National Car Rental Reviews

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About National Car Rental

National Car Rental offers SUVs, cars, vans and trucks at more than 1,500 locations worldwide. Drivers can purchase roadside protection and supplemental liability protection for an extra cost. The Emerald Club program lets drivers enjoy an upgraded vehicle selection, free rental days, priority service and easy check-in and checkout.

National Car Rental Reviews

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    Page 4 Reviews 250 - 450
    Customer Service

    Reviewed April 5, 2018

    We left an iPhone 6 Plus and a new pair of Maui Jim sunglasses in our rental on return. We called within 30 min. after turning the car in. They were gone. Whoever cleaned the car really cleaned the car and stole our things. Not cool. Won’t use this company again.

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    Reviewed March 12, 2018

    I planned a trip for spring break. I made a reservation on a Sunday to take my family out for vacation the next day. I had gotten the vehicle reserved with the confirmation number, but when I went the next day to pick up the vehicle I was told they overbooked and there were no vehicles available. Then what the hell is a reservation for? Just ruined my family's vacation!

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    Customer ServicePrice

    Reviewed Jan. 25, 2018

    BEWARE! I was stuck in a snowstorm in Duluth, Minnesota. We received word that our flight to Minneapolis had been cancelled. Having to make a split decision to drive through the snow to Minneapolis to try and catch our connecting flight in Minneapolis, I called National to tell them we would be returning the car because of the problems with the flights to Minneapolis (2 hours away). They had no mercy on me and charge me $300 for the change. I expected a penalty but not 447% of the daily rental price. And of course had I made a regular reservation of the same journey, it would not have been $300.00. I called and emailed National but they did not care that this was the largest storm in the area since 2014 nor did they care about my situation. So beware... They are all about the money and do not care about the customer!!!

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed Jan. 9, 2018

    I recently rented a car in San Antonio on Dec 29th, I dropped it off in Austin (returned it). The Austin location didn't process the return properly and I was charged an extra week for the rental. I have called numerous numbers, departments and although they are all very pleasant - they are trained to come across as helpful - they did not rectify the situation... So due to their inept processing, their mistake, my rental currently sits on my credit card at $1,001.00. Amazing, and I rent 75ish cars a year at least from this company all over North America. I can't imagine how they treat others that aren't as frequent a renter. Avis Here I come... Very disappointed in National Run Around and Terribly inefficient Customer Service... They just blow smoke and sugar coat, I will take my business elsewhere.

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    StaffProcess

    Reviewed Jan. 6, 2018

    What a nightmare dealing with this company has been. I was billed for damage to the car that I did not do. I took pictures of the car a few minutes after I picked it up that showed a very small crease in a fender that I had not noticed in the dark parking garage where it was parked. Upon returning the car, the receiving agent never saw the damage and I pointed it out to him. The process after that has been the nightmare. I was told lie after lie. Airport car rental managers to agents at the damage recovery unit. Almost as if they have been coached. Never again will I rent a car from National.

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    Customer Service

    Reviewed Jan. 4, 2018

    I will never use this company again. I made a reservation online a month ago. When I arrived to get my car at DFW, they said that because I had a Tx drivers license that I could not rent the car with my debit card. I had called 2 weeks ago to confirm that I could. So I got stuck at SEE for 3 days until my return flight home. They do not rent cars to people who have a driver's license in the same state. When I called corporate, they would not do anything about it either. I even had a round trip ticket to show that I was going back to WI on Sat. Plus I showed them my renters insurance bill showing that I do not live here any longer. But because I didn't change my drivers license on Friday after I got married, it doesn't count.

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    Customer ServicePricePunctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed Dec. 21, 2017

    I really don’t know what’s their point to have a grace period. It says there is a 29 min grace period. Between 29 min and 2 hour 30 min there will be an hourly charge. I was late for less than 2 hours and got a full day charge because the hourly rate is half of the daily price and nobody has informed me about this. Customer service said when you are late for over 1.5 hour. It will count as 2 hours. So basically it means if you are over 1.5 hours late, there will be a whole day charge.

    The grace period showed online is just a joke. Customer service are all Indian accent and really hard to understand and doesn’t seem want help and just tell me to ask local position. And the local phone cannot be reached so I drove all the way to the airport. The guy there was nice and tried to help us but National has a really bad system. When they put my name on the computer they couldn’t find my reservation but when I call them they could find the reservation although it also took them a long time. And he told me hourly rate is half of the daily rate.

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    Contract & TermsReliability

    Reviewed Nov. 22, 2017

    National Car Rental struggles with sufficient vehicle inventory to meet rental contract obligations, which is a significant issue if you require a specific type of vehicle. When dealing with National, it is important to consider parallel bookings with more reputable car rental companies, since National’s policy is to overbook reservations for specific vehicle types, which ultimately results in unpredictable, and unreliable vehicle reservations. In my experience, vehicles were unexpectedly downgraded from premium SUVs to a van or other small-sized SUVs. There is often unethical behavior by management to overcharge for downgrades.

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    Customer Service

    Reviewed Nov. 20, 2017

    I made my reservation online and knew I would need a “credit card” to get a car as per usual. In the recent past that has always meant any card with a major credit card symbol on it, including a debit card (I prefer not to have a credit card). After arriving at the airport to get my car I was told that I was not able to rent a car as the policy had changed in June. Now I’m totally stranded. They would not take cash, they would not take a card over the phone, they would not let someone make the reservation at another location in person with a card. The major issue was how much they “enjoyed” shooting down any possible option I could think of.

    The customer service line sent me out of country and they refused to help, only referring me back to the local office. At every turn nobody would help and could have cared less that I was stranded. I will never choose National, Alamo, Budget, Enterprise again as they are all one company. I will be telling my story probably for the rest of my life every time “car rental” comes up.

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    Reviewed Nov. 13, 2017

    The rental process at the Key West location is the biggest joke! They make reservations for rental with no cars available. When arriving for our 10 am reservation and the waiting area was full with no cars available but everyone had reservations. Three rental companies (National, Alamo and Enterprise) work from the same inventory and tells everyone they are next but nothing is coordinated. First off, why are they making reservations for vehicles they do not have. Several people were not going to make their flights leaving from Ft Lauderdale and Miami.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed Nov. 2, 2017

    We were a family of 7 inclusive of an elderly, an infant and a toddler. I booked a car abt 3 weeks prior to my trip to Phuket with National Car. However we had some issues with regards to the card I used to make payment. Apparently I can use it to make payment for the car but I cannot use it to secure my deposit. Its a credit/debit MasterCard. However My husband was not satisfied with that and e-mailed them further and even attached a picture of our card in the e-mail.

    We were still told that our card is unacceptable. We were advised by the staff to cancel our booking through our agent. The staff said should we choose to keep the booking, we would not get a refund should they reject our card in Phuket. We needed a car so we still tried to contact National Cars staff but this time via their reservation hotline. Yet, we were still told the same thing, our card is unacceptable. Having went through all that clarification, we finally decided to cancel our booking.

    So, on the 26 Oct 2017, we touched down in Phuket and saw National Cars booth directly infront of us. We decided to just try our luck and approach them. Imagine our surprise after all the trouble we went through with the supposed unacceptable card, the staffs in Phuket said my card is acceptable after all. So I told them to try retrieve my old booking which they managed. However, I was told that instead of the amount I originally paid, I now have to pay 92 SGD more. It was infuriating! How could their staffs have different knowledge on what can or cannot be accepted? And to advise us to cancel our booking when you're lacking knowledge of your job scope, I think it's ridiculous that I have to fork out more money due to their staffs incompetency.

    The worse thing about all of this is that, I e-mailed National Car Thailand regarding this matter and that I demand a refund for the excess I have to pay and all they replied me is, "I'm sorry but we cannot refund the difference. Your deposit will be returned to you soon." Very, very disappointed with their customer service. No explanation as to why the refund cannot be made even though it was their staff's fault, no nothing. They refused to acknowledge my e-mail afterwards. First and last time we'll rent a car with National Car. Untrustworthy, negligent and little respect for their customers???

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    Price

    Reviewed Oct. 8, 2017

    They lured me in with a very low rate (about $20/day). After quickly reviewing the car with me and marking down various scratches, they hammered me when I returned the car in the same condition I received it in. The rental price doubled because of a 'dent' underneath the car which they say I caused (I didn't cause it). In Krabi Thailand, National Car Rental is not honest. The company's headquarters takes no responsibility because it is outside of the US.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed Aug. 15, 2017

    I travel extensively for business. My company pre-pays for car rentals when making travel arrangements. We have the choice of two providers. On a trip to Charlotte in June, I opted to rent from National. It was a simple one day trip to meet with a client; June 28, return June 29. After returning the car at the airport location I realized I forgot a sports coat in the backseat. Having already gone through security I could not make it back to the return area without missing my flight.

    I contacted National customer service within 30 minutes of the return explaining the situation asking if the coat could be returned. The service agent was understanding and empathetic stating they would note the loss, send a message to the local office and attempt to have the coat returned. Waiting until the following week I contacted National customer again, same story, same understanding, and empathy. This time I was given instructions on how to file a claim online. Also online is the ability to review the found-log for the local office and contacts. Yup; same date, same time, same item description was on the log. It seemed reasonable that it was the item in question.

    Sent off a request to investigate the item to the local office, received a rapid confirmation, excellent! The next message was to inform that the office could not locate the item, bummer. I accept that it was my error while at the same time; reported within 30 minutes, confirmed twice with customer service, followed National policy to file online, item noted as found on the National location log for the return date; overall a disappointment.

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    Staff

    Reviewed Aug. 13, 2017

    We rented a car six months before traveling to Venice and there was only one attendant at the counter. She spent 45 min. with one customer while 6 others were waiting in sweltering heat. It was finally our turn and she refused to give us a car because I am 80 years old. AGE DISCRIMINATION! I am extremely fit and walk 14 kilometers a day and am mentally fit. Years of experience with no accident, but refused a car not on ability, but AGE. They will however rent to 18 year old with no experience. We were shocked and stranded in Venice with no car. The result was that we had to pay $566 extra Canadian dollars for 12 days to get a car through Hertz, since we had no reservation. Our total cost was $1,736. for 12 days. NEVER EVER RENT FROM NATIONAL.

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    Price

    Reviewed Aug. 4, 2017

    For several years we used National for all rentals due to customer service, pricing, being able to select your car. Several months ago we stopped due to their prices increasing a great deal, then their selection was down to the point you would only have a very small selection to choose from. Today I selected them since their prices were pretty much in line with the other companies. I was shocked when they told me there would be a $200 hold for a deposit. This deposit is only for Alabama license holders in the State of Alabama. Are they serious? They could not explain to me the reasoning, but gee I love the attitude you get when you ask questions.

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    Customer ServicePricePunctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed July 28, 2017

    I reserved a vehicle 15 days ago to be picked up on 07/27/17. I told the clerk I would pick up between 12 and 1:00 p.m. When I arrived, it was 11:55. They first tried to overcharge me, but I showed the receipt with the quoted price. Then I was told I was an hour early, my vehicle wasn't ready. I reminded the person that I reserved that vehicle 15 days ago, an hour early shouldn't matter. She told me it hadn't even been returned by the previous person. So, I was supposed to wait for an hour because the vehicle wasn't even there. I sat down to wait and wasn't very happy about it. A few minutes later, the person at the counter came over and told me since I was so rude, they were canceling my reservation. A couple I was sitting next to had been waiting for 2 hours and all 3 of us were totally shocked. I've never seen such poor customer service. Had I walked in from the street, it would be expected to have to wait. But, with a reservation, that is just unacceptable!

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    Contract & TermsSales & MarketingPriceStaff

    Reviewed July 27, 2017

    My wife, Mihae, and I were celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary. The experience was marred by the incredible expense and, frankly, questionable practices of the rental car companies in Masset, BC. We had when we rented a car from National Car Rental in Masset, BC on Graham Island of Haida Gwaii. While my wife did sign the contract before renting the car, it does not justify their false advertising on the web.

    We flew to Masset from Vancouver and were picked up by a National Rental Car representative, Mr. **. He drove us to their office near that airport. My wife, who's a pharmacist, had found that the BC Pharmacists' Association (BCPHA) had a deal with National on the web. So, when Mr. ** handed her the contract, we had naively assumed that they would honour that deal on the web. At no point prior to signing that contract, did Mr. ** make it clear that they were not honouring the deal with the BCPHA. That we discovered *only* after returning the car when Mr. ** very heatedly declared that he's an independent licensee and that no such deals are valid with him. (To be fair, Mr. ** did later apologize for what he termed as being "abrupt," but we certainly did not appreciate his behaviour.) If no such deals are valid with him, then he should stop receiving business through the National Car Rental website or other related websites.

    Yes, Mihae signed that contract, but what alternative did we have? If she hadn't signed, then we would have been stranded. We were at their mercy! And they knew that! To top it off, the final bill for the car rental was more than $700.00 for the week!!! That was more than our accommodation. That was more than the airfare for each of us! It was an outrageous cost for renting a car for one week. Mihae has been in touch with the BCPHA and with National Car Rental. We have yet to receive any satisfaction. Ideally, that would be a partial refund consistent with the deal that National supposedly offers members of the BCPHA. But, at the very least, National's false advertising on the web must cease. And they must rein in their rogue "licensee."

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    Customer ServiceContract & TermsStaff

    Reviewed July 26, 2017

    We just canceled our rental agreement with National which was through Rentacar.com. We booked it to get the car in the Detroit Airport and they had us picking up the car in a city over a half mile away and when we called they had no clue how to help us. Got hold of a National representative was totally clueless but she did cancel our reservation. Asked what the commercials were about "any car and just walk to it and pick it out"... "Oh no" you have to go to the desk. Wow, at one time they were pretty good but we're done with National.

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    Reviewed July 17, 2017

    Worst car rental experience. Rented a car for the weekend. While at the store someone hit the back bumper. When I return the car I was charge 500 deposit for the damage. Few days later I receive a bill with pictures of damage in the back and FRONT bumper of the car. I called them 5 times so they can explain to me what was going on. They never bother calling me back. When finally I was able to reach someone it was a lady with a bad attitude telling me I had paid already and I could get my money back and as might as well get an attorney. Stay away from this place.

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    Reviewed June 19, 2017

    Last week I picked up a car from the Emerald Club Aisle with no discernable damage. 9 family members will also attest that there was no notable damage to this vehicle when I got it and when I took it back no incidents in-between. When I returned the car, the attendant went straight to the right front fender and noted a VERY SLIGHT misalignment of the bumper to the fender–nothing that one would notice upon casual inspection and barely discernable even when you get up close and look for it. She then crawled under the car and reported the entire airfoil missing. Manager immediately fills out a damage report against ME. I did no damage to this car. I had no way of knowing–sort of crawling under the thing at time of pickup–that I was getting a damaged rental car. And it appears I have no recourse to protect myself against being charged with this repair and turned over to collections if I don't pay.

    I've found several accounts of this nature online with National. And the unseen damage/ "missing airfoil" are noted as a common scams in CBS news articles, etc. on the internet. I am kicking myself for not getting the VIN and license number, taking pictures, etc. But in truth, what good would that do me unless I'm willing to pay thousands of dollars in legal fees to contest this. Rental car companies can hit consumers false, and possibly fraudulent claims based on their word against yours as to whether the damage was there before you picked up the vehicle. What recourse do I have?

    They put a damaged car out on the lot, whether by accident or intentionally and can claim any previous damage against me and/or any number of renters before or after me, bill me, turn me over to collections, defile my credit rating... and I can do nothing about it? I have no legal leg to stand on? They have the car in their possession. I live 3 states away and had a plane to catch so I couldn't adequately respond to the claim at the time or now.

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    CoverageStaff

    Reviewed June 18, 2017

    I rented a car from National for 6 weeks, military training, and had the worst experience. First they required me to come back in around the 30 day period because I was not a certain member. I found this very frustrating, because I had to drive 40 minutes to a location. Second, they added bogus charges that the military did not cover. I will never rent from them again if I can help it.

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    Customer ServicePunctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed June 12, 2017

    Tuesday May 30th, I fly into Ottawa. It is 12:50 AM and we are late, late, late as the plane was delayed, delayed, cancelled and changed. Sitting in Toronto, I call National to inform them of my flight change and the fact I may be close to their closing time of 1 AM. They assure me that there will be no problem, change my flight in the system and say that this will now be visible to the operators in Ottawa, not to worry.

    At 12:55 I am getting off the plane, calling National again, saying "please don't close I am coming down the walkway now and I will be there shortly." Once again an understanding agent says to me, "no problem. How long will you be?" I tell him about 5 minutes. I go as fast as I can with my sore limping gait. I bypass luggage because I can come back to it. I round the corner at 1:02 and you guessed it - National is closed up tighter than a drum. Less than impressed I call National as it is 1:05 in the morning in a city that is not my home and I feel like I have done everything right. They are less than helpful telling me that the other locations in the city close at 6 PM...wow - great customer service.

    Then they ask if another rental agency is open...which they are, but I have already determined there is nothing they have they can rent me that I can drive...because they are sold out. I get so frustrated I finally say goodbye and hang up. Next day I call, and I get hung up on. Then I call again and finally I get some good customer service from Angela and she assures me that I will get a call from the regional manager. You guessed it again. NADA. No one word...no follow up. I have to say, normally I love National, but all I can say is when you are in OTTAWA ON, DON'T DO IT - rent from someone who actually cares.

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    Price

    Reviewed May 24, 2017

    I have always rented from this car rental company. All of a sudden drivers carrying Alabama drivers license are now required to come up with a deposit of $200.00 in addition to the price of the rental. It is very strange though that only Alabama drivers are required to do this. I think there should be better ways to handle whatever loss the company is subjected to without inconvenience to customers.

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    Staff

    Reviewed May 6, 2017

    We have been renting from this particular location for more than a month, only because they take debit cards, and we don't own a credit card. They are super nice. Today when we truly need one to go to my mother in law's funeral, I have them all that was asked for, license, car insurances, and check stubs. My husband is on permanent disability and I am too but the older gentleman there wouldn't hear of it, he refused all docs due to needing a check stub but I explained that my

    husband is on disability, but he said they need a credit card now. They confuse people. They only accept credit card now, but will take a debit from those who fly out. Cry confusing. I want them to know the bad situation they have put us in.

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    Customer ServiceContract & TermsPricePunctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed April 14, 2017

    Charged for repairs to car, that did not do. I rented a car from National Car Rental in January of this year 2017 in Victoria BC. I always rent and love the Kia Soul car. That vehicle pulled into the lot when I arrived to rent. It had lots of km, but wanted the car. I did not check underneath the car, and that is not the process, but this is the very beginning of my issue. About a week or less into my rental, I took the car back to Mike ** at the Agency Rental Lot. The Emission Control Light was on, and I indicated this to him. He was not nice to me, could only focus on the gas that I must fill the tank when returning the car. I had no intention of turning in the car.

    I did go get gas, he then wanted me to take the car to the Kia dealer to see why it was on. I determined that is not my position in a car rental. I was right in his lot and the dealer around the corner. Couple of days later Mike informed me I would be charged for $670 in repairs. I had run over "something" and later the story someone hit my back end with a trailer hitch. Nothing happened as that, I drive all the time and know if I would run over something and rip the total bottom of the car off and the emission control box.

    Short of it all he charged me, I am out $670. I have placed a complaint in on their so called Customer Service Complaint System and ended up taking a lot of my time, to get nowhere and yes I will pay the cost. This is horrible cost, and I did not do this. Did his lot person do this before I got the car, something is incorrect here. I am an honest person and have never looked under a car before renting, and not on the sign agreement the perimeter is the only focus when taking a car.

    I am upset with the time spent on this, all my time. Mike ** has not listened to anything I have stated, and will never or my family or friends ever rent from National. You are done as a company, very unhappy. Not one live person has contacted me through all of this. Unreal in this day and age. National you are done, and your Customer Service is a waste of time.

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    Customer ServiceStaffProcess

    Reviewed April 12, 2017

    I have called several National offices about this receipt. I called April 3rd concerning the mileage on the receipt. It says the customer drove 530 miles over the course of 1 day, when the car was only used from the airport to a store, and returned to ATL. When I first called customer service, they were helpful and sent it over to the team that handles disputes, assuring me they would respond soon. Today, 2 weeks later I called again to get an update. The ticket is still open and I was transferred/asked to call 2 different locations. I was put on hold for quite a while. Finally I called an associate at McCollum who said he can re-send the ticket problem to the team, but this was done the first time and nothing happened. This has been a difficult and laborious process. I still have no answer and this charge is sitting in the expense report and unfortunately I still have no update.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed April 6, 2017

    I realized 5 days after we returned a rental car that my son had left his prescription sunglasses in the car. I contacted National Customer Service and was referred to their Lost and Found website (nationalcarlostandfound.com) and was impressed immediately, gaining hope I may locate the lost sunglasses. I easily submitted a Lost Item Report online describing the sunglasses and case they were inside. Within ONE HOUR I received a call and email that my item was located. Very impressed!! After speaking with the customer service representative coordinating the shipment of my lost item to my home, within 90 MINUTES I had a email receipt, including tracking number, for the shipment. I am amazed and thrilled by the quick service regarding my lost item. Good job, National Car Rental. Thank you.

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    CoverageSales & MarketingStaffReliability

    Reviewed March 29, 2017

    National Car Rental, you should be ashamed of yourselves. I was creating a vacation budget before my arrival to Mexico. I called National and asked about the insurance options and rates in Los Cabos, Mexico. They stated that they have no insurance information or insurance prices that are offered and that a deposit is never required for a full coverage insurance purchase. Unbelievable! National offered a $20 per week rate through Priceline.

    Upon arrival, reality had been revealed. OK people, here is the real deal... I was presented with a $20 per week rate which was true. Full coverage insurance was a whopping $800 plus a $300 deposit. There are three levels of insurance offered. If I selected no insurance, I would need to place a $1500 deposit onto the rental. Even the most basic insurance required a $1500 deposit.

    A very nice couple that I met had also reserved car from National. The gentleman from the couple was facing the same dilemma as I. When he approached me at the counter, my National sales rep proceeded to badger him for trying to compare his insurance rate offer with mine. I was shocked at the rep's behavior. When I declined to accept the vehicle, the sales rep refused to let me take the handwritten insurance offer with me. What is going on here? What kind of scam is this? Low rental rates are offered with extremely high insurance plans and deposits. I don't know if Hertz or Avis did the same, but I will never trust National Car Rental again. There is no excuse for this. How does a multinational company not know what is going on with their branches in other countries? Because of this, my travel plans were ruined by using buses, taxis, and shuttles. I gave National Car Rental 2 stars because at least the $20 per week rental rate was actually a reliable deal.

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    Customer ServicePricePunctuality & Speed

    Reviewed March 17, 2017

    I made a booking for a car rental through Hotwire for National in Yellowknife. When I got to the counter the customer service clerk insisted that the price was double to what Hotwire had given us and pretty much said if you want the car you have to pay the higher price. We tried to reason with her but there was no reasoning. We paid the rate and asked to be contacted by the manager to sort out the overcharge. I was promised on Monday I would get a phone call. 5 days later, still no call. National is such a big company you would think they would put their customers first. Not at this location. I will never use National again! Whatever happen to the customer is always right?? Especially when they have documentation to prove it!

