Payless Car Rental Reviews

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About Payless Car Rental

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Payless Car Rental offers car rental services. Operating in the United States and select international markets, Payless provides a range of vehicles from economy to full-size models.

Pros
  • Good vehicle quality
Cons
  • Unexpected charges and fees

Payless Car Rental Reviews

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    Page 7 Reviews 840 - 1040
    Contract & TermsSales & MarketingPricePunctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed Oct. 8, 2015

    I booked a rental through Southwest Airlines for my 9 day stay in Orlando. We arrived very late on Friday night. Took the shuttle to the off site rental location. Had booked for a full size car for 157.00 for the rental period. I was exhausted, after the high pressure sales pitch for the insurance and 30 minutes in line, I was beat. I had declined all insurance and coverage. Once we got to the vehicle we determined our luggage wouldn't fit in the car. So needed to upgrade to an SUV. He said he would do it for 70 dollars more. Okay, 220 for an SUV is doable. However, when I got back in, it was now 358.

    After going round and round with the employee, figured out they had added a roadside hazard and refill for the tank to the cost, which I hadn't approved. Long story short, after not being able to come to an agreement on the price, I cancelled the reservation, took an Uber to the hotel and rented from Alamo in the morning, got a full size SUV for 188 for the week. Service is amazing and such a better experience.

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    Customer ServicePrice

    Reviewed Oct. 7, 2015

    I recently rented a car with Payless, my total was going to be about $104, but when I got to the office there was a lot of hidden fees, energy recovery fee, roadside service protection fee, and vehicle licensing fee. I rented the car anyway because I was traveling that morning. My total ended up to be $176 with all the extra fees they charged. I was supposed to drive the car in Texas only, but I had an emergency and I had to travel to New Mexico. I called Payless to ask how much per day they were going to charge me for traveling outside of Texas, the lady I talked to said $10 dollars per day. I thought, that's not too bad. I was in New Mexico for 3 days.

    When I went to return the car there was an extra charge on my credit car for $60 dollars. I called the office to tell them that I was supposed to paid only $30, but the lady said she had told me that it was going to be $20 dollars per day. I didn't wanted to argue with her anymore, I just told her I was going to let people know about how they do business. PLEASE DON'T RENT with them - you will ended up paying a lot of money with all the hidden fees.

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    Customer ServiceCoveragePunctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed Oct. 7, 2015

    I was at Newark Liberty airport... I had a reservation for 2 pm and I got there at 12:45 pm and had to wait in line for 45 minutes then when I get to the lady at counter she tells me that I am too early because my reservation was not until 2 pm. I told her I would return the car by 1:30 pm. Then I declined the insurance and she wanted a copy of my own auto insurance policy so I had to call my insurance to get a copy emailed to me because mine was expired and I finally got a car at 2:10 pm. When I returned the car I was charged more than double what I had booked it for and the lady tricked me into signing the additional insurance coverage which is why my bill came out so much. The brakes on the car needed work as well... This is the worst experience I have had renting a car.

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    Customer ServicePricePunctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed Oct. 6, 2015

    I rented vehicles for two months from the Tucson location. The service staff was friendly but the management was terrible, rude and I consider them to be con artists. Upon returning my last vehicle two days early, the rep indicated I had a credit but could not retrieve it without contacting corporate and he advised it's very difficult to get a refund (approx 80 bucks). The rep advised to keep the current vehicle until the following weekend and I would only owe 13 dollars and to also call to speak with Max, the "owner" on Monday to advise of the situation.

    Max was NOT pleasant or understanding and threatened to charge me late fees and 108 dollars per day until the car was returned (My rate was for a compact). I advised him I work 12 hour shifts and won't be available to return the vehicle for several days. I left work early, returned the vehicle that evening and he stole all of my credit ($80) AND charged an additional 108 dollars to my card without my permission. I am EXTREMELY furious with this guy, Max, and would love to meet him in person. DO NOT RENT FROM THESE INDIVIDUALS no matter how good the promotion, they aren't worth it.

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    Customer ServicePricePunctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed Oct. 6, 2015

    So I reserve a car in Tampa and find out the rental place is off-site from the airport. Wait for shuttle to rental place, stand in line at least 30 min. as only one person for pick-ups and returns. Was quoted price of apx. $177.00 with $240.00 hold to be refunded on returning car. Started raining after leaving and of course the wipers are not wiping - driving in the dark in a strange town. When I returned car I was charged more than $400.00 for rental. Told nothing I could do and girl was rude! Asked for supervisor - of course not available & was told I was being recorded and someone would call me - wrong! People there were angry not getting service and long lines. Waited for 30 min for shuttle to airport and shuttle doors had to be opened by driver manually as they were broken! They are committing fraud daily.

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    Contract & TermsPricePunctuality & Speed

    Reviewed Oct. 5, 2015

    Took over one hour to pick us up to take to their off-site location, even after calling twice. When I had to be picked up from an associate to get to a meeting on time, they wouldn't allow anyone in my party to be added to rental agreement to pick up car. Had to be taken back to the airport to rent from Budget, who were courteous and less expensive than Payless, & right on airport property.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed Oct. 4, 2015

    A good deal is always too good to be true. I recently researched rental cars in Seattle for 1 week- Payless came up as the cheapest even with AARP discount. The price quoted on the website was $124.95. At the rental counter, the agent went through a lot of 'mombo-jumbo', including a $200 HOLD fee. When questioned, it was standard practice and not to worry, I will only be paying $124.95 when I return the car. WRONG! The bill came to $536.75 and oh, the $200 was deducted from that, so I really only had to pay $336.75 - what happened to $124.75? No manager to speak to, no manager will answer phone. The only recourse I had was to dispute the charge with my credit card company. Thankfully, that company is reputable. Payless is inappropriately named; it should be Pay More...

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    PriceStaff

    Reviewed Oct. 3, 2015

    At the counter, I did not want the extra insurance. It was not made clear that it had to be taken. This company charged 22.00 a day which is more than the on airport companies. The actual car rental price was good. If you did not take it there was a 300.00 hold placed on your credit card, to be returned two weeks after the rental return. Counter person was also nasty and unprofessional. Never again.

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    Customer ServiceSales & Marketing

    Reviewed Oct. 2, 2015

    Booked a car for two days at the advertised rate of $17.99 per day from 10/2/15 thru 10/4/15 on their website. My rate on the website and my printout read $35.98. Got to the counter, was told the rate was $77.00! I protested and showed them my print out, which they promptly ignored, claiming the website never makes mistakes. No cancellations. I had no choice but to pay their rate which was three times higher than what they advertised and what I had agreed to on their website. There was absolutely no consideration given to the fact I was a frequent renter, or that I had the printout proving my point. I will NEVER do business with Payless again. My only recourse was to call their 1-800 customer service line, and their only response was "Sorry, sir. We cannot do anything about it."

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    Staff

    Reviewed Oct. 1, 2015

    Booked a car rental through Hotwire for Payless Car Rental. Fee online was $88 for two days in Reno. Upon arriving at the car counter in the Reno/Lake Tahoe airport to fill out the paperwork, I was informed there was an additional $200 charge for the rental. Thinking this had to be some kind of security deposit, I questioned the agent only to be told again this was a charge and not a refundable deposit. Never had anything like this happen to me at any time, anywhere in my life. National saved the day. Scratch Payless from the list of car rental companies I will ever use again and probably Hotwire as well as their site takes you to the lowest quoted rate of the 'major' car rental companies they represent. Don't waste your time with either group.

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    Customer ServiceCoverageSales & MarketingStaff

    Reviewed Sept. 30, 2015

    We had reserved a car rental through our cheapoair.com as suggested by customer service! It would save us money. We arrived to pick up the car and noticed how scraped up and dented it was with the inside being filthy! The sales person came out and quickly marked off where the damage was on the car but not in detail. I took pictures on my cell phone to document them. We were told that our insurance coverage was not enough and had to pay $12 per day extra along with a $500.00 deposit held on my credit card in case of any damage caused by me.

    4 days later we returned it along with a full tank of fuel. An employee asked if we were returning it and started to look at the card with the damages marked on it. He immediately stated that the driver's mirror was not damaged prior to us picking it up. I began to scroll through my pictures as he went back inside without looking any further at the rest of the car, right then I knew this was a scam!!! My wife and I went inside and two other customers were dealing with the same problems, being accused of damages made while driving the car. The one lady said her father had rented the prior week and was charged $700.00 for damages that were already on the car!!

    I stated in a loud voice that this was a scam and we need to call the police, within minutes the sales persons rechecked the rental cars and were given a clean checkup!! The one lady came and hugged my wife after being so relieved that she would get her $500.00 deposit back. This non refunded money would add up quickly if renters do not take clear pictures of damages that are already existing!!

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    Punctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed Sept. 29, 2015

    I returned my rental to the rental service in Las Vegas and received a balance 0 receipt. I received the balance 0 because of the difficulty I had with the rental agent at the desk who added unauthorized charges and threatened me about insurance, too much. I returned the car with a very close to full tank because I did not use it that much. They accepted the full tank and gave me a receipt for balance 0 as a sign of good faith for the problems I had at the rental desk. When I got home I found out they charged me 3 days later $31.26 over the rental amount for the tank of gas without notifying me. I did not know you could have a receipt for balance 0 and get a late charge 3 days later. Thanks.

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    Customer ServiceSales & MarketingPriceStaff

    Reviewed Sept. 29, 2015

    DO NOT RENT FROM THIS BUSINESS. This business is set up to SCAM everyone. They charge for all fees (excess gas fuel charge - even after you filled the car up on the return, all insurance fees - even if you declined all fees, cleaning fees, damage to vehicle - even when you marked the damage on the walk-around). This place took 1 hour 22 minutes to pick me up from airport. They are RUDE, liars and all employees were drunk or stoned.

    The morning I returned my car, NO ONE was there to receive the car or take me to the airport. There were 3 other people waiting there as well. The gate to the business were closed and locked. We called the main phone number 20 to 30 times -- NO answer. When I finally reached someone the NEXT day, they refused to go over the final bill with me and told me I would just have to dispute it with my credit card company. Then they hung up on me. They continued to hang up on me upon return calls or they just did not answer the phone. STAY AWAY FROM THIS BUSINESS. SCAM, SCAM, SCAM!!!

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    Customer ServicePriceStaff

    Reviewed Sept. 27, 2015

    I reserved a rental car with Payless Car Rental service a month in advance of our trip. I was traveling from NY and was to pickup the car in Albuquerque, NM. My flight arrived around 11pm. When I got to the rental desk (which was about to close) I was notified that they no longer had a vehicle for me. Their solution was to offer me a 12 passenger van which I did not feel safe driving as my foot is currently broken and did not feel safe driving such a large vehicle. Their next solution was that I could sleep overnight in their rental place or take a cab to my hotel which was 2 hours away. I asked to speak to a supervisor MULTIPLE times and was told to call the customer care. The end of the story was that a lovely young lady from DOLLAR rental saw my distress and how scared my little girl was and she offered us a vehicle at a discounted price ($200 more than Payless unfortunately).

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    Customer Service

    Reviewed Sept. 27, 2015

    Worst car rental experience. Picked up vehicle at night. Extra fees are purposely added to the rental. Drove to Longview Texas and halfway tire light came on. Added air to get us the rest of the way. Next morning notice gash in tire creating slow leak. No one answered phone at local office for two days. Roadside assistance could not change the tire because the spare was bad. Had to drive back to Houston on the bad unsafe tire.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed Sept. 26, 2015

    Car was so dirty I had to run it through a car wash. Bugs stuck all over it. Back seat looked as if someone had vomited on it. It was supposed to be a non smoking car but had cigarette burns in the seat cushion. Outside damaged and license plate banging in the wind. I contacted the airport location 4xs within an hour of picking up the car (the garage was dark and I could not see clearly plus I had an appointment and did not have a lot of time). I left 2 voice messages requesting a call back and got nothing. An employee said no manager at work. Called 2xs the following day and have yet to hear back. This time I left my message with an employee. I search high and low for a corporate phone number and cannot locate one. DO NOT USE PAYLESS!!!

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    Contract & TermsCoveragePunctuality & SpeedOnline & App

    Reviewed Sept. 26, 2015

    I booked and paid for a car rental online and read all of the terms they had available before submitting the purchase. They said there was a $200 hold that was refundable upon returning the car and that a debit card was fine to use. Once the transaction was complete the real terms were shown in bold letters on the very next screen. As I found out almost all car rental places penalize you for using a debit card and not a credit card. The hold is $350 instead of $200. Ok, whatever. I'll get it back. But wait. Here is the kicker. They run a credit check on you at the counter when you pick up the car. If you don't pass, you're out of luck. They won't run the check ahead of time either. This policy could potentially leave debit card users stranded in an airport without a ride at the last minute.

    To be fair most companies have the same policy, but the difference with Payless is that they hide it from you until after the purchase is made. They also sucker you by offering a discount if you pay in advance. Other companies spell this policy out clearly before the purchase. I canceled my reservation within 3 minutes of making it but they kept $50. I am lucky - they only stole $50 from me. From what I am reading if I had kept the reservation they likely would have fraudulently added charges afterwards and taken much more. I also found it odd that the majority of their policies are dispute clauses that attempt to take all of your rights away.

    By using their website you agree not to file a class action lawsuit and all disputes must be handled in New Jersey. Reading their policies makes it clear that they fully intend to try to rob everyone in whatever way they can. They sure aren't looking for any repeat business. Payless is a completely Fraudulent company that should be avoided like the plague. I hope that reviews like this all over the internet just put them flat out of business. I did find one company that doesn't have this ridiculous Debit card policy. Enterprise treats your debit card just like a credit card with a $200 hold and they don't run a credit check. The only catch is that you need a round trip flight itinerary to qualify. If it wasn't for Enterprise I would have to cancel my vacation.

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    PricePunctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed Sept. 25, 2015

    Booked Payless through a Southwest flight reservation, price looked competitive. Bus pickup wait was over 30 mins. 15 people lined up at the rental counter, took over 45 mins just to get to the counter due to combination of inefficient work flow and only 2 counter staff working, even though 4-5 employees milling around the back office all the time, and ignoring the fact customers were waiting to rent.

    I had a quoted price for 5 passenger vehicle, the lady asked me how many passengers - and looking in the parking lot I understood where she was going - she wanted to move me to a sub-compact without changing the price. I said I would like a 5 passenger vehicle. She tried once again on, I said I have a price for a 5 passenger vehicle and that is what I expect. At that point she really got frustrated with me. Then she asked when I was going to return the vehicle. I told her the time, to be exactly 3 days (72 hrs) from when I actually get a car rented. She said "be careful, if you bring it back EARLY or LATE, you get charged extra."

    I asked her to explain the extra charges for an EARLY return, and she said that was up to the 'intake' guys, but it would apply. I was in a hurry and chose to ignore her. Then she put me through the options on gasoline, she told me it was full, etc... I finally got in the car and it was 3/4 full. Fortunately a car wash attendant helped me out and filled it for me.

    Upon returning the car, the place was a zoo. For those trying to rent, the line was through the lobby and outside the front of the building. I cannot imagine how long those people waited. It took me 25 mins to get somebody to come over and check my car back in, and even then was told if I wanted a receipt I needed to go inside (more lines?) to get my receipt. Don't rent from these scoundrels. My mistake - I'll pay the premium for a National Emerald Aisle or equivalent, in the future. Payless don't behave very well.

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    Customer ServicePriceStaff

    Reviewed Sept. 25, 2015

    For the labor day weekend, I booked in advance for a minivan and pre-paid for it. When it was time to pick up my minivan, the rep at the counter looked at me and said, "didn't you get a call from my manager?" My immediate response was "what for". She said there's a glitch in the system and that they overbooked the minivan. So offered to take a 7 seater SUV if available and they were out of that as well. I was offered two compact vehicle for the price of the minivan, is that supposed to be an upgrade that I'm supposed to be excited... two for the price of one?

    I kindly explained that I have specific needs for a 7 seater and not able to drive two vehicles or else we wouldn't be renting in the first place. She shook her shoulder and said nothing she can do and just sat her ass back down and continue playing on her phone as if I wasn't even there anymore. I've heard of horror stories like this before hence I prepaid to ensure they keep the vehicle for me but got screwed. Because of the holiday weekend, the car rental lines were extremely long, I spent the next 3.5 hours going from counter to counter to find a minivan so I don't ruin the family vacation. Fortunately, I was able to locate one from another company but had to pay 4 times my reserved price due to last minute rentals. This company costs me hundreds of dollars and time lost and all they could offer was a refund of my prepaid amount. That's the last time this company is getting my business.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed Sept. 24, 2015

    Oh my, where do I start? I will preface what I am about to say by saying my husband and I travel a lot and we have never experienced such poor service at a car rental place. We rented a minivan, because we had 5 people and luggage. I called Payless the morning of my flight to confirm that we are arriving around 11pm that evening and to make sure that the minivan that I requested will be available and the agent said no problem. When we arrived there was no minivan and the customer service was appalling. He mentioned that we could go back to the airport and see if we can rent the minivan from another company.

    Did I tell you already that we were there at 11pm!!! There were three other customers trying to rent cars at the same time and all of them were complaining about various issues. It is amazing they are still in business. This is the reader's digest version of my complaint. All I can say is that there are too many car rental companies to subject yourself to this company. Do yourself a favor, GO ELSEWHERE!

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    Customer ServiceContract & TermsPriceStaff

    Reviewed Sept. 24, 2015

    OK, so ** happens. Came to Phoenix for a meeting and the car broke down on the way to it. But then I spent over 2 hours trying to get help. Every number I dialed said "No one is available to help you right now. Call back later". That may not be an exact quote, but close enough. Finally I got hold of someone I believe named Christian in Nashville who said she would arrange for a tow truck to pick up my car and give me another vehicle. She said they would text me to do so in a couple of hours. I said I would not be available. I came to Arizona for a meeting. Could I give the keys to my assistant and could I give her his number? She said they would need to text me and would call him. I said "you understand I will not be available" and she said no problem - they would just swap it out.

    When Payless showed up at 1230-100 PM the rep from Payless had the Tow truck take the broken car and would not leave the other car because Don's name was not on the contract. Don explained that this is not what we were told and they were effectively leaving us stranded. The Payless rep said "tough" and "I have a mind to call the police and report you for grand theft auto since you fraudulently signed the receipt when you were on the contract." Later after 1 hour of calls to different numbers I finally spoke with the incompetent nasty ** who is manager at the airport and she refused to either apologize or make it right. This is the 4th incident I have had with Payless and I will never rent from them again.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed Sept. 23, 2015

    Payless car rental at JFK in New York City has awful customer service. The ladies at the front desk are rude and unpleasant. When you ask a basic/frequent question then you receive a nasty unpleasant attitude. The only reason I continued with my reservations was because it was too much of a hassle to change them. I am very displeased and will NEVER RENT with this company again. Their people skills are horrible and they do not need to sit at the front desk of anyone's company. Patricia especially she has eye rolling and attitude that is just not acceptable to be a customer service provider!

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    Customer ServiceContract & TermsPriceStaff

    Reviewed Sept. 22, 2015

    This company is totally inept and is virtually impossible to work with when you file a complaint but they are sure quick to steal your money!!! We returned the car at approximately 5:45 on the 22 of August. The location was closed and our flight was at 7:10 so we called the 800 number and were told to just leave the car at the location with the keys in the glove box and the rental agreement on the seat. We told him that was not going to work as we needed to be at the airport. The operator told us that was all we could do.

