Editorial Review by Citysearch Editors

by Contributor

Competitive rental values offered on 11 classes of airbag-equipped vehicles including Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep models.

11/07/07

These People are Thieves

by jmazz

My wife and I rented a car from Dollar at the Seattle Airport on August 1 to be returned on August 5th. We drove the car to Spokane to attend an event on August 3rd. The car caught fire as we were driving it back to Seattle on August 4th and had to be towed to the Spokane Dollar location. We were terrified when the car caught fire on the highway. When we called Dollar to assist us, they told us that they would have to send a tow truck to Spokane from Seattle which would have left us sitting on the side of the highway for 4 hours. We ended up having the car towed at our own expense to the Spokane Dollar location. The manager at the branch in Seattle told us they would reimburse us for our tow and for another car rental to get us back to Seattle. The Manager, Pele, from the Seattle office insured us that all would be taken care of and we would be refunded our money. When we got back to Los Angeles all that changed. They no longer allowed the manager to take our calls and told us that Claims would be handling the matter. Via Internet Search, we discovered that 85,000 of the make and model of our rental car, Nissan Altima 2006, have been recalled for engine fires. Dollar falsely claimed that we ran over something that caused the engine fire. Our insurance company has been handling the claim with Dollar. Yesterday, we received a bill from Dollar charging us for 11 weeks of car rental which they charged to my credit card. The amount is $4,151. They have had the car looked at by a mechanic. This 11 week car rental charge is completely erroneous. We are disputing this claim with the credit card company however, the way we have been treated by Dollar during this entire experience is deplorable. The charge was not authorized and we were told by the claims handler at Dollar that they would not charge us directly, they would send a bill outlining the charges. The bottom line is, we should not have to pay them a dime.

• Pros: none
• Cons: they lie

03/09/07

Penny wise, pound foolish

by bertomom

The car was OK--a Toyota Corolla. Before taking it off the lot, I was asked to inspect it for any damage. I carefully checked the fenders, bumpers (all painted surfaces) for any dings or dents. It looked OK.

When I brought the car back, they spotted a hairline in the windshield, well outside the driver's field of vision. I honestly don't know whether it was there when I picked the car up. I know I wasn't in any collisions and was very careful about where I parked it.

They had the gall to send me a bill for $189 to replace the windshield. I sent them $154 (withheld their $35 "service charge"). It is the LAST DIME they will ever see from me at ANY Dollar location. A stupid business decision on their part, given that I fly at least 75,000 miles per year and frequently rent cars. I usually go with Hertz or Avis, but decided to try a less expensive brand. I guess it was also a mistake on my part. I'll be going back to the big guys. My client will pay a little more for rentals, but I know a more reputable agency won't try to nickel and dime me. I will also take every opportunity to let others know how dissatisfied I was with Dollar Rent A Car.

• Pros: The car ran OK
• Cons: Charging for usual wear & tear, inconvenient location