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    Staff

    Reviewed Feb. 15, 2017

    I was not happy with the online van configuration selection. Once on the rental lot I was allowed to canvas all vans available. A service lot worker asked what I was looking for and I explained. He went off to check and came back to tell me what I wanted just came in and he had it cleaned and available to me in about 15 minutes. The Chrysler Pacifica was more than I expected, even changed my mind about vans.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed Feb. 15, 2017

    We rented a car for travel on Vancouver Island, Feb 10 to 12, 2017, we were only there for 2 days. Our visit was on the heels of a very large snowfall to the Island. We returned the car at the airport for a morning of Feb 12, for our return flight at 11:10 am. At 5 pm that night, back home 1400 KM's away, we get a phone call telling us there are 4 or 5 rock chips on the windshield, and that they occurred during our rental and that we needed to pay for a new windshield. The employee insisted that we set up a claim with our own insurance company to get the windshield replaced right away.

    With no one around at 8:30 in the morning to check the car in, we left the keys in the drop slot and the papers with the gas receipt on the counter, as instructed by all signs at the desk. The Manager in the Nanaimo office stated that she looked back on ten rental claims and "none" were for the Windshield. She claims they replace the windshield every time there is a rock chip. I find it totally unacceptable, to call and assume that someone would pay immediately for something like that. I feel that this is a company trying to take advantage of a non resident person.

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    Staff

    Reviewed Feb. 2, 2017

    I rented a car from National Car Rental to drive from Atlanta, GA to Columbia, SC. I turned the vehicle in at the Columbia Airport undamaged without the person receiving the car noting any damage. 10 days later I received a letter saying the vehicle was damaged when I turned it in. It was not damaged when I turned it in. I have disputed the claim for 2 months but they still insist that I owe them almost $5000. They sent me photos of the damage but it must have happened while they moved it around in their car rental lot because the vehicle was not damaged when I turned it in to their agent.

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    Customer ServicePrice

    Reviewed Jan. 30, 2017

    On Wednesday Dec. 7 I went to pick up my rental. It was prepaid by a corporate ACC. I went to the desk, showed my res. for a mid sized car. He told me they were out of mid sized cars. He offered me a upgrade or bump up as you call it. I asked again will the price remain the same. The response was no additional charge. Everything was fine. The car was great until I was told by my company that I had to pay for the upgrade. I don't know whose fault it was but I feel I should not have to pay for the upgrade.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed Jan. 28, 2017

    I am a regular National Car Rental customer. I rent a car a minimum of 3-4 days per week, and have always rented from National. I have always preferred the ability to select the car I desire from those available in their Executive Emerald Club aisle. This week I rented a car at Midway Airport in Chicago for the entire week for business. Unfortunately, my mom grew ill and I had to miss my flight home to Indianapolis. I immediately called National to see if I could drive the rental car to Indianapolis. The operator informed me there would be an upcharge (which I expected) and the total for my car rental with all additional fees included would be $350. I returned my rental to the Indianapolis International Airport rental facility and received a receipt for $521.52!

    The National employee at the airport told me they included a mileage fee totaling $150.00. I was NEVER informed of this additional fee when I extended my rental and asked to return it to Indianapolis. The employee in Indianapolis informed me he would keep my ticket open and I should call National and he was certain they would remove the additional mileage fee. I called National and spoke to a woman who did not speak English well. She was difficult to understand. (Does National use a foreign service center to handle their calls???) She informed me that she could not review my rental as the ticket was never closed, and told me I would need to return to the airport to close the ticket and then she could review my charges!!! WHAT???

    Shouldn't the Customer Service department try and service the customer? I was shocked she was telling me it was my responsibility to close the ticket. Especially when the agent at the airport told me otherwise. I asked to speak with her supervisor. I was patched through to another person who did not speak English very well. (Again, I wonder if Customer Service is farmed out to a foreign country.) This gentleman was able to open my ticket. He informed me the miles were added to my charges since I changed my ticket to a one-way rental. (Again, this comes when NO ONE informed me of the additional charges.) I recommended he find a way to remove the additional mileage charges or National would lose a customer. He said there was nothing he could do.

    So, as of today, a very loyal and supportive customer, who rents from National weekly, will take his business to another agency. National just does not care and does not offer any customer service support. I am quite certain someone decided to save a few bucks and have Customer Service handled by a foreign company. Unfortunately, by saving a few bucks, their customer service is being handled by people who do not communicate well and have zero ability to take care of problems that are their own fault. I'm very disappointed and amazed, and quite frankly a bit sad. So long National. You have the ability to be much better.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed Jan. 23, 2017

    I rented and returned from 2 different locations. I do this quite often as a business traveler and in fact, rent from National several times a month - "Exec Elite Member". At the time of rental this time, they gave me few options of cars they could not have returned back - they asked me to accept a premium vehicle which I never rent. However, I accepted their request since this car would return elsewhere. Upon return of the vehicle, I was charged an extra $250 fee for the return of a premium vehicle to a different location. I was never told of this fee and would have not opted for this had I known.

    I have gotten nowhere with the multiple customer service agents I have spoke with. They are unwilling to budge on a $250 fee for a customer that spends $20k a yr on their rentals. And I assure you, this is not about the money - this is about customer service integrity. So, goodbye National and Enterprise - looking for a new rental company - beware of their hidden charges.

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    Customer Service

    Reviewed Jan. 22, 2017

    Rented a car from Alamo for my visit to Aruba. Once arrived I was told there wasn't a car available so I was walked over to National. After waiting in line for a long time, I was given a car that should not be for rent. It was banged up all over the place, smelled, and the truck did not open. On top of it, the woman spent over 20-minutes trying to record all the dents and scratches on the car. I asked her what's the point b/c you can never record all the issues with this car and she agreed and laughed... wasn't that funny to me... Corporate National called me and mentioned I would receive a call from the Aruba National car service for some sort of credit which never transpired. Worst rental car experience I have ever encountered. National should be ashamed. I will be renting from Hertz or Avis for both my business and personal needs from now on.

    UPDATED ON 02/21/2017: National did contact me and offered a one day free car rental for my terrible experience of a 10-day car rental from the office in Aruba. After I mentioned that wasn't acceptable they offered 3-days of a car rental in the US. The car should have not been on the road in my opinion. I asked for them to make good for half the amount of time which would have been fair (5-days). They mentioned that wasn't policy so I express that they could keep their free day rental as I'd be renting from a competitor from this point forward. I thought it might have been just a bad experience at the rental site but this proves National is a very poor run organization only focused on money and not the customer. Beware!

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    Contract & Terms

    Reviewed Dec. 25, 2016

    For the second Holiday break running, National is trying to charge mileage for a rental that specifically says in the contract there is no mileage charge. We checked on pick-up at Bradley Airport, Hartford and were assured there was no charge. And the contract clearly states that point. Yet on drop-off at Logan Airport in Boston the mileage charge was on the receipt - just like last year when we had to argue at a counter for 20 minutes to have the false charge dropped. This is fraud and it's now time for us the consumers to bring in the police. It's a criminal act.

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    Customer ServicePricePunctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed Dec. 23, 2016

    I had a reservation for a week and a day. However, due to plane mechanical failures, I had to delay the reservation until the next morning. I was told the new charge would be 60+ dollars additionally. So I canceled, as I was having a difficult time with the agent, and felt I was somehow not getting through, as it was illogical to have an added cost by having to wait a day to pick up the car. The following day, I called again and was told this time that the reservation would run approximately $100 dollars more. I then asked what the price would be if I brought it back at the original "return time", and was told the price was approximately $70 more dollars than the original reservation. So by having the car 1 less day, I would be charged more.

    When I was done with my explanation, the agent said he would connect me to a manager, who of course didn't come on the line very quickly. I went through the whole thing over again, only to have him tell me that's what the rates are, and he had no authority to make any changes. I commented that I would like to go up a level of management. He said that he was the highest there was, but I could contact corporate and would get a reply in approximately 5 business days.

    My complaints are as follows: Lack of understanding of my situation. Lack of any authority by the agents to make things work for me due to circumstances beyond my control. The complete lack of logic in that by delaying 24 hours, I would be "penalized" up to approximately $100. By shortening the time, returning on the same day, but delaying the pick-up time would cost more as well. I think what bothered me the most was that up until this time, I have been a fan of National a have told a great many people that I am very pleased with National Car Rental. I now feel quite embarrassed by telling people how great National is. I have now concluded that I will now tell my story to anyone that will listen, and to avoid National. National is my company's "go to" car rental agency, and I will also make sure I tell folks there as well.

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    Reliability

    Reviewed Dec. 3, 2016

    I reserved a car for a travel in Mexico renting it in Villahermosa and dropping it off in Cancun. They assured me there were no drop off fees (which were not included in the quote as well), but I had to pay them (293$). They apologized that I was not aware of the fee, but it was their fault. Be aware because their reservation office is not reliable at all.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed Nov. 21, 2016

    I am a long time business renter from National (20+ years). I recently rented a car for a week from Charlotte expecting to drop it back there. Plans changed and I inquired about dropping it at Winston-Salem. Two separate agents (I called back I was so stunned) told me the drop charge would be over $1,500!!! I expected an up charge, but in my business this would be called usury or extortion. I am moving my business to Avis. National is inviting increased regulation. Hopefully, the CFPB will expand their authority to include the car rental business.

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    Customer ServiceCoveragePricePunctuality & Speed

    Reviewed Oct. 28, 2016

    I made my rent a car reservation months in advance of our trip. I called several times with questions about our rental. My son had transferred points to my account and I had coupons. They would not take the coupons and applied the points. I have emails from them saying that the agreed rental price with the points deducted. I arrived on schedule to pick up our SUV. I went into Islip Airport and was denied a car. They told me on the phone prior to the rental my debit card was fine. Once I was ready to pick up the car they told me that it was not. They asked for a non-debit credit card and denied me the car. I now have a credit card and would have applied for one at my bank had I known it were necessary!!! They told me to go to Enterprise/National down the road, so we did.

    National/Enterprise said they could not apply my points. Furthermore, they informed me that I could not return the car on Sunday so I had to pay for another day at $30.00 a day more than I had agreed on. Same account and they said I did not have any points because they had been applied to a non-existent rental at the airport. I ended up out almost $300.00 for a $67.90 rental. They also took a $400+ deposit I was never informed of. Thank God I had money in my bank account to cover these thieves! To add insult to injury today I received a notice that they have billed my credit/debit card for a toll, I used EZ Pass. Let the renter beware this company is a crook!!!

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    Price

    Reviewed Oct. 23, 2016

    National definitely steals money from you. I usually rent from National for business use. When I rented a car from National for private use first time, I was told there were 5400 (KM) total free miles with a 0.2 charge for additional miles. I was 100% sure I did not know 5400 KM (I was super careful). They still charged me $400 on extra miles! Please keep a proof/record of your miles and do not just drop your car and leave. (I am an Emerald Club member, National offers drop and go service for their members.) That happened to my friend too! I am pretty sure they just overcharge because most people use them for business use and they do not check their charges. BE EXTRA CAREFUL!

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    Customer ServiceContract & TermsPunctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed Oct. 20, 2016

    My husband and I ONLY rent from National when we travel. However I have a HUGE ISSUE with the billing and service I received when we checked in at RDU. I booked our car rental on Friday June 10, 2016 for RDU - confirmation # **. It was under my name - Elizabeth **. We had our confirmation of ** printed out and gave it to the kiosk person. My husband, Fred ** was driving so I had Fred hand him his driver's licence.

    We had no (Zero conversation with the Kiosk agent). Because I've never had a problem with a rental with fees on the front end, and we (like everyone renting a car in a unfamiliar location) I didn't look at a contract (and not sure we received one). We were running late. When I got home and looked at the emailed receipt, I was shocked! You overcharged me!

    The kiosk person, didn't see a match with the reservation number and the name so they created a new reservation at an absorbent rate. There were no questions directed to us. They should have said "the reservation name does not match your name. Do you want to create a new reservation. These are the rates for the vehicle you are driving."

    The rate I booked for reservation ** was for 4 days at 39.50/day for a total of $203.81. Without any communication your kiosk agent arbitrarily chose to not question the rental slip they had or ask for the ID of Elizabeth **, the name the reservation number is under. I have never had this kind of experience in the 20 or so years that we have customers. I want to prevent/protect others from this same experience. Fredrick ** and I have been married for 35 years and have never had a problem renting a car on either of our Emerald Card Names or Numbers. *** UNTIL NOW ***

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    Reviewed Oct. 20, 2016

    The vehicle we were given had a foul odor in it the entire time we had it. Smelled like it could of had water damage from the hurricane. The insulation along the firewall was pulled down and hanging with the radio antenna cable just dangling. The entire vehicle was filthy. Windows not cleaned. I wanted a Ford. They said they didn't have any yet. When we went to the lot to get the vehicle there was 2 on the lot. Wished I would have gone back and insisted on getting a Ford.

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    Customer ServicePrice

    Reviewed Oct. 13, 2016

    My wallet fell out of my purse in my friend's rental car. When I realized it was missing, I called and they told me they found my wallet. But not before someone tried to charge over $1000 of amusement park tickets on my credit cards and stole $80 in cash. They said they couldn't give me my $80 back because they couldn't figure out who took my money because "too many people handled my wallet" or some BS excuse. So much for customer service.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed Sept. 22, 2016

    National Car Rental Winnipeg - Executive Elite status, oh yeah, I'm a big deal. NOT! I don't have any expectations but I do expect good service and I've typically had it. Kyle **, the branch mgr, has work to do at this location. I left my sunglasses in the car by accident. It happens. I flew home, called them the minute I landed and asked they check the vehicle as I know where I left them. No call back.

    So I call the next day to see, no notes left and the person, Kaitlyn, I speak with starts fresh with trying to assist. She checks the car, not there. They had rented the vehicle out after I had it so it's possible the next person has the glasses, probably not as they clean them pretty thoroughly. A perk of cleaning out rentals I suppose. She offered to call that person who rented after me and get back to me. She did not call me back. Enjoy the nice new Ray Bans. Karma catches up with you... and I will be sharing my experience as I have done here. This review could have been the opposite, disappointing.

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    Customer ServicePunctuality & Speed

    Reviewed Sept. 19, 2016

    When I checked my car in I was overcharged $40. The gentleman who checked me in admitted it, told me to go to the counter inside where they would credit it back. Or if I couldn't wait that he would go in and handle it later. I was in a hurry to make my flight but when to the building. No one was working inside. After waiting 5 minutes a woman showed up at the Alamo counter and worked on issuing the credit. I When I got on the shuttle I realized the credit was only for $13. I called National Car Rental and they refused to give me the remaining credit. I WILL NEVER USE NATIONAL CAR RENTAL AGAIN. TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE.

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    Staff

    Reviewed Sept. 13, 2016

    I wanted a premium SUV after last year when I got a Premium SUV in Idaho falls because they ran out of full sized SUVs. It was very nice to drive and very comfortable. This trip we were flying into Denver and driving up to Steamboat Springs CO and wanted the same comfort and features that we had last year. So I paid extra online to reserve a premium SUV so that we would have the type of vehicle that we had last year. We ended up getting put into a full size SUV and didn't get refunded the difference or anything. They were like "Here is what you get." I'm a disabled veteran with a lot of chronic pain. That is the main reason I wanted that extra comfort of the premium SUV. Instead we had a vehicle with cloth seats that had manual back adjustment and a wheel to turn to adjust the lumbar support. The suspension was much stiffer than the premium SUV we had a year earlier and made my back much sorer over the 178 miles each way.

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    Juliet increased rating by 4 stars.
    Customer ServiceContract & TermsPunctuality & SpeedStaff
    After a positive interaction with National Car Rental, Juliet increased their star rating on Sept. 12, 2016.

    Updated review: Sept. 12, 2016

    Nationals customer service is outstanding! They took my issue very seriously and made it right! Thanks, national!

    Original Review: Sept. 10, 2016

    I planned a trip for my 5 friends back 5 months ago for a concert 4 hours away. We all were pumped. All 5 of us took off work early Friday and 3 of us had to take off that Saturday --- We could of easily used one of our cars, but we splurged. We got a 2017 caravan with 79 miles on it. We started our 4 hour drive at 2 pm to get there by 6 to have dinner before our concert at 8 pm. We made it almost 40 miles when we heard a horrible noise that can only be closely described as a jack brake noise a semi makes. We pulled off to the side of the road where it seized and wouldn't go any further. Most likely the transmission. I instantly grabbed the rental agreement and called the roadside assistance, at that time it was 3:04 pm.

    The lady was nice and sympathetic and said she would have to call the office I got the van from and have them send out a cargo van to come get us and take us back to the airport and get a new rental. She kept me on hold during that call, 5 mins later, which felt like an eternity she gets back on and said, "I am sorry, they answered but I've been on hold the whole time and I think they've forgotten me." So she said, "Hold on and I will hang up and call them back." Then another 5ish mins pass and she gets back on and said that was what had happen. She then reassures me and said they are on their way and it would be 4:09 pm they should arrive... doing the math, that would make it impossible for us to make to the concert in time. So I called and cancelled our hotel stay and now we are out of our concert tickets which were over $300!

    After that I sat on the side of the road with my 4 friends for an hour, at 4:13 I got a call from AAA -- who was dispatched from National telling me I would need to get a cab!!! They could of told me this an hour ago!!! He was nice though and showed sympathy for my situation. He told me a towing company is on their way and I am to leave the doors unlocked and the keys on the seat. I was able to get a cab and then AAA called me again to make sure I got a cab big enough for all of us and said just take the receipt to the counter at the Eastern Iowa Airport and get reimbursed. Then Campus Towing of Coralville called to make sure we were ok and they were on their way too.

    So anyway the cab fare was $100 (which did include a tip). I took the receipt in to the counter and told them the issue and they guy said they haven't had any vans in weeks and asked if I were sure I got it from there?!!! Are you kidding me?! I gave him the rental agreement and receipt I had just got less than 5 hours before. He even went on to say that he wouldn't be giving me any vouchers or refunds since I went thru Priceline to get my rental because, I quote "they don't get paid from Priceline." REALLY?! Then he said, "Did you get a claim number or a ticket from AAA?" He said that I shouldn't of left the van and needed the keys and if what I said were true, roadside would of called them... I explained they did twice! He argued with me they didn't. However, then he decided he would be "nice" and refund me the $23.99 for the insurance I took out with them.

    I feel completely burnt by National! I was charged $168 for a brand new van that made it 40 miles!!! AND to make matters worse, we left in a hurry when the cab came, that I am missing my makeup tackle box and NO ONE HAS CALLED ME!!! I've already left a message about it and called the tow company and they said they only hooked up the tow and didn't look in the back. FML!! Anyone else had this happen? I am so upset!

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    Staff

    Reviewed Sept. 4, 2016

    My husband had a panic attack on the flight from Las Vegas back to IL. We were set to take off and suddenly he felt like he couldn't fly. Everything was closing in on him. So we had to go back to the car rental place and try to find a car on a Friday morning in Vegas that wouldn't break the bank. So we went to National and Donna was so helpful after hearing about our problem and it was about half of any other rental place at the airport. We are forever grateful for her understanding in helping us get back home to Illinois. We have now joined the National Car Rental Club and looking forward to using it in the future. Thanks again to Donna and Lulu at the airport rental.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed Aug. 30, 2016

    When I returned my vehicle from a 3 month rental, the member of staff from National Car in Dubai checked the vehicle and I signed the vehicle check in document. He refused to give me a copy (despite there being one) so I took a picture of it. National Car then stated there was a charge of 650 AED for damage to the tyre, however this damage was not caused by me (I drove the vehicle to the National Car office), nor was anything registered on the form I signed so I asked them to evidence this damage. They then sent me two photos, one of my vehicle registration plate, one of a tyre which could belong to any vehicle (and was clearly not capable of my journey to their office) and their copy of the check in form.

    However, their copy of the form is not the same as the one I signed. Some of the information is not even in the same colour of pen. After I put my signature on the form and they took it back to their office from the car park, extra information was added to appear as though I had agreed to damage. Initially, I was told both on the phone and by email that they believed me and needed to speak to the member of staff on his return from annual leave and then would process my refund. However, later the same day, I was sent another email simply stating they would not refund the money because the damage was caused by me; yet still not providing evidence of this.

    I then contacted Consumer Rights, who spoke with National Car who agreed to refund my money and the case was closed. However, National Car then called me and pretended to have no knowledge of my case and then refused to process the refund! Their new argument was that I had HIDDEN the tyre in the car, however the tyre was so badly damaged (see picture) it could have only been caused by a high speed accident or by crashing into a vehicle/object. All such incidents here in Dubai require police attendance and an accident report, however there was no such report nor any call for breakdown service. My complaint is still ongoing but my advice to you is to avoid this company like the plague! They are liars, fraudsters and will do anything to avoid giving you back your money which you are entitled to!

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    PricePunctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed Aug. 20, 2016

    The night of Aug 1 I received news that my Grandma was dying 800 miles away. The family needed to get there as soon as possible, but since there were five people going flying costs were prohibitive. As an Emerald Executive Elite member, I immediately reserved a car with National to be picked up at the Daytona Beach Airport branch first thing in the morning of Tuesday Aug 2nd.

    When I arrived at the airport with my two teenage children, National did not have a vehicle ready, all they had were cars too small to comfortably fit two adults and three teens for a 12+ hour drive. It took them nearly 2 hours to get us a vehicle, and they finally sent us on our way with a Jeep, saying we needed to take it for an oil change at the Firestone across the street before getting on our way.

    To compensate for our trouble, she offered us a 1-day "downtime credit." Firestone said it would be an hour before they could get to it, and then the service would take another 45 minutes. I passed, and we headed on our way first to pick up my sister and nephew. When they hopped into the SUV, we immediately found a major issue: there were five of us, and only four working seatbelts in the vehicle.

    We headed to the National branch at the Sanford airport the next nearest branch where a National agent told us they had no Jeeps, and could not replace our rental with anything different. I asked for a manager, and was told the manager was in a meeting. I suggested she check with Enterprise and Alamo to see if she could get us a vehicle. She suggested I drive to Jacksonville to see if they could help us there. Meanwhile, another National representative walked out to the car to see if he could fix the fifth seatbelt.

    When he reported back that it was indeed broken, the original agent wisely decided it would be unsafe to let us leave, and suddenly found us a Jeep from Alamo. She also said that when I returned the vehicle, I should be compensated for the extra trouble via a discount. Three hours were lost that morning just trying to get an operable vehicle from National. Three of the last lucid hours of Grandma's life, which is something we can never get back.

    I returned the vehicle to the Daytona Beach branch at 7 pm on Sunday, Aug 7. The representative took my keys and tapped away at her computer, barely glancing at me. She didn't ask any of the usual questions, and I waited patiently while she finished up whatever she was working on because I wanted her attention while she dealt with my return. Suddenly she handed me a receipt, I hadn't even presented my credit card. She had charged my corporate card for a personal trip. I asked her to fix it, and she said she would need her manager's help.

