Rental Cars from PUJ

[kenshireen]

I am considering renting a car at the airport.
I would appreciate any suggestions as far as Agencies, cost, insurance etc.
I would prefer an automatic since I'm going to need all my attention to focus on the driving.

Thank you

 

[SKY]

I am considering renting a car at the airport.
I would appreciate any suggestions as far as Agencies, cost, insurance etc.
I would prefer an automatic since I'm going to need all my attention to focus on the driving.

Thank you

Don't have a recommendation but I can tell you it is easier to find gold than a stick shift car here.......

 

[pinonuevo]

Go online to Expedia.com and compare the prices

 

[pinonuevo]

Get the full coverage and if you have a credit card get the additional insurance from it.
its about 700.00 per week for a midsize suv

 

[SKY]

Get the full coverage and if you have a credit card get the additional insurance from it.
its about 700.00 per week for a midsize suv

And make sure to tip the guy another $100 for giving you the "Gringo Price"............

 

[JimW]

The airport rental car business in the DR is a scam I'm sorry to say although it's better now than say, when I remember it 10 or even 5 years ago.

You go online to an international rental car agency (Hertz, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Eurocar etc.) and reserve a vehicle like you do in your home country and expect the company to be reliable with a car there when you arrive at the price stated.

#1. Those companies ,or at least as you know them in your home countries, don't exist in the DR. All of them are local franchises. Yes, every Hertz, Avis, Enterprise, Eurocar etc. are NOT corporate-owned locations. They don't exist in the DR market. Forget being able to contact the corporate agency and complain, it will get you nowhere.

#2. You will reserve (or worse, pay for) a vehicle online either directly through the major rental agencies website or an aggregator such as Expedia, Travelocity etc. You then get to the airport and you will be told the car is no longer available and the only one they have is double the price. Or you reserve an SUV and when you arrive there are no SUV's, only compact cars. This is the way it works. Online inventory for specific body styles doesn't exist for the franchises even though you can select them online when reserving the car.

#3. Even though the only legally required insurance is liability, you will be told you need to purchase other ones if you want the car. Often the insurance will actually cost more than the car rental. They count on having you over a barrel because you're stuck there at the airport (with bags, possibly a family etc.) and no other way out. I've noticed thing are getting better in this area but there's still far to go.

#4. Worst is if you pay in advance. Then you've already paid online (either to the international corporate entity or aggregator) and once they spring the local "surprise package extras" on you, if you back out, you have to fight for your pre-payment back.

#5. Once you capitulate and spend double on a lesser car, take photos of every single scratch, nick, dent etc. because when you go to return it, they will claim you caused the pre-existing damage and insist you pay for it else they'll charge your hold-credit card. Of course, if you pay the guy at the counter/inspecting your car, he can make this problem 'go away'.

The fact is that the DR has SOOO MUCH to offer outside the regular tourist areas but the car rental process is still corrupt and is holding back what would be a goldmine in local exploration tourism to the inner/south DR. Hopefully one day this will get tackled but for now, expect the above and be prepared...

 

[cavok]

Many times, you can get a much better deal with less hassle from a local car rental place in town than at the airport.

 

[NanSanPedro]

Many times, you can get a much better deal with less hassle from a local car rental place in town than at the airport.

So true. I experienced this the only time I rented locally. Try to avoid renting at the airport.

 

[JD Jones]

The airport rental car business in the DR is a scam I'm sorry to say although it's better now than say, when I remember it 10 or even 5 years ago.

You go online to an international rental car agency (Hertz, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Eurocar etc.) and reserve a vehicle like you do in your home country and expect the company to be reliable with a car there when you arrive at the price stated.



The fact is that the DR has SOOO MUCH to offer outside the regular tourist areas but the car rental process is still corrupt and is holding back what would be a goldmine in local exploration tourism to the inner/south DR. Hopefully one day this will get tackled but for now, expect the above and be prepared...