    We asked to speak to a supervisor but he was unwilling to do so. We told him we would leave the car at the airport and we did, with the keys in the glove box and the rental agreement on the seat. We called the location several times and left messages as to the location of the vehicle and my phone number asking them to contact me to make sure they returned the vehicle. Today I received an automated recording stating the vehicle was overdue.

    We had no violations. They misinformed us as to the drop off on our return. We informed the counter person that we were returning the car on Saturday at 5:30 am as our flight was at 7:10 am and she said it was no problem. Well now we have been overcharged well over $600. We left several messages on the answering machine and were never contacted till far later by the area manager who then told us we should have left it with the Avis agent. Well too little information too late. To date we have been charge $1122.12 for a rental that was to be $367.71. This is unacceptable. We did everything in our power to return the car. We will not be held responsible for the incompetence of your employee's and equipment. All our efforts appear to have fallen on deaf ears.

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    Customer ServiceContract & TermsCoveragePriceStaff

    Reviewed Sept. 22, 2015

    I prepaid for a rental car in Fort Lauderdale. It cost about $90 and seemed like a good deal. It was until they add additional charges without your consent and double to cost. When I arrived at the counter, the agent asked me if I wanted the insurance. I said no. She then printed the contract and asked me initial in numerous places and sign in others. Anyone who has rented a car knows the long contract, and nobody reads all the fine print. I saw printed a cost of $91.60. I asked the agent what that was for. She said it was the amount of the prepayment and that there would be no additional charges if I returned the car with a full tank of gas. I reconfirmed and said, so you are sure, there are no additional charges. She confirmed, everything has been prepaid. The $91.60 was about the amount I prepaid for the car, and I was not about to argue and pick apart their contract after flying cross country. I assumed the agent knew the contract.

    Additionally, all the checkboxes which you need to initial assume you are declining everything, except the one check box for insurance. It is the one that is reversed in the middle of long list of checkboxes and signatures. It assumes that you do want insurance, and you need to check the other column if you want to decline it, unlike any other item in the checklist. Needless to say, I just initialed everywhere as directed and signed and got charged for insurance, doubling the cost of my rental car. Either Payless has agents who do not understand their contracts, or agents who are pushed to sell insurance and are fraudulent in doing it. Additionally, the corporate contract adds to the deceit and fraud as I mentioned, the insurance item is the only one that in order to refuse it, you need to check the other column.

    On top of that, when I took this issue up with Payless customer support, I entered a complaint online and got their standard denial within 5 minutes. I then called and could not even speak with a manager. The customer service clerk, if you can call it customer service, held the standard denial policy and said it has already been evaluated at all levels and there is nothing further that could be done. I highly recommend you not fall for Payless cheap offers, as it will cost you more in the end with fraudulent charges which are charged to your credit card.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed Sept. 22, 2015

    This was my second rental with Payless within 15 days: Boston and Houston, and this was the third rental in a year, but this last experience left me with a bitter taste toward Payless. First, I was required to show proof of insurance to rent my car. I do not carry my insurance, but my AARP and credit card to do cover liability. Ashley, the rep, was bordering rude with "it is mandatory or I can't rent you the car." I had just rented a Payless rental in Boston 3 days earlier with no such request. Second, "no" cars were available she states, but specifically, my reserved class car was not available, and she put me in a less fuel efficient car as an alternative or wait additionally 20 minutes or more (after waiting 45+ minutes (730am-820am) at this point).

    Third, when I went to get the alternate car, it was dirty inside and out and had front hood damage. I went back to the desk to complain. She gave me a supervisor name and # of Sandra at **, but no one answered. When I commented of no supervisor to talk to, she states they don't work on weekends, and I have to wait till the weekday. Throughout the whole ordeal, she had computer issues, no staff support, and appeared frustrated. Lastly, I have a pending charge from Payless for $298 (my rsvp was for $42) that has not been altered at this time. I left and went to Alamo and was in a car and on my way in 10 minutes. An awful experience with Payless, and AARP will be notified of this horrible ordeal. Shame on you Payless.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed Sept. 21, 2015

    We rented a car from Payless at San Diego airport location. We were given a car with bad transmission and they charged us $10 a day for an additional drive after we even told them we didn't wanted. We were told that they will give us a refund and now 6 weeks later instead of getting refund back they charged my credit card for $57. I called the customer service and he was an idiot and stupid. I explained to him what is going and I need an explanation of why I was charged $57 and he replied by saying "send us the invoice of $57 and within 30 days will let you know." I told him how can I send the invoice and the only thing showing on my credit card statement is dollar amount. He replied by saying "I'm sorry nothing I can do". I had to call my credit company and filed a dispute. Take my advice and don't rent from them because nothing good gonna come out of.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed Sept. 19, 2015

    I reserved a car for five days through carrentals.com. The total was $287. At the counter, the rep was friendly but very sneaky. She said 'do you like a Mazda car?' I said 'yea.' She somehow upgraded me without my consent. I thought she was asking about car choices in the category - I picked 'compact car.' She then told me there would be a refundable deposit of $200, but no mention about the upgrade. I had an unsettling feeling, so I reviewed the paperwork. It turned out the total became $667 for five days with that upgrade and a fee for my husband who was the second driver which she did not even explain either. Luckily, I saw it before I left the counter.

    At this time, she was attending another customer, so I went up to another rep that may have been their manager. I told him the situation and he offered to give me a discount and take out the second driver fees off. The new to total came to $311. It is still high for a five day rental, but not far from the initial $287 total when I first reserved the car online. I took the deal. However, I still have not gotten a refund for the $667 that was initially charged by the first rep. It has been almost two months. I sent a message to their customer service and told me to wait or call my bank. They basically took out $1000 for a five day rental.

    I am still dealing with them and my bank for my $667 to be credited back to my credit card. Watch out for this company. I will never ever go back there. I do not care if I pay more at Enterprise or Budget. It is not worth the hassle. I am surprised they are still operating as a business--at the airport at that. I will file an official complaint at the BBB Seattle shortly.

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    Reviewed Sept. 18, 2015

    Reserved a car at Memphis Airport for a 2-day rental. The flight was delayed and we arrived 2 hours after scheduled pick-up time to be told that our reservation had been cancelled as we were late. We pointed out that there wasn't anything on the reservation confirmation about Payless being able to void a reservation after a specific time had elapsed, and that we wanted a vehicle. The service desk clerk told us that it was a "Memphis airport" policy that reservations were cancelled after 2 hours.

    We called the customer service number on the reservation and were informed that it's the company's nationwide policy to hold a reserved vehicle until 11 pm local time, and that there was no need for us to have called the Memphis service desk to let them know of any delay as long as we were picking up before then (it was only 8 pm). The service desk adviser just kept repeating that it was a Memphis policy, then waved a bunch of keys at us and said that she had lots of cars, but none available for us! She then turned her back and continued chatting with someone else about BBQ... Ended up renting from Avis at double the price, but at least their clerk was pleasant and helpful.

    Written complaint to customer service, received a stock denial of any responsibility, said the fault was mine for being late, and no explanation given as to the discrepancy between cancellation policies as told by the service desk clerk and the customer service rep on the phone, or the complete lack of a written cancellation policy provided to the customer at the time of reservation. No apology for the disrespectful behavior of the clerk either, until I mentioned it again.

    The sheer amount of complaints about Payless and their dire customer service standards should be enough to dissuade anyone from ever trying to rent from them in future. Wish I had read the hundreds of complaints before making my reservation, but got sucked into the promise of a cheap deal. Definitely will be steering well clear of Payless for my next car rental.

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    Customer ServiceSales & MarketingPriceOnline & AppStaff

    Reviewed Sept. 18, 2015

    I have rented cars at PHX at least 30 times. NEVER have had a company charge me over $1,300 when the Priceline estimate was $491. The employees act underhanded, didn't give me a receipt, they said their "printer didn't work". They emailed me the receipt and I nearly died. You cannot call them, they disconnect you. No corporate phone # to call. Can't put in a complaint on their website, that doesn't work either. Not surprisingly, they only have a fax# and P.O. box. I am reporting them everywhere possible. A TOTAL SCAM!!

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    Customer ServiceCoveragePriceStaff

    Reviewed Sept. 17, 2015

    As with many other reviewers, I booked a car with Payless because it was significantly cheaper than the other reputable rental agencies. When I returned my car, after DECLINING all additional coverage and charges, I was charged $56 for Roadside Assistance, which I had DECLINED. The agent, Roquia, who was the same agent from whom I rented the car, told me that I had agreed to purchase Roadside Assistance. That is a lie. When I requested she remove the charge she refused. When I requested a supervisor she refused to call one. This place commits fraud. I urge anyone who has been similarly defrauded to contact the US Federal Trade Commission to file a complaint online. I also urge you to contact the California Attorney General's Office, even if your rental was not in California, for investigation of fraud. These people are crooks.

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    Reviewed Sept. 11, 2015

    Had a reservation from Hotwire. They charged me an upcharge for daily rental, even though I was only out of state for ONE day. Most car rental companies do not charge any additional fees for states next to the rental location. What a rip off. This more than doubled the daily rate of my promised Hotwire reservation. At the Dallas location they have a mandatory refuel fee that you must pay for a full tank of gas but they only give you a car with a quarter tank of gas. What a rip off! Their locations are far away from the airport while other car rental companies are right on location. This company has serious ethical business problems. Be cautious when choosing to rent from them!

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    Contract & TermsPunctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed Sept. 10, 2015

    I arrived at the Payless Car Rental counter in San Antonio upon the completion of my flight. I rented a car through the Southwest Airlines site during the purchase of my ticket. When I arrived I was told that I was scheduled to pick the car up at 11:00AM and that I had exceeded the two hours window by two hours 3:00PM. They said they would not honor the agreement under which I had booked the car rental. I told them that this had never experienced a problem with any other car rental due to my arrival and when there were delays I was still allowed to rent a vehicle. The Payless Car Rental employee told me that they would not rent me a car since I was late even under different terms. No assistance was provided to locate another vehicle to rent or provide assistance with a car from AVIS Car Rental who was in the same counter.

    This is the second time that Payless Car Rental has forced me to rent under other terms or from another agency. Seeing the many unfortunate circumstance that customers have encounter on the Consumer Affairs site reaffirms my decision to no longer rent from Payless Car Rental. I may have to pay a higher prices for car rental service in the future but Payless Car Rental has lost the revenue from my future rentals.

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    PriceStaff

    Reviewed Sept. 9, 2015

    On August 24, 2015 I rented a car from Seatac airport. I reserved it online and thought I was getting a fabulous deal. They did not have my economy car ready and upgraded me. She said they would give me a great deal. I assumed (never assume) it was a free upgrade. This "upgrade" itself had scratches and black marks all around it and the seats were stained. I told the clerk I did not want this car. I had no choice. I did not look at the cost of the upgrade. It was $26.99 per day for 6 days. The cost for the week was doubled - lots of hidden cost. Make sure you check your agreement.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed Sept. 9, 2015

    Rented a Flight, Hotel and car through CheapOAir. Wednesday 19 2015 got confirmation back from all venues. Got to the Car rental, handed over the confirmation letter. This male with extremely nasty attitude, so rude. He told me I could not rent a car because the confirmation was in my husband's name. My husband was right by my side. Would not tell me why, just said he couldn't. Would not even rent it with my husband drive it. Had to go to another company and pay $168 more.

    This company (going by all the unhappy complaints) should not be in business. They charged me a booking fee and I was told to pay the remainder at time of pick up. This was not returned either. BBB should be monitoring this ripoff practice. I'm not the only one this has happened too. Then when I tried to get an explanation from Payless upper management, was told I was a no show. What I big lie. If I wasn't there how did I manage to rent from Budget next bay at the Airport.

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    Reviewed Sept. 8, 2015

    I chose Payless because their advertised price was competitive with the companies I was considering. After returning the car and getting bill the charges, which were supposed to be $134.00 ballooned to $199.32. This was an addition of $64.64 (or 48%) more than expected. I tried to reach Payless through the internet, but with no success.

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    CoveragePunctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed Sept. 6, 2015

    SHAME ON HOTWIRE FOR BACKING THESE CRIMINALS! I got a noon reservation online for a $124 rental and went to the Payless Rental Car desk at SDF Airport to pick up my car. I was twelve minutes early. I told the guy behind the counter I was there for a noon pickup. He said "Then why don't you come back at noon?" as rudely as he possibly could. When we came back 12 minutes later, I handed him the printout of my reservation. It suddenly jumped from $124 to over $172 with the addition of their mandatory "roadside assistance" coverage. I cancelled and walked away. These are the most unscrupulous people I have dealt with in a long time. They figure they have you over a barrel at the airport. The crooks can all drown in their barrel before I knuckle under to their dirty tactics!

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    Reviewed Sept. 4, 2015

    I rented a car with this horrid co. last summer in Denver, and it was honestly the WORST car renting experience I have ever had. First I wait in line for over an hour, then they charge me for "roadside service" yet tell me that its included in my rental. Then they give me a dirty car that had only 3/4 tank of gas (they told me it was FULL). I was already so late for my appt that I stupidly didn't go back and complain, I left the lot. Mistake. THIS PLACE IS AWFUL! They will trick you into paying for things and make you believe it's included in the rental. I have already filed a complaint with the BBB and have disputed my credit card charges. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY EVER!

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    Customer Service

    Reviewed Sept. 4, 2015

    My mother, sister and myself rented a car from Payless Car Rental on August of 2015. We picked up the Mazda 5 at the Portland OR airport location. The car seemed to drive fine, everything visible looked fine. A few days into our trip after traveling to Crater Lake on many mountain roads with no guard rails we were heard some strange noises. After inspection we found a rubber strip coming off the inside of the tire. We drove slowly to a shop, and they could not believe that all four tires were in horrible condition, completely unsafe - Payless could not have missed this if the car was up on a lift, and 3,000 miles would not have caused that much damage (assuming they change oil every 3,000).

    The customer service was awful, they tried to blame us for not noticing it, did not return calls, and tried every tactic to blame shift. We were refunded for the money we spent on the 4 new tires, but that is all, nothing for the 3 hours we spent off our vacation, the extra gas we used to drive out of our way to the shop, or the danger that our lives were in. We will not be renting from Payless again, or Avis, because they are owned by the same company.

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    Customer ServiceContract & TermsStaff

    Reviewed Sept. 3, 2015

    I rented the car two days before pickup, paid in full, all taxes and extra charges. The information in the agreement never told me to take the Avis Bus to the rental location. Once I arrived, there was a long line and ONE guy behind the counter. He had to go get the car himself for one of the renters. I had rented a full-size car and the guy said there was no full sized cars for rent. He offered me an SUV that was parked right out front. It had the most rancid smell of smoke, but I was in a hurry so I just took it and left.

    When I returned the car, the agent (**) said he sent a copy of the receipt to my email address. I asked for a copy. It was 20% higher than what I paid. I questioned it and his response was "this just looks weird, not sure". He said he would remove the add-on charges. While standing at the counter, the agent next to me did the exact same thing to the other person at the counter. We rode the bus and talked about it later. It was a total rip off, they were just trying to increase the bill erroneously. Don't use this company. THEY WILL RIP YOU OFF.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed Sept. 2, 2015

    Payless changes their name to get business. They got me twice. SUV or similar I was giving a two year old Honda Civic with 80k miles after waiting two hours. Missed my meeting. The car was so beat up people asked me if I borrowed a car from someone. The windshield wipers were worn out and the people at the counter lie and never answer the phone. They make you wait in the same line to return the car. I couldn't wait. My bill went from 79.00 to 350.00.

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    Reviewed Sept. 1, 2015

    Be sure to read the fine print before making a reservation. If you use their prepaid reservation and cancel you will get charged $50 processing fee! I should have just kept the reservation! Now it is costing me double to rent a car! Never using them again.

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    Customer ServicePunctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed Sept. 1, 2015

    On Monday August 24, I rented a Kia Optima. That Friday on my way home from work the front passenger tire blew out. Please be mindful that I am a female and this was not one of New Orleans' favorable neighborhoods. I called Payless and the female rep never apologized for my inconvenience... All she kept telling me is I would be responsible if I abandon the car. She then told me the car did not come with a spare so I would have to call a tow truck and ride with this strange man to get a replacement. It is now 9pm at night and I am alone. I am a nurse that work 12 hour shifts and had to return back to work that morning. She transferred my call and the call then dropped. It is now 10pm and I am still stranded. I decided to try and call someone to bring me to buy a used tire but it was so late and all the little used tire shops were closed. I had to wait in the car - didn't want to abandon it.

    After 2 hours of sitting in the car, my friend returned with a used tire that I had to pay $50 for. It is now near 11:30pm and no one tried to call from Payless to see how I made out or apologize. I emailed the manager and he did apologize and offer to replace the cost of the tire. The man that sold the tire said the tire on this Kia was in bad shape... Strips were coming off the tire. Thank God I was not driving fast on the highway. This was a terrible experience and I will never deal with Payless again. Whoever inspected this car should be fired.. especially because this car did not come with a spare.

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    Reviewed Sept. 1, 2015

    I booked a car online for a total price of 78 dollars. When I arrived to the Payless rental office in San Diego they forced me to buy the insurance, plus all those taxes - my bill went up to 320.00 dollars. Since I was there already I had no other choice but to pay. My rental was a Nissan Versa all beat up, drove like crap but I was stuck with it for 4 days. Please if you are going to rent a car DO NOT RENT IT FROM PAYLESS. Horrible service.

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    Customer ServicePricePunctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed Aug. 31, 2015

    Looks like I got hooked in to their BAIT & SWITCH mode of operation, same as everyone else. They even charge extra for dropping cars back early, so be there at EXACTLY the time you say you will be there. Another gimmick is they charge for ROADSIDE Assistance, and lots of other add-ons. When I dropped car back, gal that checked car back in said everything was good and charges would not change. Then later that night I received invoice email with EXTRA CHARGES! This is a HOODLUM OPERATION.

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    Contract & Terms

    Reviewed Aug. 30, 2015

    For a two day compact car at SEA airport pre-paid at $110.22, ended up pay $351.23. I never know it was an upgrade for a new contract. I thought they were out of compact car. I did not look carefully to check the form that is full of "traps" to lead you to add outrageous charges. They only gave me $38.00 for the prepaid credit. On my prepaid rate, they add a "upgrade" fee of $139.98 and added all the BS items that I declined in original contract. The contract form is purposely designed to confuse customers and generally no one has enough time to study it at the counter to avoid the traps. Once you signed, they just charged you. This is the way they rip off customers. I suggest an investigation by Washington State Attorney General.

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    Reviewed Aug. 28, 2015

    The Faab was not connecting with the car therefore would not start. They basically said "Sorry, you didn't get our roadside assistance." For three days of the 5 I spent 30 to 120 minutes every time I got in the car trying to start it. Lost way too much.

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    Reviewed Aug. 28, 2015

    Ok I'll never use them again, they are not understanding. One thing I brought the car back a hour late. Which I tried to call, couldn't get anyone to answer to tell them I was on my way to bring the car back. So when I got there Joanne the closing agent takes my customer Invoice. She proceeds on to enter the information.