    I waited for the manager for about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, she started helping people behind me. When the manager arrived, she was having a hard time processing someone else's credit card, and they decided they needed to resolve that customers problems before getting back to me tick-tock. The manager finally told me they couldn't credit my corporate card and charge my personal card; I was told to return the next day and someone else could help me. That was 8:30. It was the end of a very emotional week, and the end of a 12+ hour drive, and I was tired and sad and extremely frustrated with the lack of service.

    In the end, they called someone who told them how to fix the credit card issue. They didn't mention that I had also asked for a service credit. It was after 9 pm, and I was done. My grand total discount: Nothing. The receipt shows a $34 one day downtime credit issued at the time I picked up the vehicle (compensation for the first 2 hour wait), but I returned the vehicle one day early with no further discount, so I essentially paid full price. Customers have choices. I will not rent from National in Daytona Beach again.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed Aug. 17, 2016

    NATIONAL CAR RENTAL-ISSUE AT WHITE PLAINS AIRPORT - I set up a rental at HPN for Thursday of last week. I called before I went to get the car to change the return location. I was assured that that was fine and no additional charges. When I went to HPN to get the car the manager Mark ** said they were charging me 50.00 to return the car just over the line in CT despite, 1) Being a long standing emerald Patron, 2) Having an issue with their last car rented there, 3) being rude about the whole encounter all because I would not shake his hand. He said it would normal be 100.00 to leave the car elsewhere. As a frequent traveler for business and the VP of my departments, I have asked my reports to go back to AVIS for the time being. The lack of respect and regard demands that I not use this company until they learn how to use appropriate customer service.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed Aug. 15, 2016

    We had a rental from National made through American Airlines Vacations. We encounter a bulging tire in the middle of Monument Valley, Utah. Their roadside assistance after two hours trying to figure out how to handle us, only suggestion was for us to drive 70 miles at 4:45 pm on a Friday to a Page, Arizona Wal-Mart in hopes of buying a new tire to fit the mini van. Other than that they said there was nothing they could do. We were three hours away from Flagstaff where we rented the car, and had flight the next day to make to LA. I got a supervisor on the phone who did order a Two from Flagstaff to bring us a new car, BUT the Flagstaff airport counter refused him. We tried a second time and it was all set up. We were much relieved, but got a call at 7:30 pm that AAA had gotten there and the counter at Flagstaff REFUSED to send a car. So we were stuck... once again.

    My husband and son in law refused to drive from Gouldings, Utah to Flagstaff on a donut - a distance of 150 miles. Their front desk agent told us it was safe. The boys took off for Kayenta, Arizona to try to buy a used tire. They did buy one, that was smaller than required for the car. The agents in Flagstaff were so rude and really they do not care about customer safety or service. I am sure they would care if we had an accident and they were sued. We did arrive safely in Flagstaff, but I will tell everyone never to do business with National Car Rental. They are awful and do not deserve to be in business.

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    Customer Service

    Reviewed July 27, 2016

    Horrible Customer Service. I had many issues when I rented a vehicle from National Car Rental and I have asked several times for a regional manager to contact me and I have been waiting for over ten days.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed July 25, 2016

    On Saturday July 9th I dropped my rental car off at the Miami International Airport where I was approached by 2 people - one was a manager in training. She proceeded to ask me questions about how my rental was and were the people nice. Being distracted I left my iPhone 6 in the car on a clip in the AC vent. I got in a cab and realized I have forgotten my phone and had the cab immediately turn around. 15 minutes had past from the time I dropped the car off until I returned.

    I spoke to the manager in training who distracted me and she called the cleaning company and they said they did not find the phone. They brought the vehicle back around cleaned with no phone and no vent clip. THEY STOLE MY PHONE IN 15 MINUTES. Beware National hires thieves! The managers were terrible in trying to help and the manager in training actually bailed once she heard they took the phone. I have been waiting for the City Manager to call me back for over a week now.

    National owes me an iPhone 6 and the respect to return my calls. I was heading out for a 7 day cruise with no phone and no way to communicate to with my fellow travelers. I could not take any pictures of my vacation and every time I saw others using their phones it frustrated me even more. I expect customer service from National and will continue to rent from them if they treat me with some respect. If not I will be happy to rent my next 20 rentals for 2017 from another vendor, not National, Enterprise or Alamo!!! If I knew I had hired a thief I would take action immediately! Not sure if you have ever had something stolen from you but if so I completely understand!

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed July 20, 2016

    I have to rent from National because my company chose them. I picked up a car in Kansas City on Monday evening and returned it to MCI airport on Tuesday. No issues. I flew from Kansas City to Phoenix. Went to pick up car in Phoenix and was told I'm on the do not rent list. Could not tell me why. The woman behind the counter gave me a phone number to call during business hours. I called first thing this morning after taking a taxi to my hotel and spent 20 minutes on the phone with Kristy.

    (I was speaking with Tracy first, but she hung up on me because I told her I hate her and every single person associated with National Car Rental. I guess that's why she hung up. She asked how my day was going, so I don't know why she hung up if she didn't want a real answer. She should have just gone to work solving my issue.) After spending 20 minutes on the phone with Kristy (an ugly, hateful person) I was told that someone from customer service would contact me within a few days. If I haven't heard from customer service within two weeks I should call back. No information. No nothing.

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    Customer ServiceContract & TermsPunctuality & Speed

    Reviewed July 15, 2016

    I am a long time Emerald Club member and due to my extensive travel schedule I rent cars at a rate of approximately 35 to 40 days per year. I had an emergency on my wife's family and I want to provide her with 3 free days rental and that was a huge pain. I called the posted number for National Reservations, and I default into India, I was told that she would need to have an Emerald Account in order for me to transfer from my account to her account the days I want to gift her with; I had to hang up, open an account and call back, India again, just this time someone told me that "you could not do that way, you need to ask for a coupon," but I could call another number which he provided me with and explain the deal and they would help me there.

    I called, India again, the guy said "no problem I will take care of it." He book the reservation and he said he had transferred the free days no worries. I told my wife the good news and out she went. Well at the point of returning the vehicle, she was charged $287.00 for the rental and told she would need to call customer care. I got the message and I called, India again, just at this time, they told me that because the contract was already closed they could not do anything. I exploded and I ask for a damn phone number in the UNITED STATES. In summary, I made 6 phone calls, spent exactly 1h:47m to finally speak with someone in the USA that told me she would order the coupon and she will fix it when I get it. Frustrating, time consuming, unacceptable.

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    Staff

    Reviewed June 29, 2016

    I recently rented a car at JFK airport in New York. I do so frequently and with different rental car companies. I chose National this time. Their pricing structures were the initial motivation. I believe that my experience this time will ensure that I will always book National first. The staff were courteous and even humorous. The manager on the floor was a Steven **. I have never met a more friendly, decisive, competent and civil person in the rental car business. I thought that the attention he provided to my needs, the complete answers to all of my questions and the promptness of his service were truly exceptional. He did it all with grace and genuine care. I hope he is not the exception at National. Congratulations on such a great representative of your company.

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    Reviewed May 10, 2016

    We didn't have cash to pay the unexpected toll booths in Orlando. We dug up change for most of them and ended up missing 2 tolls, both $1. There's no way around it; I'll be required to pay administration fees of $12/each. Also, when we arrived at the "24 hour" car rental booth - there was a sign pointing us over to Avis which was a VERY LONG line even for 2 am. I was tired and began to wait with my 4 children. Because National WAS CLOSED. The vehicle was dirty inside - I have pictures. Many - too tired to care. I took the van anyways.

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    Customer ServicePriceEase of Use

    Reviewed May 3, 2016

    I recently found out that one of my company's 'perks' was a free membership in the Emerald Club at National Car Rental. This seemed like a great thing, especially since I am about to set off on a road trip in a few weeks. I signed up for the Emerald Club successfully, but was astonished at the pricing for the vehicle rental. This may not be an issue for those travelling on business where the company pays, but my use is personal.

    I went onto Priceline to find a reasonable rental rate, and when I did find one it was more than 40% less than the National rate, so I was REALLY shocked to see that the car I obtained through Priceline was indeed from National. I called them to see if I could attach my Emerald Club membership to this rental for nothing other than ease of pick up and drop off. Of course I could not without cancelling through Priceline which was already paid for, and rebooking through National. Of course to rebook it would have gone back to the rate that National charged directly. Ease of use and points? Definitely not worth the rental being another $140 more for an 8-day rental.

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    Staff

    Reviewed April 25, 2016

    I am a member of the National Emerald Club. I went to pick up my reserved car in Kansas City on April 5, 2016 and found out that National did not have any cars. The attendant told me that they had run out of cars earlier in the evening and also had already used all of the available cars at Alamo. The attendant had no options for me and said that I would have to walk around to the other car companies to inquire whether anyone had cars available. National offered no assistance and no compensation for their error. I am now a member of Hertz Gold Club and tell this story to everyone that I meet.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed April 21, 2016

    I reserved the style of car I wanted 2 months in advanced. The night before my trip, I called the National Car Rental national number (no pun intended) to confirm my rental car. The first person I spoke to, had a heavy accent and I couldn't understand them. I requested for someone that I could understand, and the agent placed me on hold for 15 minutes, or until I hung up and redialed. The next agent also had an accent, but was considerably more understandable. The second agent confirmed my trip and answered my questions and found me a discount. So once I reached the counter at Sarasota International Airport, EVERYTHING the agent told me was wrong.

    First they would not accept the cash payment that I had just gotten the thumbs up for, hours earlier. Secondly, they wouldn't accept a debit card and third and most of all... they were delighted that they were not giving a colored man a convertible mustang from their establishment and I was denied getting the car. They were so delighted in denying me the car, that when I stood in the next car rental line a Christopher ** found it necessary to antagonize me further by shouting to me, so everyone could hear, that I would be unsuccessful at renting cars from any other car rental companies. That didn't discourage me. I just called my Parents to back me up. My Parents brought their credit card and we stood in line to get the Car.

    The agent Christopher ** was so offended that I had met the criteria for the car that he and the manager canceled my booking altogether. And again were happy to do so SMILING IN MY PARENTS FACE. I went to Dollar Rental Car and they were able to accommodate my needs for a cheaper rate. I will never use National Car Rental ever again!!!

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    Customer ServicePriceStaff

    Reviewed April 18, 2016

    Have an email confirmation in front of me citing a cost of $240 for a week's rental. Paid $100 more when we checked out. The counter was closed when we picked up the car at the airport, we had no idea what cars to choose from - nothing. Called customer service (ha) and was told they didn't see the prices I was mentioning and they'd email the manager of the airport's desk and he/she would look into it? WHAT? The manager of that location didn't make the reservation, you can't call them, and there was no one working there but they're going to decide whether I get a refund? Then, rep hung up on me mid-sentence. I'm going to contest charges if I don't hear back in 24 hrs. My credit card company has been very helpful in instances like these so hopefully they won't disappoint this time.

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    Punctuality & Speed

    Reviewed April 1, 2016

    Well, I know that no one reads these and it will make me feel better just to write this! I paid over $200.00 for the car I rented in Victoria for less than 3 days starting March 23 to March 26. According to the bill in the glove box from the previous renter, the previous renter paid $118.00 for 5 days so I paid double for 3 days. I want a credit, please as I feel ripped off for sure. We were late for our return flight and had no time to bring this up at the counter.

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    Customer ServiceContract & TermsPunctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed March 28, 2016

    First of all, we always rented car in another agencies and they were always unlimited km and if it was not they advise about get one unlimited if it is a long distance. We went to the airport and we saw that all agencies was with almost the same price/day, so randomly we decided get in National because it was empty and we were late go leave (Worst decision ever). We need to rent a car for just 7 hours to go to a city 2.5 hours away get a document and come back.

    Then we got the contract. It would be $63 (with all abusive tax and under age tax) but it was ok. We looked at the contract and ask about the taxes but we could not understand about KM information and asked it the $63 was the final price. And the attendant asked where we were going and we told we would drive out of the city. Even with this she did not mentioned about the km, just about the taxes. When we came back to give the car! A big SURPRISE!!! $300 for all the km drove! If we knew that we would never get the car in National because we knew and confirmed after that Avis, Enterprise and others did not have this charge for economic cars (the kind we got). We would never have done that, we would go to another agency.

    We tried everything, the customer service in this moment was terrible. Even talking to the manager, we got a decreasing to $100.25, still abusive (Considering a basic car rented for 7 hours). And when we told we would tell everybody about this problem and we would make complaint they said "You can do whatever you want". In summary they do not care about the customer, we know we should see that and it appear in the contract but the employee should advise us, and we told we were going to a long distance. I will never rent a car at National again and I advise you... Find another agencies they do not charge km in all cars and you for sure can get a really better customer service. The branch where it happened is localized in Airport of Regina, SK, Canada.

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    Customer ServiceCoverageSales & MarketingPricePunctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed March 21, 2016

    I just want to give a warning to anyone looking to rent a car here. I booked the car online with the liability coverage since my insurance does not cover me in Panama. National seemed to have the best deal for the car rental and the coverage for liability at $6/day. When I arrived I was told that the website was wrong and that it was actually $12/day. They could not offer an explanation to why the website was different. I argued and said that I was not paying the $12/day. We arrived late at night and at this point there are no other options. They told me they could not give me the car if I didn’t agree to the $12/day.

    This was the worst experience I have ever had with a bait and switch as the rental ended up being more expensive than the competitors. The agents at the counter made me sign to agree to the rate before they would give me the car. Once I returned home I called National and they agreed that the rate should have been $6/day and said they would make it right. After a week I received a response that since I signed and agreed to the higher rate they could not refund me the difference. Be careful out there fellow Travelers.

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    Customer Service

    Reviewed Feb. 22, 2016

    What on earth has happened to National's website. Use to be able to book a car in less than 5 min. Now I have to call. Webpage won't load. My rewards isn't right. They need to fix this ASAP or I will carry my Executive Elite behind to some other company considering I drive a rental more than I drive my personal car.

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    Customer ServiceCoveragePriceStaff

    Reviewed Feb. 19, 2016

    I returned my rental car to National at the Charlotte, NC airport at around 4:30 PM on Sunday, February 19, 2016. Pulling up, a person directing cars was expressing exasperation at folks for taking too long to line up their cars. In hurrying my exit, I left my new Samsung Note 5 smart phone in the console between the front seats. I crossed the street to American Airlines, and remembered my phone. I ran back to National, now maybe 15 minutes after exiting, and they acknowledged they still had the car, though I could not go to it because it was downstairs to be cleaned. Despite the resistance and delaying of the person to address my situation, they grudgingly agreed to have someone "look for it."

    After about 45 minutes they reported back it was not there. I explained there was "no doubt" it was there when I left the car with them, and that it laid flat in the front of the console, so could be easy to overlook. The manager then came on the scene, and after doing some checking said only two people had been in the car. They knew, because people getting in them have to swipe a badge. After another 1/2 hour of waiting, they said no one had seen it, and someone checked and it was not in the car. I explained that the car had been only in National's possession the entire time, so they had a thief in their employment, whether by direct employee or a contractor, and it was one of two people. This seemed of little concern and they were not interested in further action.

    I had to catch a plane so I left my name and a number that could be called to reach me. I subsequently reported this online to National. I was called back by phone and the person, who seemed to actually care, said the car was then out on rental, and they would check with them. I explained that I was told a National employee checked the car while I waited, and said the phone was not there. They were to call back nonetheless. I have not heard back from them. Can someone suggest recourse? The phone cost nearly $800, and it would seem that National, whose employees were in possession of the phone the entire (short) time, would have bonded employees, and this should be covered by insurance of some type. It would seem items, including cell phones, are left in cars fairly frequently. (Indeed, I have found an item and turned it in.) Does anyone have any suggestions?

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    Customer ServiceContract & TermsSales & MarketingStaff

    Reviewed Feb. 15, 2016

    I recently used National's Emerald Rewards Program through their subsidiary/partner Enterprise for an extended rental and was completely bait and switched. I rented a car for work for 3 months and spent over $4200 on it. My company encourages use of vendor rewards programs so I looked into Emerald Rewards. As I was signing a long-term contract I figured that the rentals wouldn't count and I wouldn't bother with signing up. When I scoured the Rewards program site, there was no mention of repeated days being void, long-term rentals being void, nor corporate rentals being void. I signed up for the program.

    In the end, out of 107 days being billed, I only received 16 rental credits. If I had received either 0 credits or 107 credits, honestly, I would have left it at that as though I was expecting 107 credits I figured there was some stipulation about corporate contracts never counting (maybe in some corporate contract somewhere). I didn't really expect 107 days worth of credits even though 107 days were being paid for. 16 rental day credits threw me off. I called customer service at ** option 6 and spoke with a representative to find out why such an odd number was being credits. The answer was convoluted. The representative said that they give a certain number of credits for a certain number of days per month. For 28-30 days used in a month they give out 7 credits. That was bait and switch #1.

    Next, the representative said that they do not give out credits for subsequent months rented. At least one day not renting must be between rentals. However, she did see that my next month also earned credits. That was bait and switch #2 AND they're not making any sense point #1. Finally, she said the 3rd full month didn't earn credits because of the consecutive rental rule and that she tried to have a supervisor override and they couldn't. They're not making any sense. Point #2 I'm not sure why I'd automatically get an override for my second month (I never asked for that. It was just there.) then not be able to get one for the next month. They're not making any sense. Point #3 resulted from a total of 16 rental credits being issued. I don't know how they came to 7 credits, 6 credits, 0 credits, and 3 credits for my partial month. It seems very subjective.

    I'm never using National or Enterprise again if this stays this way. In addition, I'm telling everyone at my company as well as friends and family about the bait and switch whenever it comes up. The next time I have to rent for work, I'm choosing a non-preferred vendor. I don't care if they're a few dollars more. I want to know what I'm paying for and to get it as well.

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    Price

    Reviewed Feb. 11, 2016

    First, the cost wasn't close to what was booked online before our week vacation... The rep told me 30% in tax... Not ok. Then on the return, they tried jacking up the price on what they called "damages". Not happy... Argued with them for about 20 mins. Was ready to leave without paying at all. Will not rent a car from this company again.

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    Contract & TermsCoveragePrice

    Reviewed Feb. 4, 2016

    I rented a small car for my wife and her sister in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for 10 days in December. The rental charge of under $100 ballooned to over $500 when they paid at the end of their vacation. The contract said airport fee and state taxes were included in the price but they were charged for them extra along with insurance/road assist they had not requested. I realize some insurance was compulsory but others were not. CarTrawler, their company in Mexico (but based in Ireland) were hopeless in trying to resolve this dispute. Not till I went online after their trip and looked them up did I realize they had no credibility whatsoever and hundreds of online complaints. Never again will I have anything to do with National or their bogus company CarTrawler. Beware!!!

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    Reviewed Feb. 3, 2016

    My bill was $98.96 more than what National Car Rental quoted. I got my quote on the phone and email for $485.52. They billed my account $584.48. Totally ridiculous extra added money. PLEASE CHECK AROUND, and make sure you will be billed for the price quoted! I will never use this company again.

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    Customer Service

    Reviewed Jan. 12, 2016

    On a trip in the Dallas Ft. Worth area I had rented a car from National for the week. Upon dropping the car off at the airport I realized within a few minutes of riding away from the lot on the shuttle that I had left my cell phone in the car. When I arrived at the airport I immediately tried to contact the rental counter to see if it could be mailed to me or if someone could even bring it to the terminal as I did not have enough time before my flight to take the shuttle back to the rental area.

    When I contacted customer service they would not give me the number to the rental counter at the airport and insisted that I go through the lost and found process. I did and never had any response at all other than the auto-email that came from submitting my lost and found form. I don't expect this company to be responsible for items that I forgot in their vehicle but the extremely poor and unhelpful level of customer service I received was incredibly frustrating. Of the 4 people I spoke with on the phone about this not one of them was willing to give me the direct line to the local rental facility where my phone had been left nor were they willing to help other than to tell me to fill out the lost and found form and submit it online. I will never rent from National again.

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    Customer ServiceCoverageStaff

    Reviewed Jan. 8, 2016

    I booked online with National Car Rental for the Guadalajara, Mexico location. Online the policy rental insurance stated that I was able to purchase liability insurance through a non third party internet site meaning that I was able to purchase it through a local agency in Mexico. I then contacted the National 1800 number and spoke to an agent who verified the information. I also asked him about my credit card, which also provided protection insurance in Mexico. He stated that it was true that I was covered if I used my credit card for the rental.

    Upon my arrival at the National Car location in Guadalajara the agent advised that all information that was given to me in the states was incorrect and that I needed to purchase their insurance. I advised the agent that I was going to have a family member drive me to purchase insurance through a local agency and he insisted that I was not able to do that and that my credit card did not cover. I was forced to buy their insurance without any option. I was mislead by National. I then contacted customer service upon my return to the states and they said that there was nothing they can do. I would not use this company ever again. As previous reviews have stated this company is very shady and will take your money. DO NOT RENT FROM THEM. There are other cheaper and better customer service companies.

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    Customer ServiceSales & MarketingPriceStaff

    Reviewed Dec. 14, 2015

    I am an Emerald customer of National Cars. When I go to the airport I just walk to the National Cars parking area and pickup a car of my choice. As they advertise, but they have a hidden price gouging mechanism, I wanted a compact car, and the guy in the area informed that they are out of compact cars but I can pick up any of the van that I want. He did not inform me that this is not an upgrade but he purposely let me take that car. I passed through the gate and returned the car after 4 days. They charged me $776 at the rate of 140/day and a lot of other charges. I talked to the customer service and they refused to accept my narrative. National Cars is price gouging and deceiving its customers though concealed tactics. I feel that I have been cheated by National Cars, and I will never get any rental from this company.

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    Price

    Reviewed Dec. 4, 2015

    If this operation was in the United States, I would ask for an investigation into this operation. They routinely are "finding" reasons to charge renters for repairs. They got me two times in a row! Aug. 2015 and Nov. 2015. Aug. was for scratches underneath the bumper. This one was for a cracked lens on the back turn signal, $150 and $350 respectively, on top of the rental. With a plane to catch, there is no time to fix it while at their office, so they just charge you.

    Firstly, I told the guy (who spoke very broken English) when I picked up the car, that there was condensation in the right rear turn signal, but the crack is not easily visible from more than a few feet away, so I didn't notice the issue. Naturally, he didn't mark it on the checkout sheet. Secondly, I rented the van on Nov. 8, and if that crack happened during my 4 days in Cabo, in which there is NO RAIN or even high humidity, there is no way that there would be that much condensation through that crack during that time. Thirdly, when the check-in guy does a cursory walk around the car, and walks directly to that crack and points at it, I believe he already knew it was there. Whether that crack and condensation happened from another customer in the rainy season, or in the Enterprise lot, I think they are getting me to pay for someone else's fault. I also wonder if they are actually fixing these issues or getting every renter to pay for them, over and over.

