The Surprising Reason You May Not Be Allowed to Rent a Car

Consumer advocate Ed Perkins is traveling in Europe this week, sending tips and tales from the road. Follow along here.



I arranged a rental car in advance for my arrival in Bari. The rental was with Enterprise, which had the best deal. During the rental booking process, I was asked if I was over 25. The booking agent did not ask my age. But when I arrived, the clerk at the Enterprise desk informed me that the company did not rent to anyone age 72 or older.

So, it's 9 p.m. and I have no car. I easily got a replacement the next morning, and Enterprise agreed to refund my pre-payment, but the experience cost both inconvenience and two unnecessary cab fares.

The take-away: Some online rental agencies do not disclose a maximum age limit on car rentals. If you're 70 or over, reserve your car from a rental company or rental agency website that asks for your specific age in addition to the standard over/under 25 question that every operator asks.



AutoEurope

is very good about arranging cars for seniors anywhere that a maximum age can be a problem.



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