    Never speaks or communicates with me about being charged until she comes back to the window and charged me 50 dollars more on my credit card, I told her "why didn't you ask me if I wanted to pay with a credit card or debit card". I said "why are you charging that much for a hour late". She tells me it's for a extra day rental. I then said "well give me the car back until the next day if I'm getting charged another day's rental". Then she tell me "the contract is close you're not getting the car back or any money back". I told her "you never came and explained to me my options".

    I could have kept the car if I knew it would of been a charge for 50 dollars more for a extra day. I politely ask to speak the manager David **. He says it's in the contract. I told him to show me where does it state you would be charge a whole day's rental fee for being a hour late. Only thing he came up with was, "on a late return some charges may occur". Now he tells me I am given a grace period of 30 min. return so now they're charging me 50 dollars more for 30 minutes being late. I wouldn't recommend this car rental company, stay far away. SCAM!! The Manager tells me to take it up with the Corporate office.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed Aug. 27, 2015

    Upon giving my prepaid slip to the man at the counter, who was quite rude I might add, he lied to my face and lead me to believe I had to rerun my credit card. Outcome is I've paid twice for the same rental car at over $250. It's in dispute with my credit card company but this terrible operation is not backing down!

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    Customer ServicePunctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed Aug. 25, 2015

    Rented a car online July 7th, 2015. I got a rate for $297 prepaid for Seattle. I bought and paid for it. When I arrived on August 16th to pick up car, I had to wait in line for about a half of a hour to do the paperwork for my car. The counter person was friendly but was hard selling every add-on option that they have. I said no to everything except the "prepaid gas" when I dropped the car back off. It was $50.31 for it and I agreed to it. When I dropped off car after using it, the girl gave me a receipt and said my charges were going to be $88 and some change. I looked at it and had to go catch a plane. I figured I would figure it out later when I got home.

    I called the Seattle rental office when I got home and found out it was very hard to talk to a human. I finally got a hold of a person and told the story and she said I should talk to a manager. She put me on hold and came back and said no manager was on duty and to call the 800 number. I did and some third world country answered. After explaining to the customer service agent my issue he said he would note it and someone would get a hold of me. They finally got a hold of me with via an email. I have been messaging back and forth with them. They just told me the extra charge was for roadside assistance. I never told the idiot at the counter I wanted roadside assistance. I told him the only thing I would buy is the prepaid gas. Sound now I'm fighting with some "manager" via a text style email service. There are numerous complaints of them doing this.

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    Reviewed Aug. 23, 2015

    $120. Rental Charged At close to $400. 8/23/15 I am getting a letter that American Express can't fight the extra $280. Payless charged for cleaning out "Smoke Smell" in car. I have never smoked!

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    Reviewed Aug. 23, 2015

    After reserving a car rental through Expedia... and after receiving a CONFIRMATION number, when we arrived at the Philadelphia airport, and calling for the Payless shuttle, I was told that PAYLESS HAD NO CARS AVAILABLE for my CONFIRMED RESERVATION. I was told by the shuttle driver to try Hertz. I ended up paying around $200 more for my Hertz rental than the Payless rental would have cost me. I was also told by Hertz that this happens quite frequently with Payless. I will be posting this on as many review sites as I possibly can find. DON'T ATTEMPT TO RENT FROM PAYLESS... EVER!

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    Reviewed Aug. 22, 2015

    When I made the reservation through Expedia, it states unlimited miles and when I brought the car back, they overcharged me over $100 because they apparently can do so after certain mileage. I believe this is really unfair because the agent at the counter never informed me of this and I was never made aware of this excess charge?! I contacted Payless and they told me that it was in the contract but also that this was not the first time they had problems with the Payless car company in Toronto. I feel like I was blindsided by these charges.

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    Reviewed Aug. 20, 2015

    Payless Car Rental should not be in business! Third-world technology (they could even benefit just by using walking-talkies), third-world processes and third-world staff. I had to wait an hour in line, averaging 15 minutes per customer. Three standard deviations below normal service levels at other rental car agencies. The service was beyond poor and felt largely incompetent. I wish I can give them less than "1." I spent as much time picking up a car I reserved as I did flying to Raleigh. I did not pay the airfare and take the time to fly to Raleigh to have the privilege of standing in line for an hour to observe a business model designed and operated by the three stooges.

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    Customer ServicePricePunctuality & Speed

    Reviewed Aug. 20, 2015

    I booked with Payless on southwest.com with my flight from their San Francisco branch due to the low price. HUGE MISTAKE. They gave away my car reservation and never notified me until I had dragged my 2 young kids, pregnant wife, luggage, and car seats on the air train, down and elevator, out into the lot, the OFF-SITE shuttle. Then I was told without even a "sorry" that they had no cars. Being stranded at SFO at 10 PM Pacific time, and that we were on Eastern time, this was the most stressful travel incident I have dealt with. The only car we could rent that night was from another agency for $140/day, so ended up taking a cab to our hotel for $200 and renting a car off-site the next day. When I contact them, I received an email that said, "Sorry for the inconvenience." If you value your sanity and vacation money, NEVER USE PAYLESS.

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    Reviewed Aug. 18, 2015

    When considering using Payless Car Rental follow the doctrine of "Caveat Emptor" (let the buyer beware). Bait and switch seems to be their business plan. I found their low rate in Hotwire.com ($ 44.00 per day) and decided to give them a try. Total charge for the four days was suppose to be $182.39. My plans changed and I decided to keep the car one extra day. I figured that I could change my reservation when I picked up the car. When I got to the counter the clerk said that there would be no problem, told me that since I am a big guy a larger car would be more comfortable. (SALES BS).

    The new charge for the five days would be $308.54!! That means that he tried to harpoon me $126.11 for one more day, quite an increase over $44.00. When my response was a little vocal and not agreeable he told me that it was my fault that I had screwed up my reservation. His condescending attitude pissed me off-- GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE! I pushed back and took the car for four days at the originally quoted price. When I returned the car that clerk told me that they get paid a commission on all the upgrade charges they can stick their victims/customers with. So I recommend that you keep your hand on your wallet when you go in to a Payless Car rental office. However, if you like to be insulted, belittled and cheated this is the place for you!

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    Price

    Reviewed Aug. 18, 2015

    Why is this company still in business? I wish my wife and I had seen all of the reviews before we booked with Payless. I arrived at the counter in Dallas with my children and young granddaughter expecting to pick up a full-size car. We are visiting my sick mother and flew out early from the East Coast. SURPRISE NO CARS and they weren't expecting any in! So now we are stuck at the airport! No other rental car places had any extra cars unless I wanted a Mercedes at $1,600. YES $1,600. After much frustration I found a Hertz in downtown Dallas that would rent us a car for double the price of Payless. What choice did I have? So we took a taxi (another expense) from Love Field to Hertz! NEVER AGAIN for PAYLESS! I do consider myself lucky as many of the other postings on here show FRAUD!!

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    Customer ServiceContract & TermsCoveragePricePunctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed Aug. 17, 2015

    We were told by Hotwire that Payless is at the airport, we found out when we arrived to pick up the cars we had reserved that Payless was approx 10 minutes from the airport. We then had to take a shuttle train to Viscount Station to be picked up by a shuttle van which brought us to Payless car rental location. On arrival at 11 am, the lineup in Payless was 8 people deep and moving slow. To my right an oriental lady was in tears, literally crying while arguing with a tall mid-thirties East Indian fellow I believe was the manager. She complained that her credit card was overcharged $800. Her poor husband who could not speak a lick of English stood by helplessly.

    In the far corner to my right another lady was arguing with her husband. Payless staff declined his credit card. Other customers were being up charged and forced to buy insurance they did it want. One customer commented "Payless should be called Paymore." Our turn arrived, the counter lady told me that the car would be going off lease when we brought it back, therefore to bring it back with very little gas. After asking me what I did for a living and telling her that I'm in private enterprise (I look like a cop but I am not), she then tells me to initial the rental agreement in the spot for underage driver (my son was the second driver and under the age of 25 so normally a $25! per day surcharge would apply) but that she "would not charge" me the $25 per day fee. Like a fool I initialled it without questioning it.

    In the end when we brought the car back, we were charged the extra $25 per day for underage driver (my 24 y/o son). I'm ok with this charge although I wish that the desk clerk would of not lied to me. We returned the car at 9 pm a week later. The customer in front of me was being given a Mazda 3 and was being told that it was a full-size car. The customer was arguing with the desk clerk that he had reserved a full-size car and that a Mazda 3 in fact was not a full size. The desk clerk told the customer that was all they had left.

    I then piped up and told the customer could have the Camry I was bringing back as it was "clean, full of gas and ready to go ". Payless told me when I picked up the car a week earlier that it was coming off of lease; this was a lie as the car was re-rented out immediately. In hindsight, I'm glad I filled it with gas as they charge $165 if you bring a car back near empty. They seem like a bunch of fraudsters to me. NEVER RENT FROM HERE PLEASE.

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    Staff

    Reviewed Aug. 14, 2015

    I reserved a car in Seattle for 1 week at 288.0. The end billing was over 547.0. I am disputing the billing charges as the agent and her manager are crooks. I believe they are receiving financial benefits from their overbilling practices! DO NOT RENT FROM PAYLESS. They are crooks!!!!

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    Customer ServiceContract & TermsPunctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed Aug. 13, 2015

    I had a recent rental with Payless and found the experience very discouraging. At the counter, there was 30-minute wait and after they signed the paperwork, it was another 20 minutes until the car was ready. When I returned the car I asked the clerk if the amount on my contract was correct and that was what I would be billed and he said "yes"... only late did I find that the bill was $78 more that what was quoted. I appealed to their customer service personnel and found them to be by the book and offered no consideration for the poor service and delays. I would avoid this company as there are several other choices.

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    Reviewed Aug. 13, 2015

    I travelled with a group of 30+ to O'Hare airport to spend a week. I reserved 3 vans in November for the July travel dates. I called a few days before to confirm and change the pick up time. I offered my credit card to be sure we had the vans when we arrived. I was told giving my credit card was not needed. The three drivers arrived (while the 30 others in the group waited at the airport) to get the vans and the employees played hide and seek for twenty minutes before we were told they had no vans. I asked what were they going to do. They called their partners Avis/Budget(?) to ask if they could help. Their offer were vans for three times the price I arranged with Payless, over $2000.00 a van. There is more to the story about their poor customer service that day than I have room to write. Employees disappearing, Payless's our website list a bad phone number for the local desk, etc...

    We had to ride back to the airport in the shuttle and then jump into another shuttle to find another company to provide ground transportation for the week. While our planned group dinner sat at the restaurant four miles away and the group of 30 waited at the airport for close to two hours. On my return, I filed a complaint with Payless and received a form email response saying "We're sorry the vehicle you requested was not available." After five or six email responses, all they could say was "Sorry". I asked the employees at the counter if they were going to give us smaller cars in exchange for the vans? I asked customer service complaint dept. if they were going to compensate us for the added expense and frustration. Offer us a discount for vans next year? Their answer to all questions were "NO we don't do that!"

    In my last response I told the customer service they left me with nothing except for me to share our experience to the public. To help someone else to avoid this company and experience the same horrible experience. A shout out to National Car Rental who came to our rescue and helped us by giving us vans and a discounted rate on a short notice, they ended up being cheaper than what I reserved through Payless!

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed Aug. 13, 2015

    We prepaid a car rental for Arizona and we were not told we needed to give them 350 in order to rent this car. We confirmed with them prior to going that we did not have any other fees but what we paid. We did not have the money and therefore could not rent the car. They were rude and when we called the main office they hung up on us. We tried to get a refund and not one person at this place will help us or even speak politely to us. We were lied to by several of their reps. We do not want anyone to rent cars here and go through what we did. Please go to another company who is trustworthy and polite to their customers. These people just want the money and do not care about you nor what you may go through. All they care about is getting the money up front and screwing people over. Please go someplace else.

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    Reviewed Aug. 12, 2015

    Pressure tactics at the sales counter. Of course you have to sign and initial numerous places. Little or no or poor explanation as to what's on the paperwork, my bad, won't happen again. Ended up paying for roadside service that I didn't need and the liability "scam" tactic. Vehicle license fee? Console facility fee?

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    Customer ServicePunctuality & Speed

    Reviewed Aug. 11, 2015

    I was overcharged 700 dollars (4 extra days) when I returned a rental to the Louisville location because they said that I didn't return the car (I was told by a woman behind the desk that I could just leave the keys on her desk because of their long line). When I was informed that "my car wasn't returned" several days later I called and no one picked up the phone at the Louisville desk so I had to call Hertz to leave a written message. The gentleman at Louisville did not apologize and said he would have "corporate" reimburse me.

    This did not happen after 2 days so I called Customer Care who also said they would reimburse me but did not. It took me calling a Corporate office in Virginia to get someone to fix the situation. No one apologized. They took at least 48 hours later than promised for EVERY transaction and didn't offer any money extra to help out with my situation. My rent check bounced and I incurred several late fees as a result of a mistake. I am a public school teacher, my wife is pregnant, and my financial situation is shaky already. I will NEVER use them again and will recommend anyone I know to avoid this company.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed Aug. 10, 2015

    I reserved a car in Omaha through Expedia's AARP site. Upon my arrival in Omaha at 2:30 pm, I discovered that no one was at the reservation counter, although paperwork I received indicated the counter was open from 7 am - 11 pm. Agents at the Budget desk informed me that the counter would be open at 3 pm. At about 3:25 pm an agent arrived. I was second in line. When I got up to the counter, I was informed that they did not have a car for me. I was given a piece of paper to fill out and email to company headquarters and was then sent over to Avis (which happens to own Payless) to get a rental.

    The paper I was given from Payless includes these words, "We have arranged for you to obtain a rental car from an alternate source. Payless Car Rental will reimburse the base rate difference, if any, based on your reserved rate with us." I completed all the paperwork and attached all the requested receipts. After not hearing back from them, I made several phone calls and emailed several representatives. I was eventually told via email that I would not be reimbursed the $32 difference. I was not given a reason and I have continued to pursue this. It is extremely frustrating that Payless does not have the integrity to stand behind their word. Their customer service is utterly unsatisfactory.

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    Customer ServiceCoverage

    Reviewed Aug. 9, 2015

    When I got to the airport no car. I had to obtain written proof from my insurance company that their car was covered and insurance card would not do. I rented the car for 11 dollars a day for 3 days and then got my receipt for $77. Yolanda at the Nashville Airport could not explain the charges and in my anger I flicked the receipt across the counter. She called airport security and had me detained. Yolanda is a real piece of work and so is that company.

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    Customer ServicePunctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed Aug. 9, 2015

    Prepaid for car rental at LaGuardia airport. When I arrived nobody was in the office. Called 800 # and they told me to walk to Avis or Budget office and rent a car there. I was told I would be refunded the difference in rates (over $150 since I was now renting at the last minute). When we drove out of the car rental lot we were told by the attendant that everyday the Payless office opened late, and very often they didn't show up at all. To make a long story short, I never received the $150 back. Stay away from this company.

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    Staff

    Reviewed Aug. 8, 2015

    I had a reservation from Payless Car Rental Company TYS McGhee Airport. I recommend people not to rent from here. To sell me the insurance package, they tried everything. I insisted on not getting their package since I have my own insurance. Then they told me that they need a utility bill from me, and they refused to give the car I rented So I had to rent a car from another company, and of course they didn't refund me. They were the rudest people I faced (I rent cars a lot). Be very careful and don't rent from them.

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    Customer ServiceContract & TermsStaff

    Reviewed Aug. 8, 2015

    Do NOT rent a car from Payless Car Rental!! We rented a car on Friday. Was supposed to be a midsize SUV. When we went to pick it up, they told us we would be getting a Kia Soul. Keep in mind we were paying for a mid size SUV. Of course we voiced our frustration, and they finally gave us a Nissan Rogue. Anyways, we returned it on Monday as per our contract. They checked off as everything was ok. No damage, etc... Yes we have the paperwork that shows this. We also received a copy of the bill in which the amount that would be charged to our account (Which was $329.97). We went on today and checked our bank account and saw that they charged us $788.21!!!

    I called the # on the contract all day and it keeps saying - "all representatives are busy", and hangs up. So I call the reservation line. They have to submit an email to corporate to look into this. Assured us that the vehicle showed no damage, so the guy had no idea why we were overcharged. Now they expect us to wait up to 14 days for an "EMAIL RESPONSE" from corporate letting us know what's going on. I asked them to call me. They said they only communicate thru email. What kind of company is this??! We are out $400 until who knows when. Hopefully we are able to dispute it thru Wells Fargo, but not sure since it's our debit card. I'm beyond frustrated and just want you all to know not to rent a car thru them!!!

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    Reviewed Aug. 6, 2015

    Deceptive to the point of fraud. Overcharged on the upgrade $164.40. Tragic.

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    Customer Service

    Reviewed Aug. 6, 2015

    Please do not ever rent from this company. I had to get a boost off the entire time we were out of town, on our family trip. No reimbursement, no sorry, no coupons or anything. Corporate was nasty while communicating through email. I will never in a million years rent with them again!

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    Contract & TermsPriceStaff

    Reviewed Aug. 6, 2015

    I had flown in from New York to Las Vegas. I went to Payless thinking it was cheaper, but it really should be called Paymore. First off there were so many random state charges and whatnot. Secondly the agent fooled me. He told me specifically to bring the car back on empty and it will be cheaper, but never put it on the contract so I was charged $165 for not filling up. He also put the damage waiver on the contract which I never asked for, and when I asked for refund they said it's on the contract, they can't do anything about it. Moral of the story, look over the contract with these small rental companies. I, like an idiot after a 5 hour flight, did not have the patience to look it over and it costed me. Also it pays to just stick with Hertz, Avis, Enterprise, etc. I will never use Payless again.

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    Customer ServiceCoverageSales & Marketing

    Reviewed Aug. 5, 2015

    I did a reservation online with Payless Car Rental on August 2, 2015 to the location near the Luis Munoz Marin airport in Puerto Rico. When I went personally to their facilities the person who attended me was Jean **, the same person who attended me when I returned the car on August 5. On August 2 after 5PM at the counter he was insisting to add their car insurance which I had the right to refuse. I told the person I had my own car insurance plus in addition Visa Platinum also covers CWD. He then called my bank NFCU to be sure that it was true and the person on the phone from my bank had to tell him yes.

    I had to reply to personal questions to prove the person on the other side that I was the holder of the card. This was uncomfortable and humiliating. Originally the reservation online and the actual contract was for just 2 days. The online reservation total amount of 2 days for a total amount of $32.70. At the facility the total amount reservation was $39.90. I asked the gentleman that how much more would I have to pay if i needed the car an additional day and his response was that there would be just an additional charge of $3.00.

    THIS WAS THE ONLY ADDITIONAL FEE HE TOLD ME UPFRONT. In Puerto Rico consumers pay 1% city tax and 10.5% state tax fee. It's the law and I know this since I live here but what I could not understand in the final bill which I was questioning him about was what did the addition fees he never told me about. He said they were extra taxes. He couldn't explain to me the details that follow: Energy tax fee 3@ $1.00. I can live with that though he couldn't explain what it meant. FAC REC FEE 3@ $2.89 for a total of $8.67. VEH LIC FEE 3@ .94 for a total of $2.82. MAINT Fee .500% .22. TRPP 3@ $1.95 a day $5.95 (if this is travel road protection - he couldn't explain, it is covered in my AARP membership card, my car insurance and my Visa Platinum Card.) TRANS REC FEE, 8.750%. EXT FEE -- the only additional fee he told me about since day one. The total of all these hidden fees was $31.65.

