Thrifty Rent A Car
Reviews and Complaints

After exploring various reviews from different platforms, it's evident that experiences with Thrifty Car Rentals are quite mixed. While some customers praise the friendly staff and smooth rental process, others express concerns about hidden charges, overcharging, and issues with vehicle conditions. It seems that the level of service and satisfaction can vary depending on the location and individual circumstances. If you decide to book with Thrifty, it's advisable to clarify all terms upfront and carefully review any additional charges to ensure a hassle-free experience.

Exceptional experience on 12/5/23 dropping off my rental car. Tiarah and Ms. Tonia are the exact type of employees any company would be proud to have as their brand representatives. Tiarah assisted me in my return and from start to the finish of this process she was as genuine as they come in all aspects of assisting me. I requested that I drop off my car at this location instead of IAH due to a medical situation informing her I had spoken with Thrifty representatives on the phone who stated it would be up to the counter personnel to decide if this was possible. I drove 25 minutes not knowing if this was possible, sort of a blind attempt. Ms. Tonia when she heard the reason said; absolutely, you can drop this car off here. I did not hear or see one ounce of hesitation through the whole process. I have been in International Relations in the travel industry for over 13 years and I would do anything to get people like Tiarah and Ms. Tonia any day of the week. I have been a lot of places in the world so Thrifty, hope you know these are not ordinary employee's they are exceptional examples of the best.

I made a reservation with Thrifty Rent-A-Car about a week before my trip. However, when I arrived to pick up my car, I was told that there were no cars available at the moment. I was forced to wait for an hour and a half before I was finally able to get a car. The agents did not share how long the delay would be, so I had to go back and ask again. This delay caused me to cancel my plans for the day, which was a huge disappointment. Unfortunately, I was not the only one in line with a reservation who had to wait for a long time. Others had to wait for two hours or more. I read reviews of Thrifty and found out that overbooking has been an issue for over three years. As Seinfeld once said, "you know how to take the reservations but not hold the reservations."

If Thrifty is going to continue overbooking as a business practice to maximize profit, they should compensate people when they mess up. The agents gave the impression that long waits were either normal or not a big deal. Why don't they empower their agents to make small compensations? What does that say about what they think of their people? Vouchers for future use only add more work for everyone.

When I finally got a car, the system did not recognize three of my credit cards, even though they were active and recently used. I had to call customer service, but the hold times exceeded 20 minutes. The phone tree was convoluted, and the Thrifty agents mis-transferred me multiple times. I tried to discuss and resolve my issues over the phone, but the Thrifty systems do not empower phone agents to see necessary information if it is not in their silo. If Thrifty is going to overbook to make extra money, they should at least streamline their processes for customer service when people run into issues due to their business practices.

I asked several agents to make notes in my file several times because I had questions and concerns about the rental conditions. However, on checking later, there were no notes. This was a very frustrating and unprofessional experience. In the future, I will avoid Thrifty whenever I can.

Thrifty Rent-A-Car is a company that I will never rent from again. In fact, I will never rent from the entire Hertz Corporation ever again. They are a complete scam and I would not recommend them to anyone.

My husband and I had a trip planned to Georgia and we rented a car through Thrifty. Our flight landed at midnight and we went to the rental car office to pick up our car. However, to our surprise, they told us that they did not have a car for us. How is that even possible when we had a reservation?! The employees told us that there was nothing they could do and that we should contact corporate. To make matters worse, there were many other people in the same situation as us. We were told by the hotel we stayed at that this happens every weekend. There were limited hotel options available and almost everywhere was booked since it was now 1 in the morning. Finally, we found a very expensive hotel since we could not get in anywhere else. Keep in mind that we were also paying for the night's stay where we originally planned to stay 2 hours away.

The next morning, we went back to Thrifty and were told that the wait to get the car was 3 hours long. We decided to go to National instead and they got us right in. The process was super smooth and easy.

Although Thrifty did refund the vehicle, it was not worth the stress and exhaustion we dealt with the night before, plus having to pay for an expensive hotel. I have now contacted Thrifty corporate multiple times and have been told multiple times that I would receive my reimbursement for the hotel in several days. However, it has never come. It is now October and this took place in July. I just got off the phone with customer service again and once again they told me they would call me about the reimbursement. I have given them my bank info multiple times to process the reimbursement because they keep saying that is all they need. Yet, somehow every time that I've called, they say they never got it.