When did you go through this experience you're describing?

 

[NanSanPedro]

When did you go through this experience you're describing?

I know this was addressed to JimW, but I had this exact experience in SDQ in 2017. Because I was by myself, I said eff no and walked. Took a taxi and the rest is history.

Here in Boca Chica, I rented once and had zero problems. However, the potential liability makes me very nervous and I probably won'd do it again.

 

[AlaPlaya]

Europcar at the airport in PUJ is my favorite. I think I've rented from them close to 10 times over the years. I reserve online in advance and if you pay online more than x number of days in advance they offer you a discounted rate. They give me nice, clean, and comfortable vehicles. Or in the event they don't have the specific vehicle I've requested, they have given me an upgrade at no charge.

I also select the full insurance and don't want to deal with the hassle. The full insurance was worth it to me when someone t-boned the rental car I was driving and all I needed was a police report for Europcar. They handled the rest. I have not found a "cheap" rental car anywhere in the world since the pandemic, but Europcar's prices are fair.

 

[keepcoming]

When did you go through this experience you're describing?

I would also like to know. I have rented many times and so has my family. We have never encountered any of this. The extra "insurance" is your choice. I prefer it for peace of mind if anything happens.

 

[ricpaq]

I am considering renting a car at the airport.
I would appreciate any suggestions as far as Agencies, cost, insurance etc.
I would prefer an automatic since I'm going to need all my attention to focus on the driving.

Thank you

I think it all depends on the level of tourism. I believe DR tourism is flying high right now. IIRC, I have rented about 4 times all at PUJ airport. It doesn't really matter what agencies logo is showing at checkout since the same attendant works multiples. Once I was aware of the potential lack of availability of my vehicle reservation, I started booking from 3 or 4 companies at the same time. It was awful to watch a family get turned away from their reservation. On my 2nd rental experience, someone charged my card for a trip Europe costing close to $3,000. VISA reimbursed me on that one but I had to set up autopay all over again for all my utility and other monthly bills since everything was setup on the terminated card. So, I now use a seperate card for all risky transactions everywhere. My best rental experience was during COVID. There were plenty of vehicles on hand, no demands to pay full coverage for insurance, much cheaper prices and a very nice attendant ready to do anything to please. My last experience was exciting but potentially deadly. For that one, my final destination was to La Romana where I rented an apartment and drove to local grocery stores, friends homes, discos and beaches. Be careful of the ruts in the streets and and the maniac local drivers if you drive the barrios. They will both destroy your vehicle and always leave you at fault regardless. During this trip, I also drove from La Romana to Sosua. This was a great mountain drive where my wife and I bought fresh organic fruit, lamb and pork on the way back to La Romana. This was also the end of my DR driving since my driving nerves were shot and my wife and I were almost killed by a huge tourist bus. If I ever go back to DR, I will keep my gringo ass at an all inclusive resort in Punta Cana and let my wife drive herself to all her childhood friends in La Romana. But the resorts gets old too.

 

[MariaRubia]

I would recommend that you don't hire a car. Instead get the bus to Santo.Domingo which is $5 and the safest way to travel. And then use Uber to buzz around the city. Or if you don't like the idea of a bus you can get get a cheap private transfer from Dominican Shuttles I think they come in at about $130 one way.

 

[MariaRubia]

When did you go through this experience you're describing?

I've had similar experiences with Avis at PUJ. Car I hired wasn't available. They offered me a beaten up wreck or one that was nice but double the price. Or come back the next day.

 

[JimW]

When did you go through this experience you're describing?

Last time was 2 months ago (Jan 2023). I reserved an SUV in PUJ. It was supposed to be $745 inclusive (see link below: it included the base car rate, the liability insurance only [I had documentation with me of coverage through my credit card for collision/comprehensive], taxes and airport concession fees).

