Thrifty Consumer Reviews - Page 3

ASBURY PARK, NEW JERSEY -- THRIFTY/DOLLAR RENTAL CAR- ASBURY PARK, EATONTOWN NJ-NEVER AGAIN NOT IF IT WAS THE LAST AGENCY AROUND!!! I am so disgusted with this company and the experience that I have had with it. I rented through Thrifty through a very nice girl out of one of the other offices. When I rented I was told that I would have to go through Dollar Rental car in Asbury Park because it was closer. I called them because I rented with them in the past in Florida and had a great experience. I had an accident and my insurance was paying for it.

I easily could have gone through Enterprise because that was who my insurance company suggested but chose Thrifty. Upon renting I found out that I would be charged $5 a day as well as tax on the amount because my insurance company wasn't covering that part. Needless to say Enterprise told me that they would not have done this as well I called the insurance company and they told me that most agencies waive this fee. I also rented in the past when I had an accident through Enterprise and was not charged these fees...

Anyhow this was the least of my problems so it seems. I got in the vehicle and it was disgustingly dirty, the window was hard to see through and when I tried to use the washer fluid it was empty. There were crumbs and hair all over the place it was obviously not cleaned. As well I checked the oil level and it said it was extremely low.

When I called the office I was told that they were trying to give me a nicer car therefore they did not have time to clean it and put the fluid in and that they did not think it was that dirty. They stated to me that the oil level was fine but I personally know it was not. After driving the car for some time it seemed as though one of the tires was low and when I called about this they told me that was fine as well.

Day 9 of my rental I was very sick leaving the store and had a friend drive me a half mile home. As soon as I got home I got a call from the "owner" being extremely rude telling me that he saw someone else driving "HIS CAR" and that I was in breech of contract and I explained the situation to him because I was ill and was vomiting. He told me that he will now be charging me an extra $150 on top of what they are already charging me and that was him "BEING NICE because he could charge me $400". I again explained that it was an emergency and I was not in the position to drive.

I told him that this was also not explained to me when I signed the paperwork and that ** the person who did the paperwork with me didn't say that. He then proceeded to tell me that he was ** and I told him that a few minutes earlier he told me he was the owner, **. He then told me that he wants his car back between 9 and 12 then next day or he will be calling the police to file a police report for a stolen vehicle if I do not return it.

The whole experience has been horrible. I would NEVER rent from them again I would rather be without a car and walk. As now I am without a vehicle because my car is not yet done being fixed. I would like to say that you catch more bees with honey and had he been a little nicer and had a little more customer service skills I would not even be writing this review. I am disgusted with not only the vehicle but the treatment I received from this company.

CLEARWATER, FLORIDA -- On March 30th 2007 my wife and I had purchased a 2004 ford f-150 truck from Thrifty Car Sales in Clearwater Florida, 24639 US HWY 19. After just a few days of driving the vehicle we noticed a problem with the transmission. We had purchased an extended two year warranty along with the ninety day warranty that came with the vehicle. So we brought the truck back to Thrifty who had their mechanics take a look at the problem. After leaving the truck there for the day, they told us there was no problem. Unfortunately there was. The transmission consistently had a harsh downshift when going 30-40 miles per hour.

Finally after weeks of frustrating communications with thrifty we finally convinced them that the vehicle did have the above mentioned problem. Because that their mechanics were unable to fix the problem, they recommended that we bring the truck to a Ford dealership to have repaired under our two year extended warranty and that they would pay the deductible.

On may seventh I brought the truck to Autoway Ford of St. Petersburg. After leaving it there for a day, it was confirmed by the service adviser that there was definitely a problem with the transmission. But it would need to be disassembled to determine exactly what the problem was. In order to disassemble the transmission, Autoway Ford needed to get a confirmation number from "Auto Plus"€ Phoenix American Warranty Company, Inc. The service adviser called a number of times to get this number and never got a return call.

He faxed all the necessary information to the warranty company with no response. I waited until the following day and called auto plus myself, only to be told that I was not in their system. So I called Thrifty and spoke to the owner. He told me that all the paperwork was done and sent in to the warranty company. So I called the warranty company back. They told me that Ford can go ahead and start the job on the truck. I told them that Ford told me that they couldn'€™t start the job until they got their confirmation number.

This game with the confirmation number went on for a few days. Finally after having the truck in the shop for almost a week with nothing done I had to take it back in order to have a mode of transportation because the warranty company at this point did not approve a rental.

The following week while I was in N.Y. to see my son off for the navy, my wife brought the vehicle back to Ford to see if things could finally get straightened out with the warranty company. No such luck. The transmission was approved to be taken apart and the cause of the problem was discovered. The only problem now is that the warranty company is refusing to pay for the whole cost because they are saying I caused the problem by taking it out of the shop and driving it.

Even though their claim is incorrect and can be proven by speaking to the service adviser at Ford, the real problem lies with Thrifty Car Sales. Because that the problem was diagnosed within the ninety days of their warranty, they should be responsible for payment of repairs.