I am fed up with them and will never book through them again. Do not book with them unless you want an unreliable company and to pay more.

I rented a car from Thrifty Rent-A-Car and boy was it a disaster. My rental agreement number was *** and I had pre-paid for the vehicle rental on J901 through American Airlines Advantage via Cheaptickets.com itinerary ***. On 10/30/2021, while driving the 2020 Toyota Corolla, I noticed that the tire pressure was low and a warning light appeared on the dashboard. I pulled over to a 7-11/Exxon station to check the tire and found that it was losing air pressure and was completely flat. Upon further inspection, I discovered that there was a nail in the tire.

I had to change the driver's side front tire myself, which was quite a challenge since I am 73 years old. My son also came to help and that's when we noticed that the right rear tire was also flat. We immediately called Thrifty at Dulles Airport and requested a tow truck. It was quite a hassle to get through to them, but we finally managed to make the request at 10/30/2021 8:30 PM for a tow by AAA at 7113 Sudley Road, Manassas, VA ***. However, the tow truck and driver did not show up until 1:00 AM on 10/31/2021.

To make matters worse, the tow truck driver could not deliver the vehicle to the Dulles Thrifty facility because no one was there to let him in. As a result, the rental vehicle was not returned until 11/1/2021 at 10:45 AM. If you look at the rental contract, you'll see that I only put 45 miles on the vehicle. My wife and I had flown to Dulles to visit our son in Manassas, VA and he had to provide us with transportation since our rental vehicle had two flat tires.

I had pre-paid $400 for the rental vehicle, but was only able to use it for two out of the four days of the rental contract. When my wife and I initially picked up the vehicle, I noticed a strange noise coming from the front of the car, but I didn't think much of it since I assumed that Thrifty wouldn't rent me a vehicle that was unsafe or had any issues.

To add insult to injury, Thrifty charged me $127.65 for the tow truck, without offering any apologies, concern, or care. They never even offered to bring another vehicle to me or reimburse my son for the costs associated with helping us out.

I am extremely disappointed with the service I received from Thrifty Rent-A-Car and I would never rent a vehicle from them again. I will be sure to tell all my friends and relatives about the terrible experience I had with this corporation that rents out defective rental vehicles and treats its customers poorly. By the way, the nail in the driver's front tire looked like it had been there for quite some time. That's why I give them less than one star for this rental experience. Rent from them at your own risk!

I rented a car from Thrifty Rent-A-Car at MCO airport and was charged over $300 for car insurance, which I declined at the desk. I was exhausted from a long flight and was traveling with a family member in a wheelchair, so I didn't realize this charge was on the rental agreement when I signed it. The rental agent took advantage of my situation and added the charge, hoping I wouldn't notice. This is a common practice of Thrifty, and I agree with other reviewers who have commented on their predatory business practices.

Less than 24 hours after I rented the car, I noticed the charge and called the 1-800 number. They told me the charge would be removed after the contract ended, since they now have a record of my call and disputing the charge, or I could return to the rental location and address the concern. I went to the MCO airport rental location and arrived at 12 pm. I rented the car at 11:30 am the previous day. The agent told me they could not assist me with my problem, so I asked to speak with a manager. The agent called the manager, and I was told they are too busy to come and speak with me. I got the manager's email and sent them an email while I was at the agency. I waited an hour, and the manager has yet to come to speak with me.

At the end of the rental contract, I called the 1-800# again. They told me they would investigate and call within 7 days- I waited- no return call. I called a second time- and was told they were still investigating. I called a third time- and I was told yes, we have all the notes from your initial phone call and documentation that the email was sent to the manager the next and video footage you returned to the agency- but they needed more time. I called a fourth time--now one month since the rental date. And was told, " our policy does not allow us to reimburse you". I asked to speak to a supervisor, and they took my phone number and told me a supervisor will call me within 24 hours- today is the fourth day and NO phone call.