    I am going to turn in this to my credit card coverage, and alert my other credit card about this, as they are trying to resolve a similar incident at this same location from back in Aug. 2015! Maybe both credit card companies can have their team investigate this location. I have traveled almost every week for the last 25 years, have rented hundreds of cars with no issues and no claims, and will make sure to alert all travelers to my experiences here. I can guarantee that I will never rent from your company again, due to allowing such practices at one of your franchises. If you rent from here, take extremely accurate video of the whole vehicle on your phone, even under the edges.

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    Customer ServiceContract & TermsPriceStaff

    Reviewed Nov. 4, 2015

    Horrible customer service. I recently rented from National Rental car at Dawson Creek Airport located in Dawson Creek, British Columbia. My car rental was for 2 days at $39.00 per day and after taxes and fees the total came to roughly $139.00. I later found that they had charged me $605 for the rental. After calling the Dawson Creek location, the lady referred me to Danny in Grand Prairie, who apparently deals with price discrepancy for the Dawson Creek location. I then learned from him that the reservation didn't include mileage. I was very shocked that this reservation didn't include mileage.

    I have rented over 250 cars over the past 10 years and have never once been charged mileage. This was entirely my fault for not reading the rental agreement. My beef is with the customer service rep Danny. After pleading my case that yes the rental agreement does say $1.00 per Kilometer but it isn't reasonable to charge $600 for a two day rental. I fully understand that it is my responsibility to read the rental agreement fully but I also feel like this is an honest mistake. Danny was not willing to budge or acknowledge that this could happen to anyone. I was very upset that he wouldn't even agree that $1.00 per Kilometer is excessive and agree that no other rental car company charges per Kilometer.

    After cursing, which I shouldn't have done, I told him I would find all social media outlets possible and tell my experience and tell people to watch out for the no free mileage. After we spoke, Danny wrote me an email threatening me and my business that if I said anything on social media he would do the same to me and my business. This is after we got off the phone with him. He went out of his way to send me this email:

    "Jason, attached is the revised invoice. In regards to your comments on the phone about slander on social media, do what you feel you need to do. We are not the ones that neglected to pay close attention to the rates. I have googled the company you work for. Should I hear about any slander etc. about our company, I am sure they would love to hear about your behavior and telephone conversations. Have a great day!"

    Have a great day?!? Is that not antagonistic? Is this not threatening? I have never written a comment about customer service in my life and I have had some rough experiences, especially with air travel. I have never written a comment. Danny changed this as he was extremely rude, antagonistic repeatedly calling me "Buddy," and won't budge on at least giving some of my money back. Regardless, watch out for all Northern British Columbia and Northern Alberta non-corporately run National Car Rental locations.

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    Customer ServiceCoverage

    Reviewed Nov. 3, 2015

    I have a corporate account with National, and since they have never let me down, when I decided to go to Cancun - I naturally booked a car with National. Despite the fact that I have full insurance coverage internationally, they made me get their full insurance. I could have refused - but they would have put a $1,400 hold on my credit card. They still put a $500 hold even with the full insurance. This did not leave me with much money to spend during my trip. My vehicle had stains on all of the seats and sand everywhere. The car was scratched and dented all over. Later that evening I got pulled over and had to pay the police off because one of my headlights was not working. National is decent in the States - but apparently the customer service and care does not apply abroad.

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    Punctuality & Speed

    Reviewed Nov. 2, 2015

    The experience I had going from Orlando to Tallahassee with this company was horrendous. The company adding on extras that were not requested to making me pay for an inconvenient that made me late to my meeting in Tallahassee by an hour, and charging me for fuel I put in the car.

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    Customer ServiceContract & TermsPrice

    Reviewed Nov. 2, 2015

    In August my daughter was competing in an international competition being held in British Columbia. We were flying in so booked care with National in June. Told them I needed a vehicle for 5 adults and 6 large luggage. Further requested to please make sure the vehicle had no strong smells as the athlete is also a very base asthmatic. No problem - cost would be about $1200 and they would have it ready upon arriving at the airport. Upon arrival at the airport we were given a Chrysler Encore. There was NO possible way to get the people in the car without even considering the luggage! Was told that was the only vehicle they had left. So I made 2 trips from the airport to the hotel and back.

    When I got in the car the chemical smell was out of this world. The athlete had to ride with her head out the window to avoid an asthma attack. When I got to the hotel another parent in our group pulled up with the exact same vehicle. When I questioned her we reserved at the same time, the same type of car and yet her cost was $600. Wow! The next day when I went to get into the vehicle it was obvious why it had to be cleaned - the smell of smoke and excessive pet hair left behind from the previous renter was gross. The athlete had to ride with her head out the window for the entire visit and I had to clean the inside of the car.

    When I approached them about these issues I was told they would give me $30 back. I don't think so! We argued until I had to board my plane. I did not sign off on the agreement and yet they processed my credit card that very same day - which I found out 3 weeks later when I got my statement. They said they couldn't process anything until I signed the agreement - more **! I made a complaint and have had to remind them. To date I have heard nothing back! I would not recommend this company to anyone - not even my worst enemy. They should not be in business and are only interested in your money and how much of it they can get. If this website allowed negative ratings that is what they would get - one star is too high for them.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed Oct. 28, 2015

    Absolutely worst experience. I am an executive national member and my experience with National has been terrible on multiple situations. For example, called National and booked a reservation 2 plus days before car was needed. Received confirmation email and 2 hours before I was reserved to pick up vehicle was told they were going to be closed and I wouldn't get a vehicle. Keep in mind, they could have told me earlier so I could make alternative arrangements but told me literally 2 hours before.

    When I called national, was told that the rep who made my reservation made a mistake and there was nothing they could do. Was told that I could call Enterprise and that would be open (that was a lie- they were also closed) and was communicated my need for a resolution. Was told there was nothin' they could do and was hung up on. During another lovely situation, I reserved a vehicle with National and when I arrived was told they had no cars and I had to find a taxi. Took multiple months for someone to get back to me to apologize and reimburse me for the cab after I called the "manager" at this location and National over 5 times. Do not use, ever.

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    Sales & MarketingStaff

    Reviewed Oct. 21, 2015

    We reserved a car with National Car Rental in Cancun through Expedia. Using Expedia was part of the problem. The experience would have been bad had we booked direct with National. Using Expedia made it worse because there was no local representative. A big part of the problem was a group of individuals attached to the rental office whose business it was to high pressure car renters to spend several hours at a separate vacation sales location. There would be a discount of several hundred "$".

    When we would not go to the "vacation sales location", we were LIED to about being able to get to the airport hotel from the car rental office. We later found there was, indeed, free transportation. The group of "sales bums" at National "found" us special transportation to our hotel for only $50. Since National allowed these "sales bums" to do this selling immediately outside their door, giving the absolute impression that they were National employees, I have to advise other travelers to avoid National Car Rental, and be careful of other rental agencies. The consequences were paying too much for car rental and ending the vacation with an unpleasant experience.

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    Customer Service

    Reviewed Oct. 14, 2015

    Absolutely the rudest and most disgusting display of customer service I have ever dealt with. Tried to correct an issue with a supervisor was the most exhausting aggravating situation. Just received Executive membership, they can keep it!

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed Sept. 26, 2015

    We book a car at the airport location at 8 am on 9/24. We stop at the counter to pick up a car - we are part of their membership program that allows us to pick any car we choose. We were stopped by the person at the check-in counter and said we could only take the car of his choosing not ours. We had to go over the program with that person. We received a standard car. We have rented car at other locations across the U.S. - never an issue. I called their customer service regarding my concerns. Never heard back from anyone regarding the matter.

    I followed up today and called the airport location. I spoke with someone. The manager would not come to the phone and would not return my call. The person I spoke with said they are not a corporate location (Midwest Car Corporation) and do not follow the corporate rule. The person at the check referred to us a "you people do not understand their program". Since they do not follow the corporate rules we were unaware of theirs. Do not go there.

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    Customer ServicePriceStaff

    Reviewed Sept. 9, 2015

    We rented a vehicle online at the Comox Airport. I rented a Full-size vehicle, a Tahoe. When we got there we were told that the biggest vehicle that they had was an Explorer. When I paid for the vehicle the invoice said that I was charged for a FULL sized sport utility vehicle and what I drove was a STANDARD size. How can I be charged for a FULL sized and Drive a STANDARD size?

    I called the Comox location (actually got the Courtney location on the phone) but the guy said that he looks after both locations. The man I got on the phone was rather rude and just kept saying that the Comox location's biggest vehicle is the Explorer, I couldn't seem to make him understand that I was ok with that but my issue was that I paid for something that I didn't receive. The pricing for a Standard size and a Full size are NOT the same. Hummmm. How may other people would be happy to pay for a Full size and receive a Standard size? I believe that I should have been given the difference in price refunded to me. When that was clear it was not going to happen. I said Thank You and ended the conversation. I will NOT rent from the National again!!! CUSTOMER BEWARE!!!

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    Reliability

    Reviewed Aug. 29, 2015

    National rented me a dangerously defective vehicle that GM had recalled. "The Problem: The left and right lower control arm attaching bolts in the front suspension may not be tightened to specification. This could cause the lower control arm to separate from the steering knuckle while driving, causing a loss of steering and increasing the risk of a crash." This happened to me on the highway at 70 mph. I did not crash, but my life was definitely placed in danger due to this oversight. National is still charging me for the vehicle and has not contacted me with remorse or apology. DO NOT FROM THIS COMPANY!!!

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    Customer ServicePunctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed Aug. 26, 2015

    So I made a reservation on National Car Rental MONTHS before my trip to Ibiza. I was going at the end of August and I think I made a reservation in April. I reserved the car via Kayak and didn't notice (because I usually rent from Avis and it's never been a problem) that the site automatically sets your pick up time at noon. My flight was arriving at 5 pm but like I said, never had an issue with that in my life. So imagine my surprise when I arrived at the airport to find the surliest attendant at the desk. This guy just couldn't be bothered. I handed him my reservation info which I had printed out and he (saying nothing to me) picked up the phone and started talking to someone. After about 10 minutes of this, he hung up to inform me that they did not have a car for me. It turns out, since I didn't include my flight information, my reservation was cancelled. That's it. They didn't call, they didn't email, nothing. They just ** cancelled it.

    The guy at the counter was such a ray of sunshine he didn't even apologize or offer to do anything at all, I don't know why he's in customer service when he clearly hates his job, then again the way National treats their customers, I can't imagine being their employee. I threw my reservation papers at the ** behind the counter and went next door to Avis, who had a car available and a very nice attendant. I've only rented with National once before and it wasn't a good experience (not as bad as this one though) so from now on, I will happily give my $$ to Avis because they never fail.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed Aug. 26, 2015

    I recently rented a car from National Car Rental at the Milwaukee Airport. When I received the car, it was parked in a poorly lit garage where I examined it to the best of my ability and noted current damage. It was difficult to see any markings on the surface of the hood, roof and trunk without a flashlight. When I returned the car, we were directed to pull into a very sunny portion of the garage, which was very small in contrast to where the outgoing cars are parked in the dimly lit area. Upon examination of the car, the NCR rep issued me the receipt and as I was proceeding to the terminal called me back, after looking at his handheld computer and told me we had a problem. He said there were marks on the hood, roof and trunk.

    I was shocked and asked him to point them out to me. They were slight indentations, smaller than the tip of my little finger and had not scratched the finish of the car in any way. I told him I hadn't been able to see these areas in the poorly lit garage when I had first picked up the car and would have needed a flashlight in any case to observe them. Nonetheless, NCR has billed me for almost $5,000 even though the surface of the car wasn't scratched and those marks could very well have been there beforehand. I have written to them and called a representative who works there. I have not had the courtesy of a response.

    In addition, their claims person did call and told me the marks were made by hail; however, there was NO hail, only two brief periods of rain in our area over the period of time I was in Milwaukee.

    I was so careful to take good care of that car, and consider this situation very unfair. I have no recourse so I am writing to you. I have been unjustly accused and I don't know what else to do. This company no longer focuses on the founding values of Jack Taylor, in my opinion. NCR at the Milwaukee Airport has violated his values of honesty, integrity, concern and consideration of their customer [me]. And they have not even bothered to listen to what I have to say because they have not responded to my concern.

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    Customer Service

    Reviewed Aug. 7, 2015

    I rented a vehicle for my family to go out of town. I put it on my credit card. However, I told the clerk that I may need to keep it an extra day & I may wanna put it all on my debit card. She told me when I got back I could tell them to put it all on my debit card and gave me a quote for an extra day. So I did just that, but they had already charged my credit card and it had posted to my account already so she said she could put the remainder on my debit card. I gave it to her only to find out a day later she had put the whole amount on my debit card. So now a $300 car rental has turned into a $500 car rental.

    I called and they said they would look into it and have the branch where I picked up and returned give me a call. This was on a Tuesday so Friday comes around and I call the customer service again only for her to give me a list of charges that they were now charging me for. We didn't even eat in the car but they charged me $150 for a car detail (something they should do before and after each rental anyway) for a car that had leather seats (wipe them off) and no carpet stains... bottom line... Never rent from them!!!

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    Punctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed July 28, 2015

    I had rented a car in Erie, PA in order to get home in Burton, MI. I had been told that there was a car available and so I had reserved it (this was on a cell phone). I called a cab to pick me up (30.00). This was no big deal since it was an emergency and I needed to get home. But when I get to the National Car Rental booth I ask for my reservation, tell the agent my name, and she tells me that they have no cars available for me. I calmly tell her that I have one reserved and I need to get home. She tells me that I would have to wait until around 3:00 (it is now 9:00 am). Now I'm pissed. I have no way to get anywhere and it looks like I have a 6 hr. wait. So as I am waiting, 3.5 hrs. later I catch a break and a lady has brought a car back early. So on a scale of 1-10 I would give National Car Rental a -10. This company has no idea what they are doing, the inventory that they have, or how to treat a customer. So beware of National Car Rental.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed July 21, 2015

    I reserved a Dodge Charger online a week before arriving in Halifax, NS. Upon my arrival they told me no Dodge Charger was available, and instead gave me an "equivalent" car - a Buick Encore, which *nobody in their right mind* would consider equivalent. When questioning the attendant, she simply said we should call them to guarantee getting a certain kind of car - and that the preferences in online reservations are systematically ignored. In other words, you only get the car if you are lucky and it happens to be on the lot when you arrive. This is a poor and fraudulent way of doing business. I paid for a Dodge Charger, not a Buick Encore. If I had known none was available, I would have gone to another car rental agency. I certainly wouldn't have paid up front. Way to ruin someone's holiday.

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    Customer ServiceStaffProcess

    Reviewed July 12, 2015

    I am an Emerald Executive Elite member. I rented a Month to month car in JFK. I am few weeks into the rental when I get a call and a letter demanding that I return the car. I called JFK right away and they tell me they need me to come in. So I went down to JFK. I explained that the car was in upstate NY, 2.5 hrs away and that I will came in and sign any paperwork needed. They were very rude to me saying I need to enroll in a 6-Month program. I said OK... A day goes by they call me again. I said I called National and there is NO month and more program at National.

    So I again went down to JFK, spoke to another manager who again insisted he needs to see the car. So he told me, "when you are upstate, go into a Enterprise location and have them inspect the car." So Friday I went to enterprise in Monticello NY and the rep said he could not locate my reservation. I called up JFK myself and they told me that they reported the car STOLEN.

    So I call up the Monticello Branch again and he tells me, "come in, all will be OK." I parked across the street, he runs into my car, takes the key away from me and tells me I can no longer have the car. I want to tell you that I have recorded every phone conversation with National. I also have a print out from National showing that the manager admits he made a mistake. I will not rest until I get properly handled. My car back and an apology from these three people. They are Akly ** a Manager, Lisa ** and Jacqueline **.

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    Sales & MarketingStaff

    Reviewed June 27, 2015

    I rented a compact car from National Rental Car from the Victoria Airport June 2015 and when I returned the vehicle, there is no lot attendant to review your car as you drop it off for damage. You need to self park the car, walk inside the airport, drop off the keys and get your invoice/receipt for the rental charges. They do not go out to check the car with you as a witness and you are free to go.

    When I returned home, I got a bill on my credit card for $200 extra for "damage while in my possession". I naturally disputed the charge and was told that I was responsible for the car UNTIL one of their employees goes and checks it. Really? How do I know when that happened? If it is not immediately while I witness it, then the damage could have occurred at any time when I walked away from it after I parked. I was then told "you should have asked one of our employees to check it when you went to the booth inside the airport". Since when is that my responsibility? And why would I do that when I know there is NO damage. And is that documented anywhere as a procedure I should be following? What a scam.

    Do not rent from here. I've launched a dispute through my credit card company and I hope they don't get a penny for these so-called damages. This is a total scam on their customers with no REAL evidence that this damage occurred while in my possession. This company has no care of repeat business and will lose more than they gain.

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    Customer Service

    Reviewed June 18, 2015

    I have been renting cars for business use with National for several years. In particular I have rented from Edmonton Airport location (Alberta) four times over last six months. In general things were OK until my most recent experience. When I returned the car check-in clerk went directly to the passenger side of the car and pointed out scratch on the rim. It definitely felt like he knew that damage was there from before. I was foolish enough not to do detailed inspection of the car at the pickup.

    When travelling on business one does not always have time to do that. I simply trusted their detailed inspection. To my surprise I was provided with the repair bill of for $329. After several phone calls I have quickly realized that they really do not value my business (they sold 3,000 worth of my business for one 300 fraudulent claim. I do not get it). In addition they charged me for 1/8 of the tank although I refueled minutes before returning the car. I even presented the receipt. To be fair, I managed to get that money back after talking to the branch manager. In any case, they will never see me as a customer again. For all of you out there BE AWARE. They'll get you if you let your guard down for just a minute.

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    Price

    Reviewed June 16, 2015

    I needed to extend my stay due to both weather and family obligations. My initial rate was $100 + fees, which I assumed would be another $100. HOWEVER, National informed me ONE EXTRA DAY would cost $365. For 4 days, they QUADRUPLED the rate to $600. That's the fine print, apparently. I will NEVER go near this company again. EVER. I would rate them O stars, but the form doesn't go through that way.

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    Customer ServicePrice

    Reviewed June 11, 2015

    I recently rented vehicle from National Car Rental and I've always had good experience until today. I rented vehicle for a week and was supposed to drop off car at same time as my initial pick-up, 4 pm. But with Chicago rush hour traffic and delays, I arrived at 5:30 pm. They charged me for 2 hrs which ended up costing $35 with all the taxes and fees. That 1.5 hr delay cost me more than an entire day rental. I called to speak with customer service and they were so nonchalant and rude. No help at all, especially since I've rented from them many times and I'm a member of the Emerald club. Complete RIP OFF!!

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed June 7, 2015

    I reserved a vehicle with National's location in the Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada airport. National advertises that location as being open 24 hours a day. I went to pick up the van I reserved at 10:00 pm on a Saturday - I needed the van for 8:00 am the next morning and nobody from National was there. I called but got no answer from the local National phone number. I went back to my hotel, called National customer service number, changed my reservation to 7:00 am the next morning. They assured me someone would be at the National desk would be there in the morning.

    I went to the airport next day, at 7:00 am per my new reservation. It happened again! No one from National was at their desk. I called their two local numbers several times, left messages, no one ever returned my call. I waited 90 minutes at the airport and one ever showed up. I called frantically every National number I could get a hold of.

    The National customer service rep tried to get hold of a National rep locally in Lethbridge, but was not able to reach anyone locally, either. Meantime I could not get the vehicle that I needed from any other company at that time. I had to cancel my meeting with the out-of-country visitors that I was going to show around in the van was I supposed to rent. As a result of National's complete lack of service, I have suffered not only great embarrassment with my guests (all seven of them), but have also incurred about $300 in hotel, travel and meal expenses that I would not have incurred except for National's lack of service.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed May 31, 2015

    My complaint is extremely poor customer service! When I arrived at the rental agency at Tampa International, I was told my car was in the compact car section (there was no such section). After wandering around aimlessly, an employee offered to help me and "found" a car for me. He was the only bright spot in an otherwise horrid experience with the company.

    I was hit at a red light - I was stopped - when a car hit me at a high rate of speed. The rental was damaged and unable to be driven. I spent 3 hours calling numerous numbers to report the accident and was consistently told "You have the wrong #, department," etc... No one offered to transfer me to the correct number. I finally spoke with someone in roadside assistance (7th call). I spoke with them 3 calls earlier and was told wrong dept. I reported the accident. They offered to come and replace the car after I declined to take a cab to the airport which was 1 hour away from where I was staying. They said I would have the car in 2 hours. After 3 follow-up phone calls I received the replacement 5 and a half hours later. At no time has anyone called to ask if I was ok, if I was satisfied with the replacement vehicle etc... The driver that hit me had car insurance thankfully. But National was very quick to call my car insurance company.

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    Price

    Reviewed May 29, 2015

    Car Rental companies will find a way to charge you with a scratch and that happens with things that go on the road at 80 miles per hour. Sorry this happens to my personal car it can't be helped. It's just a way to charge extra money so do not rent a car from Enterprise. Take a taxi first cheaper in the long run...

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    Punctuality & Speed

    Reviewed May 13, 2015

    I rent from National through my companies travel arrangement. National Car Rental at Dulles Airport, VA is the worst. They continually run out of cars in particular if you arrive later in the evening. If they do have a car it is a mini-van. Doesn't matter that you have a reservation for a full size car - they don't have enough cars to service their customers. To top it off the folks who run the place could care less.

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    Customer ServicePrice

    Reviewed May 11, 2015

    We had a confirmed car rental through National to pick up at MXP. When we arrived at the counter, they told us they are no longer partners and offered us a car at twice the price. I have contacted National with no response. We ended up having to wait a day for a car, and got it from AVIS.

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    Customer ServicePrice

    Reviewed May 10, 2015

    Rented a car from National in Victoria, BC on April 5th. We were on vacation visiting our family and had to drive from Victoria to Campbell River, which is about 265 kms. The estimated price was $293.34, a little pricey to begin with, but we were okay with that. We pulled off the highway twice, once in Chemainus, and once in Nanaimo. We ended up driving approximately 360 kms. Imagine my surprise when a $573 charge appeared on my credit card! I called National, and was told that there was nothing they could do, and that we had used 599 kms, which is absolutely CRAZY! From tip to tip, the island is about 550 kms, and we only drove about halfway!! I will NEVER deal with this company again.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed April 24, 2015

    I give you my emerald number so you can see I rent from this company, a lot. Not that even a one time renter should experience this type of service. I have rented from National Car Rental in Dulles for over 2 years pretty steady. For about a year- all seemed OK. Then, I began to notice when I returned a car, and did not wait for an attendant to check gas and give me a receipt- I would receive a extra fuel charge. I ALWAYS fill the tank. The gas station in 1/2 mile from the rental place. So my last rental (4-23-14 # **) had about 3 gallon charge added! I only went 99 miles, AND, I filled up around 4 gallons.

