Why is renting a car through a broker cheaper than directly through a car rental company?
I have noticed that renting a car in some countries through a broker is ridiculously cheaper than directly through an agency.
For instance, I am travelling to Macedonia for a road trip and would like to rent a car for 10 days. Prices on rentalcars.com are approx 1.5 times cheaper than directly through an agency (Sixt, Hertz, Enterprise, etc). Why?
When I make a booking on RentalCars.com I only get a reservation. I would still have to go physically to the dealer's desk anyway to pick up the car, fill out the paperwork, and pay the rental. And the dealer would still attempt to sell me additional insurance. So how can rentalcars.com have a lower price than a dealer?
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How can I reduce the cost of car rental?
10 ways to save money on your next rental carWhy are rental cars so hard to come by?
Rental-car companies and analysts say they expect shortages to continue in the coming months due to the global chip shortage and other supply-chain constraints. With demand for rental cars expected to be high, plan to book early and brace for high prices in popular leisure destinations.How can I save for a car hire?
How to save on car hire \u2013 and avoid getting ripped offWhy are car rentals so much higher?
They found themselves without enough stock to supply the demand for rental cars. As such, they raised prices on the cars that they did have. Car rentals are expensive because the agencies chose to sell off their cars to survive the pandemic financially.What’s Behind the Rental Car Shortage? | WSJ
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