These business practices are unacceptable, and I advise everyone to stay away from Thrifty. I also noted another reviewer posted the same problem- the charger for insurance, however, they commented they were reimbursed after 4 phone calls. Obviously, they do reimburse people. Stay away from Thrifty do not give them our hard-earned money! Let these predatory, dishonest, unethical, misleading companies feel the impact of their many dissatisfied customers.

I recently rented a car from Thrifty Rent-A-Car through a third party website. I picked up the car from Portland Airport on August 26th and returned it to the same location on August 29th. When I arrived to pick up the rental car, the representative asked me if I wanted any additional services. I agreed to the fuel service but declined the additional drivers and liability insurance. I made it clear that I did not want additional insurance as my credit card provided that coverage. The representative acknowledged my request and informed me that they would need to place a hold on my credit card for $320. I was surprised by the amount, but the representative assured me that it was normal and that the hold would be returned to me after I returned the vehicle and the fuel cost was deducted. However, the representative did not mention that they had added insurance to my rental agreement without my consent.

When I received my rental agreement, the representative once again did not mention the added insurance but pointed out the agreed-upon fuel service estimate. I trusted that everything was in order and returned the car quickly and easily. The representative told me that I would receive a finalized receipt in a few days. However, when an additional charge posted to my credit card, I became concerned and contacted the booking company to investigate the charge. After their investigation, they informed me that the charge "LIS" was for liability insurance, which I had explicitly refused.

I contacted Thrifty customer service to inquire about the added insurance, but they informed me that there was nothing they could do for me. I was disappointed and felt misled and cheated. This experience lacked transparency and was unethical. The added insurance unduly increased my cost by nearly 60%, and I do not recommend using Thrifty Rent-A-Car in the future. I will intentionally spend more money with another company to avoid a similar experience.

My experience with Thrifty Rent-A-Car was absolutely terrible. I booked a car for my daughter and her boyfriend through Expedia, and Thrifty took advantage of them by charging their card $951.00 when the booking was only for $296.12. Thrifty added full coverage insurance even though the driver already had full coverage and additional insurance purchased through Expedia. I was on the phone with a Thrifty agent and my daughter and her boyfriend, and I told the agent to remove all insurance charges as they were unnecessary. The agent said she removed them, but when I hung up, she added liability insurance, which was still unneeded. The agent told my daughter and her boyfriend they could cancel the insurance when returning the car, so they didn't need to worry about it. However, the agent did not document the driver's insurance.

I called Thrifty to speak to a manager, but the agents kept hanging up on me, and it took about 6 hours to finally speak to Joe, the manager. I explained the situation to him, but he said the only way to remove the charges would be for my daughter and her boyfriend to make an 8 hour round trip drive to break the contract. He also said there was no reason to contact his manager, Chan, because he and his agents made sure to document the account "up and down." Joe also went back and forth over discussing "personal" details of the contract since I wasn't a signer, but in the end, he gave me all the details except the name of the agent who added the unnecessary and overcharged insurance.

If you need to rent a car, be advised of the opportunity Thrifty will take to overcharge and add unnecessary hidden fees without telling you. Beware when using Thrifty rental car, especially the Portland, PDX location, as well as booking through Expedia, as they have no control and no way of forcing Thrifty to abide by the reservation booked through them. Shame on Thrifty for taking advantage of first-time car renters. Why would anyone need to purchase insurance through Thrifty if they already had full coverage and paid extra for the Expedia coverage? Not to mention all the other random charges that took the booking from $296.12 to $951.00. Steer clear of Thrifty car rental.

Their direct phone number to the desk at the Portland airport location is ***565 option 0, but it won't do any good because their customer service is the worst. I hope it was worth the extra $169.95 they charged because it won't happen again. Lesson learned. I won't use Thrifty again, and I'll make sure anyone and everyone knows of my experience. I'll even chip in for a more expensive car rental company to make sure no one else gets taken advantage of.

Yo, so I gotta say, Thrifty Rent-A-Car ain't too shabby. Compared to some of those other rental companies, you can actually get a decent price if you book ahead of time, kinda like buying a plane ticket. But let me tell you, don't fall for their "Wildcard Program" rate. They advertise that you might get a bigger car, but in my experience, it's a total joke. Every time I've booked with Thrifty or Dollar (which is the same company, by the way), they only have the smaller cars available. And they try to tell you that only compact cars are available. Like, come on, man.