Thrifty Car Rental... NEVER AGAIN!!! Upon retirement I wanted to visit Ireland again to just meander around and play golf when the weather permitted in mid November. Prior to the trip, I contacted my credit card company to make certain I had the same conditions for insurance as the last time we went. Visa assured me I need not purchase any insurance as by using the card I was covered. Visa actually snail mailed a letter for me to take as proof of insurance.

Months before I had reserved a compact car for my sojourn around Ireland – just large enough for a set of golf clubs and a satchel of clothes for the great price of $99.00 for the week. Of course, the first thing the counterman talked me into was a slightly larger vehicle for only $29.00 more for the week. Why not? I took it.

Next came the question of insurance. So far my bill for the week was going to be $128.00. Not bad for one week of transportation. When asked if I needed insurance I proudly presented my letter from Visa indicating I was covered. The counterman scanned the letter and with a slight degree of one-up-manship stated, “We don't accept Visa insurance.” Not a, “I'm sorry sir, but” or “Unfortunately, sir,” just, “We don't accept Visa insurance.”

But… but, my letter. "It says I don't need to buy any other insurance." Long story short – I'm in a foreign country and some pre-adult with pimples is telling me, “Well, if you get in an accident, you will have to pay for the entire cost.” What do you do??? You buy their insurance. (Now, this insurance is to cover me if I get in an accident.) AND, “Do you also want the insurance in case the windscreen is broken, vandalism to the car, the car is stolen, the tires get shredded, and any other unforeseen problems that may arise?” This is insurance for anything else that happens that is not an accident with another vehicle. Again, I'm in a foreign country, it's suggested I get it. I get it.

All told: the car rental was $128.00 for the week. The insurance I had to buy was $351.00 for the week bringing my car rental to a grand total of $479.00. Hell, my airfare from Chicago O'Hare to Dublin was only $455.00!!! I walked away from the counter feeling screwed, totally screwed. But what were the options? Not being one to let things go easily, it took a few days to forget about it.

UNTIL I got home. One of my first calls once I was in my own car was to VISA to find out what the problem was only to find out the only problem was with THEFTY, I mean Thrifty. I was covered. What I should have done was to refuse the insurance, but at the time, I felt I was behind a rock and a hard place.

I called customer service at Thefty, I mean Thrifty, to lodge a complaint and attempt to get my insurance money back and was informed the fine print indicated only MasterCard Gold and Platinum were accepted. Claim denied. I called my VISA card again and was told my VISA insurance would have covered any claim whether Thefty, I mean Thrifty, would take it or not.

I once had my car broken into a number of years ago and felt like many do under the circumstances – violated. That's exactly how I felt when I found out the truth. Thrifty undoubtedly owns the insurance company and makes more off the insurance than they do in renting cars.

I will never, under any condition, ever rent another car from THEFTY, I mean Thrifty. What they did borders on fraud and theft. Their representative at the counter lied, out and out lied to me; and to how many others? What should have been a $128.00 transaction turned into $479.00. I suggest you “STAY AWAY from THRIFTY CAR RENTAL!!”

JFK, NEW YORK -- I'm a very frequent traveler and renter of cars all over the country and the world. On this occasion, I had relatives from Europe visiting and offered to make their car reservations for them. Without going in to all of the details, let me just say that after their 8 hour flight from Europe, we spent SEVEN HOURS at Thrifty JFK getting a car which ended up NOT being what we had reserved. It was a nightmare from beginning to end. I will never rent from Thrifty/Dollar again.

SAN JUAN PR -- Made reservations same day in the morning to get the car at 1:30pm. Booked through carrental.com. Had our confirmation email and number. They didn't have record of it so, no car. Wasted the first day of my vacation. Not done yet, I'm going after carrentals.com. Unhappy customer.

ORLANDO, FLORIDA -- Worst customer service I've ever experienced. For a 2 week rental they charged me $698.They were suppose to refund the money that was on hold and never did. No one had on name tags at the desk. They very unprofessional and disrespectful. It is true what they say "cheaper isn't always better". Never again will I purchase anything from this company.

AUSTIN, TEXAS -- Thrifty Car Rental has a business practice of showing sweetheart rates and then gouging the customer with hidden fees. For example: Monthly rate: 17/day. Day rate: 60/day. Return a day EARLY and you have the day rate. Fuel refill cost: $2.00. Good, right? Not so fast. They don't tell you at the counter that fuel taxes are not included. Second driver doubles the cost. On and on...it's ridiculous. I just parked my car at the airport to avoid a $2,000 price bump on a $1,000 rental. WOW.

TAMPA, FLORIDA -- May 2013 Starting with the positive. Got a great rate for a five day rental on a mid size SUV and the gentleman at the front counter at the airport was extremely nice, friendly, and courteous. From that point on, there is not a good thing I can say about my experience with Thrifty. The first car I was given didn't even make it out of the parking space. Awful noise coming from transmission when I put it in reverse. Thrifty guy told me the brakes were wet because the car had just been washed and the noise would stop after it was driven. Funny because the car didn't appear to be just washed and I know what wet brakes sound like. I refused the car.