    What upset me is that I was emphatic when I went the first day to know upfront about additional fees. I told him that I expected nothing more or nothing less charged to my credit card, then this happened. Online it was one amount, at Payless Car Rental on Marginal #100 Isla Verde it added up to $39.90 but with the extended day it added up to $62.65 They are doing false advertisement when they are not honest upfront regarding total costs and what they mean. Payless Confirmation Code: ** Phone Number: 787-625-8880 or 1-800-729-5377. Is this legal to do to customers? If an attorney contacts me it must be after 7:00 pm time in Puerto Rico.

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    PricePunctuality & Speed

    Reviewed Aug. 5, 2015

    I rented a car from this company and was told my rental for two weeks would be 207.64 with a two hundred hold. When I took it back on time and clean they charge my bank 390.14. They charge 150.00 cleaning fee, concession fee twice - one 17.68, another 16.67, sales tax twice - 16.80, another 15.83. And the invoice I got don't even match the charges. It's like they played with the numbers to come up 390.14. I file a complaint and I still waiting to get my D money back.

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    Price

    Reviewed Aug. 4, 2015

    I had a reservation through Orbitz for $38.26 per day. They upped the price to $45 per day claiming orbitz is only an estimate. The car I was given had an expired Plate Tag. I realized that after police stopped me and since my driver license is out of state, I was pulled over for 20 mins to check the driver license. Was very annoyed about that specially I avoided driving so I don't get pulled over again.

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    Customer ServicePunctuality & Speed

    Reviewed Aug. 3, 2015

    Payless car rental 5773 West Washington St. - While returning the car there were several people including customers to park their car. The agent had another employee to get the manager to help. The manager came in yelling "I don't. Why ya keep calling me to come. Help I run this office all the time by myself." Really. There were about 8 of us waiting. He then answered several calls getting smart and slamming the phone down. Even made me pay for Roadside assistance after I declined insurance upfront. Worst customer service manager of the year.

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    Customer ServicePricePunctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed Aug. 3, 2015

    First of all I had been up flying for pretty much 24 hrs, when I got to the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport. There's no one at the counter, the woman at Sixt rental next to it said "no one is ever there, you have to call that number they left on their counter." When I called they informed me they were sending a shuttle to take me to their pick up location in 20 mins, and to wait outside. An hour later I was still waiting so I called back. The guy said, "We have no cars, go to Avis. They'll honor our rentals." So I go upstairs to Avis, after waiting in line they pretty much tell me they're not honoring anything. I call the guy again he says, "just stand outside we'll come and get you." Someone finally came. When we get to the rental site, the guy at the counter looks up my info, laughs and tell me "you're on a do not rent list." I thought he was playing at first because he was laughing but no. I was so embarrassed in front of all these other ppl.

    I told him "I travel weekly and I rent cars just as often. I don't smoke. I make sure the gas tank is fuel. Never go over the rental time. There's no way I could be on your list." He didn't care. He gave me a number to call. I went outside to talk to the shuttle driver. I could tell he didn't want to help me at first because I wasn't renting but out of the kindness of his heart he took me back to the airport cause I didn't know where I was. At the end of this I called the number, they said they didn't know and to call Avis who actually owns them. Avis has nothing on any do not rent list on me. I'm completely clear of anything as far as they're concerned. After a few more run around calls with Payless and some angry customer service talks they still don't know why I'm on their list. Don't know who to call next, but I'm done. You lost a customer that spends thousands on rentals a yr. Going cheaper than the main companies bit me in the butt.

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    CoveragePriceStaff

    Reviewed Aug. 2, 2015

    I had a price quote for about 120.00. I checked my account and found I was charged $280!!!! They charged for insurance I didn't accept or initial, of 66, roadside assistance I didn't not want or initial for 48, and best of all a 27 dollar free for getting it at LAX!! Total bill 160 more than the quote!!! DO NOT RENT FROM THIS COMPANY. I also waited almost 2 hr in line to get car! ONE person working!!!! Then got wrong size car!! Minus 2 stars!

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    Price

    Reviewed Aug. 1, 2015

    Got a low price with prepay online. When I went to pick up car they wanted a $300 hold on bank account of card I used (after they had my money). When I did not have enough in that account, they would not let me use another card. They would not refund my prepaid $70. Total ripoff. I've rented from them before and did not know they had changed to the worst.

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    Reviewed July 31, 2015

    We reserved an SUV from Payless car rental at the Providence, Rhode Island airport. We were given a Jeep Patriot. After driving in the dark for over two hours we were pulled over by the highway patrol because we had no taillights!

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    Staff

    Reviewed July 30, 2015

    Rented a car for three days via internet for ATL airport. Got there and the first car was more than five years old and had so many dings and dents I joked with them that maybe they wanted to trade for a newer one. I was trying to be friendly. That doesn't fall under allowable personality traits in their "Attitude" attitudes. I had to ask for a damage record document. I recorded the several flaws so as to not get charged after the fact for damage that wasn't mine. I didn't get a block away before I realized it had a shimmy in the front end and a warning light on the dash. As a commercial pilot I'm not a stranger to mechanical issues. This car wasn't going to go the 400 miles I needed it to. So I turned around and traded it in.

    I was still friendly, but they wouldn't have any of that either. No eye contact and no words now. Just handed keys to a different car. Had to ask for a damage record document again. Had to record damage again. Had to ask them to give me a copy again. I wanted to cancel but didn't want to fight the lines at other car places again. I hadn't ever heard problems with Payless or I wouldn't have considered them. Once I got out from the parking garage and into the light I realized someone had spilled coffee in all the seats and never cleaned them. By now it was becoming clear what I was in for. Mechanically it seemed OK so I continued. The drive went fine and I returned the car at the end. Attitude again. Been too soon to see if I have been charged more than I should yet. Will never use Payless again. I recommend no one else does either. Let them fail.

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    Customer ServicePunctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed July 30, 2015

    We rented a car while in Vegas, we had to wait forever in line. Customer service super slow then the agent said we did not have a reservation even though we had the paperwork in my hand. What was a 180 dollars for 4 days turned into a 500 dollar bill. They added insurance and upgrade and almost 70 dollars for gas fill up. I finally got someone to call me back after a week of calling and leaving my number. I was told they have a video of the transaction and would look into it. I'm not holding my breath because I'm sure they don't have a video and will say that my husband agreed to it. I will never use them again ever. They may have lower prices and now we know why.

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    Customer ServicePriceStaff

    Reviewed July 29, 2015

    We rented a car through Payless for a week in Nashville, TN. We were charged for Roadside Service Protection and Collision, which I did not want. Their representative did not disclose these items to us or the cost of these additional items when we rented the car. When I contacted Customer Service, they more or less said "too bad, you signed for it". This is non-disclosure. This is also called fraud. I will never rent from this company again.

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    Customer ServicePrice

    Reviewed July 29, 2015

    I rent cars on a regular basis. This was the first and last time using the company named 'Payless' which must be ironic because you actually WILL be paying a lot more effectively. I wish I saw these reviews before I booked, but my experience was so bad I need to warn others from making my mistake. Booked a car through Carrentals.com. (A good website operated by Expedia.) It was high season in Montreal and I needed to book a car last min drive my sister-in-law to her friend's wedding. As there were no cars at my usual trusted providers I booked a car at the airport from a company called 'nu car' aka Payless. After making a booking I called the company to check if they had a car seat. I also asked the year and make of the car. They replied with 'Why are you planning to buy it??'. I should have taken the $80 non-refundable reservation hit here.

    So my sister-in-law was flying into the airport. I needed to pick her and her toddler at 12:15. I arrived at the airport at 12:00 unable to find their desk. I called up and was told they needed to pick me up via shuttle bus as they were not actually located at the airport. I should have taken the $80 non-refundable reservation charge here. Once at the desk it took approx 1 hr to wait in line and process my reservation. I was in such a rush at this point I forgot the baby seat and needed to turn back up the road to go and get it.

    ---THE REAL KICKER-- On 'Carrentals.com' in my experience the price quoted is on or very close to what is due on return of the vehicle. I had booked the car for $80 per day. I called in and asked the car rental to be extended by two days. On return the Bill. You would think let's say I could expect after taxes charges I may need to pay between $300/$400 tops... For a three day rental of a full sized car the total was $540!! When quoted 80 per day!! That was after they gave a discount on the rate to about $70 per day.

    There are hidden charges, inc taxes and other bump ups they can imagine including a premium location percentage for being in the airport of 9%. IT'S NOT EVEN IN THE AIRPORT!! You can expect to pay 30% extra at least to what you would expect to pay. I think the name is a really bad inside joke Payless, because you trust me you WILL Paymore. You have been warned. The car was new and clean.

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    StaffProcess

    Reviewed July 29, 2015

    First of all, my husband and I waited over an hour at the airport for a shuttle to bring us to the airport, over an hour! Then we get to the Payless rental car agency and there are twenty people in line, two people helping and taking twenty minutes per person. So this entire process took over three hours. Never again, and we haven't gotten the car... I'm sure it will be an equally horrible experience.

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    Price

    Reviewed July 28, 2015

    The price that was quoted online and the final price charged has been more than double. When questioned I was given and have continued to be given the run around. This company is criminal and should not be allowed to be in business. I am contacting the Arizona State Attorney General's office and filing a formal complaint and also the BBB about this company.

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    Customer ServicePriceStaff

    Reviewed July 25, 2015

    We rented a car and, the following day, we found that it had low tire pressure in one of the tires. We returned the car to the agency where we were required to complete a "vehicle damage incident report". Since we had no idea what the problem was with the tire, I felt that their plans to turn it into my insurance company was a bit overkill. The people at the counter were rude and not able to give me a clue as to what the next step was going to be.

    They did not have another car similar to what we had rented and gave me a full size SUV, which I did not want for the type of driving that I would be doing. I was told at that time that I could exchange it the next morning for a car. We did the walk around and documented all of the nicks and dents. Before we pulled away, my husband noticed a chip in the windshield. We would not leave until that was documented, so we were not held responsible for a new windshield. Our hotel was less than a half mile away. After spending and hour the next morning trying to contact them, I went directly to them. They did not do a check-in with me.

    When we returned our last rental, the bill included $160.00 for gas. Apparently, the tank was supposedly filled when we picked it up (I didn't check since we were only going two blocks). I did not compare the odometer with the slip (who would think to do that?) and there was 59 miles difference between what was on the slip and what was on the odometer. I can only think that the SUV was not checked in from the previous renter, or that it was used by employees on the lot. Who can tell?

    Today, I received forms from a claim recovery company which has determined that the vehicle (the first one with the tire) was damaged while in my possession. They wanted my insurance information for the following charges: Vehicle damage - pending, Administration fee - $25, Diminished value - pending. In other words, after 10 days, they have not yet figured out how much it cost to repair or replace the tire and how that tire diminished the value of the car. Really???

    To add insult to injury, there is NO personal contact. The phone number of the agency directed me time and again to the main office, where I told my story to more than one "customer service representative". They are only able to file a report and send a claim number to my email address. After 5 tries, I have received no confirmation. I tried completing the form online, as directed, with the same silence from the other end.

    I have contacted my credit card company and AARP, who did the original booking. I am not sure how this is going to turn out, but if I can protect one other person from being taken advantage of by their predatory practices, it will be worth my time. Beware of this company. If you must use them, check the information on the pink slip they give after the walk around. Check the gas, and compare odometer readings. Check the glass. And when you return it, do the walk around with them. I made that mistake. They are not a trustworthy company.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed July 24, 2015

    I ordered a car rental for July 30th, picking up at Detroit airport. Payless car rental charged my debit card 3 times for $237.00 which in turn, put me in the negative for $354.00 with my bank. I called Payless, they said they only charged account once and to talk with my bank. I called my bank, they said no, they must have thought it didn't go through and sent it two more times in 20 to 30 second increments. So they said in order to reverse the pending actions, they needed Payless to send - via fax, on letterhead - that they can reverse the charges. I sent that to process and they haven't done it...so here I sit in limbo and have no money to pay my bills. I called Payless back and they said wait 72 hours for resolution. I'm in tears because of all of this. How can this happen to people? They couldn't care less about my situation.

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    PriceStaff

    Reviewed July 24, 2015

    Brought back the first car only to get a worse car. 1st car was dirty inside and out and made loud noises up hill. Smelled bad. 2nd car had stained carpet & seats. At least 20+ dents on entire car. Dirty inside and out. I chose Payless because I had used them in the past and been satisfied AND because they were the least expensive online. Once I got to their desk to pick up my car they disclosed the extra excessive fees below. I only wish I had kept my reservations with the other companies I had made them with so because I would have walked away from your desk and gone with them. In the end Payless charged me way more than any other company.

    EXCESSIVE FEES: Additional driver 100.00, Consolidated facility charge 78.00, Convention center surcharge 10.00, Energy recovery fee 6.00, Parking surcharge 0.60, Sales tax 37.35, Concession rec fee 51.89, Vehicle license fee 20.12. Very dissatisfied with this second experience with Payless. Never again.

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    Reviewed July 22, 2015

    This company is the absolute worst. A very nearly one hour wait at the Denver International Airport so that they could recently up-sell vehicles and unwarranted services. After waiting so long I was desperate to leave and initialed everything in a hurry. Turns out that one of the initials without a bit of explanation and contrary to how all other rental car companies do it opted me "in" (rather than out) of completely unnecessary roadside assistance to the tune of $71! Given the circumstances, I consider that nothing less than fraud, and have instructed my credit card company not to pay that. They also billed me $28.64 for prepaid fuel, even though I filled it at the airport when returning and was explicit that I did not want prepaid fuel. (While that is on the bill I received, they may have corrected that mistake.)

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed July 22, 2015

    We may get reservation through the internet for one day with Kayak. He didn't show the exactly location in the airport. When we arrive to Payless after waiting for the shuttle for 15 minutes the customer service representative made the process and when she was ready to give us the car, she notices that reservation was in the other location of the airport. She asked for the authorization to give us the car. Immediately the unprofessional manager James said "we don't have cars"! Que she was with the car key in her hand. Immediately, we canceled that reservation and made another one in that specific location. With the new reservation in our hand, we request the car but, the manager James still refuse give us a car! DO NOT BOOK IN PAYLESS!!! We never have any problem with others companies.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed July 22, 2015

    SO FAR WORST CAR RENTAL EVER. Your sales agent very rude and unethical.

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    Customer ServiceContract & TermsStaff

    Reviewed July 21, 2015

    I reserved the car on rentalcars.com and picked it up at SeaTac airport without a hitch, declining the supplemental insurance, initialing all the required spots on the contract, signed agreeing to pay approximately $350 for the rental ($231 for the rental plus the "usual" taxes and fees). We returned the car early in the AM and discovered that we were charged $446.28, including $84 for the supplemental liability insurance (plus tax) we had explicitly declined. Our credit card had been charged $710, with the balance to be returned (why???), all without our being so advised in advance.

    I discovered that the rental contract copy given me at the airport was NOT a carbon, lacked my signature, my initialed caveats, and bore no resemblance to what I had agreed to pay when I picked up the car. The agent who accepted our return of the car denied any power to rectify the error and the phone numbers given were unresponsive for over 24 hours. When we finally were able to speak to a human being we were told that a supervisor would call us back within 72 hours. We are still waiting!

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    Customer ServiceContract & TermsStaff

    Reviewed July 21, 2015

    We reserved a mid-sized car for our trip to Richmond, VA. When I went to pick it up, I was told that the manager had just left to "see what cars are in the garage". She said that there were 3 cars on the roster but they didn't know if they had been returned. There were 5 of us waiting for our reserved cars. The manager left her cell phone at the counter and did not have a walkie talkie so there was no way to contact her. The person at the counter left after waiting 45 minutes to go "look for the manager". Several of the other customers were missing their tours and games that they went to Richmond with their kids that were playing. At least 2 of the people left the counter and went to rent cars from another carrier. They were told that their charge cards would still be charged and that they would have to call "corporate" in order to get their money back.

    The person at the desk was courteous but obviously in a tough position that this company left her in. We were finally given a car but it was a compact and not a mid-sized car. For this, we were given a "discount of $2/day off of our bill". We went up to pick up the car, and was told the general vicinity that it was in. When I looked at the car, there were scratches on the rear bumper and lots of door dings. I had to find the place where budget was and tell someone about the damage. They had me write down the damage and someone initialed it. I need to return the car before their opening time of 7 am and was told to leave my contract on top of the rental desk. I'm not leaving my contract on top of a desk so that all of my personal information would be available to whoever happens to be there. I am returning the car a day before we leave and renting a hotel room so that I can avoid a stolen identity from leaving my personal information at the rental desk.

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    Customer Service

    Reviewed July 21, 2015

    When I returned the car I was told that my charges would be what was provided on the estimate at time of rental. When the charge showed up on my credit card it was $10 more. I realize this is not much but I called for an explanation. I left a message and was not even given the courtesy of a return call. They also really do the hard sell on the insurance when you rent.

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    Contract & TermsPriceStaff

    Reviewed July 20, 2015

    I booked a car with Payless through Expedia.com. The rate was the lowest of all the other companies listed on Expedia. I had not used Payless in the past, and unfortunately, did not read reviews prior to reserving the car. I was quoted a price of $54.44 through Expedia which included fees and taxes. When I was shown the rental agreement, I noticed the price was considerably higher than what I was quoted. I mentioned it to the agent, and she just simply said it was because of the gas charge. She said, if I filled the tank prior to returning the vehicle, the additional charges would bring the cost down to the quoted price.

    I returned the vehicle prior to the desk opening, so I did not have a chance to speak to anyone. When I arrived at our first stop, I had received a receipt in the amount of $75.43. That was a 38.6% increase over the quoted rate, which was more than most, if not all, the other rental car companies I could have selected. Never again. Renter beware.

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    Punctuality & SpeedStaffProcess

    Reviewed July 20, 2015

    Beware of the enticing low rates quoted on-line. Reserved a car during the week of July 13th and received confirmation for an SUV rental (picture of Ford Explorer included). When we arrived at the facility on W. Century Blvd., we stood in line for over an hour and we finally arrived at desk, we were greeted by very friendly staff. And processed quickly. I told him we were a family of four each with a piece of luggage at which time we were offered for $8 additional "up-charge" to a larger SUV. Not a bad deal I thought. We were then told to walk next door to the connected garage and select a vehicle from a certain section as clearly marked overhead.

    When we located the area designated, the only vehicle available to us was a Kia Sportage. Pressed for time, we tried unsuccessfully to load the 4 standard suitcases. I returned to the gentleman at the counter and registered my disappointment. He immediately left his desk and escorted me back to the garage and proceeded find another vehicle. In a relatively short period of time, he returned to us with a Toyota Rav 4. He said this was Payless' standard SUV model. My advice; stick with Enterprise or Budget.

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    Reviewed July 19, 2015

    On June 17th, 2015 my 21 year daughter Taylor who lives in North Charleston, South Carolina came home to the St. Louis Area to visit family. Rachel drove the trip by herself, which was a concern when it came time for to make the return trip. I could not stand let her drive again by herself so I accompanied her back to North Charleston.