    I'm being cheated- pure and simple. Or, let's say, they are trying to cheat. I call every time and I get the extra charge reversed. This time the customer service person ** wanted me to send my gas receipt. Are you kidding me? I told her to look at how often I rent- but in any case, sure I'll send it. Finally she relented and said she would refund 'as a courtesy' to me. I am so disgusted with your company it's palatable. So get a handle on the way this business is ran. I will post this letter far and wide in hopes that someone can fix this atrocity.

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    Staff

    Reviewed April 22, 2015

    I do have to say that after reading the reviews of this company, I do agree that National has a customer relations issue. The staff I dealt with behind the counter had poor customer relationship skills and seemed to get lost in the many rules that their company demands before renting somebody one of their cars instead of focusing on an already frustrated customer (because this customer's car just broke down). It seems like they make you jump through one hoop after another instead of working with you.

    Renting a car became a task (and I didn't need another one of those tonight). They had a chance to make my day easier, but only added to my frustration. If they had helped make my day easier, I would be a dedicated customer. I have always had excellent experiences with Enterprise. And had Enterprise not been closed, I would have returned there. National had a chance tonight to win me over but they blew it, simply because their staff was more concerned about their rules instead of me, the customer.

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    Customer Service

    Reviewed April 20, 2015

    I was provided with a faulty car. The car was getting unlocked automatically and had a button start, which means anybody could come in and drive away with all our stuffs. Someone was forced to stay with the car at all times, which wasted our vacation. People had to take turns sleeping in the car also. All our plans got wasted because of this. We tried calling the customer service, number of times, waiting for more than 30 mins on phone, with no answer. When we reached back and tried explaining the same at the counter, nobody cared for our loss at all. I was informed that the Manager will get in touch, but nobody contacted for more than 10 days. Overall experience was pathetic and will advise everyone to stay away from National.

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    Coverage

    Reviewed April 11, 2015

    I rented a car for a week in Detroit, MI airport, and a charge of Supplementary Liability Insurance magically appeared on the invoice. Everything for insurance was declined, but they did stick this liability charge to me. What a low down trick this company uses to rip-off customers. I called Nat. Car phone line. As expected, they gave me the run around, passing to the location manager, which cannot be reached. They keep cutting off the line. Folks: stay away from National Car Rental.

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    Kathy increased rating by 1 star.
    After a positive interaction with National Car Rental, Kathy increased their star rating on May 1, 2015.

    Updated review: May 1, 2015

    We received a check from National for the amount requested. Issue is resolved. Thank you!

    Original Review: April 9, 2015

    We made reservation for car rental from their website. It states the 3rd party insurance that is required in Mexico as $15 a day (I have a hard copy showing this). When we rented the car, they changed it to $19 a day. Our original reservation at the Playa del Carmen office is saying, states us as a "no show." We did show up and was charged for the car rental, but I guess in order to change the insurance amount, they changed the reservation # also. We did not realize this until the charge showed up on our credit card statement -- $97.44 more than it should have been. I filed a complaint to National about 3 weeks ago and as of this date they keep telling me they are working on it.

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    Reviewed April 6, 2015

    I was unable to update my credit card # online. Every turn I made I was asked for usernames, passwords, and when I entered them it said this didn't match my records. There was no place to change or edit credit card information. None. In order to do this, I was told I must go to the counter. I joined Emerald Club precisely so that I could SKIP the counter. They said they were working to correct the website. Meanwhile, they're punishing us for their mistakes. I used to reserve in one minute on the old website. The "new & improved" one is terrible.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed March 30, 2015

    I lost my Samsung S4 from the car today 29 March, around 8 am. The car was Chevy Cruse compact, **, PA state. I had just used that phone to navigate from my hotel to the NATIONAL RENTAL RETURN. I checked out the car and headed to the shuttle for my AA flight. But when I found that my phone was missing and I went back into the rental return and checked the phone it was not there. The phone was switched off and the manager told "We can't do anything." My phone was stolen in this way. I am writing here to get my compensation on my phone. It was stolen by some staff for sure cause it was not there after 5-7 minutes. Please reply me what can you do for me. (For National Car Rental.)

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    Customer ServiceContract & Terms

    Reviewed March 11, 2015

    I called National (which I do quite frequently) to get a copy of a receipts for the Director of our Grad products. I gave ** the confirmation number the name that rental was under and ** informs me that she cannot give it to me as I am not on the contract. I call at least once a week for a copy of the rental receipt and always have a great experience. But today, ** did not give me that experience!!!

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    Customer ServicePunctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed March 9, 2015

    On February 26, 2015, I arrived at San Juan, Puerto Rico around 4:30 a.m. with my mother, aunt, daughter and granddaughter for my aunt’s funeral. I was waiting at the airport’s car rental office ground floor for a few hours because I had some issues with my bank and needed to call to find out about an error in my bank account. While waiting, an Enterprise employee, after an hour or so of waiting asked us if we were going to rent, to which we responded that we first needed to contact the bank in New York. Due to the hour difference, I had to wait an hour extra until 9 a.m. PR time. Traveling with 2 elderly ladies and a baby was extra exhausting, and the stress of going to a funeral was immense.

    This gentleman, from Enterprise (which I later learn the company belongs to the same owner as National), if you can call him that, had the nerve to tell us that we were occupying the only 3 chairs available meanwhile the place was empty and we were the only ones there. He continued to say that we’re lounging around and were disturbing his reading because we were talking. The nerves! My daughter pointed out that we were potential customers but since he felt that way we had changed our minds about renting with Enterprise. Also, she pointed out that we were traveling with 2 elderly diabetic ladies and a baby.

    He would not back down telling us that the chairs were exclusively for Enterprise customer. The place was empty!!!!! I was so furious, I took a walk so I wouldn't tell him exactly what I thought of him at that moment. It was so degrading my mom wanted to leave, we felt like crying. There we were at the airport, no car, waiting, thinking about our loss, anxious, hungry, sleepy, tired, we felt like terrible.

    After a while I approached a young man by the name of ** who together with and a young lady by the name of ** came to the rescue apologizing for this insensitivity of this jerk (my words not theirs). They were angels in disguise. They went above and beyond to help us, apologizing time and time again. They helped us so much. I will never forget them and I hope God protects and guard them always. Who know, God works in mysterious ways and maybe this guy had to be a jerk so we can meet such sweet, compassionate and caring individuals.

    Thank you ** and ** , you guys are what customer service is all about! This guy should take lessons from you about treating potential customers and people in general with the respect, courtesy and the professionalism they deserve. I will never forget you guys. You are my heroes! I am back in NY now but I will never forget this experience. It goes to show that goodness always conquers evil! Thank you, thank you, thank you and a thousand times thank you.

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    PriceStaff

    Reviewed March 7, 2015

    For a month, Feb. 2 - Mar. 4, 2015, my wife and I, along with an elderly friend rented a house in San Jose del Cabo, on the California Baja. We felt a car would be in order, and I rented a mid-size one through Priceline.com. (National Car Rental) with a monthly fee in USD of 179 plus taxes for an estimated USD 240. I felt this was pretty good value, and confirmed my rental with them. As I was uncertain about cost of vehicle insurance in Mexico, on January 12th, I contacted National Car at their Customer Service number of 1-888-227-7368. I spoke to a representative named ** , who advised me that the collision damage waiver would cost me $16 per day, and that for another $4 per day, I could get personal protection insurance in the event contents were stolen out of the vehicle. This would come to about $600 USD if I took the $4 personal protection.

    I didn't feel this was too bad for a month. So with the estimated insurance costs and actual car rental cost, I estimated an $840 USD cost for the car, which I budgeted for. She said I could get the insurance at the time I spoke to her on the phone, but it would probably be less expensive to get it when I picked up the car at the airport rental office. After being shuttled to the National Car Rental office from the airport to their office near the airport, I produced my confirmation printout from Priceline to begin the rental process.

    Lo and behold, the National Car representative indicated that for full insurance and the rental, the cost would in fact be $580.94 USD per week. In addition, she wanted to put a hold of approx. $4,200 USD on my Visa. I was flabbergasted at the additional expense, including an additional drop-off fee in town. I thus only rented the car for one week, and was obliged to find cheaper transportation, i.e. bus and taxi for the remainder of our holiday.

    The mid-size car provided me, which was very tiny, (an Aveo I believe) had very few options, (no electric door locks) and the front tires would certainly not pass a "tread test" in Canada. When I returned the car to the downtown office in San Jose del Cabo after a week, I advised the representative that the car's front tires should be replaced.

    In my conversation with him, he stated that there is about a 31% addition of taxes if you rent at their airport office, which I was never advised of. He (**) said he would give me a better deal of $850 USD for 2 weeks, a better car and not charge a drop off fee at the airport. Even with a "better deal" this $850 would still be twice what my expectation would have been for the car rental/insurance costs. In brief, I felt I was somewhat misled and not properly advised of the "true cost" of insurance in San jose del Cabo, and it certainly caused us to re-evaluate the transportation part of our vacation.

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    Customer ServiceCoverageStaff

    Reviewed Feb. 15, 2015

    Rented a car through rentals.com. $102 for 9 days, bought insurance $81, agent in cabo wouldn't accept insurance. Had to pay $45 per day insurance, the total to have the car was $588. You can rent through National's site for $30 per week and $20 per day insurance. They refuse to refund me. They stink. Don't rent from NATIONAL OUT OF COUNTRY. U.S. WON'T HONOR RATES. I asked for 1/2 refund and they won't respond. BEWARE. ALLIANZ was the insurance they wouldn't accept. Allianz rep did warn us they would try and not accept there insurance. Allianz is good insurance in any country I'm told.

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    Customer ServicePunctuality & SpeedOnline & AppStaff

    Reviewed Feb. 9, 2015

    I arrived on a late night flight from Jacksonville FL (JAX) to Detroit MI (DTW) around 11:30pm... upon getting my luggage and jumping National's shuttles. I jumped into my car and pulled up and gave the agent (who is a Black Male in his mid to late 50s) my license and credit card. He said to me “You do Not have a reservation.” I said I made one and have it on my phone. He said back “You don't understand... You do NOT have a reservation and we are giving out over 100 cars later today. You're going to have to back up and make a reservation.” The problem was I made my reservation for Sunday February 8th picking up around midnight... When I pulled up it was 12:15 AM February 9th.

    The agent was rude and I went on my phone app and made a quick reservation. When I pulled up he just took my licenses and credit card and stuck his hand back out to return my cards and actuated the gate up... He Never looked at me or spoke one word. This guy was a total personality challenged wonder!!! Why can't you smile and welcome your customers instead of having a constipated look on your face. I just don't get it. This is my 1st bad experience with National. I seriously thought about switching Car Rental vendors... but I will chalk it up to the 1% you can't do nothing about. Disappointed in Detroit.

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    Customer ServicePunctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed Jan. 28, 2015

    After the paperwork given to us at our Orlando pick up location sent us to the incorrect drop off location in Miami, we were rushed because there was no shuttle at that location as we had been guaranteed when we made our reservation. In our haste to make our port check in time we left two items in the car at the Miami Beach, Collins Ave. location. A silver iPod touch was still connected to the Bluetooth player in the car and a black athletic zip up jacket was also left behind. We felt rushed because there was no shuttle and now we had to pay a cab fare, and the National employee was in the car we had returned and ready to drive away before I had even taken my daughter out with her car seat. I had to tell him to wait.

    Unfortunately, we did not realize we had left the other items until we were on the cruise ship and out of contact. I called the Miami Beach location when we returned (Friday, Jan. 9 around 10am) and apparently spoke with the manager who was less than helpful saying they did not have the items. When I asked for her supervisor she said she had none and refused to give me her name and then proceeded to hang up on me. I called back and another employee said she was not authorized to give me the name of her manager and also hung up on me. We called a third time and no one picked up the phone.

    I am beyond disappointed with my experience with this rental for multiple reasons. In addition to the extremely unprofessional behavior of the above mentioned manager in regards to our lost items, we had to pay $40 for a taxi to the port when I had painstakingly changed our initial reservation from the Miami Beach drop off location to the airport precisely so we would have access to the shuttle. I even called the drop off location on my paperwork as we were driving from Orlando to confirm the shuttle and the 800 number for customer service gave me this number, 305-432-8275, for the Miami Beach Collins Ave. location. This number did not work.

    Because we had a different rental with Dollar after our cruise and their shuttle from the port was a different location than the Miami Airport, I just trusted that the paperwork would reflect the confirmation email I had received back in November and the drop off location was correct as I could not reach the location directly despite trying. I don't know how the drop off location got mixed up in their system, but the fact is that it did and it caused us great inconvenience, money and ultimately our lost items. I confirmed over and over with the reservation agent when I called back to change our reservation that we would be returning to the location that provided a port shuttle.

    Last, I called Emerald Club customer service on Sunday, Jan. 4th (before we realized we had left items in the car) to complain that we had to pay for the taxi when there was no shuttle and I even forwarded my email showing they had sent us to the wrong drop off location to this email for the lady who was helping me, **. She confirmed that she received the email and said she would contact the pick up location and see what could be done. She asked for my contact information and not surprisingly, I have heard nothing back. I then followed up with a written complaint on National's website and received this response on Jan. 16, 2015:

    "Thank you very much for bringing this matter to my attention regarding the service you received during your recent rental. My name is Harriett, and I want to truly apologize for everything you have suffered, because I see you as a highly valued customer. I would be more than happy to assist you in properly resolving this issue and getting you the solution you rightly deserve. I have taken the initiative to document your email and forward it along with your contact information directly to the Regional Customer Service Department of the area. They will reach out to you as quickly as possible. Your reference number for this matter is: **. If you have any additional questions, comments or concerns please feel free to reach out to me and I will aid you in any way I possibly can. Again I apologize for the quality of service that you received and I'm sure the regional team will promptly address these concerns."

    I have heard nothing in response and I have written additional complaints. Terrible customer service. Do not use this company!

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    Customer ServiceContract & TermsPriceStaff

    Reviewed Dec. 24, 2014

    I arrived at National Rental office at London Heathrow from Hong Kong with a pre paid voucher issued by a major car rental broker in the UK. I was advised that the vehicle I had booked was not available and would I like an upgrade. I declined an upgrade on the grounds of cost. The rental agent then said she would give me an upgrade anyway and then asked me to initial the rental document. This I foolishly did (without checking the small print) thanking her profusely for the "gift". After 32 days car rental I returned the vehicle to be told that the cost was just NZ$620 extra for my "gift" upgrade. I queried this as it was a "gift" and waited in the manager’s office for over 1 hour whilst the staff tried to find the manager. I had to leave to catch my flight to Vancouver and eventually left armed only with an email address of a customer service contact. I sent 2 emails in the next few days to this contact but received no reply. Further emails were then sent to "customer service" and after the 4th such email I was advised that they couldn't deal with this matter as I had booked through an agent. This was patently incorrect as my contract was with National.

    Two emails later I received a reply apologizing for the failure and the wrong advice and advising that my complaint was being looked into. Meanwhile my credit card had been charged with the full amount of the "gift rental" and also further erroneous charges were added. In spite of these payments I was also sent a letter threatening dire consequences regarding underpayment of the bill. I wrote back explaining that not only had National had the money for a "gift upgrade" they also had mistakenly billed for two other amounts. After further "chasers" from me I was advised that they would arrange for the mis-billed amounts to be refunded to my credit card. They refused to uphold my complaint that the "gift upgrade" should be refunded although my definition of gift is "something that is given without condition" theirs is obviously not. I was the victim of slick talk and a confidence trick. It took me some ten emails and six months to get back the mis-billed amounts and I still ended up paying for my "gift". I have ended up some $620 out of pocket.

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    Reviewed Dec. 14, 2014

    Terrible Service at Manchester, NH location. The last two times I rented there they accused me of damaging their car. They made me stand there while they looked things up on computer, which was embarrassing. The damage was minor scratches and who knows how they happened. I've never been treated as such and travel a lot and rent a lot. Just amazing.

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    Customer ServiceContract & Terms

    Reviewed Dec. 12, 2014

    Recently my husband and I, rented a vehicle from National car rental on Dubai International Airport. The rental amount was AED450.00 per day. We were told of the terms and conditions. The car had to be brought back within 24 hours as we rented it only for 1 day and was told the fuel level has to be the same as when we took it. We returned the car 2 hours before expiry as well as a full tank of fuel which was under 1/4 tank when we took possession of the car. We were told we will not get a refund on the excess fuel and would have to wait 14 days for the re-transfer of the holding deposit in case of toll fees and or damage to the vehicle. The vehicle was checked upon return and no damages were found. I called the rental company 2 days before leaving the country to request my refund and was shunted from one person to another, only to be told the 'bank" has to refund me. I told them the bank has nothing to do with their accounts - they have to instruct the bank. Anyway 3 weeks later I emailed the company again and was told the money would be transferred within the next 2 to 3 days, if not I have to contact the company again to request my money. My question is - Why do I have to repeatedly contact them for a simple transfer?

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    Customer ServiceContract & TermsSales & MarketingPrice

    Reviewed Dec. 8, 2014

    National have partnerships outside the US, in Europe with Europcar. But they do not give any rental credits for tier credit status for any international rentals. Also, they do not share the contract price information with their partners. And when the international car rental company over-charges (which they 100% of the time do - it is a regular scam), National will not help you to get your issue resolved. They offer to send an email and that is the complete extent of their support. When I turned in my car at Stuttgart airport, I asked for a receipt and was told I had to get that through National Car Rental. It sounded plausible at the time, but was incorrect. DO NOT USE NATIONAL FOR OUTSIDE THE USA.

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    Price

    Reviewed Dec. 7, 2014

    On Oct 7, 2014, I made reservations for car to be picked at Chicago, Midway airport on Thursday, 11/27/14, returning on 12/2//14. This was a 6-day rental. My husband and I arrived on Delta flt. #2469 at 05:06 pm, and discovered National had no cars available. We were instructed to go talk with Hertz, but Hertz had no cars, we were then told to talk to Dollar. Dollar had only a van left, and the cost to rent it was double the amount we would have paid National, we were left with no choice but to rent it. Dollar did state that National would reimburse the cost we would have paid National (about $390). The cost we paid Dollar for 6 days was $706.27.

    Upon returning the van to Dollar, we were told to speak with National about our reimbursement, and we did and was given the name of Mr. Mike **, we were told he is the manager and he need to speak with him to process reimbursement request. I have been calling everyday since, Wed 12/3/14, I have even tried to reach Mr. ** on Saturday and today, Sunday with no luck. I cannot understand why there were no cars available and I had made reservation 2 months in-advance. I would appreciate if someone would contact me or my husband regarding the status of our reimbursement. I would appreciate it even more if you would please process as quickly as possible.

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    Staff

    Reviewed Dec. 4, 2014

    Listen if you are about to rent a car seat for your child in West Palm Beach or you have rented a car seat within the past year and a half. Just to let you know that they are not being cleaned or sanitized like they should and used to. Actually we put them in a room that has a garbage in it and lizards and other animals crawl into. I am spreading this to the public because I feel it is a health issue. Managers pass by everyday without care. Their main concern is to be promoted, so your child's health is of no concern to them. The images below are a good day by the way, some days it is worst.

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    Customer ServiceSales & MarketingPriceStaff

    Reviewed Oct. 5, 2014

    I spoke with a supervisor to extend my car rental for another day. He was rude he didn't even wanted to answer my questions. The information that he had was incorrect. When I told him the information was incorrect, he got annoyed. He hung up on me. How sad when I rent with National all the time and I'm also a emerald card holder. I wish there was someone I could speak to over him. The real sad part is I didn't get his name. They also do bait and switch. This is the second time with in two months. I had a reservation, they give me one price over the phone and when I return there it's a different price and I understand that when you add insurance on your payment it may go up. But the car rental is always different when I go to pick up my car. I don't realize that or they don't let you know until the return of the car. But when I make the reservation and get an email with that price. Why when I return the vehicle the price changes.

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    Verified purchase
    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed Sept. 29, 2014

    I picked up a Town & Country mini van in Tampa FL with the intent to drop it off in Orlando. My elderly mother had to be moved from her apartment to assisted living and I thought afterward I could take the family and head up to Orlando for 2 days of fun before heading home. I paid to fly my daughter and granddaughter from Chicago to Tampa to join us.

    On the second day of the rental, the car wouldn't start and there was a warning message on the dash display "DAMAGED (electronic) KEY". I called roadside assistance and the very nice young lady agent walked me through the steps to reset the key. It didn't work but by the time the tow truck driver arrived, it did start up and he assured me it must have taken a few minutes to reset and I would be ok and did not need to swap out the vehicle. Sure enough later that same day it happened 2 more times and finally stopped working altogether. I was stuck in North Port FL and needed to be in Orlando by 5 pm.

    I called their roadside assistance and was told a tow truck would be there within 60 minutes. An hour and 15 min later I called back and was told I would get a call from Triple AAA. At the 2-hour mark I was called and told I had to wait another hour. Then I had to ride with the driver 21 miles to Sarasota to pick up another POS and then drive 21 miles back to get my family before I could leave for Orlando. I told them that was unacceptable and they needed to get me a car. I had been waiting 2 hours already, someone for National at Sarasota could have brought me a car and they could have waited and ridden back with the tow truck. And who's gonna pay for the gas for a 42-mile round trip?

    I spoke with so many National agents and managers and was basically told repeatedly I was SOL. I'm giving you the condensed version of this trauma. So I called Hertz just down the street, by this time my phone battery was down to 16%, and was on my way in no time. I did get a call from a Tampa National rent-a-car "supervisor" who promised me a full refund but guess what? 6 days later the charge is still on my credit card. NEGATIVE 5 STARS IS MY RATING. National does not stand behind their cars or their customers. Totally ruined my granddaughter's 10th birthday.

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    CoverageStaff

    Reviewed Sept. 29, 2014

    My friend and I drove around in a National rental for two months and she had a minor accident at some point, we got the biggest and most expensive insurance that covers absolutely everything they had to offer, but we've been battling National for over two months now - having to prove to them that yes we had that covered, and yes, we have that covered too... Now they've come up with a third accusation of us supposedly not having "this covered" and are refusing to acknowledge our original contract. If things don't get any better, we will have to go to court over this! They've also made sure to threaten my friend with all sorts of scary things like "if you don't pay this amount (not a small amount, mind you) within two weeks time - we will revoke your driver's license and confiscate your belongings." Man, are they nasty!

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed Sept. 14, 2014

    I booked a 10 rental through the National website and did not realize there was a mileage restriction. I have been an Emerald Club member for a number of years and have never had a mileage restriction before. I called the Emerald Club Customer Service 800# and they advised me only the local office could make an adjustment. They switched me to the local office and the local rep was very curt saying that nothing could be done as I had signed the contract: done, finished, end of story. You can bet your sweet bippie from now on National Car Rental will be the LAST rental car service on my list of choices.