Second car was absolutely covered in whole dead bugs. The windshield was so filmy with bug guts you could barely see through it. There were used drink cups and swizzle sticks in the car. I refused this car also although the Thrifty guy assured me that "The car has been serviced. This is Florida. Those bugs just don't come off". Again kind of funny because on our way out of the airport an hour later, this same car (recognized the scratch on the back bumper) was in front of me pulling out of the garage and spotless.

The third car I accepted. A couple of minutes after hitting the main road, I noticed the Oil Change Required light was on. It stayed on the entire trip making me somewhat nervous about all the driving I did and waiting to see if the actual oil light would come on. When turning the car in, I mentioned it to the girl who did the check in and she said that light stayed on all the time because Thrifty serviced its own cars and so they couldn't turn it off. Funny that every mechanic I know knows how to reset the codes.

I really don't appreciate being treated like a stupid woman which is exactly what Thrifty employees did. Nor do I appreciate having to worry about a car I've paid to be able to drive. Don't care how good the deal is, I won't be a Thrifty customer again.

Update 6/13/2013 - Today I received an email from Thrifty stating I was going to receive a coupon in the mail good for one free day of car rental. A few minutes ago, I got another email stating that I should ignore the previous email. Apparently, I will not be receiving a coupon and they apologized for any confusion their 'eagerness" had caused. Way to Win customers and inspire confidence Thrifty. Wasn't going to use you again anyway.

AUSTIN, TEXAS -- You're taking a trip, you go online and request rental car quote for a car at your destination, request a full size car and see the words full-size car like a Chevy Impala or similar. When you get to the car rental location the car is a mid-size "œsmaller"€ car. But wait, you were quoted and are paying for a full-size car. Here is how it happens; Clearwater Transportation LTD runs Thrifty Car Rental / Dollar Rent a Car at Austin Bergstrom Airport Texas. When they get car rental request for a full-size Car Chevy Impala, they gives you a Chevy Malibu, Toyota Camry, or Nissan Altima - all are listed by the manufacturers as Mid-Size vehicles.

"How do you get less than what you were lead to believe your paying for?" I asked them, and here is their answer: "€œThere will always be a reference vehicle and will state 'or similar'€œ because that different locations runs different size, makes, and models in any given category. When you book a reservation we do not make any guaranty to a specific make, model, or exact specifications."

The Rental company can magically re-size a vehicle from the what the manufacturer has stated its size Mid-size to the new Full-size. So what is next? You order a full-size 12oz steak dinner and get a 8oz smaller version and are charged for the 12oz because that all they have and that what we call our smaller steaks here the full-size steak dinner.

How can Car rental company advertise car rentals of Mid-size cars as Full-€“size. The secret is in what you call it. I was told by that Car rental company manager, "You better contact the renting location and find out what that company runs in it size class." So you can'€™t believe or trust in what is advertised on National Car Rental websites. You have call the company and ask them so what do you call a Full-size car at your location. What is this a new version of the shell game. Car Renters beware. You may not get what you paid for, trust no one, verify, then if they are playing word game go to someone else. Your money is good at the other guy store.

ORLANDO, FLORIDA -- I was a walk up rental customer having the ability to choose many other car rental options at Orlando Airport Site. I chose Thrifty. I told the agent I was looking for an economical car for a two day rental. I also stated I DID NOT WANT THE ADDITIONAL INSURANCE COVERAGE OFFERED BY THRIFTY... KNOWING MY OWN COVERAGE WAS ENOUGH. She came back offering a much larger SUV (not what I was looking for) and an offer (a "special" for that day) of the additional insurance being "INCLUDED" WITH THE DAILY RENTAL CHARGE.

I AGAIN SAID, "I DO NOT NEED THE ADDITIONAL INSURANCE." She said it was a special deal along with trip saver (a form of AAA coverage @ $5.99 per day).... I was not going to argue. Turns out I did actually pay for the "LDW1" coverage @ 24.99 per day, and the trip saver coverage @ 5.99 per day... over and above the rental cost. Looking back I realize the agent watched me closely as I initialed the circled charges which was an acceptance of these charges... Unbeknownst to me! Their "codes" for these services were not explained on purpose!!!

I was lied to and treated with deceptive practices. The codes they use for these insurance charges are not explained and even if you state EXACTLY what you want they deceive you. I tried several customer service complaints to Thrifty. They all stated because I signed the form and initialed the charges the bill was valid and they would not remove the charges of $49.98 and 11.98... BE AWARE!!!!

I am writing to the US Attorney General, Consumer Complaint Bureau, the NYS Attorney General and my congressman and also the Florida Consumer Complaint Bureau. Thrifty car rental will not get away with these deceptive actions. And I must add one customer service rep offered me (2) $10 coupons for future rentals... and my trouble!!!!!