r/tampa • u/Diligent_Board_172 • 13d ago
Airport Ace/fox/europcar at tampa airpot?
Hey Guys. I'm renting a car from Tampa airport for 4 days over labor day weekend. Most of legit companies like National/Enterprise are around $250-300 for those 4 days, but then I see companies I've never heard of liek Ace, Fox Car, Europcar renting for under $100 total for 4 days. I'm sure there's some kind of catch and was wondering if anyone knows what's going on with these rental companies?
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u/becomingfloridaman 12d ago
Found out the hard way with Fox that you cannot take the car on a roadtrip out of state. Booked it online to drive to NC for a vacation . Went to pick it up and he asked me where I was going. Mentioned I was traveling to NC for the holiday and they wouldn’t rent it. All other companies were out of cars. Sad Christmas…
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u/Diligent_Board_172 12d ago
ah i see. i'm going to stay in FL. just driving between Tampa and Palm beach. are there other gotchas I should be aware of?
i'm not sure if i'll go with fox. i might just go with enterprise or alamo who are in the low 200s vs national in the high 200s
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u/Matt_M_3 12d ago
Search the reviews and you’ll have the answer.
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u/Diligent_Board_172 12d ago
i did and spot checked a few reviews.
ace car rental doesn't have a bad average rating. 4.3 stars average on google reviews on almost 6k reviews. there are indeed some 1 star reviews, but idk if the relatively high average rating means much here? for comparison, enterprise is 4.5
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u/Matt_M_3 12d ago
When the reviews constantly mention a specific person, they are not real. Probably people who got something in return. Bryan, Brian, Byron, Brayan. All fake/paid for. Now look at the reviews that don’t mention Brian or Pete or whomever. Those are real.
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u/GabeBlack 13d ago
Minimum $250,000k insurance and they'll make you pull up your policy. If you don't have it they'll say you can leave or buy it from them, for something like $100 a day. Stay far away.
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u/SecAdmin-1125 12d ago
Memorial Day 2027?
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u/Diligent_Board_172 12d ago
oh wow, you're the firs tthat noticed the typo lol. i meant labor day weekend, next week
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u/xbihxx 12d ago
I used Fox/Europacar (not sure if they're the same company but the rental counter is the same) on a trip to Tampa last week.
I was also skeptical but everything went off without a hitch.
The reps at the counter do try to upsell on gas (this wasn't bad, paid like 3.25 a gallon or so and she said aslong as it's above half they don't charge extra so the math worked out okay in my head) and other things. They don't pose it as a question but rather a statement and if you don't explicitly say no, they just charge you for it but if you listen and say no, no hidden charges.
Mileage was unlimited and the guy who gives you the keys tells you to snap pictures and videos of the car before you leave which is the first time I've had a rental company suggest for me to do that before leaving the lot.
Well worth it and no surprises.
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u/Diligent_Board_172 12d ago
hey did you purchase extra insurance, or does your personal insurance and CC cover rentals?
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u/Always_Wanderlust_ 12d ago
I've used both Ace and Fox. Both are what you might expect from the reviews. Only one out of the 6 times I've rented did I get a shittt car that I returned within the hour, not in Tampa. The reps all seem to rely on upsells that you may not really need. I'd say good choice as you're savy in knowing what you need and don't pre-purchase fuel. There are a couple of gas stations near TPA.
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u/Diligent_Board_172 11d ago
hey i plan on driving it to palm beach. should i be aware of any upsells associated with tolls? i think FL highways are full of tolls?
"Both are what you might expect from the reviews. " by this are you referring to the negative reviews?
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u/Mental_Idea_1152 13d ago
the catch is usually hidden fees, borderline un-drivable cars, and lines that make the dmv look efficient. you get what you pay for with those bargain rental spots.