Complain about a product or service

Alamo Car Rental

kal of los angeles, CA July 21, 2009

Counter lady told me the gas was MUCH cheaper to buy from them. I trusted her and went ahead and signed up for the "return car empty" only to find out they LIED. the gas on the island of Hawaii was not as much as she said. I filled the tank for 35.oo BUT was charged 55 at the counter-a diff of 20 bucks.

When I returned the car and mentioned this to the return guy he gave me a song and dance and did nothing to make me THE CUSTOMER happy.

The people that work at Alamo are just robots with no common sense nor customer savey. locals who just have do a job-nothing more.

paulette of sherman oaks, CA July 17, 2009

I was in at the airport on a Tuesday morning following an urgent trip for a family emergency - April 1, 2009. I had a reservation with Alamo, and dutifully waited online. I decided to go with them because a) I had rented from them many times before and b) they would accept my debit/mastercard without placing at least 250 against it on hold. The agent at the counter was seemly very nice and very synpathetic. I told him that I wanted a compact car, did NOT need any insurance - collision or otherwise since my own insurance from Geico covered everything with no to small deductibles and would fill the gas tank myself since I did NOT expect to be driving much.

Under the guise of being a concerned person (and he was SOME actor...) he told me that my collision would not cover me. (And remember I am in a hurry to get to a hospital that morning after a red-eye flight - so I don't have the luxury or taking my time to call my insurance company and wait and check this out...) He said that it would cover the collision... BUT... there would be an additional deductible from Alamo AND that even if the car was in a minor scratch/dent collision OR had some sort of vandalism however minor - the car would be taken out of commission - sometimes for months! That I would be responsible for the cost of what it would be to rent out - for everyday that it was being fixed - even if it was 6 weeks or more... that my insurance would probably have a limit - and I could be paying a lot... and I was exhausted and was led to sign for additional collision insurance in additional to the fact that my own car insurance had full collision.

ALSO - he told me that it would be better to pay in advance for a full tank of gas BECAUSE there were no gas stations in close proximity to the airport - and even if I gassed up the car before bringing it back - I would use up quite a bit of it before I would bring it back and would be charged at a higher rate... I was beated down and signed just to get the car... (I was however given a free upgrade when I found that there were NO compact cars left, and stormed out wanting to cancel the entire thing... "Tom" then went back there to confirm the lack of small cars, wrote something on my contract, and I was able to take a Corolla which qualified as a midsize.

Randy of Hayward, CA July 11, 2009

Back in May I booked a flight/car for wife to return home to visit her parents. I paid for it with my American Express. She was so excited to go home. Well she arrived with her sister whom met her for the connecting flight via Charlotte NC and flew into Tampa on the morning of 27 June 2009. They proceeded to the Alamo car rental via the shuttle bus to get the car and go visit the family.

When they got to the counter the Agent brought up the reservation and then asked her if she wanted to take a Dodge Challenger. She said no a few times as he kept pressing her to take this car. He said it was the same class as the intermediate car I had booked for her. After telling him no a few times and his persistence along with the same class car she said okay. The only other thing he did was hand her the rental agreement to initial and sign. He did not say anything about money or rates.

She returned the car at 4:10 in the morning of 5 July, got her receipt and returned home. In talking about her trip she mentioned paying for the car and I told her I had paid for it with my AMX card. I assumed they had made a mistake in double billing us. So I tried to call and they were closed on Sunday. I also sent an Email to the customer service department and called them today (6 July 2009). They told me to contact the Tampa agency directly.

I spoke to the Manager and explained the situation and was told that my wife had agreed to an upgrade. Unfortunately on paper she did not realize that 1) I had already paid for the car and 2) not realized she was actually being charged for an upgrade which she did not want in the first place and never would have agreed to had the agent told her such. I feel the agent intentionally tried to pull a fast one and may have gotten away with it by not telling her there was a charge and telling her it was the same class car. She feels so violated and do not know what options she has to get her money returned for something never requested. According to the BBB records Alamo/National Car rental is owned by Vanguard car rental and has an F rating for deceptive selling practices. That really got my attention and is a reason I wanted to contact let people know.

