Hi,
I decided to post my experience renting a car from Sao Miguel/Ponta Delgada and a couple tips dealing with Azores SATA airlines. I did encounter some surprising occurrences.
I read terrible reviews about every car rental agency; I didn’t know which agency to go with. It’s not which company to use (all reviews are bad) more of how you will be proactive if something comes up.
My tips in a nutshell.Companies will likely try to nickel and dime you! Be prepared!
- Decide rental, transmission, insurance online. Bring a printout. Refer to this paper if any questions or issues come up.
- Photograph the vehicle like crazy.
- SATA Azores airline was kind, but disorganized with poor communication. They will likely depart late. If you have a tight connection in Boston, you’ll likely still make the connection. ( just my opinion! Use your judgment.) or arrive early, stash luggage, boat to Boston and spend the day.
- SATA accepts bids for your seat. No early selection.
- Watch for notifications If your flight gets changed or the connecting airline’s flight gets cancelled and rescheduled, check everything over, consider options, do it in a timely manner. Dealing with SATA could mean bidding for any changes. Depending on who you get, you could be hardballing a negotiation.
My best advice for dealing with car rental agencies is to order your vehicle and put a down payment online. Decide everything at that time. Decide on insurance, the type of vehicle… cover all bases. Bring a printout of this information. If you need to justify any unexpected charges, show them the paper. “Want a manual?” Nope. If the person the counter says “oh I see you’re taking our (whatever name) insurance.“ just say whatever I did online is what I have decided to take. Stick to that printed info. I went with AutAtlantis. The woman at the front desk recalculated the math on the printout and tried to say that I owed additional money. I stated perhaps there was a discount online. She thought a minute and then said yes, I will give you this price. When I returned my vehicle, the man said that I owed money for taking out additional insurance. Say what? The woman at the counter worded the above comment in order to try to charge me additional insurance. ( I don’t know the names of all their types of insurances.) Was her comment was intended to trick me? Maybe it was different communication or culture? Lesson learned - refer to what you decided on the paper. I showed the paperwork. If you decide to change anything, get clarification and the cost. Get your grand total before you get your car.
While waiting to be attended to, I was talking to two other men about all the shady car rental reviews. On queue, a man returning his vehicle was told that his car has a scratch and he needed to pay up. Maybe he caused a scratch or not, but here is what you can do to protect yourself: Tip number 2 - Before you leave the lot, photograph and record the car thoroughly inside and out, be sure to also view the car on an angle so you can see any dents or dings easily. For my rental, the man at the lot said an area was just superficial marks. Days later, from an angle, I noticed that it was in fact dented. Fortunately, I had it filmed in case it came up. I also noticed that the backseat was now very splotchy when it was black when I got it. (It was likely wet from being freshly washed and hid the issue.) I decided that I would clean it using water - I didn’t want to be blamed for something I didn’t do. I washed 3 times to get out whatever was on the seat. It started foaming because someone used soap before.
Would I use the rental agency again? Maybe, because the price was good, car perfect for me, and now know how to handle what may come up.
Bottom line. I encountered tactics ( some not mentioned here) that wouldn’t fly in the US, but it’s not the US. Be proactive. Document. Show documentation. Enjoy the island. It’s beautiful!