Booked at $487.50 through Amex Travel, charged $1,459.29 at the counter

I booked a 12-day minivan rental through Amex Travel for my father-in-law, who was the driver. The Amex Travel quote was $487.50 total, including $129.31 in taxes and fees. At the Orlando counter (8443 McCoy Rd) on October 11, 2026, my card was charged $1,459.29. The difference came mostly from three optional add-ons: roadside protection (RSP, $107.88), TLW ($179.88) and a CDW3 collision waiver ($539.88), $827.64 in total. These were added after we told the agent we already had insurance, and after our AAA membership was applied to the rental. The agent gave us a total price only. He did not explain the add-ons or say they were optional, so we assumed the difference was mandatory fees. The initialing and signing felt rushed. When we objected, the agent said the add-ons could not be removed or prorated once the car left the lot, said "the system won't let me," and declined to escalate, saying he was the supervisor. During that conversation he called my father-in-law "ignorant." Routes then offered a $211.21 refund, but only if we signed a release giving up our right to dispute the charge with our card issuer. We declined to sign. My opinion: the counter process felt like high-pressure upselling, and offering a partial refund in exchange for giving up dispute rights did not feel like good-faith customer service. Routes' own public BBB replies describe these packages as optional. Read every line before you initial, ask for an itemized total, and decline coverage you already have.