One thing they don't tell you is that it might be better to just pay for what you want instead of hoping for an upgrade. And depending on your travel plans, it might be worth it to take the return full option. I mean, you don't wanna realize you paid like 50-60 cents per gallon after you've already driven off.

Honestly, car rental rates are getting so high these days, it might be cheaper to just buy a used car if you have the time. And a lot of these rental companies are all under one umbrella, pretending to be separate companies. So is it really worth it to skip one or stick to the local ones?

I gotta say, though, things have gotten a little better in the past few years. I gave Thrifty 2 stars a few years ago because the lines were so long and the cars were always unavailable. But after a recent booking, I gave them an extra star in 2022. The lines are still long, but the processing is better than it was before COVID-19.

I did have a little issue with a reservation when my flight was delayed, though. One of the reps told me he had to cancel my reservation and rebook at a higher price. Like, what? That's not my fault. But after I talked to a manager, they updated it at the same rate. When I got there, they told me I'd have to wait for my small car, but I could upgrade to an SUV for an extra $50. I was like, nah, I'm good. But then, magically, an SUV became available in 30 minutes. Hmm.

Anyway, overall, it wasn't too bad. Just make sure you plan ahead and reserve your car in advance. I'll probably book with Thrifty again. Oh, and by the way, Hertz and Dollar are the same company. Who knew?

I recently rented a car through Priceline for my trip and chose Thrifty Rent-A-Car as my rental company. I had prepaid for my booking package and declined any additional insurance coverage. However, when I arrived at the rental counter at IAH airport, my flight was delayed and I arrived just before closing time. The clerk at the counter was in a rush and did not explain anything to me properly. I had to figure out on my own how to pick up the car, where to drop it off, and who to call in case of any issues.

The clerk asked me if I wanted extra insurance coverage, but I clearly stated that I had already prepaid for everything and did not need any additional coverage. She quickly handed me the paper slip and told me to sign here, sign here, sign here, and then rushed me to the parking lot. Later on, I found out that I had been charged for insurance and other fees that I had declined when I picked up the car. When I called customer service, they said they were sorry but could not do anything about it. I was charged an additional $307.45 USD on top of my prepaid charges made with my package. There were also other charges made on my card that the company could not explain.

Two days after I returned the car, I was charged an additional 138.34 CAD, which I am still trying to figure out. I had to put a dispute in with my bank, but when I asked Thrifty to email me the location, they never sent it. Their customer service was unprofessional, and they did not offer any compensation for their mistake. I found out that this company is a scam, and there are many complaints online similar to my experience. The clerks earn commission off of charging people insurance without them knowing. They scammed me into signing things without explaining and then started charging my credit card for other fees without any explanation.

When I contacted Thrifty about the additional charges, they said that I had accepted and signed for the Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) and Liability Insurance Supplement (LIS) at the time of rental. They provided me with a copy of my Signed Rental Agreement (SRA) and said that as these charges were outlined on the rental contract, which I had signed, they were considered valid, and a refund was not warranted. They also said that it was my responsibility to review the terms of the rental contract before departing the facility.

In conclusion, I would not recommend Thrifty Rent-A-Car to anyone. Their customer service is unprofessional, and they scam people into paying for services they do not need. They also charge additional fees without any explanation. I would advise anyone renting a car to read the rental contract carefully and make sure they understand everything before signing it.

We rented a car from Thrifty through Priceline for our trip from Phoenix Airport. The total cost was $325 for four days, which included taxes and fees of $146. We made it clear to the clerk at the Thrifty counter that we did not want their insurance, and she agreed. We signed the rental agreement and were given an "Estimate of Charges" for various items totaling $162. The clerk also informed us that a $200 deposit would be charged on our credit card, with any balance returned to us. We double-checked to ensure that there was no charge for insurance included among the items listed in the Estimate of Charges.

Ten minutes before returning the vehicle to Thrifty, we filled up the gas tank as the Estimate of Charges had warned us that we would be charged $11.56 per gallon if we did not. The gas gauge registered "Full," and the Thrifty parking lot attendant confirmed this when he thoroughly checked over the returned vehicle. Another Thrifty employee at the return window told us to leave the rental papers with them, and we would receive our receipt via email. We trusted them and left for our flight.

