderick Davis said he never expected the money to be refunded just two days after contacting News 6 and Make Ends Meet.
“Just wanted to say thanks guys,” he said. “I was born and raised in the Orlando area. When it comes to news, you all do the work!”
If you have a problem with consumption, investment or unemployment, just email makeendsmeet@wkmg.com or send a text message with the word “Make Ends Meet” along with your problem, documents and phone number at 407-676-7428.
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