    Before we left, I had researched several options to return to St. Louis but had not made any decisions until a couple of days before I had to come back to St. Louis. I called the airlines, bus lines and car rental. The car rental was the most economical option. I had checked with the major car rental companies for 130 dollars for one way to St Louis, MO. On my travels through North Charleston, I saw a sign for Payless Auto Rental at 7610 Dorchester Rd. North Charleston S.C. 29418 and thought I would get a quote. I called the local office and was told I need to call the toll free number to reserve a car 1-888-237-2804. I called the number explained that I was going from North Charleston, SC to St. Louis, MO. I got a quote of 60 dollars which beat all the other quotes I had received.

    I reserved a car confirmation # ** to be picked up June 21st 2015 at noon. My daughter and I arrived at about a 11:45 to pick up car. We entered the office, presented my reservation #, talked about the trip I was about to take, why I came to North Charleston and that it was time for me to go home. The Payless rep took my information drivers license. We talked about my trip home. Paperwork completed, sales rep handed me keys and a car condition form which I noted minor damage to car, signed and handed back to sales rep. Keys in hand, I gave my daughter a hug and started my journey.

    Arrived in St. Louis, MO 3:30 am, awoke 9 am called corporate # to find out where to return car. Found out there is nowhere in the St. Louis area to return car the closest places is Kansas City MO or Chicago IL, and referred back to North Charleston office. I called North Charleston Payless where I rented car and was met with hostility. Informed we had not discussed my destination at all and that I had to return car to North Charleston and I was going to be charged for all expenses for car and was berated until I hung up the phone. I called Corporate and explained the situation and was told I had to deal with North Charleston they had to set me up to return car to a different location and this is after verbal abuse I received from this location.

    I called repeatedly to the North Charleston location and did not get an answer. I used a different phone and got a answer and explained it is not possible return car to North Charleston I would not have a way home. The sales rep said she would make some calls. I did not receive a call back. After several hours I called back and was informed I could return car to Chicago/Elmhurst location. I asked about additional charges, was told just an extra days rental.

    The next day 3:30 am I had to have my girlfriend follow me to Chicago/Elmhurst location for a ride back to St. Louis MO, a 600 mile round trip. We arrived and returned car. Finishing paperwork, the rep informed me that the North Charleston was charging me another 350 dollars for drop delivery. I asked what that was for. Informed for returning car to different location then picked up. At no time was this discussed with the North Charleston office. Charges were manually entered on my debit card. After paperwork was completed, the sales rep at Chicago/Elmhurst told me that I had a balance due of 111.82 and after hearing the story he would not try to collect on June 24th, the North Charleston office Manually entered my debit card and charged me the 111.82!

    Between the time I cancelled card and cancellation went into affect, I called my bank on June 23rd, 2015 and informed them of the situation. The 350 dollars was able to be stopped, I cancelled card but somehow the 111.82 was still able to be posted. As of June 25th 2015 I have not received my 350 dollar deposit. As of June 25th 2015 I have 542.31 and over 100 dollars in fuel 20 plus hours and more aggravation than any one should be asked to handle in a 60 dollar car rental!

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    Reviewed July 16, 2015

    Rented a Payless car through AARP. Picked up car at Logan AP in Boston. There was one clerk and one spot so the wait was long. The car we were supposed to have on reserve was not ready and we were told we'd have to take a different car. After two days, I started trying to call to talk to a representative in order to find out what possible charges, etc. would apply if we turned the car in early. Unfortunately, the automatic response directed us to voicemail inbox which was full and so we couldn't leave a call back number. I called the 1 800 number and was told they could do nothing even after I explained I had tried for two days to get a rep on the phone. I then asked to talk to a supervisor and was told he wasn't available, call back.

    I told him this was unacceptable and he told me to drive to the airport and go visit the counter and see if I can talk to someone there. I also filed two emails with the company and received no response. The only way I could resolve the issue was by driving back to the airport from our hotel. I would never use Payless again... They are the worst company I ever dealt with.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed July 16, 2015

    I booked a car rental through Southwest Airlines. The total was 170.00. Customer service rep convinced us to upgrade to a larger vehicle for additional 180.00. Then told us Insurance was a requirement in CA, especially San Diego. It is so close to Mexico. We explained our personal insurance covers all rentals. He said it was a law in CA. I researched the internet and asked our insurance rep. I can't find this law. I emailed the company before we turned the car back in but no response. If someone can show me that this is a law in CA, would appreciate it. We went from a 170 car rental to over 650.00 car rental.

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    Reviewed July 15, 2015

    I'll keep this short! We waited an hour at the counter at Boston because the employee had no idea what to do. I was calling customer service that is in MEXICO and they could not understand my problem. It was a nightmare! Book with anyone else!

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    Contract & TermsStaff

    Reviewed July 14, 2015

    The reason I was requesting the refund was because there was no car and no agent at the Payless booth during normal business hours at the Sarasota airport where I had reserved the car. In other words, I showed up to get my car and they did not. But somehow they think that means it's OK per their agreement to not refund what I paid.

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    Reviewed July 14, 2015

    There were multiple discrepancies between what I was told by the local rental facility in Charleston SC and what I was told in subsequent calls to the company online. Long story short, they charged my account for 4 days rental, then would not give me the car, and refused to refund my money. Even in trying to call to ask about this, I was sent on a wild goose chase. They were insulting, unprofessional, and dishonest. DO NOT use this service unless you have money to throw away. They made me make a request for a refund and immediately shut me down when I did. I recommend using Hertz, who took 5 minutes to rent a car to me.

    Updated on 07/16/2015: Prepaid for car. Verified policy. All my affairs in order. At pickup, they refuse to rent to me. Their choice (Hertz did rent to me, same day). Payless says they will refund. Payless decides not to refund. Payless definition: FAILURE TO RENT A CAR means they deny you a car for any reason they choose. Payless policy: FAILURE TO RENT A CAR means they keep all of your money. This definition is NOT in the agreement. You must have powers of prediction to know this will happen and cancel your car before 48 hours prior to pickup, even if you make the reservation within that 48 hours.

    Melanie from Payless: "We apologize but one of our terms and conditions are If you do not cancel your reservation 48 hours prior to the scheduled pick-up time or IF YOU FAIL TO RENT THE CAR the entire prepaid amount will be forfeited. We understand you may not agree with our findings. However, we do find your rental billing to be correct and no adjustments warranted. We consider your case file closed. No further action is to be taken. Thank you for contacting Payless." Also, they told me that if I would rent another car within 60 days, they would refund this money. Basically give them more money to NOT rent me a car. Again, to get a "courtesy" refund? Really? Insulting.

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    Reviewed July 14, 2015

    I needed a minivan for a weekend conference I was attending and taking several others with me. I checked other car rental companies, but could not find a minivan anywhere until I came across Payless who said they had a Kia Sedona (or something similar that would seat 7 people). I reserved online. Once I arrived at the counter the customer service attendant told me they didn't have anything matching my request. I showed her the picture on my paperwork and my reservation, but she was not phased. The best she could do was offer me a Terrain which she told me would also seat 7 people. I was frustrated, but took the keys and walked to the car only to find of course it was a 5 seater vehicle. The customer service attendant could not have cared less. It was beyond frustrating! They are a cut rate rental company in every sense of the word!

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    Contract & TermsStaff

    Reviewed July 14, 2015

    Hidden supplemental insurance within line items for declining optional rip-off insurances, told the agent I did not want any additional coverages since my Chase credit card already covers all of that. Agent circled all the "decline" items but within that list was an agreement for supplemental insurance at $15/day... my invoice upon return was $157.75 greater than what I expected and should have paid. They refused to credit my card and insisted that since I initialed that line item, I must pay it. DECEPTIVE FRAUD! SCAM ARTISTS... NEVER RENT FROM THESE JERKS! PLUS... checked the VIN number on this piece of garbage vehicle that was dented everywhere to discover it had been wrecked and bought by Payless as salvage! Junk! BUYER BEWARE - THESE PEOPLE ARE BORDERLINE CRIMINALS AND NOT TO BE TRUSTED!!! NEVER NEVER RENT FROM PAYLESS.

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    Staff

    Reviewed July 13, 2015

    My company will never rent from Payless again. I rented a large SUV from the Charleston office. When I arrived, there were no cars on the lot. I was rudely greeted by a fat black woman who informed me my current driver's license and major credit card was not good enough to rent a car from her. After about 5 minutes of putting up with her rudeness, I drove to Enterprise and Rented a Large SUV from them with no questions ask. I will do everything I can to let other colleges and business partners know how bad Payless Rental is.

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    Customer ServiceCoverageStaff

    Reviewed July 11, 2015

    I would like to submit a complaint about the reservation with Payless Car Rental company. I have called in the morning at 9am about the pick up of the car scheduled for 11:00 am. I advised that my arrival is delayed until 8:30pm and was told that it is not a problem. It is 9:15 pm and I still don't have a car. Representatives want to charge me additional $25 a day for an upgraded car which would more than double my total. It is outrageous extortion. Or they suggest that I can wait unknown length of time until my size car will become available. Even though 1-800 customer service stated that the policy is to provide a car, ATL airport office does not honor the policy!

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    Staff

    Reviewed July 10, 2015

    I have rented cars several times at the Bob Dance Payless location in Sanford Florida and as I have told them it is the BEST rental experiences I have ever had. Today I was reminded of that when Payless was booked up and I had to rent at another location (Enterprise in Sanford). That was the WORST experience I have EVER had renting a car and will be a very different review than this one. The reason that Enterprise had plenty of cars and Payless had none left is probably because everyone now knows how AWESOME Payless is compared to the others. Thank you Bob Dance Payless location, you have no idea how much I missed you today. Give these people (especially the Manager) an award! I am their customer for LIFE...

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    Customer ServicePriceStaff

    Reviewed July 8, 2015

    Payless Car Rental at George Bush Intercontinental Hotel is a complete ripoff! I reserved a vehicle through Expedia (who did nothing wrong). It was supposed to be $88 through Wed. They refused to rent to me without my DL in hand. I had just arrived from a flight and misplaced my DL somewhere. But, my husband was with me. In order to rent using his name for the reservation, the credit card had to be in his name, or so they said. We did not get the rental. We went on to Enterprise, where I thankfully had a reservation since they were sold out. The rep saw my DL was on file but my card declined. When I looked, I saw Payless authorized $289 although they would not rent to me! Stayed online with Capital One about 40 minutes to remove the authorization and had to walk back over to Payless counter twice. They kept putting the credit card rep on hold.

    Lousy customer service. They started loudly asking customers in that long line if they were local and telling them they had to have a utility or other bill in their name with the same address as their driver's license. It was a bad experience but the authorization was finally reversed. Cost us over 2 hours of frustration and wasted time at the airport when we are in Houston for critical medical care. Be aware of unscrupulous car rental companies with hidden charges. They also told my husband he would have to get the $55/day insurance to cover the car. It's ridiculous!! We have our own businesses and have our own insurance.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed July 3, 2015

    We were rushed by the shuttle van driver grabbing our bags when dropping off car and putting them onto the shuttle van rushing us. We missed a pair of Ray Ban Sunglasses in the rush, called right away and were told, no glasses. They were there.

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    Customer Service

    Reviewed July 2, 2015

    My brother died and I needed to rent a car at the airport in Charleston, WV. I Googled "Rental Cars at Charleston WV airport." Payless Car Rental popped up and I thought I was renting a car in Charleston WV. When I received the payment confirmation, it was Charleston, SC! I called them immediately, told them the problem and asked the purchase be changed to Charleston WV. They said they had no rental cars in Charleston WV. When I tried to cancel the purchase, they said I would have to pay the entire $119.22 since was "within 24 hours of pick-up." I tried to dispute the charge on my Merrill Lynch Visa Signature card to no avail, since Payless (Paymore?) had a written 24 hour cancellation policy. In view of the circumstances, I think an exception should have been made. I had to rent a car in Charleston WV from another company.

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    Reviewed July 2, 2015

    I make a reservation for my wife in Puerto Rico. I leaving Orlando Florida. I did my reservation online for five days. My total was $249. When I went to get my car they wanted $589 for five days. When I made my reservation line I spoke to our lazy on the phone and she make my reservation and it was too long going to but when she went to get the car they wanted five hundred eighty nine dollars. That is ridiculous. My wife took four hundred dollar in case that something happen for insurance or toll. She was stuck on the airport. She had to go and call somebody to take her to another rental car company. That was the worst experience in a rental car place in my life. I will never use Payless car rental ever again and I will not recommend anyone to use them at all. Bad customer service.

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    Customer ServiceContract & TermsCoverageStaff

    Reviewed June 30, 2015

    We set this car rental online 2 1/2 months in advance to reserve a Ford Fusion per the website. Upon arrival at the airport no shuttle was available for over 1/2 hour. Only after I called to inquire about the car rental company location. They added the insurance to my car rental even though I denied the coverage. They became flustered when we wouldn't accept the minivan they wanted us to take, instead of the car we anticipated to rent. ** was abrupt from the start, but became rude, and argumentative with my wife when we wanted to rent the vehicle we signed up for.

    The male manager equally was ineffective and didn't do anything to resolve the matter. Another female employee took it upon herself and found a car and brought around the building. ** literally threw our new contract across the counter to me without explanation, and deceitfully included the added insurance I will dispute through my credit card company.

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    PriceStaff

    Reviewed June 30, 2015

    Working with Payless in Charlotte, NC was one of the best experiences I have had renting a vehicle. I was skeptical when I read all of the negative comments; however I decided to work with them anyway because the price of renting a car for a week was over $150 cheaper than their competition. I was pleasantly surprised. ALL of the staff were absolutely inviting, knowledgeable and friendly and the 2014 Chevy Impala was in great condition. I had no problems whatsoever and I would definitely recommend Payless and will use them anytime I need a rental.

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    Reviewed June 29, 2015

    Rented a car through Expedia. It was $908, JFK airport. I said that I did not want insurance as I had my own. The girl at the counter told me to check boxes and I will not be charged so I did like with any normal company, initial, sign, go. At the end they charged me $220 extra and said that $159 was for roadside protection which I apparently signed on for and I still have no idea what the other money is for. Disputed to no avail. They keep giving me some breakdown of charges that make no sense. Will never rent with them again!

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    Customer ServicePricePunctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed June 25, 2015

    Online, I was quoted the fair amount of $71.65 for 3 days including car insurance. When we got to the car rental scammer location, me and my friend were also charged for being under 25. We were BOTH charged $25 daily which came out to $50 a day. The representative was unclear about this additional charge and didn't even mention it until the day we returned the car. We were also unaware that the representative was charging us $30 a day for additional driver. They also were unclear about the amount of taxes they were charging, Sales Tax: 32.99, State Rental Car: 20.36, Recreational Fee: 40.72.

    They also charged $11 in an early or late fee which made no sense since I brought the car back on time. They wouldn't drop the price, they were rude and didn't even know what they were doing. They charged me roadside of $21.96 when we declined. When we called to get our price after we already paid 71.65, they told us the rest of the amount which was $511. But as soon as we got there the price dropped. These people are con artist. I hope this company goes out of business. There's a lot more charges than I was able to put but the total went from $71.65 to $464.09. DO NOT RENT FROM THESE PEOPLE. GO ELSEWHERE AND SPEND A LITTLE MORE MONEY ON A CREDITABLE COMPANY.

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    Sales & MarketingPriceStaff

    Reviewed June 25, 2015

    I had a confirmed reservation through Hotwire ** to pick up a midsize vehicle from Payless car rental at the San Diego Airport. This reservation was the most economical one that I found. When I arrived at Payless car rental, the agent stated that he could not honor the reservation price of $261.77 agreed upon through Hotwire. He stated that the estimated taxes were incorrect and I would have to pay an additional $60 for the same vehicle bringing the new total to $320.

    This was truly a scam. When I was searching for the most economical price, I could have used any other reputable dealer and it would have been cheaper. The agent offered me an upgrade for an SUV, according to him, at a bargain rate of $461.07. We were two people and didn't need such a big, gas guzzling vehicle. Upon contacting Hotwire, they confirmed my reservation and claimed that the mistake was not on their part. Payless was ripping me off for an additional $60. The agent kept insisting that we take the upgrade. When we spoke with the manager in her office another customer was complaining of the same bait and switch scheme.

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    Reviewed June 24, 2015

    When I rented a car on 6/19 at the PIT airport I was told that a $250.00 "hold" would be placed on my credit card but I would not be charged until I returned the car. The "hold" immediately appeared on my card. I returned the car on 6/22, authorized payment of $74.43 and received a receipt for exactly that amount billed to my card. I discovered later that day that my card had not been charged the $74.43 as shown on my receipt. Instead, I was charged $250 that I did not authorize. I spoke with the local rental desk twice and was told that I was allegedly issued a refund for 175.57 (which has not been credited to my account).

    I called again and spoke with the same employee who told me that the manager, **, was not going to correct the problem and "owed me nothing". I have now been charged $90 in nsf fees as a result of the unauthorized charge. I finally spoke with the manager, **, who became rude, loud and belligerent refusing to correct the problem.

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    Reviewed June 24, 2015

    Shuttle driver sat and watched all passengers struggle to unload multiple bags at drop off site followed by a very long line in a dirty, hot hall with only two representatives helping with cars. The biggest frustration was the jump in the charges. Payless offered lowest rates online with taxes shown as well as an estimated disclaimer. Since it is no surprise to Payless they will charge a 40 percent tax rate on top of the rental it is misleading to "estimate" 10 percent. Will choose a different agency next travel regardless of price. Too many other options who offer customer service.

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    Customer ServiceCoverageSales & MarketingPricePunctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed June 24, 2015

    First, I waited almost 2 hours with a reservation in a line of 70 people long on a Thursday in Denver. Yes, 2 hours. Second, these guys lie and cheat you. My agent KNEW I declined ALL optional services. That was crystal clear. She asked about them, I declined ACROSS THE BOARD ALL optional services and coverage (as I have coverage with my credit card so have to decline all of their coverage and I have everything they offer already). That was clear and talked about and she even tried to upsell after I said no, and then I said no again. No denying that fact it should be on video if the Denver location keeps video. My agent KNEW she added an "optional service" (roadside assistance + the associated taxes for a total of $25) and KNEW I had previously declined ALL such offers. I did not ask for it, it was not "offered" to me, she added it on her own.

    When I got the bill to sign it was $25 more than Orbitz reservation showed and she looked me in the face, when I asked why there was a $25 difference, and LIED when she blamed the difference on "Orbitz and Hotwire and others makes an errors on taxes and fees for airport rentals all of the time" - which almost seemed reasonable as I know about things such as "resort fees" not charged by non resort hotels - yet she KNEW that the REAL REASON for the 25$ difference was NOT a tax/fee miscalculation on my quote by Orbitz, but it was due to the fact she added an additional optional service I declined and did not ask for.

    How do I know this? After working with Payless for over a week by chat it was revealed to me - accidentally I believe - after asking for the 5-6th time where the $25 difference was - that I had "accepted" (yes accepted) the offer for this "optional roadside service". No, I did not. They 100% crammed it onto my bill and the girl 100% lied to my face when I asked about the price difference.