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    Verified purchase
    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed Sept. 11, 2014

    I just picked up a car from National about 10 minutes ago and I have a number of complaints about my service and the car I received. This week has not been the best - my car is in the shop, my credit card was stolen and my father has to have emergency surgery. Needing to get home asap, I rented a car because my own car wouldn't be ready. When I arrived to pick up the rental, however, I was told I needed to have my credit card because the debit card I utilized to book the trip was not enough. I've used my debit card MULTIPLE times when renting a car and, as stated before, my credit card was stolen this week and I have not received the replacement in the mail.

    The desk clerk was extremely rude, telling me I could only use my debit card if I had a flight confirmation number, otherwise how does she know I'm not going to steal the car. First, she has my ID and debit card on file. Second, I'm a college professor. I'm not exactly the type that goes around stealing cars. The suggestion was insulting. I managed to get my boyfriend to be added as a driver and he used his credit card because I did not have time to haggle with this lady. When I arrive in the garage to pick the car up, the poor customer service continued. I was assigned a car, but none of the employees did an inspection of the car with me. I did one on my own and noticed a huge dent on the back bumper. I informed the employee at the desk and she said she was making a note of it in the file so I would not be charged.

    I asked if I could have a copy and she said it wasn't necessary, then went on to help someone else. Then I noticed another problem with the car- there's a crack in the windshield on the upper-left passenger side. How do they rent a car with a cracked windshield! That's not even safe to drive. I pointed this out to the clerk as well and she said this had already been documented. If this were the case, it seems the company would fix the issue before renting it out again. Additionally, the outside of the car is clean enough, but the inside is filthy. It looks like someone spilled a whole soda down the side of the driver's side door and the backseat is equally sticky. I have never filed a complaint with any company in my life, but the treatment and car I received were both of such poor quality that this deserves attention.

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    Verified purchase
    Customer ServiceContract & TermsCoverageSales & MarketingPricePunctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed Sept. 3, 2014

    I booked an economy car through Priceline.com for National Rental Car with pick up at Cape Town International Airport May 12, 2014. We arrived at the EuropCar counter to find out that you must sign up for their insurance if they cannot charge the whole price to replace the car on your credit card. They do not care that you have insurance through your credit card or that you have a very high limit on the card, they want a credit card without a spending limit so they can place a hold of any amount they desire on the card. Woman at the counter said I must initial the insurance boxes, standard procedure and told me it would not change my rental agreement price when I insisted that I did not want to pay extra for insurance.

    Normal procedure - I learned the translation of that later when my credit card bill arrived. Then we go out to find our Economy class car is now a mini class (Kia Picanto) because it has air conditioning. When you return the car, they manage to be swift and clear you out of the car quickly and miraculously our counter papers given to the return personnel are missing and all I have is a little digital print out with basic car rental information, nothing I can use to file a claim with National Corporate Office. I did not receive an invoice from the rental company for weeks, I instead found charges for almost twice the price of the rental agreement on my credit card. When I wrote e-mails to inquire about the extra charges I had a very nice man at customer service look into the charges and why the credit card without a limit to pay for the price of car replacement not mentioned upfront on the rental forms, etc.

    He had as much trouble getting answers out of the South African branch of Europe Car and they were not timely in answering his questions. What I have learned through all this is that National Rental Car Branches in South Africa and Israel are the only ones to require complete replacement cost of vehicles be held on a credit card, not typical of other countries. If I wanted to buy a crappy little used car, they need to show me the fair value book and we will haggle on the price just like any other shady used car dealer. If it wasn't for the kind man at customer service at the corporate office I would give the South African branch of National Rental Car a minus review because they left me feeling like a scam victim.

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    Customer Service

    Reviewed Aug. 30, 2014

    I rented a 15 passenger van to take some people around southern Vancouver Island for the day. On the trip home we got two flat tires, within 1 hour of each other. With only one spare and 12 people standing at the side of the road, I purchased 2 new tires for the van. When I returned the van I mentioned the new tires, and that I, and the tire shop, thought the flat tires were definitely at the end of their life. I asked if I could be compensated for the 2 new tires, forget all the time and frustration caused by this incident. ** at the National location at 2898 Douglas Road Victoria BC told me he would send the request to ** and see what "upstairs" would decide. ** never responded. Over the next 4 weeks, I returned 4 times because no one was getting back to me. I was completely ignored and I will continue to tell my story every opportunity I can.

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    Customer ServiceContract & TermsCoverageStaff

    Reviewed Aug. 26, 2014

    As I had done many times before, I had booked and prepaid for a basic car rental in the UK through AutoEurope in Canada. Using my credit card which provides auto rental collision/loss insurance. This time National was the rental company and on arrival at Heathrow in London, I was directed to the Europcar rental depot which apparently operates all National and Alamo rental business in the UK.

    Despite telling the agent I did not want extra insurance because of the credit card coverage, he somehow managed to slip something called GoZen onto my contract without me realizing it. In fact, I was not aware of it until I returned the car and they happened to find a small nick in the side of a tyre (suspicious in itself) and said there would be no charge because I had this GoZen coverage for which I was being charged an extra 462 pounds.

    I immediately complained that I had not asked for it and was told that locally nothing could be done but to contact Customer Service at the head office in Leicester. This I did by email while waiting for the flight home. Eleven days later, I received a response essentially dismissing my complaint and refusing any refund because I had signed the contract. While I am somewhat embarrassed by being 'conned' in this way, I realize now that the circumstances make it relatively easy for unscrupulous agents to do so.

    In my case, I had been up for about 24hrs; I was tired, jet-lagged, and anxious to get on the road after a number of delays including waiting for an agent. The agent sits and types information in on a screen that you cannot see, prints out a so-called contract in small print on a boarding pass sized card, points to places to initial and sign meanwhile distracting you by explaining that a hold for a certain amount will be placed on your credit card and released after its return but not pointing out anything else on the card or presenting any terms or conditions. You sign without paying too much attention to the small print as you assume the agent is reputable (a big mistake in hindsight) and you have just answered his questions and he has affirmed that everything has been prepaid.

    I have subsequently discovered that there are numerous similar accounts of such deception and dishonesty posted by other travelers (see also **). I have complained through Enterprise in the US and although the very helpful customer service agent escalated the complaint on my behalf, it appears that their authority over their alliance partner Europcar is limited. I have complained to the BVRLA but they refused to consider anything that is not documented and (surprise, surprise!) gave the same response as member Europcar.

    I sought advice from the Citizens Consumer Advice Service in the UK and unfortunately, once Europcar has your signature, there is little legal recourse especially for overseas visitors though they will notify Trading Standards. BE WARNED -- NEVER EVER use Europcar/Alamo/National for car rental in the UK. I have had good service from Avis and Hertz in the past.

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    Verified purchase
    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed Aug. 23, 2014

    The clerk request my passport to see my entry date in the country. I refused to show it and told him that I ONLY show my passport to the custom agents or police since they are the authority in the country. Never in my life and in any country, I was requested to show my passport for a screening by an employee from a civil corporation. Had to leave the company and went back home. Took the phone and call them. Was told that this is the company policy and it was written in their website. Asked the agent on the phone to help me finding that policy in their web site and also mentioned that I will complain to the Canadian government of such business doing. The lady told me to hold the line for a moment. She never came back and after 6 minutes, the communication has been cut! I understand why other companies were sold out and National had cars available. Customer service on a scale from 1 to 5 (5 excellent), I would rate 1 (worst experience).

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    Contract & TermsPrice

    Reviewed Aug. 21, 2014

    We picked up our car in Nanaimo airport at 8 pm, we returned our car at 7 pm 2 days later (as explicitly written in the agreement). And we were charged for 3 days rather than the 2 agreed because after 6 pm they are closed and they automatically charge for an extra day! But they let us sign an agreement with drop off time 7 pm and no extra day charge mentioned!

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    Michael increased rating by 4 stars.
    Contract & TermsPriceStaff
    After a positive interaction with National Car Rental, Michael increased their star rating on Feb. 5, 2021.

    Updated review: Feb. 5, 2021

    National Car updated my contract to match what we had when we arrived at the airport.

    Original Review: Aug. 13, 2014

    The person at the desk would not give us the reservation because it was in mh's name. We could have waited for him to come back but we had already waited so long. We were about to leave when the person said they could do the rental for 300 something dollars. What we were not told is that instead of lowering the rate to match the competition, national tricked us by lowering the duration of the rental to 2 days but kept the total the same. The resulting contract looked very much the same except for the duration of the rental.

    As a result instead of paying the competitive rate of $324.48 I was charged well over $2000. Since we were two groups we rented two vehicles, one from Alamo and one from national. Alamo got the rental right and at a much cheaper rate for a much larger vehicle.

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    Contract & TermsPrice

    Reviewed Aug. 5, 2014

    I booked a car using rentalcars.com, including collision damage insurance. At the rental counter I disputed the contract showing additional charge for insurance. I was told that is how it shows on their contracts and should I have a problem with it I could present my rentalcars.com agreement when I returned the car. This turned out to be a lie and I was charged THREE times the original rental cost for insurance I did not need or want.

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    Contract & TermsPricePunctuality & Speed

    Reviewed July 28, 2014

    I reserved a car with unlimited mileage. When I changed to a minivan as an upgrade, I assumed that unlimited mileage was still part of the contract. I was wrong. In this day of no contracts to sign at check-out I found the hard way (check in and an additional $300) you have to be very careful. I thought National would have notified me of the additional change. I confess I skimmed over to the bottom line which stated my cost was actual less than with the car (due to me returning a day early). I was pleased and believed I was all set. I always used National in the past and it's been years since I've been charged for miles driven. Since I did not read every line I missed this crucial change. Leaves a very unpleasant experience and I will no longer use my Emerald Club membership. I will Read the fine print and avoid National.

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    PriceStaff

    Reviewed July 27, 2014

    I reserved a rental car through Expedia.com so that my wife, daughter and granddaughter could easily make the last leg of a long trip to East Texas. When arriving at the Rental Car location with six bags, a stroller and a car seat in tow, she was told that she could not rent the car by using a VISA Debit and that it must be a major credit card. They did not offer to assist her in finding an alternative solution and surprisingly - Expedia.com staff was absolutely no help at all. The consequences were that a car that could have been rented online yesterday at Hertz for about $185 total cost is now $245 total cost. We are out an extra $60 because of their inadequacies and I am very disappointed in Expedia's performance in this as well.

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    Staff

    Reviewed July 25, 2014

    Warning to all US drivers license holders!! Do NOT rent from National (owned by Europcar). They will lie to your face and tell you that a GO Zen charge is mandatory by UK law when it is not. I rented a car from Heathrow in May and was told I would not be able to rent any car in the UK without paying an additional $258 in insurance. Two weeks later I rented an another car from Portsmouth and when I questioned the very nice lady at the desk she told me there had been over 3,000 complaints about this since the beginning of the year. She informed me that I had been lied to and that Go Zen insurance was not compulsory. She also said that all National/Europcar employees are commission based and that they have to reach certain weekly targets or be reprimanded. I have been trying for six weeks to speak to someone sensible and have asked several times for a refund only to be told that all charges were selected and signed for. As a Brit who happens to hold a US drivers license, I am disgusted that Americans are being targeted this way. Please be warned!!

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    Punctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed July 20, 2014

    I thought I had a confirmation for a van for the Lisbon airport but when I arrived nothing was available. They were not very helpful, but polite. It was strange because their counter seemed to be the only one with no line. They must not have had any cars to rent. Fortunately the terrific info help lady at the airport was able to assist us in locating a car quickly through a local company. They came to the airport and picked us up. We were out before the line had moved at the other agents' desks. Dropped the car off right at the departure gate too.

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    Punctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed June 27, 2014

    I am an executive member of National and am under the age of 25. Even though I rented a car for 63 consecutive days with no incidents and a clean driving record, they still charged me a "young driver" fee of $25 per day. The last "day," they charged me the whole fee for one hour of rental because I was 5 minutes late returning it. I won't be coming back even when I'm over the age of 25.

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    Reviewed May 22, 2014

    We rented an SUV in one town and returned it in another and after we had checked it in with a clear receipt, they moved the car and came and informed us of damage to the rear bumper. We went out to see and photograph the damage and found it was a fresh break. We fought them on the damage because we had driven in the snow and rain for 210 miles and every inch but that spot had road grime on it. We were informed we had to pay or go to court for the damage loss of value to the vehicle and loss of rental income while getting repaired.

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    Customer Service

    Reviewed May 13, 2014

    I booked a car rental via Priceline with National car rental. It was prepaid. When I called National to tell them I would return the car sooner, they did not tell me they would not give me a refund. They did not give the car back to me either. I think that is highly unfair and bad practice.

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    Customer ServicePriceStaff

    Reviewed April 14, 2014

    FRAUD! FRAUD! FRAUD! (this is also posted to yelp). I upgraded to a Mercedes, enjoyed the car, returned the car. I paid for the vehicle with my credit card, got a receipt and everything was fine. 2 DAYS LATER (today, 4-14-14). I check my account this morning and National has charged me an additional $500 FOR NO REASON! I received NO CALL, NO ALERT, nobody mentioned any problems when I returned the car and I have a receipt that shows we paid the balance and left without a problem.

    Now I call and there is not one person who can tell me what this mysterious charge is for!!!!!!! "MAYBE IT IS WRECKED?" is what the person tells me on the phone. MAYBE IT IS WRECKED!!!!!!! Are you kidding me? Yes, I am sure I would be allowed to leave the car with it being wrecked. I am not being helped. All I hear is "we will have to find a supervisor. No one is available."

    ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? I am calling my bank and reporting fraud as soon as I get finished with this review. TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!!!! These people charge you and refuse to help. There's not one piece of information related to an additional $500 charge that anybody can find. As of now, I am waiting for a call back.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed April 7, 2014

    I rented a vehicle at the DFW airport location for two days. While there, I noticed my name and address had still not been updated from my previous online change attempts. The desk agent claimed to make the necessary changes while arranging the rental at the airport and we went to select a vehicle. Out of the row we were directed to select from, very few vehicles had a good working interior for my driving. We selected a car that had some minor road tar and scratch damage which we identified on the way out. Believing the agent at the kiosk updated that as well, we drove off on our way for the weekend event. Upon returning the vehicle, we were challenged about damage that I thought to be pre-existing. The receiving agent wrote up a damage report, which I changed since their write up failed to identify that National Car Rental did not properly identify the damage before our departure.

    A month and a half later, I get an email that letters are being sent to my pre-married name and address, so the changes I tried making online and on side were still not completed. I contacted my insurance company to make arrangements on the claim to validate it as true and pay out if necessary. Then a few weeks later I get another email that National is going to turn the claim over to collections or an attorney for failure to act. After contacting my insurance company again, I learned that they made several attempts to contact National Car Rental with no response. Such bad business. I will never rent from National Car Rental again.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed March 5, 2014

    I rent from National at the CVG Airport in Cincinnati / Erlanger location twice per month and have since October of 2000. I have spent thousands and have rented hundreds of cars. On March 1st, 2014, I parked my vehicle in the wrong spot and Ernest (?) the insane employee in the parked customer service van absolutely went crazy. Verbally attacking me and came into my personal space. I went indoors to get a manager and the employee followed me and never once let up with his yelling. The weak manager asked me if I moved my car before even asking the employee to shut the heck up. This will come as no surprise but my customer service complaint to National and to the location general and regional manager went unanswered. My budget for vehicles is $7500 and my team's vehicle budget is $68,000 annually. They completely do NOT care that I have left... not at all. Its as if they have too many customers and can afford to lose them all??? These people are friggin' nuts!!

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    Verified purchase
    Customer ServiceCoverageStaff

    Reviewed March 3, 2014

    I had rented a car from National last year from 7/22/13 - 8/6/13. Before I took the car off the lot at the Norfolk International Airport, I thoroughly inspected the vehicle to ensure that there were no damages on the car. As it so happened, there were some preexisting damages to the 2013 Toyota Venza SUV that I was given: deep scuff marks and scratches to both front and rear-end bumpers and other minor scratches. Not knowing what else to do because I've never been in that situation before, I contacted a National rep to take a look at them.

    Unfortunately, the young lady decided to just initial the damages that I had pointed out to her attention and initial at the end of those remarks on the rental paperwork. Not thinking much of it, I walked away with just that, thinking that it was better than nothing. A few weeks later, before I was due to return the car on August 6th, I noticed some damage to the passenger side door of the car that I haven't seen before. Guessing that maybe it was caused by a hit-and-run accident by a bad driver while parked in a public street one day in N.Y., I thought it was too late to report it and find the driver who had sideswiped the car.

    I decided to just return the vehicle and report the damages, being a responsible renter. I was willing to pay reasonable charges for damages that occurred while the car was in my possession. Unfortunately, I got the shock of my life and a backlash when I received the final estimate in the mail in September 2013. The subsequent bill at $1,504.57 charged me for previous damages caused by other car renters who had the car before me (pretty much all of the damages accumulated since National had first acquired the car at 0 miles).

    I repeatedly said that those other damages done to the car were caused by previous drivers and even showed them the rental paperwork to prove it. In response, I received another bill in the mail in early November and it had the exact same bill amount. I finally talked to a responsive representative who worked at bill collections in late December 2013 at the company and she agreed to try to get the bill adjusted. Fortunately on February 21st, National sent me via email the readjusted bill for the damages for nearly $500 less. The bill was still too much (since I'm paying out of pocket due to no previous coverage) but since I didn't want harassment from any third party debt collectors in the near future, in addition to my lack of desire to continue dealing with National in any shape or form, I decided to pay the bill in its entirety.

    It took nearly 7+ months to have the bill adjusted which I was grateful for. Unfortunately, I will go out of my way in the future to NOT rent from National ever again due to this highly unpleasant experience. I look at this at one of the most expensive life lessons with rental cars, especially with National. I will definitely NOT experience this again because I will purposely not endorse that company in any shape or form.

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    Staff

    Reviewed Feb. 20, 2014

    Rented a car With Nationals in Dubai. There was a warning on low tire pressure. I told the guy delivering the car, and he said just fill it up on a gas station. I drove on the Highway in Dubai in 120km/h (speed limit), when the tire suddenly went flat. I changed to the reserve-tire. When I delivered the car, the same guy who gave me the car, said I had to pay for the flat tire. He did not care that there was a problem with the tires already when he gave me the car. They took 800AED from my account. I complained to National Car Rental, but they said I was responsible for the tires (even though there was clearly something wrong when they handed me the car). Don't rent with Nationals in Dubai...I'm not renting with Nationals ever again.

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    Staff

    Reviewed Feb. 4, 2014

    I have been a loyal National Car Rental executive elite member for years and rented around 250 rental days in 2013 throughout the US. I rented a vehicle at the Rochester, NY airport on August 19th, 2013 and was rudely treated by the representative. Upon returning and checking the vehicle in approximately a week later, I stated to the representative that I wanted to pay cash for the rental as I have done in many other cities. The representative very rudely and abruptly said, "No we do not take cash". I explained that I was not told this when picking up the vehicle nor were there any signs posted that this location does not take cash. She again very rudely said "NO CASH".

    I was then told by the supervisor that the Rochester, Syracuse and Buffalo locations do "not take cash". I told the supervisor this was not true stating I was from Syracuse and paid cash there before and asked him to pull up a copy of my previous rentals from that city as proof. He then backtracked and stated, "On occasion, we have taken cash at these locations." I then said to him in my opinion that is discrimination against certain customers. He then stated "The reason is because people give us cash and then drive off with the car and we possibly do not see them again." I said, "That does not make sense as I have already returned the vehicle to you". He then said he wanted to help me and would ask me to wait while he went to the bank and would get a money order if I gave him cash.

    I told him forget it, that I will not waste my time waiting around for him to run the bank and if he thought my cash was no good, he could simply charge my credit card. After filing a complaint (#**) and hearing nothing, I discussed this with agencies at several other locations and they said it made no sense that this particular agency would not allow me to pay cash for my rental. I have never been treated so rudely with little to no respect with any other business transaction in my life and never heard a word from National after they said repeatedly they would get back with me.

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    PriceStaff

    Reviewed Jan. 19, 2014

    My daughter recently flew to Louisville, KY. She went to collect the car and the representative told her where it was which was at the furthest side of the parking lot. She asked could someone assist her or is there a car available closer to the office. He rudely said, "No." She had her 6-month-old baby with her plus her luggage and stroller. In addition to this the weather was below zero and National representative took nothing into account. Thankfully my daughter was helped by an older gentleman named Bill who kindly assisted her with her luggage and baby to the car. Today as she arrived at Louisville to return the car, they did exactly the same. She asked was there any way she could park it closer to the office and the same ignorance, no thought or care or attention was given. I find it hard to believe that National advertise on TV as being JD Power approved. Ha! What a joke! This is an embarrassment to car rentals. What does it cost to be nice and help? Nothing! Kindness knows no shame, ignorance engulfs it.

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    Customer ServicePriceStaff

    Reviewed Jan. 18, 2014

    I have been renting vehicles from National for over 3 years. My business takes me all over. I sometimes rent 2 to 3 vehicles a week in different states. The worse places I've rented from were Harrisburgh (MDT) and Scranton (AVP). Best place is Baltimore (BWI). They seem to be taking customer service to a level below most other companies dare to go. As an Emerald Elite member, they care more about nickel and diming the customer rather repeat business. One incident involved a small scuff on the front spoiler. The person checking in the vehicle had to get down on his hands and knees to show me, it was barely visible. They haunted me for weeks to pay for this damage that I overlooked to report before driving off the lot. Another issue was a toll charge. It seemed that I accidentally went through a $0.25 toll and later received a bill for $28.00.

    The first of the year I started renting from HERTZ, I've noticed a more customer friendly atmosphere. I do rent cars very often and am now using HERTZ as my vehicle of choice. If a HERTZ vehicle is unavailable, as in many instances at Philadelphia (PHL), I will use National as a backup. I'm aware that I will lose my Elite status with National but at the same time gain points with HERTZ.

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    CoverageSales & MarketingStaff

    Reviewed Jan. 13, 2014

    In December 2013, we rented a car in Cabo San Lucas, Baja Mexico from National Car Rental. We have rented from National for many years, but this is the first year that we have been very dissatisfied. We rented the car for 7 days and purchased full coverage insurance. This year after checking for any damages on the outside of the car, they informed us that we would be liable for any inside the car damages. The staff failed to show us that anything inside the car had been checked.

    When we returned the car, they told us that the plastic air vent on the passenger side was damaged and we must pay $66 to repair it. We told them we had not touched the vent and had no idea that it was broken. I refused to pay, but they would not close out my account unless I signed for the total. I called my credit card company to dispute the charges. This appears to me to be a scam to pay for any wear and tear on a vehicle. I will never rent from National again - either in Mexico or the US.

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    Customer ServiceContract & TermsStaff

    Reviewed Nov. 29, 2013

    I rented a car from National Car Rental in Albany, New York. First week I ran it and then I turned around and ran to get a second week thinking of going to get a car credit for each week. Then I come to find out that I didn't get pulled one credit instead of 2 credits for Rena from two weeks after spending almost a thousand dollars when I coulda went to another car company and spent $300 less what I call customer service.

