St John Car Rental - Should I Ask for a Confirmation #?

[chicagoans]

I faxed paperwork to St John Car Rental to rent a Jeep Liberty. When I called to follow up, after a few minutes pause and search, they said "You're all set." After I hung up, I realized that I have nothing in writing and I don't have a confirmation number. Is this standard? I'll be going at a peak time so I don't want to take any chances. I'm planning on emailing them to ask about a confirmation #, but I'm wondering if a verbal confirmation is what people usually go with.

Thanks!

[waterguy]

I've never got a conf. number from them and the one time i asked they told me I was all set and didn't need any thing it's an island thing I guess

[mbw1024]

funny thing. last year we never got a conf # and not this year either. but this year we were charged the $100 deposit - like 3 months after we sent in the paperwork. Last year no charge for deposit. Go figure!

[Xislandgirl]

They don't give confirmation numbers. They will send you a fax 30 days prior to arrival. I know it sounds weird but I have never known them to give a confirmation number. (I used them when I was a villa rental manager)

[PA Girl]

Three years running, we never got a confirmation # or a fax. Also, they never charged our card for a deposit.

I envision an office with a stack of wrinkled reservation faxes jambed in a folder.

[chicagoans]

Thanks everyone! Good to know they might send a fax roughly 30 days prior to arrival. If I don't get one, I'll pop them an email closer to the date. I should try to be less anal and more like an islander!

I'm laughing about the folder jammed with wrinkled papers - I had the same visual! Probably because I'm sitting at my very messy desk...

[njhdrider]

Thats what I love about the islands, the only thing that is a constant is the view..LOL....

[sea-nile]

I never got a confirmation so I called about 6 months ago. It took them awhile to find it, but they did and they were very nice. They never charged the deposit.

[iowaguy]

I never got a conf. # either, or a fax, nor did they take a deposit. This made me nervous as I was renting 2 cars in prime time. So I called back, maybe twice, confirming my reservation, and each time they assured me they had me down. And sure enough, when I got there, they had me down and it was "no problem."

[Pickle]

We’ve reserved a Grand Vitara with St. John Car Rental and they have charged us the deposit of $100 on our CC. The villa agency made a reservation for us – I don’t know if that’s something to do with the deposit been paid or not.

One thing about St. John Car Rental – I was looking at their web site and noticed that they no longer list Grand Vitara for rent. Since we’ve reserved a Grand Vitara for June, we called and asked about it. They told us we are getting the car we’ve reserved for June but they seem to be thinking about no longer renting Grand Vitaras maybe starting September.

[sea-nile]

I will be renting from them in a week. I never did get a FAX.

Has anyone ever had a problem getting a car from them? When I called to ask what time I could pick up the car on Saturday morning, they seemed annoyed and couldn't guarantee me a car at a certain time. They said it has to come back from the previous renter and be cleaned, etc. I know I need to get on island time and everything, but I need to get the the beach Saturday morning.
In my mind I'm already there though.
Two years ago we rented from someone else who said we would have a car at 9 am and we didn't get it until 2 pm. I was really dissapointed to not go to the beaches that morning. I just didn't want that to happen again. I guess I will be prepared for it to be a possibility though.

[Pia]

Very nice people at St John Car Rental so I hate to "break your bubble" but....what they said is true - if they are sold out and all of their cars are rented (and as Carnival nears they get busier) they do have to wait for a car to be returned, cleaned, checked over, then it will be ready to go.
I just called them and the rental car return time is 12 noon so depending on how busy they are you may have to wait You can always catch a cab to the beach if you are desperate

Pia

[sea-nile]

Thanks Pia,
Now I will know what to expect and will be happy if we actually get one at 9 am like they told us back in November. I will be so happy to be on vacation it probably won't matter that much.

[nascarfan59]

I have rented from them a couple of times and the fax thing does make me a little nervous but have never had a problem. If I don't see the deposit hit my CC a month before the trip I call them and double check. Charge will "soon come".

They do bring out a file folder full of rental forms that takes some time to go thru and find yours.

Hope this helps.

[cptnkirk]

We rented from Denzel Cline and asked for a confirmation number and said they didn't give them. We sent them a $100 deposit, they did call us and confirmed they recieved the check. Funny when we arrived, introduced myself and asked about the car he grabbed one of those big appointment calenders with things scribbled all over it and after a minute or two says yea mon here ya are. It's an island thing kinda cool that there still old school. Sometimes I wish things were like they used to be but I do love some of the new school stuff. Like my computer as long as it's working ok. How else would I get all this good info about St. John.