    I have turned it over to my CC company to deal with them as I have had enough with chatting with them to see how they see the world and the situation. The evidence shows the scam crystal clear in my opinion; I have the chat sessions revealing what service was added after 4-5 days of chatting with them on the 5th day, my Orbitz print out, their printout (with 10 unclear and unknown ambiguous line item taxes, fees and items) and my word this is how it went down. Read their reviews online. I wish I would have paid more attention ahead of time.

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    Punctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed June 23, 2015

    I pre-paid for a reservation @ the Minneapolis Airport for June 9th 2015. I arrived at counter and was told that I was late and no cars were available in the class I reserved. I said "fine just find a car for me please." I used my debit card and they ran a credit check and said that I did not qualify for a car and there was nothing they could do. I am disabled and was left without a car. I finally went to Sixt Car Rental and rented a car from them. I have been home now for about a week and I noticed that Payless has charged my account for the rental. I have spoken to several people at Payless and I received an email from their company stating that they will not refund my money but if I rent a car from them in the next 30 days they would refund the money for that rental?!

    I exclaimed to representative "if I could not rent a car from your company because of your policy about credit checks then how would I be able to take advantage of their proposal!" Unbelievable! I live on a fixed income from social security. I feel robbed by this company! How can they steal money from people and get away with it?

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    Customer ServiceCoverage

    Reviewed June 22, 2015

    When I arrived to Payless rental, the customer service was bad. They didn't have the car I reserved. They forced me to get insurance. My bill was 150.65 - end up being 300.00. Check engine light was. Ketchup on the seat belt. Believe the comments.

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    Reviewed June 19, 2015

    Rented a car in Mcallen TX online, requested a full size car and when we got to rental counter was told they did not have full size car. I asked for an upgrade since they were not able to supply me with the car I rented. Guess what? They did not have cars, surprise surprise. We were told when we returned the car our bill would be adjusted $200. Oh oh really? $20 was the adjustment. We were traveling to California. On our way over there we get a check engine light. The oil on car was so dirty and black. We then get another check engine light tire losing air. Called office and was told we could not take vehicle out of Texas and I told them I was not informed of the and I was told I could have gone to another rent counter for another car. I was told by staff that I had to take care of it on my own.

    I took car to shop to have oil changed and repair tire. Tire could not be repaired so it was replaced. When I returned car was told they could not reimburse us for tire. We told supervisor we would take car and put on old tire and she grabbed the keys from the counter so we could not change tire. Rude counter staff. WARNING! WARNING. DO NOT RENT CARS FROM THIS PLACE. Don't understand how this place was issued a business license. Attached is my bill for oil change and tire.

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    Customer Service

    Reviewed June 19, 2015

    On June 12, 2015 my uncle ** rented a 15-seat van from Payless car rental a Ford and the tail light went out while we was on the road so when we stop for gas my uncles realize the front lights was working the back wasn't and we had to drive the rest or the way with the blinkers on to avoid a ticket and accident. So my uncle ** call the 404 number that was on the paper that they gave him so he spoke with some and they told him to go to Atlanta Georgia to get another vehicle. Now mind you we are two hour from our destiny. So it took us three hour out of our way and when we get there "we can't help you" and that was the next day. So on June 13, 2015 at 8:30 pm I talk to ** about the problem we had with the van and the wrongful information on getting another vehicle. We miss our event and spend more money on gas that we didn't have and i would like to be reimbursed for our losses (from Philadelphia PA to Milledgeville Georgia).

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    PricePunctuality & Speed

    Reviewed June 18, 2015

    I selected Payless Car Rental last week instead of my regular enterprise, and it was a big mistake. I prepaid the $35 two day rental online, which was supposed to include all taxes and fees. Nope. My rental ended up costing me $115 total. Why? Because I opted for pre paid gas ($27) and the rest was "taxes". So I was charged over 100% in "taxes". When I questioned them on it, they told me they would give me a partial refund on the prepaid gas since I called them to ask. Never happened. They are liars and cheats and they will end up charging you more than double and blame it on "taxes". RENTER BEWARE! Go to Enterprise instead!

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    Contract & TermsPrice

    Reviewed June 17, 2015

    Long story short the girl at the desk for Payless car rental in Las Vegas tells me the reason my card has a pending charge of more than triple what my agreement was is to make sure the car gets returned in good condition and then it will be changed. Half true but they charged me for insurance because I checked whatever boxes she told me to. This even though I told her I had insurance she said "I understand. It won't matter just check the box and it won't be charged if it wasn't needed." Wrong and now they won't refund me the $80 they overcharged me. Terrible company. Go with someone else. Even if you think they are giving you a good deal they will find a way to deceptively charge more so that it wasn't a good deal.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed June 17, 2015

    I rented a car in Payless Car Rental in Orlando and returned the car with a full tank of gas and when I return back home I see that they slapped on me $87 in addition to the amount I was given a receipt for. When I called them they say it is cleaning fee and that there was pet hair in the car and that they had taken photos of the same. Personally I am not a pet friendly person and I never had pets and I will never have pets, because I changed enough diapers for both my kids, and I am not in the mood to take care of another life. So pet lovers don't hate me for that, but the point is, I didn't have pets but they charged me that big amount claiming that there was pet hair. After seeing the charge, I read about them only to realise that I got into a deal with a business which doesn't have fair business practices. I complained to BBB about them and the matter is still being negotiated.

    What I am here for is, to request those that have been cheated by this company unfairly, to get back to me as I would like to file a lawsuit against them. Individually I may not be able to do much, but if there are enough people who have been on the receiving end with this company, we can make an impact not just for the future customers, but we may be able to recover our money from them with interest.

    I plan to go ahead and file a lawsuit against them for all the agony that I am going through trying to contact them in vain as they don't reply or return the calls or the voice mails, and wasting my time on this issue which I am not responsible for. I would be more than happy to take this issue further with more vengeance if I can garner some support. Thanks.

    Updated on 07/17/2015: I wanted to get back to the folks in here on how to get your issue resolved in case you end up renting at Payless or for those that want to rent a car, not just at Payless but any other rental company. I filed a case with Better Business Bureau and the first response that I got was that the charges they posted are legitimate and that I have no choice but to stop trying. I replied back stating that I need the photos they had taken of the car which had the pet hair and I also told them that I have initiated the legal proceedings against them and that I will certainly file a lawsuit against them. You wouldn't believe it, but I got a reply saying that they are unable to produce the pictures, and that they are going to refund the money. And I got the money back as well.

    Before I called BBB, I called my credit card company to see if they can reverse the charges. The lady I spoke to empathised with me and said that she had similar issue with Payless and ever since she faced that issue, she takes pictures of the car after returning it to show that the car was in a good condition. So I recommend doing that especially if you are renting at Payless. I don’t think you will ever face this problem with other companies.

    Secondly, I recommend that if you feel you have been ripped off, that you go to BBB, as they have dealt with this so professionally and effectively and they were instrumental in getting my money back. So don't just post a review and give up. Lastly, I am ready to join in if few of you ripped off customers can come together to file a law suit against them. The intent is to not get money from they by suing them, but to ensure that they don't play with the money of the customers and that they don't cheat their customers ever. I am going to talk about this victory all over the net so enough people know that they have a solution by going to BBB. And also to make sure Payless starts conducting its business ethically and morally.

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    Staff

    Reviewed June 17, 2015

    I would not say that the counter is blaming me for the dent, but I am concerned that I will be blamed. The agent that I spoke with this morning regarding the dent asked me if I intended to complete an incident report. I didn't even know what she was talking about -- this was the first I knew about a dent. I dropped the car off yesterday in the identical condition as at time of rental, with no incidents or significant damage that I saw. I told the agent that the only reporting I could do was repeating what she just told me, since I had not been involved in an incident and there was no damage to the vehicle during the time I had it, to my knowledge.

    Given that there were no payless personnel in sight at the time I dropped the car off -- and quite a line of cars to be returned, entirely unsupervised -- I can't see how I should be held liable for this damage (if there is damage -- I haven't seen it). Or troubled any further about it.

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    Staff

    Reviewed June 17, 2015

    I reserved a car from Payless Rental at the LAX airport for pick up today for one week... Unfortunately I had to cancel one day because of flight cancellations due to the weather in Houston... I called to see if I could just cancel one day and was told by one of the representatives that if I did that my rate would go from 522 up to 850 dollars.. They were not trying to accommodate just for the one day.. Either I pay the extra 300 or the whole reservation will cancel... Piss poor representatives... services and company as a whole... A complete RIP Off... Don't Do Business with them!

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    Staff

    Reviewed June 17, 2015

    I would give this place zero stars if I could. Do not rent from this place. Avoid this place like a plague. **, one of the agents at the Seattle Washington location is a thief. Booked me for an update with lies without authorization and when I try to get reimbursed for what I was ripped off, said she could not do anything and in top had a negative attitude. She is all smiles when she wants to steal your hard earned money with her lies, and when she gets you and you notice, her attitude changes. Please do yourself a big favor. Do not rent in this company. Bunch of SCAM ARTISTS THEFTS!!!

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    Reviewed June 14, 2015

    I just rented a car in Las Vegas. Make sure you check the amount they are charging you before you leave the desk. If you don't you will probably regret it.

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    Customer ServiceCoverageSales & MarketingPricePunctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed June 14, 2015

    This review is for the most unprofessional scamming company I have ever ran into. This is my first time dealing with this company and it was the worst experience ever. At the Las Vegas Airport location, the front desk representative named ** tried to scam me with additional charges. I clearly stated I DO NOT need any additional options and I have it all covered personally. He continues to take his time by manually inputting my info in the computer when all that should have been automated with my reservation confirmation. It took nearly 1 hour of wait time in line and another 30 minutes with the clerk. Really?

    When I noticed all the additional charges, I called him out on it and he said "I thought you wanted it." His idiotic way of handling the situation was outrageous. There is no customer service from this company at all. I had to wait another hour just to correct the issue with this scam artist. It's interesting to see that ** does this often to many people. I am not sure how he lives with himself. Now I check my bank statement and they're attempting to charge me over $440+ when it was suppose to be $10 a day for four days. I highly suggest to everyone who had this experience to report them to the Better Bureau Business. I will do whatever I can to take these crooks down. **, you're a con artist. The people this company hires is definitely a reflection of how they operate. NO ETHICS.

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    Customer ServiceCoverageStaff

    Reviewed June 13, 2015

    I highly recommend going through any other car rental company. It took over 45 minutes for me to even talk to a customer service rep, and there were only 2 other people in front of me. Once I did, they forced me to purchase rental insurance. I stated that I did not want rental insurance, and the incompetent employee behind the counter said that it was not optional and that I had to choose one of their options. I argued with her briefly and decided to take it up with their customer service department later. They didn't even have the car that I had reserved online, through their own website, so I was given a cheap malibu.

    I later talked to their "Customer Service" department asking why I had to purchase rental insurance, since I had never been forced to do that before. They informed me that it was in fact optional and that I could have declined the insurance. I explained to them that I had declined and that it was forced upon me. They informed me that they would be unable to help me in any way and became rather condescending and belligerent through their messages. I was finally forced to file a complaint with the Texas BBB. I will never deal with this company again and I highly recommend that you don't either. Their complete lack of customer service is astounding and is horrific from the store all the way through the corporate "customer service".

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    Customer ServiceCoverageStaff

    Reviewed June 13, 2015

    Booked what I thought was a great deal through Hotwire with Payless San Diego. First they could not locate the reservation, even though I had the confirmation number from Hotwire. Then they attempted to force me to get extra insurance, even though I had confirmation from my insurance agent that I was completely covered for rentals. Then I was advised that they were only open 6 am - 5 pm or something which did not cover the time we needed to drop off. SO THEY CHARGED ME AN EXTRA $29 BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT OPEN. When we arrived at about 4 am at the Park and Go the guy in the booth could hardly be bothered to say anything let alone help us in any way. We waited about 15 minutes for a very rude and seemingly angry driver who drove like we were in a car race. The luggage banging about from side to side and all passengers were hanging on for dear life. I would NEVER use Payless again!!

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    Customer ServiceContract & TermsPriceStaff

    Reviewed June 11, 2015

    I recently rented a car from Payless Car Rental via Priceline at Newark International Airport. I got there 30 mins earlier so the agent told me, "Oh, we have no compact cars at the moment. We only have SUVs." I said, "Fine," because I needed a car to drive to PA but I asked him if I can get it for the same price because it's not my fault that you don't have the car I made reservation for! He said oh well, you came (30 min) earlier but here is the deal -- you can pay $206.73 instead of 102.66 plus whatever fees that I got from internet!!!

    I was like, "Ok," so when I went outside I saw that they did have smaller cars and I was just in a rush to leave. The vehicle was fine but wasn't full with gas. I checked my paper. It shows that is Full on papers so I had to call and had them fix that problem. While I was looking at the agreement I saw that it was a $15 charge per day for the upgrade!!! So from $102.66 plus whatever fees they charge I end up paying $206.73. Not happy at all.

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    Customer ServicePunctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed June 10, 2015

    We went on a family vacation to Toronto on May 8th and were supposed to pick out rental car when we landed at 1 am (middle of the night). The car was rented online and we had confirmation of the same. We were advised to call the rental company as soon as we landed and they would send a shuttle to pick us up. We were 6 people and had rented a mini-van to accommodate all of us. Included with us was our 7 yr old daughter who uses a booster seat and 2 other kids aged 12 and 13 yrs and 3 adults.

    When we landed and called them, their very first response was that they don't have a minivan for us and that they cannot come pick us up right away as they did not have enough staff! Then after my husband got really mad at them, a person came after 45 mins with shuttle. On reaching their rental place, he said that he does not have a mini-van to give us as somebody hadn't returned it to them on time. Well, we told them that it’s not our problem and that we had confirmation for it. He then said that he could give us a 5 seater. How did he expect 6 people to sit in a 5 seater, I do not know. The other option he suggested was to wait there in his office the whole night and even maybe the next day till someone comes and returns a call. My God were we mad. With little kids, he literally told us to do something illegal.

    After haggling with him for 1 hr he refused to call manager (did not want to disturb him in middle of night!!!). My husband suggested he give us 2 cars so at least we could reach home. We were going to a 75 yr old uncle’s place who was up waiting for us till now 3 am. The person refused to give 2 cars as well. Now we were really mad. He was not even giving us a reasonable option to go home. Kids were tired and crying now. We again insisted to call manager and after 1 hr more, he agreed to give 2 cars on condition that we will come and change our cars once they have mini-van. Reached home at 5 am frustrated. Then at 8 am, they called that van ready and pick up immediately or will go again... No courtesy for customers at all. We barely had 3 hrs of sleep. My husband said we will come by 11 as we were really tired. They threatened us that if we don't show up by 11 we will not get the van again.

    Anyways, they gave us wrong address and then when we reached there said that wasn't correct address. Also, told us since it was 11, car is gone. We were actually there at dot 11 but at the wrong address provided by them. Finally reached right address. Spoke to another guy. Got cars exchanged. Now because of all this we wasted so much time there that we missed a show that my uncle had paid $250. Then when we went to return car on 18th, we said we will not pay till they do something to compensate us for our time/inconvenience and frustration and stress we went through. The manager said he cannot do anything and that we should take it up with where we booked. We asked him not to charge our card and without permission. He charged our card and gave us the bill.

    Also, when we booked online, it said unlimited mileage, but in very small letters in terms and condition it said max 2000 km which we didn't read as it said unlimited. The worst customer service ever!!! NEVER EVER BOOK WITH THIS COMPANY. IT WILL BE NOTHING BUT TROUBLE. MESSED UP OUR VACATION. Terrible customer service. The employee who talked to us at night was so rude, no manners and definitely should not be in customer service!

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    Customer ServicePrice

    Reviewed June 9, 2015

    Price was higher than quoted. Was charged for roadside service, had problems with car. After several RUDE phone call they gave us the run around and never fixed the problem. NO ROADSIDE SERVICE but was charged for it. I would never rent from this company or if you do BUYER BEWARE. SORRY SERVICE,

    RUDE, PRICES ARE NOT WHAT THEY POST.

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    Sales & MarketingStaff

    Reviewed June 9, 2015

    Payless robs you for your money. I told them I just wanted to rent a car for 2 weeks for a total of $348 with a hold of $745 and they charged me for the whole thing and never gave me my money back from the hold. I talked to the management and they wouldn't do anything for me. What a scam. I'll never go back. I'm furious.

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    Customer Service

    Reviewed June 9, 2015

    I called 4 hours after turning in car to let them know I left a handicap placard in the vehicle. They said it was being washed and they would get it out and mail it to me. Somehow it wasn't in there. One word comes to mind THIEVES and they should be arrested. Sad thing is i never got an apology.

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    Price

    Reviewed June 9, 2015

    Be careful, I thought would end up saving some bucks for my trip with this car rental off airport site. But ended up being a disaster and paid way more than any good car service. Initial receipt with Hotwire was around 65 dollars and just with one extra day with half fuel tank they charged 228$. Couldn't believe! I refuse every service at the counter like this insurance that insurance. But it still ended up being added to the receipt claiming that you accepted it. I would just recommend to go with Hertz and Enterprise. At least they charge you only what you ask for.

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    Customer ServicePrice

    Reviewed June 7, 2015

    I recently rented a car via Travelocity for a rental at Newark Airport. When I arrived to the counter, I was asked for my license and credit card as is the norm...... When I declined the optional insurance I was asked for my auto insurance policy number for my car in Arizona. When I did not have it, they told me to call my insurance agent. In 30+ years of renting cars, I have never been asked for this. I had to wait a few minutes as they did not have a car available...... and I proceeded to initial in the spots where they told me to initial and sign. After I left, I saw that I was charged $22 for optional roadside assistance. I did not request this, nor was I ever asked if I wanted this option.

    When I returned to car, I told them to take that off my bill and was told that they include this with every car rental as a courtesy. Well it's not a courtesy if I am charged for it and it was not included in the confirmed cost with Travelocity. I am totally disappointed with this company. I have rented from them before in Phoenix without a problem, but obviously the Newark office has to be dishonest so that they bolster their paychecks. Stay away from this company and use the larger companies.

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    Staff

    Reviewed June 6, 2015

    I wasn't able to get my car and they wouldn't give my money back that I paid in advance with my debit card. I'm gonna contact 3 on your side so everyone will know that they rip people off.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed June 5, 2015

    I went to Payless Car Rental located in Burbank, CA to rent a car for 3 days. The whole experience was treated unprofessional lacked with lack of experience. The initial time I tried to rent a vehicle, I was told a mid-size car would be $42 but my card couldn't be accepted as payment because it didn't have my name on it. It was a temporary business b of a card. Mind you when it was ran through credit card machine, it would have printed my name on receipt. I was told I would have to transfer money onto a prepaid card that showed my name on it. After hours of trying to do so, I was finally able. I went back to Payless the next day and presented my prepaid credit card. I was then told it would not be accepted but my business b of a card would suffice. I explained that I was sent away the prior day because I was told the card could not be accepted.

    I continued to go through with the rental. I rented the car for a total of 3 days. I was told it would be $56 per day which included car rental fee, tax and insurance. When I returned the car they charged me $283.91. There were charges that were listed that I had no idea that I would be charged for or even knew what they mean. They were listed as consolidated facility charge, energy recovery fee, roadside service, vehicle license fee, collision damage waiver. Was unaware these were charges I would have to pay or in crew at the time of vehicle surrender. My whole experience with Payless Car Rental was unprofessional, unaccommodating, and unfriendly to say at the least. I wouldn't recommend them to my worst enemy. Thank you for taking the time to read my terrible experience.