    They are very nasty; they didn't care about my problems or how I felt. They proceeded to tell me that I should have read my 45 page agreement and I would have known that I can only get one credit because our rent in less than 24 hours. Instead of saying sorry for the problem, we going to fix it but next time we can do this or we could do that. I really didn't appreciate the tone and the manner in which I was handled.

    I've been an Emerald Club member for over 10 years and I got a “so what” attitude from the manager when I spoke to him. National Car Rental is one of the highest and most costly car rental company out there and there's other companies that offer the same service and I have decided that no longer want to be a member of National Car Rental after 9 years plus of service. National have gotten a little cocky with their customers and they need attitude adjustment. I know I'm only one person, but the more of us do the same thing, National will look around and start to appreciate its customers more. We are a force in numbers. The bottom line, don't become a Emerald club member and don't rent from National.

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    Contract & TermsPunctuality & Speed

    Reviewed Sept. 1, 2013

    I rented a car from National at the Stewart Intl Airport in Newburgh, NY on Monday, August 26, 2013. I had already paid through Priceline. I went out to get the car and it was raining. The car was not parked in a space, but in the aisle. It was a Chevy Spark. I got in and drove to my hotel and parked in and out of the way space. I did not drive the car while there because it was so small. My daughter had rented a car from another company in New Jersey and we used that one because we could use the room. We were moving my granddaughter into the Vassar College Dorm. I drove the car back to the airport on Wednesday after filling it with gas at a station that was literally at the gate of the airport so it would be full. The distance that was driven was less than 75 miles.

    The desk was not open so I put the key and the contract into the drop box. It turned out that my flight was not leaving for some time. I went to the National desk to make sure they got the paperwork, etc. The girl informed me that they had, but there was some damage and they could not rent the car that way again. I was stunned and went to the lot to see the "damage". The car had already been taken away. I asked to see it. The gentleman that brought it back asked me what was wrong. I told him and he said, "If they cannot rent it again, why did they tell me to wash it and get it ready?"

    I could not see any damage anywhere on the car. The passenger door was not marked at all by any scrapes or other paint. I could not find the damage. The girl came out and said that it was an indent. The only way someone can see this is to look at the car from the rear and squint. She said someone had opened their door and hit the car. That was impossible because no car was near it the whole time I had the car. It was the size of a pencil eraser and round, not like a car door at all. In fact, I think now that is what they did. The paint was not damaged at all. Even if I had seen it in the rain when I picked up the car, I would not have said anything.

    The girl then said, "Don't worry, we will just contact your insurance company and they will take care of it." I told her I was not going to give her that information. She then said, "If only you had agreed to the extra charge for damage, this would be taken care of." I took multiple pictures of the "damage" and will fight it if it comes to it. I told her to just bill me and see what happens. She then said, "Well we might not charge you." I know now that had I not gone back to the desk to inquire about the paperwork, I would have no recourse. I took the pictures of the area and she started to back off. I shudder to think about what the charges would be if I had not photographed the car. I have not yet received a charge on my credit card because I just got home two days ago. If I get a charge, I will dispute it. I am sure they charged the person before me and will charge the person after me for the same indent. They don't tell you if you turn the car in when they are not there.

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    Contract & TermsPrice

    Reviewed Aug. 15, 2013

    I placed an order for a National Car online. I picked the car up in Milwaukee, WI and returned the car in Duluth, MN. The nonsensical pricing started in Milwaukee. My husband, who is also an Emerald Isle Member, asked to put the car rental on his charge card. The check-out clerk said that if we did that the new price for the car rental would be over $3000.00 for a 19 day rental. We declined since I thought that our rental agreement was going to be approximately $982.00. When returning the car in Duluth, the bill came to $1994.89. That is when I found out that I was charged 30 cents per mile. I called National Car Rental call center. They told me that they couldn't help me. They transferred me to Milwaukee. Gail in the Milwaukee office said that had I requested unlimited mileage, I would have been charged over $4000.00 for my 19 day rental. Had I rented the car in Milwaukee and returned the car to Milwaukee, the charge would have been $982.00.

    Their pricing is capricious and their internet reservation system doesn't clearly state that there will be a charge for dropping off a car in another city. I have been an Emerald Isle Member since the 1990's. Customer loyalty means nothing.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed Aug. 4, 2013

    I really refused to understand how a company as large as Enterprise cannot give a ** about their consumers. I was a faithful customer of National Car Rentals until the manager (DJ or TJ), at the Midway Chicago location stole my Tory Burch sunglasses I had purchased a few weeks before. I had laser surgery and the doctor informed me that I needed to purchase really good sunglasses (UV protection) for my eyes, and I did. I paid also $200 for the glasses and wore them to Chicago for the Thanksgiving weekend, but when I got there it was rainy and gloomy, so when I got into the vehicle, I put my sunglasses in the glove box and left them there because the sun did not come out while I was there.

    When I returned the car, I forgot and left them in the vehicle, but when I got on the shuttle bus from the rental company to the airport, I remembered. I called the rental company and informed the manager that I left my sunglasses in the glove box and asked him if he could get them out for me and mail them to me cod. He got back to the phone and was so excited, and stated, "I got them." He described them back to me the way I described them to him before he went to the car. Then he says, “Oh, what is the brand name of the glasses?” Then I thought "what", so I tell him the brand name. Then he says "no... these are so and so brand". Instantly I knew what he was up to.

    Everyone says I should have stayed on the shuttle and went back to the rental company and got my own glasses out of the glove box, and I should have, but I never for one minute thought he would steal my sunglasses. After that day my life began to experience HELL from the owner of the company down to the managers. It is just too bad that these large corporations are allowed to get away with ripping the consumer off. Something really needs to be done about this. After filing a police report, complaining the BBB, etc., they decided to fire the guy!

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    Sales & MarketingStaff

    Reviewed Aug. 3, 2013

    Have been Executive Member for 13 years and always loyal to National...NO LONGER! Picked up SUV at midnight at Ft. Lauderdale Airport location...got in, checked out and on my way just as I have done for 13 years and just like they advertise. Upon my return of vehicle 11 days later, they tell me this scratch on the bumper is to be reported. I asked Manager how they can hold me responsible when no one inspects the vehicle with me at time of rental? They said too bad. Am now being charged $780.00 to repair a 4" scratch on bumper. WARNING...INSPECT YOUR VEHICLE BEFORE TAKING IT OFF THE LOT! Their advertising is misleading and I am filing suit. Will avoid this scam company in the future.

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    Customer Service

    Reviewed July 31, 2013

    Trying to reach the Corporate office for National Car Rental is harder than contacting the President of the United States. I simply wanted to address with someone in the corporate office the incident I had at the DTW (Detroit) National Car Rental company. I could not even reach a secretary at corporate office. It makes me wonder about the real value they place on customer service. I challenge anyone to ask to speak to corporate office, hopefully their policy will be modified. I was placed on hold for 20 minutes and when the person returned she gave me the script she was told to say. To give her a statement and someone from corporate will return your call.

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    Customer Service

    Reviewed June 19, 2013

    I'm required to use this company for work. Most of their cars at the Sacramento Airport have some kind of minor body work done - like a scratch painted in but not fully buffed so that it's no longer noticeable - to the point where that became normal for me, and when I saw a repaired bumper after picking it up, I didn't report it back to the company. I dropped the car off at a different location, and a month later, I received a bill for re-repairing that damage to a higher standard. It was the first I'd heard from them about a damage claim, which I thought was extremely poor customer service and a little bit suspect.

    The letter they sent indicating that their "investigation" found me responsible for damages contained no photographs, and a repair bill without a business name. They also tacked on a $50 administrative fee for a $188 total repair, which I think is excessive. But, because I'd lapsed and not reported their repair work back to them, I have no way to argue and they'll get my money. The point is, reading other reviews, I see that this is a bit of a pattern for them. So if you're renting from the Sacramento Airport (and, I would suspect, other locations), don't get used to their sloppily-repaired body damage. They're eventually going to pin it on someone.

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    Customer ServiceSales & MarketingPrice

    Reviewed May 22, 2013

    I have had costly, bad experiences on two rentals with National Car Rental reserved through CarRentals.com for rental cars in Nice, France. I was charged nearly double what was quoted in my contracts on both rentals. I contacted both CarRentals.com and National, and the only response has been to request multiple copies of the same contracts and to contact each other. Neither agency has refunded the overcharges or offered to do so although National has admitted their error. It's a bait and switch scam. CarRentals.com offers enticingly low prices and rental contracts through National that appear legitimate. After the car is returned, National charges a totally different (nearly double) rate. Don't rent through them!

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    Sales & Marketing

    Reviewed May 6, 2013

    National is billing me for something I did not do. They are waiting 2 months to send a claim for scratch or scuff to their cars. This is a scam. I always check my cars before returning them to the rental companies. I walk around the cars when I pick them and when I return them - very meticulously. I returned a car in November 2012 and National is billing me US$470 for damages!

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    Price

    Reviewed April 23, 2013

    This company is trying to pin me with an accident and hunting me down for over $1,300 in damages, which I did not do. I rent over 100 days per year, typically with another rental company, and have never had any problems. I tried National one time and they do this to me. Completely unfair and I will try to fight this, but they are not playing nice. Be careful renting from this unethical company. Recently purchased by Enterprise (the damage waiver add-on kings), I'll never be back here again. Enterprise is self-insured and makes a lot of money selling their ridiculously overpriced damage waiver.

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    Reviewed April 21, 2013

    On February 11, 2013, I had a confirmed reservation for 89 Euros. When I arrived, there was no National Car Rental counter - only a man on a bench. He connected me to his boss on his cellphone. The boss informed me that for 89 Euros, you cannot rent a bicycle in Israel. However, if I pay an additional $450 for insurance, he would honor the reservation. I had to rent with another company, which had a counter at the airport, for $420 including insurance for the week.

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    Customer ServiceContract & TermsSales & MarketingPriceStaff

    Reviewed April 18, 2013

    I am an Emerald Club member. I travel a lot for business. I rented from National for a family vacation, one way from Las Vegas to Phoenix. I rented online and the cost estimate, based on $45/day, totaled a reasonable 4-day amount of $257. Upon return home in Michigan, I received a bill for an additional $200 due to excessive miles for a total of $469. I talked to two agents and one manager on the phone and they told me that the rental agreement indicated that there would be a $.25/mile excessive charge when actually the agreement says that there will be a charge for additional miles.

    Upon review of the agreement, the statement was "Free Miles 0" included. This is a case of bait and switch and I see that other customers have experienced the same action. This was a one-way rental and the estimate was given but the real cost was almost twice as much. The manager gave me a $50 customer service rebate. This is far from the $200 extra I had to pay. I work for a very large international corporation (300k employees) and National is currently a preferred supplier. This will be an enormous account for National to lose.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed March 22, 2013

    I was charged an $18 fee for a $0.50 toll. A fee was assessed on 02/11 and I did not receive notice until 03/22. Ryan, the initial rep, stated that nothing could be done since the 14-day dispute window had passed. Ryan was difficult to speak with. I requested a supervisor. The acting supervisor, Dionne, explained this fee is standard practice amongst car rental agencies and includes the cost associated with looking up who was renting the vehicle at the time and sending the invoice (i.e. the paperwork). She said we could split the fee for processing and she would reimburse $9.

    I requested the full fee be reimbursed. She said as a one-time courtesy she would reimburse the total fee. Dionne was pleasant and to the point. She was easy to deal with. Result: Minor Dissatisfaction that was resolved to satisfaction. I am not writing off using National Car Rental, but was frustrated over the issue. I was frustrated at the amount of the fee. A few dollars is one thing, but $18 was a surprise for me and prompted me having to call.

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    Reviewed Feb. 11, 2013

    My wife and I rented a minivan (Kia Sedona, roughly 50k miles on the odometer) from National Car Rental in Regina, SK 7-10 on Feb 13. With minus temperatures, road conditions, and the counter assistant's recommendation, we took out the extra accident insurance with a $500 deductible. In addition, we purchased an advance tank of gas. Prior to leaving the lot ,we walked around and inspected the vehicle, only finding few minor cosmetic scrapes and dents. The van ran perfectly over the four days. When we turned the vehicle in, there was no parking attendant to go over the vehicle with us. We parked in a provided space writing down the mileage and settling the final bill at the counter with zero problems.

    When we returned home to Washington State, we received an email from National with six photos attached. These photos displayed various cosmetic scrapes and dents previously noted. National stated that they had charged my credit card the $500 deductible, because this was new damage. I contacted National Car Rental in Regina, SK in an attempt to resolve this issue to no avail, only to discover that I was the bad guy and was totally the victim of a shake down. I am sure, after contacting National in Regina, that there must be others who have had a similar incident. I will never again recommend or rent from National!

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed Feb. 2, 2013

    On Wednesday, Jan. 30th, my wife and I were returning to the USA and landed in Newark. Our connecting flight to Indianapolis was canceled due to bad weather in the Midwest, so we found a flight to Louisville and called National to make sure they had a car - even though I normally use Emerald Aisle. The polite reservationist said, "Fine, we will see you when you get here." Unfortunately, the weather turned bad in Louisville also and we did not arrive until 1:30am. We dragged our bags through the snow to Emerald Aisle, and got in the first car. No key. I went back to the terminal; there was no National person at the desk. Hertz, Avis, Dollar were open for business.

    I went to the Hertz desk, gave the Hertz lady my National Reservation number and she happily rented me a car, waived the drop charge and was 30% less than National. I have been an Emerald Club member since 1995 (even though my card says 2001) and I feel I have been treated very badly. National bailed out in the middle of a snowstorm, left people without cars and did not call or text me to tell me what was going on! Hertz, Avis and Dollar said that, "When the planes are late, we stay so we can take care of our customers." I am very disappointed in National but have found new friends at Hertz.

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    Reviewed Dec. 30, 2012

    I reserved a car through National. It was the first time I was using them, I usually use Hertz. I got to the airport on Saturday. I was told I was on the 'no rent' list without explanation why or what that is. I was given a phone number to call on Monday, just a good luck. Three kids and I were at the airport. I walked over to Hertz. They said, “Sure, we will rent you a car 3 times the amount because you have no reservation.” National sucks!

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    Customer ServiceContract & TermsCoveragePrice

    Reviewed Nov. 12, 2012

    I picked up a car in Houston, TX and arranged to drop it off in Austin, TX; signed off on the final price and days with no issues. After I arrived home, I saw I had been charged twice for the rental. When I called National, they kept me on hold and said that the extra charge was for insurance. When I told them that the amount I signed the contract for included the insurance cost, they put me on hold for 1/2 hour. They then told me that this charge was because I kept it a day longer than I agreed to, which was completely untrue. When I disputed this, they put me on hold again for an additional 1/2 hour before returning to say that a manager would contact me within the hour. It still hasn't happened. I'm never renting from this company again!

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    Customer Service

    Reviewed Oct. 30, 2012

    I rented a car with cash from the Portland, Oregon airport. I checked the website the day before and called to verify I could rent with cash, understanding there would be a $200 additional deposit which was okay with me. Once at the airport, they said they didn't do cash rentals (Mr. Neal, station manager) and then when I said his website said they did and that I had called and they verified they did (all I would need is a copy of the return flight), he then said he had never done one before! After about a frustrating hour, Mr. Neal showed me an email from the branch manager (Mr. **) that said I needed to pay $300 deposit and that my deposit would be returned upon return of vehicle or in some instances, it would be mailed following return of vehicle.

    I had to lay out $300 plus the rental estimate of $67.49, which I did. When I returned the car, they charged $18 for 3 gallons of gas and took it off the $300 deposit, which was fine too. I didn't get my refund. I called 4 days later to find out when I would get my refund and she said I owed them $300 as they didn't do cash rentals! I explained I had a receipt that shows they owe me $280.20 and she called corporate. They didn't have any paperwork and didn't know how or when a check would be issued! After much heated conversation, she said a check would be issued in 21 business days! I will never rent a car from National Car Rental again.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed Oct. 4, 2012

    Windsor Ontario Office (see Mark) - On September 19, 2012, I rented a 2012 Equinox. The vehicle had some noticeable damage inside and out. So, I took some photos and left the parking lot. I rented the unit for 13 days. The first full day (the very next day into my rental) and every third day, I had to put air in the front tire, and I thought I should also send it for a tune-up for it would shake, spit, and scream until it warmed - I drove it anyway. I am a smoker but would only smoke outside of the vehicle. If the windows were down (most of the time they were) and some of the smoke enter the vehicle, I was still smoking outside of the unit like they asked. My usage of the unit was driving it, and anything I put in the unit was put in the front, beside me. My return flight was at 6:00 AM, Wednesday, October 3, 2012.

    The office was closed and the keys were returned through their "key deposit box"; I boarded my plane and headed home. About one hour after arriving at my home, I received a call from the car rental (National Car Rental) staff. She stated that I would be charged for smoking in the rented unit and that I had damaged the inside (the damage was at the very back, inside) and would be charged for replacing the damaged piece. Nothing placed in the back of the unit; however, I still managed to damage it. What a joke. This company (from the CEO down to the person putting air in the tires) is corrupt. The CEO needs a good slap in the back of the head, and the other staff need a good kick in the ass. Honesty is the best policy people. Get your act together. I firmly believe National Car Rental should be asked to leave our country and to never return. In the future, I will never, ever, ever, ever, ever rent from these people (if you can call them that) again. If you’re looking for some good advice, go elsewhere to rent.

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    Price

    Reviewed Sept. 9, 2012

    I made the reservation 1.5-2 weeks ahead of time and was told that there would be useful handicap hand controls on the unit. Upon arrival, not only was there no hand controls, my reservation was canceled by the corporate office? That leads to my second issue. I was supposed to get a discount. Instead, I was charged the full price because the airport rep could not enter my discount. Very upset about this. I took a week to calm down so I could write this complaint. I want to hear back from this company so I can know if it is that customers are their last concern and that will reaffirm that I will never use your company again.

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    Reviewed Aug. 31, 2012

    I was standing in a long line at National Car Rental in Louisville, KY at the start of a holiday weekend. There were no cars and tons of people with reservations and there was only one lone guy at the counter. What an amateurish operation. I'm also an Emerald member. Never again.

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    Customer ServicePriceStaff

    Reviewed Aug. 25, 2012

    This is a reminder of my complaint dated August 8, 2012. I returned back home to Israel from my vacation in Canada and I want to place a complaint regarding National Car Rental in Calgary. I also sent the complaint through your rep. VIP Cars which also is trying to assist. Hereunder is the complaint: All the documents regarding the credit card statement and final invoice were sent to VIP Cars. I'm an Israeli customer and I rented a car at Calgary airport on July 17, 2012 at 8:54pm. I ordered Chevrolet Impala or similar. I ordered this type due to the big trunk for four to five big luggages. On July 16th, my cousin from Toronto called your office in Calgary and asked about the availability of Impala and if we have to upgrade the car, what will be the additional charge. Mr. Rudy answered that the additional fees will be around 150CAD. My cousin also was asked to leave his cell phone number as a contact person.

    When we arrived at Calgary, the same Rudy offered us a similar car but its trunk was for two big and three small luggages. When they offered an upgrade, the additional price was 600CAD! We refused and asked for the manager, Roman **. He wasn't available and I had to argue for an hour. In the end, we received the Chevrolet Impala! We wanted to pay the amount of 1391.54CAD on arrival, as was mentioned in the order. The same Rudy and his colleague, Niegel (another rude and liar person), told us that we have to pay only when we'll drop off the car in Victoria BC. We asked if we can pay cash at Victoria and the answer was a full yes.

    When we dropped off the car in Victoria (they are a franchisee and they don't deal with money of any kind, cash or credit card), they called the office in Calgary and approved our drop off and automatically they charged our credit card! I had to pay additional charges because I was debited in USD and also commission about US$28. I also stayed with the 1391CAD and I have to convert them back to Israeli Shekel, which will cost me additional charges and commissions (differences of the rates). I'm asking for compensation of all my additional charges and also for the anguish I've started and finished with my vacation in Canada.

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    Price

    Reviewed Aug. 22, 2012

    I booked a car from National through my work travel agent. I have been renting cars for over 10+ years. Due to the location I was traveling and the fact that I was returning the car to another town as my flight was out of another town, National was the only company that would let me pick up and drop off at different locations. The cost of the rental per day was $55.00, which is more than a reasonable rate for most cars that I tend to rent across the US. The rental was for 4 days! When I got to the airport and returned the car, I was handed a bill for $825.00.

    My mouth almost hit the floor. I have taken my family on a week vacation up the East Coast in a rental for half that cost! They stated it was because they charged for mileage. I have never been charged for mileage with Hertz or Avis who have always had reasonable rates, most times less than the $55 per day. I will never rent from National again as to me this company stands for pure greed. They are obviously not providing a service for the customer, but they are rather out to fill their pockets more than the rest of the world! Judging by the way they bill me, I feel quite confident they pay their employees less than that of a regular company/people-focused corporation!

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    Customer Service

    Reviewed Aug. 12, 2012

    Charges for previously existing scratches - I traveled to Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, Mexico. When I first rented the car, they filled out a paper with marks where previous bumps and scratches were before I took it off. When I returned from my trip, they wanted me to pay a new scratch that according to them was not in the paper. We showed them it was marked in the paper they filled out in the beginning. They brought up the manager. At first, he told us it was not there; when he could not deny the obvious, he told us it was there but now we made it bigger (so I managed to hit the car again exactly in the previous scratch?!) We were losing our vacation time, so we had to pay the scratch and leave.

    Awful international customer service - I first placed my complaint to Mexico's customer service office. I had not received an answer for a month, so I tried international customer service. I sent all the papers that proved the scratch was there previously. They answered again almost a month and a half later (and because I asked them again if they had news when they told me I would receive answers in 8 days). Their answer was everything looked all right... and guess what? They sent me again the original paper where you can see clearly the scratch was marked before I took the car. They just don't even read what they are sending.

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    Reviewed July 24, 2012

    I did not make any scratch nor did I damage the rental car yet they are accusing me of damaging the car. Upon returning the car, she indicated only a paint scratch on the top roof of the SUV. They later filed a claim and added front bumper and head light damage - I did not cause any of all these damages. I did not see any damage when I returned the car. I wasn’t shown these damages by the return inspector when I returned the rental car. I honestly did not scratch nor damage anything. They did not confirm with me when I returned the rental car.

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    Customer ServicePriceStaff

    Reviewed May 9, 2012

    I've always opted for National Car Rental for their good services until now. I rented the car in Miami International Airport and returned it in Fort Lauderdale. I forgot to refuel the car on return, so I had to pay 21 gallons extra of $86.92 plus tax. I cancelled the payment with cash right after returning the car from the counter and I got a copy of the invoice. Two months later, I got a refuel charge in my AmEx from National. I contacted National via email and sent all the evidence, but to no avail. The National representative won't do anything because they cannot see in their own systems! So, they say I have to contact directly National Car Rental in Miami International, which by the way never attends the phone!

    I'm an Emerald Club member and always had a good image of National Car Rental, but I think this is the last time I'll ever use it. Who knows, next time they'll charge something else, they might think it needs to be charged without asking and pray that someone can help you resolve it. I'm sorry, but I had enough wasting my time. I'll just have to pay the double charge, be it a very costly experience, and move on to the next vendor. Hopefully, they'll have better customer service.