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rd9On3aGNz7D6uvJRUaqBtuh__h2god0/view?usp=sharing

Of course as always, once there, no SUV's, only small cars and they can't honor that rate because as a local franchise they can set their own rates and the compact car is 50% more. (this is where the guy at the counter also filled me on about online booking. He said never do it... as a franchisee the parent company's online systems can't read the franchisee's inventory. He said that some of the vehicles on the AVIS website that you can "reserve" are NEVER at that location. The website will make it appear though like you have a reservation.)

I declined and went outside and got a bus to Santo Domingo (my final destination anyway). I went to the Budget (city) location that's near Winston Churchill but on the Ikea side of Autop. Duarte and got an SUV at close to the original rate.

The issue is that at the airport they know the majority of tourists don't have any other option- they just landed and are stuck. So it's ripe to take advantage of the situation. My wife's family lives in SD so we come down 3-4 times a year and it's always the same. Again, 2 months ago in PUJ. Back in Oct 2022 in SDQ. Less at STI but it's still happened there as well.

Just the usual corruption-it goes along with the 'propina at a traffic stop' or other gingo tax etc. but as I said in my original post, if the DR gets these things worked out where tourists can come down and have a hassle-free experience, inner-DR tourism I feel would take off. But for now, for many tourists, it's just too much as hassle when you want to have a nice relaxing vacation.

 

[MariaRubia]

When people have these bad experiences, it is worth sending an email to the Dominican Republic Tourist Board in your home country. Honestly they do take these things very seriously and will investigate. And they have very very good contacts with the franchise owners. This country stops at nothing to preserve its reputation with tourists.

 

[RDKNIGHT]

The airport rental car business in the DR is a scam I'm sorry to say although it's better now than say, when I remember it 10 or even 5 years ago.

You go online to an international rental car agency (Hertz, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Eurocar etc.) and reserve a vehicle like you do in your home country and expect the company to be reliable with a car there when you arrive at the price stated.

#1. Those companies ,or at least as you know them in your home countries, don't exist in the DR. All of them are local franchises. Yes, every Hertz, Avis, Enterprise, Eurocar etc. are NOT corporate-owned locations. They don't exist in the DR market. Forget being able to contact the corporate agency and complain, it will get you nowhere.

#2. You will reserve (or worse, pay for) a vehicle online either directly through the major rental agencies website or an aggregator such as Expedia, Travelocity etc. You then get to the airport and you will be told the car is no longer available and the only one they have is double the price. Or you reserve an SUV and when you arrive there are no SUV's, only compact cars. This is the way it works. Online inventory for specific body styles doesn't exist for the franchises even though you can select them online when reserving the car.

#3. Even though the only legally required insurance is liability, you will be told you need to purchase other ones if you want the car. Often the insurance will actually cost more than the car rental. They count on having you over a barrel because you're stuck there at the airport (with bags, possibly a family etc.) and no other way out. I've noticed thing are getting better in this area but there's still far to go.

#4. Worst is if you pay in advance. Then you've already paid online (either to the international corporate entity or aggregator) and once they spring the local "surprise package extras" on you, if you back out, you have to fight for your pre-payment back.

#5. Once you capitulate and spend double on a lesser car, take photos of every single scratch, nick, dent etc. because when you go to return it, they will claim you caused the pre-existing damage and insist you pay for it else they'll charge your hold-credit card. Of course, if you pay the guy at the counter/inspecting your car, he can make this problem 'go away'.

The fact is that the DR has SOOO MUCH to offer outside the regular tourist areas but the car rental process is still corrupt and is holding back what would be a goldmine in local exploration tourism to the inner/south DR. Hopefully one day this will get tackled but for now, expect the above and be prepared...

I agree it;s F disgrace

 

[SKY]

I have had one rule in renting cars and it has served me well. NEVER pay in advance for a rental car reservation. If they insist I pass and go elsewhere, once you pay you are at their mercy.......

 

[RDKNIGHT]

another scam job what a beautiful way to get tourists to come back sometimes this country is so stupid