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    Contract & TermsSales & MarketingPriceStaff

    Reviewed June 3, 2015

    I reserved a prepaid rental via Payless Car Rental online with the intent to save a few bucks. When I arrived at the Orlando location to pick up my vehicle, I was told that I needed to furnish a utility bill or bank statements that confirmed my Florida residence. I thought o.k. but weird because this was not a government office. Anyhow I was able to furnish the request via my online bank statement. Thereafter I was hit with a number of hidden fees associated with rental. It increased my rental payment from $63.84 to $191.04 for 5 days. When I declined the reservation, I was still charged the 63.84 for the car rental that I did not utilize and the company refused to refund me the money. Payless Car Rental is very unorthodox in their business procedures and methods for rental car services. They are a perfect example of bait and switch tactics protected by their unfair business practices outlined in their terms and conditions.

    Renter BEWARE! Ensure to thoroughly read and understand their terms and conditions. Avoid online reservation especially the prepaid reservations. If you do not cancel within 48 hours or fail to rent the vehicle they will charge the full rental charge of the vehicle. Even if you cancel within the 48 hours you will still get charged with a $50.00. processing fee. REALLY!!! Not to mention that they are double dipping to charge you for a rental you didn't use, for whatever reason, but then turn around and re-rent the same vehicle to another renter. SHADY BUSINESS PAYLESS CAR RENTAL! BEST BELIEVE YOU WILL NEVER GET MY BUSINESS AGAIN OR FROM ANY PERSON I SHARE MY STORY WITH.

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    CoverageStaff

    Reviewed June 2, 2015

    Did not take the insurance. I noticed they charged me on my bill. Impossible to try to get a hold of them. Biggest dishonest people I ever dealt with. Hopefully the government will look into these guys!!

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    Staff

    Reviewed June 2, 2015

    I reserved a full size car through Orbitz for May 15, 2015 at West Palm Beach Airport. Prior to leaving NYC I contacted the agent at the location to advise we were slightly delayed and wanted to make sure that they would have a car there for me when I arrived. I was told by the attendant that they did not even have a car for me. He indicated that he may have one later when I arrive but there was no guarantee. I asked "Why wouldn't there be a car? I made a reservation", he asked if I had paid for the car, I said "No" as you only reserve through Orbitz, and then pay when you pick up the car.

    Upon arrival at the rental office, I was again told that there were no cars. I became upset and he said that there were no cars and that was it. He walked away. My husband had gone to look for himself and saw cars in the lot. We were told they were all due for oil changes and that they could not be rented. There was a verbal exchange of words and the attendant was ready to come over the counter and begin an altercation with my husband but said he didn't want to hit a 100 year old man, (my husband is 65). This is the second time we rented a car at a lower price and when we arrived there were no cars. Stay away. They are the worst.

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    Customer ServicePriceStaff

    Reviewed May 31, 2015

    HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE. Do NOT ever rent from this company. Horrific customer service. Argumentative staff. Give you a vehicle empty and charge you full fuel. I can not believe this company is in business. You have many reputable car rental options. Use one.

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    Customer ServicePriceStaff

    Reviewed May 30, 2015

    We rented a SUV from Payless. We were quoted 1 rate for a large SUV. Upon arrival to pick up our Jeep Grand Cherokee, the attendant ** was very rude when I simply told her that a Cherokee was not the same vehicle as a Grand Cherokee. So after about 2 hours of her ignoring me and continuing to pull other clients' vehicles, my wife comes in to address this woman, who replies with, "There is no manager on duty and there is never a manager on duty. So call, complain or do whatever. It doesn't matter."

    Not only did they rent us the wrong vehicle but refused to reduce the price and then overcharged me. The attendant lied on her notes and said she saw an additional driver drive off with vehicle. When I asked to see the camera footage they said they don't review the camera footage. They are currently charging 875.00 for a rental that was quoted 560.00. I'm furious and will never use this company again because trying to talk with their corporate office is impossible. They say they will get back to you in 72 hours and it's been over a week.

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    Reviewed May 30, 2015

    Rented car...Had flat tire.. Mechanic showed up and said spare tire was completely flat. Very unhappy with Payless. Security issue... Should have been detected before car was rented out!

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    Customer ServicePrice

    Reviewed May 28, 2015

    I rented a car in LaGuardia New York needed for a quick trip to DC so 2 days was enough. No one did a copy of my passport or take my British phone number. I did put my UK address but when I went to pick up a car instead of under 50 USD it became over 100 USD per day so for 2 days price get to 209.30 USD plus 200 deposit on my card. That will be ok but that was expensive. 200 per day I could have a limousine service...

    When the car get broken no one wants to pick up. After 1 hour trying to contact from UK phone for towing I just give up... (There is no chance to call 0800 number). Someone finally stopped and has helped by calling the number with no luck so I ended up with some private towing company and storage cost at car garage. When I asked the Payless Company what I should do with the car that is broken because next day I'm flying back to UK, they asked me if I can travel 200 miles to pick up replacement car. Even if I should be back in New York over last night with broken car it was impossible. I have receipt but can't upload at the moment.

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    PricePunctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed May 28, 2015

    I went to Denver to Comicon with a couple of friends. I wanted all 3 of us on the allowed drivers for the car. With the $45 insurance I purchased from Cheaptickets the entire car estimate was set to be $224ish dollars. So that actually means over the 4 days the money owed to Payless should have been about 180 bucks I assumed.

    After an arduous flight in bad weather and me getting very sick, I get to the Payless terminal to pick up my car and have to wait nearly an hour in line. 2 hours after I got off my plane, I get presented with their estimate at the terminal. I still cannot believe the cost is over $570 bucks!!! 3x more than I was quoted. There are a number of huge fees like 11.11% for "Concession Rec Fi" whatever that is. The bill is unbelievable.

    I drove the car for about 200 miles and used about 1/4 of a tank of gas on the whole trip. When I turned the car back in, the lady was nice but told me I didn't need a receipt, they had it on record. Um, no. I am not having a 30,000 dollar car in my name turned in without a receipt. In the end I had to go stand to the counter again and get my receipt from the pickup desk.... thank God they had it in the system otherwise I might have just gotten my car stolen for all I knew.

    5 days and 570 dollars later. The car was fine, not what I would call a full size (though not sure about the technicality of this) but big enough for me. The tripling of the price for fees like $22.99 dollars a day for Collision DMG WAIVER are absolutely ridiculous. I feel like they saw me coming and they knew that people FINALLY getting to their front desk after long flights are not gonna leave without a car... Cabs in Denver cost like 80 bucks just to ride across town, so we still came out cheaper. I just wish this quote was honest, because there are car companies out there that give you honest quotes up front and those are the ones you should stick with.

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    Customer ServiceContract & TermsSales & MarketingPunctuality & Speed

    Reviewed May 28, 2015

    Unfortunately I was forced to give Payless Car Rentals 1 star. This company doesn't even deserve that. No one is EVER at the counter. They are NEVER there. They supposedly open at 7 am. I arrive at 8:45 am to return my car (had to be in at 9 am) and there was no clerk. NOBODY. And there was two people who had been waiting since 7 am to pick up their rentals! They were calling customer service, who told 'em to just wait! This place is a total scam! I have a job and a life to get back to so I didn't have the entire to wait. I ended up going behind the counter, pulling out a blank rental agreement and leaving a note for whichever clerk decides to finally show up and taping the keys to it. Not really sure what else I could have done.

    Payless Car Rentals do not have an ounce of customer service. Do yourself the favor, the few dollars you MIGHT save on your car rental are better paid at a LEGIT car rental business that actually cares for its customers. Payless doesn't want your money. Or your business. It shows. TERRIBLE TERRIBLE TERRIBLE. RUN! RUN FAR FAR AWAY!

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    Customer ServicePrice

    Reviewed May 28, 2015

    Please be very careful when renting with Payless Car Rentals. The company is a rip off. I recently as of May 26th 2015 returned a rental car at the location in Memphis TN. They found two reservations in the system. I found a rate lower and immediately prepaid with Payless. I printed and highlighted confirmation number and presented it to the agent and pick up. They found a different reservation and checked it in.

    They completely ignored the lower rate that was already prepaid and charged me another price of a rental of $392.00. They do not honor prepaid rates. I spoke to five different agents with Payless including the customer service team at 1800 Payless. It was horrible customer service and I was told no refund would be given. I prepaid for a card plus they charged again totally almost $500 for one week in a compact car.

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    Punctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed May 25, 2015

    The Payless is totally understaffed. On Monday, May 25, I returned my car at 12:15. There was only one person in the office, 20 people in line, and no one in the parking lot. The person in line refused to check in my car and told me to just leave it in the budget return car line. 2 hours later I get a bill with late fees and an addition day of insurance tacked on.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed May 23, 2015

    Rented a car from Payless in San Diego. It was a terrible experience. Waited for a car for 3 hours! And I was with my 7 month old baby. Staff could care less. Waited for the shuttle for over 40 minutes. When we got there, the line was short but still took an hour to get to the counter. Apparently there were no cars available. We waited for 3 hours with a crying baby. They were treating others differently. Some ppl came with families after us and got a car and took off before us.

    Maybe I wasn't complaining hard enough, because as soon as I started being more annoying and rude (interrupting the staff while they were helping others to ask where my rental car was), staff got friendlier and my car was finally available. So if you are stuck with them, they seem to respond better if you are rude. Also the car we got was terrible. The alignment was completely off, the car made a weird noise when driving. I was afraid it was going to break down. There were dents and cigarette burns everywhere.

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    Customer ServiceSales & MarketingPricePunctuality & Speed

    Reviewed May 20, 2015

    I was trying to keep my car rental low because my business trip was going to be way over budget and I wanted to save a couple of bucks. Payless advertised on Expedia that they had an economy size car for 40 bucks. When I arrived at the location in Newark international airport they only had a compact available that they said was an economy car. Since I couldn't fit in it I asked to upgrade to a mid-size which they don't have. I had to upgrade to a suv. They told me that it was about 40 to 50 extra but I would get half off for booking with Expedia, so around an extra 20 to 25 bucks. When I returned the car they had charged me 40 bucks extra per day and said it was 80 extra to upgrade. Then they charged me for liability even though I declined it because my company has an insurance policy.

    The best part is when I got my invoice and I had been charged a $22 late return fee even though I returned the vehicle 4 hours early. I got charged a vehicle transportation fee of $10. What the heck am I being charged for that for? And the last day they charged me full price not half off. I immediately called go dispute all of the charges. I figured the total would be around 450 but I was charged over 800 bucks for 4 days! I paid more at payless... and when I spoke to their customer service it got way worse! They were all not the sharpest tools in the shed with an exception of one guy that actually tried to help so that is what the one star is for. I called my bank and disputed about $300 of the charges.

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    Customer ServiceContract & TermsPriceStaff

    Reviewed May 19, 2015

    On April 30th we flew into Sky Harbour in Phoenix with 10 people in our group. We had 2 minivans rented under 2 different names. Bottom line is they had no vehicles for us and after a few phone calls they told us we would have a refund in 3 days and sent us down to Budget rentals where we were supposed to get the same price, we ended up paying $150.00 more and were on our way. It is now May 19th and I have yet to see any refund, I have spent hours on the phone and emailing them trying to get this resolved. Now they want my rental agreement from Budget, which I do not have because it was returned in the car... They are rude and unhelpful and I would not recommend this company to anybody!!! Now I am trying to get rental agreement emailed to me from Budget and it baffles me that I am having to do all this work because they are incompetent!!! The person that rented the other van has yet to see their refund either!!

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    Customer ServicePrice

    Reviewed May 19, 2015

    When we arrived at the Jacksonville, Florida airport, the Payless employee had walked off the job earlier that day. There was no one to help us. We then had to go to another rental agency, there was not a car available like the one we had reserved, had to pay for an upgrade, cost us almost $150 more than we had initially planned on spending. When we called Payless customer service, they basically ignored us for 5 phone calls. When we finally got someone who gave us a ticket number, we waited for a week for a response and then it was basically "Sorry for the inconvenience." No offer to reimburse us or give us a voucher for future travel. Will never rent from them again.

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    Staff

    Reviewed May 14, 2015

    I flew into Cincinnati, Ohio on 05/10/15 for an upcoming wedding. Upon arriving to the Payless counter at the airport (CVG) to receive the car for the reservation that I booked since 3/30/15, there was no staff at the counter. I was then informed by another company that no staff had shown up to service customers for Payless. As a result, I had to walk around to find the best price for a last minute car rental. Instead of paying $335 for a 7-day rental, I had to pay $485. What a disaster... I will never use nor recommend anyone to Payless.

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    CoverageStaff

    Reviewed May 14, 2015

    I reserved an economy car on Kayak to be picked up at the Payless Airport kiosk. When I arrived, I waited 35 minutes for the two attendants on duty to work through the 4 people in front of me (it appeared they were unhappy with their service). When I finally spoke to an attendant, I was told that they would only rent to someone with a GA license if they had a copy of their utility bill. I informed the attendant that I did not have a utility bill on me and she recommended I try Alamo. Alamo had me in a car and driving out within 15 minutes. Overall, what upsets me the most is that if I had known the policy at any point before seeing the attendant I could either have found proof of residence or canceled my reservation and not wasted my time. I'll never use Payless again.

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    Verified purchase
    Contract & TermsStaff

    Reviewed May 13, 2015

    On May 5th 2015, my wife and I attempted to rent a vehicle from the Orlando Payless office at 9PM. The car was prepaid on April 16th 2015. We were denied the car rental by a staff member, Mr. **, due to the fact we did not pass the Equifax credit background check. And now, Payless is refusing to refund our $52.31 prepayment. I have rented at this location for many years with my debit card with never an issue. In the past, we have always been treated fairly until now.

    Being denied the rental precipitated us in spending an additional $60 for a cab to our destination. The company is now saying that "WE" cancelled within the 48 hour time frame. We did not cancel our prepaid rental. Payless cancelled our contract and now is refusing to refund our $52.31 prepayment which the company accepted 3 weeks prior on the same card I presented in Orlando as instructed on the rental confirmation. This is flagrantly and fraudulently wrong.

    I would think they would see it important to keep customers satisfied. Punishing us for not renting a prepaid car is one thing, but not refunding our money is an entirely different issue and bad business practice, if not fraudulent. Word of mouth negative comments from us will not be in Payless' best interest. Having been to business school, I'm appalled at this unconscionable behavior to abuse a good customer the way Payless Car Rental did.

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    Customer ServiceSales & MarketingStaff

    Reviewed May 13, 2015

    I rented a car online at Priceline. The rate was GREAT!! That was until I got there and was put through a nightmare that lasted over an hour. Since I am a residence of Orlando I was told that I needed my cable bill, bank statement or utility bill to rent the vehicle. I asked if I could have something faxed to the rental company and I was told NO!! As I stood there I overheard several others having problems too.

    What a stupid joke. I finally had a manager to come over and show me how to pull up my bank statement online so he could see my address on the account. When I asked why? The reply was because I could steal the car???? How dumb can you be??? I am a great Grandmother with no intention of stealing a damn thing. I will be calling Channel 9 to report this matter to them also. Hopefully they will come in under cover and allow the general public view just how tourist and residents are being treated. I guess they figure that the general public is stupid as the sales force tries every trick in the book to up sale the renter.

    How sad that Payless has to lie to their customers so that the salesman makes more money off of the up sale. Travelers haven't a clue as to what they are up against as they travel through the door. Honestly if Payless offered me a car for free I would tell them to shove it. I will make sure that I am heard in all of the media and Channel 9. Maybe then they will stop their thievery.

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    Sales & MarketingPrice

    Reviewed May 11, 2015

    Be forewarned. Payless will quote you a low price on internet sites like Orbitz, Kayak, Alaska, Hotwire, etc. IT'S ALL A SCAM!! They perform a bait and switch on every car rental. I was given a firm quote of $50 on the internet, and when I showed up, my required payment was $450. It was so offensive, when I told them hell no, I would not pay for this amount, they had a timeshare shark lower it to $100. But get this -- they never honored their time share deal. WORST COMPANY EVER. False, salacious lies.

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    Customer ServicePunctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed May 11, 2015

    I rented a car on a Saturday for pick up the next day. I arrive ON TIME on Sunday & was told by the person at the counter that there are no cars available. He states that he hasn't had cars all day long. I was disappointed but I did not take my frustration out on him. I called Customer Service to cancel my reservation & was told that since I did not cancel within 48 hours of renting that I forfeit my payment. I TOLD THE GUY THAT IT WASN'T MY FAULT! THERE ARE NO CARS AVAILABLE. HE KEPT REPEATING THAT THERE IS NOTHING FURTHER THAT HE CAN DO. I asked for a Manager, or the Corporate Office. At first I was told that there is no number. Then I was told that He does not have the number. Then I was told that he cant give me the number. I called the local office & the guy at the counter told me that he would submit a ticket for me. I have an open ticket right now. They BETTER refund me my money, or I will file a lawsuit.

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    steve increased rating by 4 stars.
    Customer ServicePunctuality & SpeedStaff
    After a positive interaction with Payless Car Rental, steve increased their star rating on June 15, 2015.

    Updated review: June 15, 2015

    I would like to amend my complaint. Payless was reasonable and ultimately did not charge me. I would not hesitate to use or recommend them in the future.

    Original Review: May 9, 2015

    Charged for smoking fee when neither my daughter or I smoke. Picked up car late in Wichita Airport. There was no inspection by agent of Payless. It seem odd there was a sickly sweet odor in the car as a result on air freshener hanging from the rearview mirror. The car had the appearance of not being vacuumed. As mentioned above neither my daughter or I smoke anything. Upon returning the vehicle a rather rude employee informed me that she found cigarette ashes. She proceeded to show me microscopic size white dots as evidence while blaming us for the air freshener to mask the smell. She said I would be charged $250. I refused and will contact my credit card and their headquarters. This appears a scam to compensate for their low rates.

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    Verified purchase
    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed May 8, 2015

    I went ahead to book a car from carrentals.com and it eventually made the reservation with Payless car rentals. I received a confirmation number in my mail which had the information on pick up location as "3575 N. HIGHWAY 17-92 SANFORD, FL 32773" with a local number for them. When I called them up, they said they do not have any reservation with that confirmation number and they don't have any car available on that date. Being puzzled, I went ahead checking the reservation status on their website https://www.paylesscar.com/reservations and found the reservation in their system showing as "Confirmed."

    I called up their customer care number and they said they do have a reservation on my name with that number. They asked me to call up the location for additional information. I called the location for 2nd time and they repeated the same story. I again called up customer care explaining the ongoing matter and eventually they said that they would not be able help much about this and I will have to cancel the reservation. A nice way to confuse the customer and making them pissed-off! Should name the company as "Careless" rather than "Payless." DO NOT EVER BOOK RENTAL CAR from this car rental agency.

