I have a friend that owns a second home in Orlando and travels back and forth regularly from New York to Orlando. When she arrives in Orlando she needs a car and each time I have met up with her in Orlando she is driving a very nice, newest model mini-van. I just started renting cars when traveling having always relied on resort or public transportation before so asked who she uses for car rentals. “Bob, the King of Car Rentals! He’s fabulous, reliable and saves me tons of money over time.”
O.K. I admit – I secretly rolled my eyes (sorry Heidi!). I was expecting her answer to be Alamo or National or another one of the major car rental services. I was not at all prepared for her recommendation to be Bob the King.
Because I completely and totally trust my friend, when I found myself in the market for car rental for two up-coming trips I decided to give the King a try. OHHH EMMM GEEE! I’m am thrilled with his service. I did a bit of price comparison so knew what my costs would be if going directly through the major rental services.
For my first trip, I need a 7 passenger mini van to be picked up near my home and returned near my home the following week. My cost, to book directly through Alamo would be $357 PLUS TAXES AND FEES (those fees are what get you each time you rent a car and add on sometimes as much as an additional $75 or more). The taxes and fees brought the cost up well over $400. Then I took that same trip and applied my Disney Annual Passholder discount code which brought the cost down to $313 PLUS TAXES AND FEES. The taxes and fees brought the cost up to slightly over $400. After looking at those costs, I put in a request through the King of Car Rentals website. Within 24 hours I had a quote of $303 INCLUDING TAXES AND FEES!! Woot! I was in money saving heaven! Within a matter of a couple of hours after agreeing to the quote, I had a receipt and confirmation directly from Alamo.
My second rental has me needing a mid-sized car to get myself around Orlando on an upcoming trip so required an Orlando Airport pick-up and return. Within an hour of giving Bob the King my information, I had a quote for a rental from National. Before accepting the quote I did the same price checking as I did above. I checked Nationals website and came up with a price of $207.51. The King’s quote: $172.83 (all inclusive). Before accepting the quote, Bob recommended I join National’s Emerald Club which gives me automatic upgrades so for the cost of a mid-sized vehicle I will be driving something a little larger. Also as a member of National’s Emerald Club, there is no need to stop at the rental desk when I arrive at Orlando Airport. I simply go to the parking garage and pick a vehicle! Woot! Not only money savers heaven but easy and convenient too!
So how does Bob the King manage this you ask ~ Here’s how:
Bob started his business because he felt that so many people heading to Florida (where he is located) overpay for their rentals. Most of his business is done in the Florida/Orlando market.
His service does not end when he arranges your rental. Should you experience any issues during your car rental experience, he will be available to get the resolution you need. This alone provides his clients with an extreme peace of mind. Bob does not compete with “no name” or small rental companies that usually are not at the airport and he feels the rate you end up through some of these smaller companies is often double to triple what you’ve booked online. With Bob the King, the rate he locks in, is the rate you pay! He has created a strong partnership with Enterprise Rent a Car who also owns National Car Rental and Alamo Rent a Car.
The fee for initial new clients is $32.99 and $26 for repeat clients or referred clients (because I mentioned my friend who is a regular customer, I was charged $26). Discounts are offered for multiple bookings at the same time. The fee is paid via PayPal (if you do not have a PayPal account, checks by mail are accepted).
So for the King of Car Rentals service I paid $26 but over-all he saved me close to around $130. So even after paying his fee, it was a winning situation for my purse. I will definitely be using his service whenever I need a rental car.