I wanted to rent a van in Kuai, HI. Thrifty site has a rental of about
$111/day. But, various discount comanies are offering at around
$70/day. What is the catch?  These discounters are not pre-charging my
credit card. Are cars guaranteed when I arrive?. or additional costs
would be added when I go there.

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Clarification of Question by mghouse-ga on 18 Jul 2006 16:24 PDT

I just wanted to know whether I can rely on these discounters for the
guaranteed availability of the cars when I go to Hawaii.

There are many "discounters" that are reliable.  If you are referring
to sites like:

priceline.com
expedia.com
hotwire.com
travelocity.com

I'm sure that there are some that are not as well.  I have used each
of the above mentioned sites for various services and have not had any
trouble.  My in-laws rented a car in Hawaii through priceline and did
not have any issues.

If you book your rental through one of these sites you will be charged
at the time you book the rental.

Another "catch" is that changes or cancellations can be difficult or
impossible.  You give up some flexibility.  There is often an option
to purchase the ability to change or cancel your rental when you book
your rental.

Look through the terms very carefully when purchasing.  If you know
that you will need it and don't need the flexibility you can save a
lot of money!

Here is priceline's FAQ on rentals.  It is very typical of these discount sites.
http://travel.priceline.com/customerservice/faq/browsefaq.asp?session_key=5C0011AC5D0011AC200607192041401de400860630&plf=pcln

Please let me know if you require any further information by posting a
request for clarification.

Thanks!

The answer above is partially correct. The various discount companies
use a pre-netotiated rate contract. Otherwise known as corporate
rates. Many times the rates are similar to the parent company, it's
the benefits which differ. The discounted rental companies may offer
additional drivers at no extra charge or no charge for drivers under
25. This is how they set themselves apart from the parent companies.
The businesses I am discussing do not charge you until you actually
return the car. But, they are in fact fully guaranteed and most have
no charges for cancellation if necessary.