However, when we received our receipt, we were shocked to see that Thrifty had charged us $511, which included a "Fuel Purchase Option" of $96. We were confused as we had filled up the gas tank before returning the car. We were also charged $167 for "Damage Waiver (CDW/LDW)," which was apparently for the insurance we had declined twice. This item had not been listed with others on the Estimate of Charges, so Thrifty's own form confirmed that we had declined its insurance when we picked up the vehicle.

We were also charged a "Concession Fee Recovery" of $73.42, which was 11.11% of the original charges. The Estimate of Charges had shown only $44.08 for this item. We were charged a "Road Tax" of $24.64, which had not been listed on the Estimate of Charges. Finally, we were charged a "Tax" of $118 (at 15.60%), which exceeded the Estimate of $72. We were frustrated as new charges appeared unexpectedly, and the original charges were increased over the Estimate.

When we called Thrifty's customer service representative, she failed to provide any good explanations. She said, "The rental agreement says you wanted the insurance," failing or refusing to acknowledge that the Estimate of Charges says that it "amends your Rental Agreement" and the Estimate does not list insurance as a charge. She also asked us to produce the receipt for the gas we bought days ago. She did say that she would email the Phoenix Airport Thrifty rental agency and explain why we felt no gas should be charged. However, three weeks later, that charge has not been taken off, and we have not heard anything from Thrifty.

We will never use Thrifty again as we feel that we were charged unfairly and without proper explanation. It is disappointing to see such poor customer service from a company that we trusted.

Thrifty Rent-A-Car at Orlando International Airport is not a good choice for renting a vehicle. The customer service is terrible and it seems like they don't care about their customers. I rented a mid-size car for a week and had to wait in line for over 40 minutes to get the rental paperwork. When I returned the car, it was in the same condition as when I got it, with a full tank of gas and no new damage. An employee directed me to a lane in the Thrifty return garage and told me to leave the keys in the ignition and go. I followed his instructions, but now I'm being charged daily for the rental even though I returned it on May 4th. Thrifty has been harassing me with robo calls threatening to report me to the police if I don't return the car. I've called their customer service line 7 times and each time they tell me they forgot to close out the rental and that they've sent emails to the Orlando Airport location and "vehicle operations" to close it out. But I still have 5 pending charges on my credit card from Thrifty. I asked to speak with a supervisor twice, but was put on hold and never got to speak with one. The Hertz manager couldn't help me either because everything has to go through the toll free number. It's obvious that the employees are running scams with the vehicles that are returned but not checked in. The police confirmed that there's an ongoing problem with employees using the returned vehicles to run side businesses, renting them out to people or using them for their criminal activities. Many renters have complained about being charged for gas after returning the vehicles full, which is most likely because the scammers are using the gas and returning it empty. They're also probably driving through toll locations and the last listed renter is being charged for the tolls. Thrifty's chain of custody system is a fail and it's obvious that corporate has no idea what's happening with their own vehicles. I've rented from Enterprise before and never had any problems. I made the mistake of using Thrifty this time because of a special offer from my credit card company. A formal report has been filed with Orlando PD about this horrible experience and the still missing car. I expect Thrifty to try to charge me for a tank of gas and tolls that I didn't use, so I included all my receipts and photos of the vehicle with my formal OPD complaint. Don't rent from this horrible company.

ref 0CWK0H

I hired a car in Palma airport, this was returned with only the original damage which was on the car on collection.
I have had no correspondence from you or the agent I used. (holiday autos) ref ES137504750.
Why have I been charged £166.00 on my credit card.
I photographed the car on collection and this matches the damage report I received from your agent.

Rented a Thrifty car from Harry Reid Airport on 3/29/2024 and returned on time on 4/05/2024. We were charged several fees which we declined. The first one at $29.04 a day was Loss Damages Waiver - total cost added to our bill was $203.26. The 2nd fee was for Premium Road Service at $9.99. It amounted to $69.93. This woman was very pushy about options. We declined them but still she put them on.