Larry of Yorba Linda, CA July 10, 2009

On July 4th I rented a mini van in Aruba. On the morning of July 5th we went for a family drive to remote part of the island when the mini van suddenly dangerously swirved becasue the drivers side rear tire blow out. I noticed that the right rear tire was severly cracked and in very poor and dangerous condition. We tried contacting Alamo but no one answer the phone. I'm handicap and was unable to change the tire myself, so we waited for more than 4 hours for someone to come by to help. Finally someone stopped and offered to change the tire for 30.00, which I gladly paid just to get my family safely back to the hotel. However, after paying the 30.00, the spare tire that was also in very poor condition and went flat. We had family dinner reservations that evening to celebrate my daughter's 20th wedding anniversary that had to be cancelled. On July 7th I waited at the hotel a good part of the day for Alamo to come by to pick up their dangerous vehicle. So because of Alamos unsafe vehicle, the first three days of our 7 day vacation were ruined

Maureen of Diamond Springs, CA May 29, 2009

Left digital camera in center console of rental car. Tried calling after arrived home but no answer the first day, second day voice mail full--no answer. Called corporate office and they could not reach Richmond office either. Finally by the 4th day received telephone call and e-mail after corporate office e-mail. Rental car had not been rented out yet, but did not find camera even though employees had moved it to new lot.

By the time the manager returned to work 4 days had gone by even though I tried from day 1. Feel they were negligent in dealing with this situation and possibly could have retrieved camera with priceless memories on it if there had been someone to answer immediately instead of 4 days later--only after corporate office interceded reluctantly. I had to finally talk to a supervisor in corporate, but she was not very helpful but after much urging upon my part e-mailed Richmond site. Economic loss was approximately 150.00 camera with memory card with priceless college graduation pictures gone forever.

Karla of San Francisco, CA April 16, 2009

Karla of San Francisco CA (04/16/09)
I rented a car from alamo at Houston Hobby Airport on March 24th and returned it in the same good condition on March 27th. I was on crutches and an employee was there to check the car in. No problem was mentioned at the time. I now have received a letter postmarked April 08 2009, claiming that alamo's Tulsa Damage Recovery Department has received a Loss/Damage Report on the vehicle I rented.

There was absolutely nothing wrong with the car and I fear that I am the victim of some sort of scam. I noticed by doing an internet search that others have had the exact same experience that I have. The payment address is listed as Atlanta while the envelope says Tulsa. I was unable to get anyone on the phone today. Others who have had the same problem say that they never could get a live person.

At this point there is no economic impact because I haven't given them my insurance or credit card info.

Marc of Holly Hill, FL April 5, 2009

Marc of Holly Hill FL (04/05/09)
On March 13, 2009 at 7:30AM I went to pick-up a Ford E350 Super Duty 15 passenger van from the Alamo Car Rental desk at the Daytona Beach Airport. The vehicle rental was reserved and paid for with the company credit card, as it was being used for business purposes for the Daytona Beach International Festival, Inc. After filling out and signing all the required paperwork, the agent at the desk informed me that the van I was being given to drive was missing the mirror from the passenger side, but not to worry, that she would note this on the paperwork, and that I would not be held responsible.

I reported this information that same morning to my supervisor, Robert at the Daytona Beach International Festival, Inc., I accepted possession of the vehicle, drove it throughout the day, and returned it to the Daytona Beach Airport Alamo rental location later that same day. I reminded the agent at the desk that the paperwork was already filled out prior to me picking up the vehicle that morning, and that the mirror had been missing at that time.

The agent who was at the Alamo desk when I dropped off the vehicle on Friday March 13, 2009 at 5:45PM, said that the rental greement included the notation about the missing mirror at the time of pick-up, and that I was not responsible for it. At that point, there was no reason for me to believe there was any problem, since while it was in my possession, no damage was done to the vehicle. A first-class letter was then delivred to my residence on Saturday, April4, 2009, stating that the Alamo Damage Recovery Unit received a loss/damage report, and that I was being held financially responsible becuase I had declined the terms of their loss damage waiver.

Tasha of San Dimas, CA March 20, 2009

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