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    Customer ServicePunctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed April 13, 2012

    Message to National Car customer service: I am extremely upset to find an invoice for a windshield replacement mailed to me today nearly 14 days after the rental with no initial contact by National Car to tell me there was an issue. At the time of rental, the inspection to the windshield had identified a chip in it. I had returned the vehicle without any additional damages to the windshield that would have constituted a "windshield replacement". The invoice from National in Fairbanks made no reference to the RA # nor the name of the manager, other than a generic letter addressed to sir/madam. The only reference to my identity was the credit card approval that was attached that did not even show my name.

    Being an Emerald Executive with National, I have never been so insulted by a rental car company. I would be more than willing to settle any damages that I have caused to your vehicle. However, there was no additional damage from me on this rental. The way this incident has been managed from National Car in Fairbanks has been very poor and unprofessional.

    Please call and or e-mail me to discuss this invoice as I would like some evidence/proof of the damages that are being claimed against me. Please call me with the next 24 hours before this becomes a bigger issue. Nearly 3 months later, no call back and or e-mail from National Car. They did however place a DNR (Do Not Rent) against my name and sent a collection agency to collect the withheld payment. Great customer relation skills National Car! Perhaps, we should all put a DNR against you.

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    Customer Service

    Reviewed March 26, 2012

    I have talked to your office 6 to 10 times and no one has contacted me back. I don't want to discuss what happened over the computer. I have a recorded conversation and telephone calls about what happened. Call me back ASAP.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed March 19, 2012

    I accidentally left my cell phone in the rental car upon return at Orlando, Florida airport. I went back to the rental center to get the phone from the car. It was only 15 minutes from leaving the car and it was already taken. The customer service employees were very helpful, found the car, called to have it searched and even brought back for my search. No phone, as someone in the cleaning crew had already taken the phone. It is a shame that one employee can cause such a bad experience and make a horrible name for the company. No one at National took the situation further. I am very disappointed in the follow through after a couple more calls. There should be a check on the employee center to analyze the metrics of lost articles reported and not found to see who at National in Orlando is responsible for the theft and terminate that staff.

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    Staff

    Reviewed March 12, 2012

    I went to pick up the car, and have been blacklisted after driving across the city, because they lost their car, and noted on the previous post. It is not pleasing. Basically, they said I had stolen their car while it was in their parking lot at Miami airport, and they are now filing consumer reports, and will not provide a receipt. I think if they were worth it, some enterprising law person would tie a can to these imbeciles, especially, the half-wit at risk management!

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed March 6, 2012

    I rented car from National Car Rental. The company filed a report on me, contacted my ex, my family, told them I would be arrested and created awful stink in spite of confirming the rental weeks earlier that I had it and wished to keep it longer. They then lost their own stupid car and continued to harass me saying I still had the car and it was not returned to Miami airport as stated. They would not provide a bill on request and refuse to even apologize in any way and forward the calls to escalations desk where some smart ** geek gets rude and want to engage in stupid conversations before even reviewing the files. They are thieves.

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    Customer ServiceCoveragePrice

    Reviewed Feb. 28, 2012

    I rented a car at National Car Rental in Los Angeles Airport (more than a month ago) through American Express Travel. I went on an interview and the company (Kaiser Permanente) was picking up the cost of the rental car. When I went to pick up the car I was told I had to give my credit card to cover any damage that may occur on the car. I was then charged close to $300 the total amount of the rental. I have called 4 times National Car Rental and they keep telling me that their records say that Kaiser should have paid and that someone should contact me within 24 hours. Weeks have passed and no one called. The last call I made to them the supervisor said that I just had to wait. I think this is horrible. It's my money and I have to wait for a mistake they made. And on top of that, they keep lying to me, saying someone will contact me but this does not occur.

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    Customer ServiceCoveragePricePunctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed Feb. 25, 2012

    When I reached the airport that day to catch my flight I was a bit late (but not very late) and I found no National rental representative at the airport drop area. I had to wait and call by my personal mobile and after about 20 minutes a National representative arrived, so I was really late at that point. I remember the car was clean from inside with full tank and I even washed the car at fuel station (just to give a little joy to my kids). So when National representative arrives I was willing to do anything to finish fast and run to the departure terminal. The representative checked the car and suddenly told me the tire is ruptured. I told him that I really don't know anything about that and that I have never looked at the tire since I rented the car! He repeated that the tire is ruptured. So I repeated that I never used neither seen the spare tire! So he told me to not to worry and to sign here and the insurance will cover that. I swear to Allah I did not read what I am signing for at that time due to the departure time and I was really worries that I will not be able to check my luggage.

    I would like to give some facts here: On all my visits to Dubai I only rent from National and never had any problem neither caused any damage. The car I rented was I very new Camry and I drove it with my family only on road without breaking any laws neither never had a flat tire. It was a family trip and my oldest is 10 years old, so it is impossible that anyone had drove the car other than me (I am 41 years old). Last and most important, I swear to Allah I have not seen the spare tire of that Camry since I rented the car, neither had any problem with any tire or anything else with that car.

    I would like you to update your information with the following: The price that I was charged for the damage is not Aed 1,200.00 as you mentioned at your email, instead it was Aed 1,500.00 . The Aed 1,200.00 you are referring to is the actual rental fees for the days I rented the car. The first action your employee did when he brought the car to me, at the arrival terminal, is loading all my luggage at the trunk and he never showed me the spare tire neither checked it in my present. After that, it was impossible to check the spare tire with all the luggage on top of the spare tire trunk cover. Kindly check if you can replay any airport security camera captured the event.

    When the very experience employee handed me the car, at the arrival day, he immediately left the scene and I swear to Allah I had to wait in front of the airport exit closed gate and did not know what to do till another company rental car was exiting and their agent used his gate pass to open the door for both of us. Kindly check if you can replay any airport security camera captured the event. As I mentioned on my previous email, no any National Car rental employee was present at the return area and I had to wait for at least 20 minutes until I called National Car rental by my international mobile. This was the reason behind not discussing the tire/wheel issue with the late employee as I was afraid to lose my flight. Kindly check if you can replay any airport security camera captured the event or at least the telephone recorded calls at that exact return time and date.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed Jan. 20, 2012

    I rented a vehicle from National Chicago Midway Airport in November 2011, Wed, before Thanksgiving. I returned the vehicle the Sunday morning after Thanksgiving about 5:30 am, jumped on the bus to the airport and realized I forgot my sunglasses in the glove box. I immediately called National and spoke with the manager DP, TP or JD, whatever. I asked him to go and check the glove box and get my glasses out. He did. He came back to the phone excited and described the glasses I described to him.

    He says "yes, brown plastic frames, with brown lenses" then he pauses and says to me, "Whats the name brand?" I said, "What? What do you mean?" He said, "What is the name brand of the glasses?" When I told him they are Tory Burches. He said, "Oh no these are not the glasses" and I told him they are. They are the only glasses in the glove box.

    Then he tried to give me a song and dance and told me to just wait 2-3 days and call back later because it takes about that time to clean out a vehicle and get it re-rented. I told him, "There is no way I am going to wait 2-3 days to resolve this matter, when I had just purchased my glasses, because I was told I would need a pair of very good sunglasses because I had just had eye surgery." I called this suppose to be manager about 3-4 times that day hoping he would realize that stealing my glasses would result in him getting fired if he was caught. So I called back early Monday morning and spoke with another manager. He tells me the car had been rented and did not get cleaned but he would call the person that rented the vehicle and ask them to check the glove box. I don't know why because I know who had the glasses.

    I called back a few hours later and he told me that the person that rented the vehicle did not call him back yet. Well, why would they? And I know for a fact he probably never called because he knew deep inside DP had the glasses. When I got home from work, I called back again and asked him to put a sign up asking the person that stole the glasses to just sneak them back and leave them on the counter. He got very hostile and demanded and assured me that his employees would never steal because they would lose their job. I can guarantee no one has lost their job. I know for a fact these people steal. What do they have to lose except a customer?

    I want everyone to know that I have been renting cars (from the DC location) with no problem for years. I have left things in the vehicle and I would just call and go pick it up but the the location at Midway Chicago. I was just appalled to hear that National's rule is to fire an employee that steals but no one has ever been fired! I refused to believe that given the opportunity someone would not steal, especially someone in an environment with no camera, etc. So the National at Chicago Midway Airport, you stole my glasses and you are going to replace them one way or another! You can take that to the bank. Also for those of you reading these complaints, please do not rent from National Car Rental ever. I will spend more money to rent from a reputable rental company. Thanks.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed Jan. 1, 2012

    We rented a car for eight nights from National-Citer at Geneva airport. We lost the key on day 6 and when we contacted the company to inform them, we were told that they didn't have a spare set. They said they would have to contact Paris to obtain a spare and it would take several days for this. They suggested that we break into our car for our personal effects and arrange for the car to be towed back at our expense. When I suggested that we pay to extend our rental to await the spare key and travel down to collect it, the manager Vanessa told us that she could not give us the authority to do so but that she would contact HQ and ask. She didn't phone us back.

    After several attempts to speak with her, she advised that HQ would not permit us to do this. So we were left with no choice but to abandon our personal effects and arrange for the car to be towed at 350 Euros plus 200 euros for the lost key.

    Update: We were just about to board our flight back to the UK when we received a call to say that someone had found our keys. Great news? Apparently they didn't make a note of who found them and where! I have since tried to call them but the staff are beyond rude. I will never use this company again.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed Dec. 9, 2011

    My wife and I have recently rented a car for 10 days from National in Kayseri, Turkey (Rental agreement number:041230). We gave up the car in Sanliurfa. The car performed well except for the GPS equipment that we also rented. After the first day when we drove the Goreme, the GPS stopped working. We tried everything to get it working but nothing worked causing a significant amount of anxiety.

    When I spoke to person at National (Kayseri office) about this problem, he said, "It was working when you left Kayseri and therefore it is not our National's responsibility." I find this an unacceptable response to a customer's legitimate complaint. My wife and I have been rented cars many times from National in the USA and have always been more than satisfied. The college where I teach also has used National on numerous occasions.

    I am requesting a refund for the GPS equipment (that I paid for but did not work after the first day). I will be back in the States on Dec. 7th but currently can be reached by email

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    Customer ServiceContract & TermsStaff

    Reviewed Dec. 7, 2011

    I’m a frequent business traveler, an executive member and a key member of Huawei procurement executive. This complaint letter is to report an incident at your Toronto airport terminal 3 office on 6 Dec. 2011. To make it clear, I have two separate National bookings as follow:

    - Rental agreement# **, Invoice# ** pickup from Ottawa on 4 Dec, return to Toronto airport on 6 Dec.

    - Reservation confirmation# **, pickup from Toronto airport on 6 Dec and return to Toronto airport on 16 Dec.

    Right after I returned the vehicle from Ottawa with my pregnant wife, and 2 years old child on board, we immediately selected a reserved vehicle from your Toronto airport executive areas, as I proceed to checkout, your check-out staff look at my Texas temporary driver permit with confusion and she ended up taking my Texas driver permit to her manager for consultation. It is because they have not seen a Texas temporary driver license; your on-site manager insisted this is not a valid driver license. The manager has made 35 minutes of numinous calls to his supervisors and once informed me that my driver permit provided is not valid. I refused his decision, because I have provided a valid official document from Texas Department of Public Safety. Only after he called Texas department of public safety for another 20+ minutes to realize I have provided a valid driver permit, he informed his staff to proceed vehicle rental pickup registration.

    Why do I, my pregnant wife, and 2 years old child have to wait an hour with great distress and insult? Is this kind of treatment offer to all your executive member? What values have your manager bring to an executive member? Your manager refuses to provide business card to me, any reason for checking my valid driver permit or not a “sorry” to all the waiting. He only has excuse to justify his wrong doing, to cause customer pains, dissatisfaction to other customers and disruption of operation.

    If anyone from this rental office has any common sense, competence and/or customer services in car rental industry, me and my family should not be penalized by your incompetence staff in verify a valid Texas driver license. Your on-site Manager doesn’t have any know-how in car rental business. In summary, his incapability causes me and my family valuable hour that have direct impact to my company business loss. This is totally unacceptable in any way to treat your Executive Member, as a result this will be my last rental with National. I will no longer give my future business to National and related organization. Moreover, I will initial our corporate procurement & admin department to revoke all Canada business with National just like the one we have done in USA.

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    Customer Service

    Reviewed Oct. 31, 2011

    I visited Avignon, France this summer and loved it. What I didn't love though was my rental experience with National Rental Car (National/CITER) at Avignon, France. They rented me a Toyota Verso which proceeded to have issues with the clutch (I know how to drive manual) and when I called to say I had issues and wanted a replacement having put on just 40km or so, I waited for assistance but no one arrived. The car finally broke down in a small town where I waited for close to two hours for someone to fetch the car. Roadside assistance operator explained the delay as common for a Saturday in France. National replaced the car and this one ran smoothly for the next two weeks of my rental. Unfortunately, upon my return from vacation, I learned that National had charged my credit card for replacing the clutch for $3000. They explained this to have been a brand new car and the problem was due to my driving. I drove a manual car for a year prior to this experience and I had no problems the remaining two weeks of my rental period.

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    Staff

    Reviewed Oct. 29, 2011

    They have poor service at LAX car return and a staffing and management problem. We arrived at the rental car facility about 1PM on Saturday, October 29th 2011. I tried to stop the car to let my wife, who is using crutches, off as close to the airport van as possible. Even after I showed her handicapped tag to the attendant, he was insistent that I move the car. Next, I asked for a luggage cart, two of their staff looked at me and walked away, a third told me where I could get it and a fourth actually got one for me. I struggled to load all of our bags and had issues with the cart rolling away and bags falling off. A number of their staff watched this but would not move a muscle to help. They were too busy chatting with each other.

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    Customer ServiceContract & Terms

    Reviewed Oct. 28, 2011

    I had a reservation to rent a sedan car at National Car rental, Logan Airport, Boston. The young lady at the rental said that I could rent an SUV Kia for the same price. I dropped the car off at National in Chicago and was charged mileage $700 + because I rented the SUV and not the full size sedan. If I had known that there would be a mileage charge, I would not have rented the SUV.

    National's response: Thank you for your reply and I am sorry for the confusion, please allow me to explain why you were charged for the mileage on your one-way rental. The excessive mileage charge is due to the car class that was driven. You were quoted for unlimited for driving a full size on down, any car car class above the full size vehicle that is driven will be charged for the mileage.

    Our records show that you were charged for mileage due to driving an IFAR intermediate SUV, not the full size sedan which is what you booked ahead. The charges are correct and you would want to speak with your travel department about your contract details.

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    Price

    Reviewed Oct. 26, 2011

    If you lose a key to the car, they charge you a fee of $60.00. Then, if the keys are not in it, they tow the vehicle and charge you $208.00 for a new key. Then, National will charge you the tow fee which is over $500.00. This was the conversation with the lost key department with National Car Rental. Now, if they have the key fee and delivery fee, to deliver the key is $155.00 and the key is $38.00.

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    Contract & TermsStaff

    Reviewed Oct. 21, 2011

    I was wrongly charged by National Car Hire for a total of $33.76, following the car rental I booked through eBookers UK. I spend an hour in the customer office, and in the manager's kiosk, confirming that my rental did not include gas. As there was confusion over the terms of my rental, I was 100% assured that there would be no additional charge to my credit card. I was also instructed that I must return the car with a full tank of petrol.

    I returned the car with a full tank, however, eBookers have shown me a receipt from National claiming it was 3/8 of a tank full, a charge was thus, made for $52.03. This is absolutely false, I confirmed from a National employee, verbally, that the car was indeed full. Of course, I have not retained any receipts from my US trip. I feel that National have effectively stolen from me.

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    Reviewed Oct. 19, 2011

    Beware of Emerald Aisle or Executive users: I have been a 15-year plus customer of National, but that comes to an end now. I recently rented a car in Orlando, Florida. Upon return, a small dent in the vehicle was pointed out to me, a dent that I could not have possibly noticed when I picked out the car and certainly did not occur while I was renting to my knowledge. As frequent users know, the attendants checking in vehicles do not regularly check the vehicles for damage. Either that was the case or the car was damaged by a National employee sometime during the "recycling" period.

    Now National is hounding me for a $1000.00 damage claim! Any other recent stories like this one out there?

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    Price

    Reviewed Oct. 6, 2011

    I rented a car from National at the Denver International Airport. As I was checking in to the reservation at the kiosk, I noticed only 2 options regarding the gas fill up on returning the car. One was to pre-pay for $3.90 gal. And the other was to have them top it off for around $6 gal. I didn't like either option. I chose to just fill up the car myself on return. I expressed this to the lady behind the counter. She said I had no choice, I had to use one of their options. I asked what would happen if I returned the car with 1/2 tank. I asked if I would still be charged for a full tank. She said that I should see her if that happens or just try to return the car as close to empty as possible.

    I returned the car with just under 1/2 tank and was charged $97.50 for gas. I did not have time to go in to discuss this since I had a plane to catch. I called National when I got home. They said there are no credits for any gas in the vehicle. I asked them for an explanation of charges. They said that it simply is what they charge for a pre-pay full tank. I wanted to know how many gallons or cost per gallon. They would not or could not tell me. I certainly will not use National again. I think this policy of only 2 choices on fill up is just another way to rip off people. Any other cars I have rented allow you to fill up on return. This would have only cost me about $30-$35 to fill up at the station 3 blocks from where the car rentals are located. They ripped me off for over $60.

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    StaffProcess

    Reviewed Sept. 22, 2011

    Picked up a car at National Car Rental Det. Metro rental depot. I was told to just go out and pick any car. The agent did not go out to the lot with us nor did he explain any of the paper work. The agent also did not help with examining the car for previous damage. Other agencies have always offered that service. Hey, at 81 years old, I need all the help I can get.

    I overlooked seeing some minor damage to a trunk lid and a bumper. Now. even though the lot manager agreed that the damage was obviously old damage, I got nailed for 600 bucks in damages. I agreed that I had neglected to circle the little damage review card (didn't even know I had one). But; punishing me for that oversight is just not right, and, besides being greedy, it's dumb public relations.

    What's so bad about taking customers to their car and guiding them through the process? Other agencies do that.

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    Reviewed Aug. 27, 2011

    I rented a Toyota Minivan on March 30 to April 7, 2011. I returned it at Washington D.C. Regan airport. The return area agent checked out and gave me a receipt. Also, I stopped by the site office to change my payment to the personal debit card. On early July, I received a call from one of the agent from Damage Recovery Unit of National Car Rental. The agent told me I owed $689.23 on damage of rented minivan. I explained that I had an inspection and stayed at the site office to change my payment option to my own debit card instead of a corporate card, but the agent told me I walked away according to the arrival site agent.

    Therefore, I sent out a letter to Damage Recovery Unit of National Car Rental. I did not hear any response from National Car Rental, but they turned over to collection agency. Also, I sent an email to National Car Rental.

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    Reviewed Jan. 20, 2011

    National Car Rental commits negligence by not having snow tires on any of its cars for renters going skiing in the mountains. I rented a Chevy HHR at Denver airport that apparently, with 25,000 miles, had very little tread on its tires. National says that front-wheel drive cars are all that's needed to drive in the heavy Colorado snow at 10,000 feet. Wrong. I pulled into the Dillon, CO post office a few weeks ago and slid sideways going at 2 mph into a car. The right bumper was damaged on my car and there was damage to the car hit--the sidewall of a Subaru came off.

    The car proved incapable of climbing the driveway from my condo without a running, sliding start. I would drive slowly in this car especially on turns since it had no traction. Now, National wants to charge me $1,100 for the damage to the car and they still insist that bald tires on front-wheel drive cars are sufficient to avoid any claims of negligence on their part. Such negligence will ultimately cause death.

    All car rental agencies at Denver airport should offer renters snow tires, studded or not. Snow tires are not on their list of "accessories." Most of the locals here know that even a 4x4 is not good enough and that snow tires with good tread are needed. How do we get car rental agencies to ensure that their renters do not die in one of their death traps?

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    Reviewed Nov. 27, 2010

    At the auto rental desk for National adjacent to Alamo Desk, I rented an auto for 5 days at an alleged price of $24.00 per day, as told me by the local agent. I hastily signed a contract without thoroughly reading the same (my fault) and on return of the auto 5 days later, I found that I was charged a weekly rate of 243 dollars and 80 cents. Once additional charges of approx $85 were added, the total bill came to a whopping $327.86. When speaking to agent Jene on the phone, he was unable to obtain the contract for confirmation of my signing and had no concern that I was misled and duped into having that amount charged to my credit card. Perhaps this could have been avoided had I thoroughly read the initial contract. However, the entire process leaves a foul taste in my system for the two companies.

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    Reviewed Nov. 1, 2010

    I rented a car for a trip to Indianapolis. When I picked the car up, no inspection of the car was performed with me. When I returned the car, I was told I was responsible for a few scratches on the front bumper. I did nothing to damage the car. I asked for some documentation of the condition of the car before I took it (twice) and was never provided any. I think I am a victim of a scam. I have been charged $401 for minor scratches on a bumper I did not damage.

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    Reviewed Sept. 18, 2010

    I rented a car from the Houston Hobby airport location, upon receiving the car, I noticed several large scratches on the car. I thought that it was odd that a car in this scratched condition would be rented so I took several photos on my mobile phone (quality of pictures are poor since the glaring Texas sun did not allow for proper photos). Since I felt confident that they were knowingly renting this car in this condition, I did not say anything to the gate operator who opened the gate for me to exit. Upon returning the car, the staff at National Car Rental asked if knew that there was a large scratch on the car. I told him yes and that I had photos. I showed them to him and he said he couldn't make them out and then proceeded to tell me that if the scratches did not show up in his computer system then I had to of caused them, thus accusing me of causing the scratches.

    I told him if he and his team did not perform the actual due diligence necessary on the vehicle prior to me renting this vehicle then it wasn't my fault that they were not properly maintaining their computer systems. No one from National offered to do a preinspection of the car and since I am an Emerald Club member, I merely got into a car that was waiting for me.

    In essence, he called me a liar and informed me again that his faulty record keeping system did not reflect this. How in the world if no prior vehicle inspection was performed with me can they accuse me of causing this damage? This is just a devious attempt for me to be extorted to pay for damage that someone else had caused and since the current management team and process are inadequate, corrupt, and a crooked business entity, I am expected to pay for a poorly run and poorly managed organization.

    I received an invoice from Marla **, Recovery Specialist stating that I now owe them $505.60 for these damages. They have my credit card on file and I am afraid that they will exercise and demand payment of damages that I did not cause. Please help protect me and the public from these crooks!

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    National Car Rental Company Information

    Company Name:
    National Car Rental
    Year Founded:
    1947
    Address:
    600 Corporate Park Dr
    City:
    St. Louis
    State/Province:
    MO
    Postal Code:
    63105
    Country:
    United States
    Website:
    www.nationalcar.com