We have tried reaching the company but there is not a live person but in reservations. She told me I had to speak directly to the agent in Las Vegas. However, I cannot find any direct number.

I purchased the pre gas fuel (electric) i was told that by purchasing it i would not have to pay for the use of the charging stations which was charged to my card 5 times. Also i never ask for an electric car, as this was very hard to enjoy my weekend, because i spent most of the time searching for charging stations, as the car showed stations that didn’t exist anymore, my weekend was ruined as i spent most of my vacation at a charging station or searching for one! Not only did it ruin my time it also ruined my fiancé and sons time as well

March 20,2024

Rental Location 18488

RUC [protected],

Consumo Final #D04333898,

Numero 0108427.

Total Recibido was 245,00. This was not adjusted to US Dollars, like the other 3 invoices. I received.

Total Recibido should be, $230.26

Please contact : Willard Sims, [protected]@gmail.com or [protected].

Thank you.

I rented a car at the Orlando airport on 3/26/2024. When I returned the car on 3/27/2024 it was full of gas and clean no trash or anything. I asked the lady if it was good and she said yes. when I checked my bill sitting at the airport it had an extra $100 outside cleaning fee! This is a fraudulent charge as nothing was wrong with the car. I need this fee returned immediately.

Rental Record # [protected] I was charged a $400.00 smoking fee.. I do not smoke nor did anyone smoke in this vehicle for the duration of this rental. We were not greeted by an attendant at the time of return, signs just instructed to leave keys in the vehicle and depart. I have attempted to call Thrifty customer service and it is impossible to get a representative on the line to discuss, the automated system only directs you to use their site Thrifty.com/contactus and complete a form. I have tried this numerous times and on different browsers and always receive a message stating the form cannot be submitted at this time please try again later. There is literally no way to contact Thrifty once a rental is completed which is an absolutely disgraceful and dishonest. Thrifty is tacking on unjust fees with no way for a customer to dispute. I am requesting a refund for the unjustified $400.00 fee.

received bill .. the amount was disputed and resolved in my favor by USAA Federal Savings Bank. Thrifty car rental and USAA federal savings bank documents attached

Thrifty invoice ... document 964000214216; RA 590613251 ;

Rental -- 10/28/2023 Location # 077314

Please cancel this amount due ($257.34)

_____________________________________________

[protected]@comcast.net

HMichael Boyd

I flew to Ohio with my husband and 70 year old brother that has dementia to see our 90 year old father. I booked all our reservations on line including our ca rental with you. I used our Capital One credit card to book the car rental. When we arrived we had to wait an hour for a car. When we finally got our car I had to show Drivers license and a major credit card. I showed my Apple credit card . I said I already booked on line, she said this was just for id. Come to find out both of my cards were charged.525.76 on my Capital One card and 941.92 on my Apple card. I have already paid off the Capital One credit card. I keep disputing My Apple Card. I have called you many times i get no where. Please HELP with this matter. I find it unbelievable this is happing. Please HELP! Thank You ,Justie Huber

Twice I rented from thrifty at boston logan airport recently, both times was over an hour wait because they had no cars, meaning they overbook heavily and you could wait forever. Last time I said I would take the chevy bolt electric car, just so I wouldn't have to wait that long. What a mistake! I only went to newport and back to the airport, no other driving, it cost me $43 in charging costs, and I also plugged it in to my friends house for 8 hours. I made a written complaint on the return, and of course, they charged me anyway. Do not use them or you will regret it! Boycott this company at all costs!

Dropped off the rental car on 11/25/2023 rental agreement # [protected] Debra Hollingshead I was charged for fuel and I delivered the car back with a full tank of gas. I was charged for damaged waiver and I told the person I rented from that I did not need that coverage as my insurance covered me for rental cars. The person who assisted me spoke very little English and had to have someone else assist him all the time speaking in another language to her. I will file a dispute with my bank for fraud if this is not fixed and the charges are not removed from my account. I had ask to change the card on file and ask the amount and was told $300 so I stated keep the card I have to pay. I expect a full refund of the $244.93 , 47.03 and additional operator fee of 94.50 which was never explained to me as well. I believe this is an unfair practice of not disclosing information in English.