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    Customer ServicePrice

    Reviewed May 6, 2015

    This company should be put out of business. It doesn't even deserve a one star rating. I was sent over to the Payless counter by Budget because the car I reserved was unavailable. This was in February in Boston during the snowpocalypse. So many of the cars there were unavailable. When I got to the counter it took TWO HOURS to get me into a sub-par, cigarette-smelling vehicle, but I needed to get to where I was going. The snow delayed my flight by four days so I had to keep the car a little longer. They had the audacity to charge me DOUBLE what I was quoted. I have tried calling the Boston location to dispute this and nobody will get back to me. I opened up a complaint with the 800 number, only to have it closed by the Boston office without ever acknowledging it in the first place. They are thieves. Never have dealt with a more fraudulent company. They need to be reported to the BBB and I will do just that.

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    Customer ServicePrice

    Reviewed May 5, 2015

    Very bad experience. I called the customer service to ask about the car return policy aw I was planning to come back few hours after the official time. They told me that originally I had to give back the car at 7.30 pm. (Whereas it was written 7 pm on the receipt.) They said they would not charge a full day, only $20/h. I arrived at 10.30 pm at the car rental. I noticed on the second receipt that I was charged for 5 days instead of 4, which was +100$. I was told that after 3h they charge FULL DAY. I feel abused. NEVER TRUST PAYLESS CUSTOMER SERVICE.

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    Reviewed May 4, 2015

    I reserved on expedia for 225$ taxes in for 4 days unlimited mileage! We ended up at 531$ charged on my credit card!! Do NOT reserve with this company!!

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    Customer ServiceContract & TermsPriceStaff

    Reviewed May 1, 2015

    This company is deceptive and untruthful. Literally they are frauds. The short answer to your question of "What would we have to do to get a 10 on your next rental? Please be as specific as possible" is everything differently as I am not sure I have enough characters of the 2000 limit to explain how incompetent your business is.

    The car rental experience (contract **) was a complete nightmare. Firstly, after waiting 30 minutes from when I requested the car it was finally available. Secondly, I requested pre-paid fuel to not be put on the contract. It was kept on the contract and it was explained that it would be taken off when I returned the car full. The car was returned full and the charge was not taken off of my credit card. After calling to understand why the credit was not put back on my account I was greeted by an extremely rude lady. She further explained that the fuel was recorded as needing 7-8 gallons. THIS IS A COMPLETE FABRICATION OF THE TRUTH.

    The car was returned full, I literally used 1.5 gallons the entire weekend costing less than $4. I now know that your cheap rate is subsidized by your incompetence and untruthfulness. The cost of the pre-paid fuel is not what bothers me as it is approximately 30 dollars. The mere fact that you state that I lied about bringing the car back full and the truth of the matter is you have employees that would have the gall to record a fabrication on a contract is beyond my belief.

    Don't worry, from this experience I will spend more than $30 worth of my time to post on every review board possible the shady actions of your business. By charging customers this extra charge I can clearly see that your business needs the money more than I as you are clearly going to struggle to retain customers. I sincerely hope this message does not get ignored, for the sake of your company. I do expect that I will receive a call from someone competent in the company at **, but the reality is I am sure no one will bother.

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    Contract & TermsPrice

    Reviewed May 1, 2015

    I've never written a negative review before in extensive travel. Take the warning of the countless bad reviews on every site that I didn't. Booked the flight online, saw the price, saved a few bucks from one of the other agencies. Got to Vegas and spent an hour in full out battle trying to overcome the gap between where I book the car at and the extra $150 in fees that magically appeared between here and there. To their credit I did eventually win the battle and got what I'd booked for the price I'd booked it for but I'd just as soon have that hour back. Car was nice and ran great. They did get me though in the end. I wound up needing the car an extra days and they tacked on tons of fees. Unless you are open to the hour battle, get the right person behind the desk and keep to the contract perfectly in terms of days and times I can guarantee you will pay more than one of the other guys and wish you'd have just gone with them in the first place.

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    Customer ServicePriceStaff

    Reviewed April 30, 2015

    Again, DON'T RENT FROM PAYLESS!!! We rented from Tampa, the Tampa office isn't why I would say don't rent. They were nice, the shuttle ride was ok, and the car was nice. It's the customer service office that's absolutely HORRIBLE! My account was charged an additional amount ten days after I returned my car. They are claiming it's for tolls, but I know I never went through any. And when you call to get some answers they can't tell you anything! And they are SO RUDE! I mean they charge me without any notification or anything and they act as if I'm in the wrong. Next time I will spend a little more money and go with a better company!

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    Verified purchase
    Customer Service

    Reviewed April 30, 2015

    I rented a car from Las Vegas airport Payless car rental. When I picked up the car I was given a pre-fuel charge. I declined it for filling the tank myself before bringing the car back. When I brought the car back the receipt showed a $28.85 fuel charge. I showed them my receipt from the gas station and they said they would refund the $28.85. I got them to give me a statement showing my correct charges and was told my card would be credited. A week later I checked my credit card and no refund was given. I contacted Payless online and opened up a complaint ticket. I was told they would refund $23.90. I opened up another complaint ticket to tell them the amount was $28.85 not $23.90. It has been weeks now and I have had no response to my request and no money has been refunded to my credit card. I am now going to contact American Express and see if I can get my money back.

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    Customer ServicePrice

    Reviewed April 29, 2015

    First off, they gave me a car that had expired tags on the license plate, which resulted in me getting pulled over, getting a ticket & the car being impounded. I called to inform them what happened & instead of picking up their vehicle immediately, they waited. They also tried to charge me for the days the car was impounded.

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    Verified purchase
    Punctuality & Speed

    Reviewed April 29, 2015

    I prepaid a car rental with Payless at the Atlanta airport, but my flight did not arrive till 11:00 pm. It ended up being later, and I was not able to get to the Payless counter before it closed at 11:30 pm. I go to the counter at 8:00 am the next morning and they would not give me my car. They said all agreements not picked up on the date are cancelled - even though it was already paid for. They wanted me to pay for another rental, which of course I refused to do. I complained to their customer department, but they said it was in the 'fine print'. I check the fine print and it said nothing about not getting my car if it is not picked up on the day arranged. I got ripped off for $200 for nothing!!

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    Verified purchase
    Customer Service

    Reviewed April 29, 2015

    I booked an online reservation with Payless and was quoted $212.57 for three days' rental, picking up in Savannah, GA and dropping off in Atlanta, GA. When I arrived to pick up the car, I was told that there was a $150 additional fee for dropping off in Atlanta. My reservation clearly stated that I was picking up in one location and dropping off in another, but this hidden fee was not disclosed at the time of the reservation. I called the national customer service line and they could not help me. I called the Atlanta line and couldn't reach a live person. Furthermore, this car has 30,000 miles on it, falters when accelerating from a full-stop, needs to have its windshield wiper blades replaced, and smells like someone smoked in it.

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    Contract & TermsCoverageStaff

    Reviewed April 29, 2015

    I reserved a car in San Diego, through Priceline, with Payless car rental. After getting my bags I called Payless to see if I had to request a shuttle or if they ran on a regular schedule. I was told they ran every 15 minutes and to wait by the signs that said car rental shuttles. I did and after 20 minutes I called the local Payless office to find out if they were coming. I was told they would send someone out immediately. I waited another 35 minutes and the shuttle finally showed. I counted the number of times the budget van drove by at six. Anyway the shuttle driver was nice and helped me with my bags and I tipped him a couple of bucks. Then the real nightmare began.

    The line wasn't terribly long but it took me 40 minutes to get to the front. The two clerks were in no hurry to get through the line. They took their sweet time with each customer trying to sell them on all the extras. Every now and then they would get on the intercom and tell everyone to be patient. They would look at each other and just kind of laugh. Now I travel for a living. I had just wrapped up a 5 city 17 day trip and was looking forward to seeing my family again. I spend close to $15000 a year on car rentals renting cars five to six times a month. I have had some bad experiences but never as bad as this.

    After almost two hours after first calling for a shuttle I got to the front of the line. The clerk was nice enough at first. But after catching him trying to include his insurance into the agreement he got nasty. He asked who my insurance was with and what my deductible was. I told him. He then asked for proof of insurance and proof of residence. I asked "Why?" and he said, "It was policy." I said that "When I reserved the car through Priceline there was no disclosure stating that." He said, "Too bad." I told him, "I keep my proof of insurance in my car and if I had my car I wouldn't need to rent a car."

    Now I have never been asked to provide proof of insurance before. A valid driver's license and a credit card is all I have ever needed. I told him I had to dig through my luggage to see what I could come up with. I went through my bags and found nothing. I did remember that my son had texted me a copy of our policy recently. I found it on my phone and got back in line again. When I got to the front I showed him my proof along with proof of residence. He took a quick look at it and said that it wasn't good enough and promptly canceled my reservation. That's it. I just wasted 3 hours of a valuable day off getting the runaround by a cheap cheesy rent a car company.

    I will never use this company again. I will recommend everyone to avoid them at all cost. When you don't buy their insurance they treat you like dirt and just laugh in your face. I can't begin to tell you the amount of contempt I have for this company. I walked two blocks with my three bags to the Sixth car rental company and treated myself to a Benz. I was treated with respect and courtesy and was out in twelve minutes.

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    Coverage

    Reviewed April 28, 2015

    4/27/15 we returned our rental car and the gentleman walked directly to the rear and told us we damaged the car. I said "No we didn't" and he said there is damage here at the rear where you were hit. The car had been in a gated community and was in constant view of us at all times. I noticed the scuff marks but was not given a form to complete. This bothers me because I didn't read the reviews prior to renting. We are covered but I will not let this company get away with fraud. Do not rent from them or video the car. We are awaiting the claim to fight.

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    Verified purchase
    Customer ServiceContract & TermsStaff

    Reviewed April 26, 2015

    Vacation is supposed to be a time to relax. Our experience with Payless Rental Car Services ruined our trip. We are very unhappy with the service, I can't even remotely begin to describe the incompetence by not just one Payless employee but everyone I have spoken with (at least 5). We had our rental car booked for 5 days in Austin, TX. When we went to pick up our car the very first thing that shocked me was they were understaffed. There was no one at the desk so we had to go up to the parking garage. After going up there, there was a huge line. The attendant was clearing checking people in and out as fast as he could. We told our attendant that we would have our friend dropping the car off on our last day at 7am. He said "no problem, you can call this number and give them his information like his flight departure time etc. and everything would be fine."

    We called the number the next day numerous times. Everyone we spoke to said to hang up and let the recording play and do not select any options. After doing this numerous times everyone was wrong, the recording hung up on you at the very end. We finally spoke to one employee that told us that we would need have our friend come up to the airport and sign off his name and information on the contract for him to be able to drive the vehicle. We fussed about that because we would have to take our time from our vacation to go back up to the airport to do this. All because someone did not do their job. We tried to figure out the employees name that assisted us at the very beginning and on the sheet he was supposed to fill out, he did not write his name or employee ID #.

    The next employee we talked to told us he was going to write a claim on this explaining our situation. He did and sent it to our email as well. He then explained we would get a response within 24-72 hours. They have neglected to get back to us yet. When we went to have our friend sign the contract like we were told to do, the attendant working said that was impossible for him to become a driver on our rental and that would be more money and that we would need to return the car and have him rent a new one.

    We ended up paying a charge for an early drop off fee and a charge for not having the tank filled up (because we thought our friend would be continuing the services like we were explained to on the phone). We had to pay an extra 160 dollars because one person failed to do their job. The attendant we just spoke with about our unanswered claim told us there was nothing he could do (not the first employee that said that) and told us we had to wait for a response from corporate about our claim. Except for now our claim has intensified because of our drop off situation that was not included in the claim before drop off. I do not understand why we haven't been able to speak with anyone that can help us about our situation the only way to speak with anyone is through email.

    Moral of the story is how can you help someone when you don't speak with them? Needless to say we will never be using this car service again. We are not rich girls and that is why we chose a cheaper rental car services, but next time we will be paying the extra bucks for a car rental service that knows what they are doing. I will be sure to let all of my family and friends know that Payless is not the way to go when renting a car. As for our situation hopefully one day we will be able to speak to someone who can actually help and until then just wait for a response on our claim!

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    Verified purchase
    Customer ServicePricePunctuality & Speed

    Reviewed April 25, 2015

    I took a business trip to Las Vegas & needed a rental car. I shopped around while I booked a flight...I booked the rental for about $120 for 4 days & gave them my insurance & other info & thought I was set. I get to Payless rental counter & wait for about 1 1/2 hours and told they don't have the vehicle I made a reservation for. After more waiting, I decline their insurance and use my own and sign paperwork for the vehicle at the price I reserved online. They bring a different vehicle and it takes another 20 minutes or so to inspect & mark all the scratches and dings before I can leave making me late for an appointment.

    On my way to return the vehicle, I gassed it up & get in the return line. I have to wait 35-40 minutes so they can check it in & check all they dings scratches & dents to make sure their are no new ones. I get to the counter in a hurry to make my flight & get through security & check out & everything looks fine. On my next credit card statement I find a charge from Payless for over $270!!! I call them up & they said it was for the insurance that I declined & said it says so on the paperwork. They said they will check the paperwork & listen to the audio that was recorded when I picked the vehicle up. I never heard back from them after REPEATED calls from myself & the BBB...

    I disputed the charge with my credit card company & was credited for the overcharge at first. At the very end of the timeline of the dispute, they produced different paperwork saying I wanted their insurance even though my insurance info was on the paperwork & said their recording devices weren't working at that time & included more charges. Since they would not talk to my credit card company myself or BBB at all, & waited until the last day of dispute, they are charging me almost 2.5 times the agreed on price of the rental car. Bottom line is DO NOT USE PAYLESS RENTAL CAR!!! They will waste your time & cheat you & screw you over!!! Also because of this I am closing all of my accounts with US bank. They would not stand behind me or do anything even after I gave them a copy of all the paperwork proving my case. They did nothing but charge even more fees.

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    Reviewed April 25, 2015

    I rented a car from this location... or should I say 3... The first one was smelly and dirty, the second one needed an oil change, the 3rd was a basic model maxima. It was not until I jumped on the freeway from the airport that I realized that the gas was NOT on full nor anywhere near it! The vehicle was returned with way more than what we rec'd and they had the nerve to try and charge me for not having it filled up! Good thing I took a picture of what the gas level was at but only for them to take $4 off of my bill! CHECK YOUR GAS BEFORE YOU LEAVE!!! BETTER YET GO TO A RENTAL COMPANY THAT YOU HAVE HEARD OF LIKE HERTZ, BUDGET, ALAMO, DOLLAR, THRIFTY-- ANYONE BUT PAYLESS!!!

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    Contract & Terms

    Reviewed April 23, 2015

    Rented a car online 70.00 for 3 days. This was in San Diego using Priceline Name Your Price. Got there and was that my credit card did not work so I had to use a debit card then was told I had to use their insurance. I ask why. They said because I use my debit card. I talk to a manager and was told that they would honor my online contract and would get a refund. The refund was 29.00. The amount that they charge me was 171.24. Looks like they owe me 100.00. Will never use them again. Thinking about blasting them on Facebook.

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    Customer ServiceCoveragePunctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed April 21, 2015

    I waited over an hour in to rent a car at 4 pm Saturday afternoon. Don't rent here if you're in a hurry. Payless rent a car gave also gave me a car that was not insured. Their car got ticket at the Central Islip train station. I called the police to determine responsibility and the car company is responsible for inspection. Upon returning the car to the airport, the staff attempted to convince me it was a parking ticket and my problem. A second call to the local police proved them wrong. Don't rent from this company. No discount or compensation given from customer service over this infraction and the excessive wait infraction. Both infractions caused me to be late to concerts I flew from LA to attend. I was an hour late for the first night and 30 minutes late for the second show. Renter beware!

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    Coverage

    Reviewed April 20, 2015

    This company is wrong to the point of deceiving everyone that thinks that they are getting a good deal. You are given an estimate and when you show up to get your car the amount triples. They will tell you that they don't accept other people's insurance and you have to use theirs. Very angry. I will not use this company EVER again.

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    Customer ServicePricePunctuality & Speed

    Reviewed April 20, 2015

    Newark airport. Reserved a rental ahead of time. Get to counter. No one there. Waited 20 mins before anyone showed up. Had nasty rude attitude. Stated I could not rent without taking insurance. Now the rental cost is double. The car-- piece of junk - Ford. Wipers worked only some of the time. Transmission slipped constantly. And it was winter with ice and snow which made it even worse. Called to exchange car. Of course they only had the highest priced model available. My recommendation... never ever consider renting from this company... no matter where they are located. The whole experience was based on gross misrepresentation and poor customer service!!!

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    Reviewed April 19, 2015

    The fair rate for #Payless car rental is 0 #"zero" out of 5. #Literally zero!!! I rent a car from them and had several problems: I didn't find their place in the BOS Logan airport. After 30min, I found small sign of Payless near Avis and Budget. Nobody was there and when I asked other rental cars, they told me that they always work between 10am to 5pm. Such a ridiculous company that works 7 hours in a famous airport in the US. Please don't rent a car from them because I promise you will suffer like me after a long trip from west coast to east coast.

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    Customer Service

    Reviewed April 19, 2015

    Collecting your personal info to steal your info and identity. I called back and cancelled it especially after they can tie your credit or debit card up for up to two weeks. It's rotten with lousy customer service! Vets and active duty personnel beware. These jackwagons want to copy your orders and no mil discount!

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    Customer ServicePriceStaff

    Reviewed April 18, 2015

    I recently rented a car through Payless Car Rental in San Diego, CA. The staff was rude and force you to buy pseudo insurance to avoid putting a $750 hold on your checking account. They lied about the price of the pseudo insurance and after I called the business 4-5 times to get some answers, I gave up because they were so rude and no responsive. They also try to upsell you relentlessly.

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    Reviewed April 15, 2015

    This was the worst experience I have ever had renting a car. They are upsell liars. Please save yourself a bad experience. My rental started at $225, ended up $490. BAD BAD BAD EXPERIENCE.

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    Customer ServicePunctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed April 14, 2015

    I reserved a Nissan Sentra (or similar) that seats 5 adults and accommodates 5 suitcases because I was going on vacation with my whole family - kids that used car seats and we had a lot of luggage. I used carrentals.com and reserved with Payless. When I got to Payless in Tampa Florida, I had to wait forever to get my car and when we finally did get it - it was NOT what we reserved. They gave us a car that barely fit 5 adults and only allowed for 3 suitcases. The Customer Service rep even told me that no way would all my luggage fit in the car.

    I told them I reserved a Nissan Sentra - 5 adults/5 suitcases - I could see those exact cars out in the parking lot, but they refused to give it to me. They told me I didn't reserve that and even when I went onto their site and showed them my confirmation - they still refused to give me the car I reserved. They told me I had to pay more money. They were not nice, they blamed carrentals.com for giving me a bad confirmation. I will never rent from Payless again. Oh and FYI, the person in line before us had the same exact issue. Apparently it happens with them all the time.

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    Verified purchase
    Customer ServiceContract & TermsCoveragePricePunctuality & SpeedStaffProcess

    Reviewed April 14, 2015

    Re: Payless Car Rental Experience on April 8, 2015. After arriving at PHX Sky Harbor Airport at 12:30 p.m. on April 8, we took the shuttle to the rental facility at 1805 E. Sky Harbor Circle S. My husband and I are traveling with our 7 year old grandson and 5 year old granddaughter, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair. I had my reservation information with me from Cheaptickets.com. It listed a Jeep Grand Cherokee or similar. The price including taxes and fees was listed as $269.55. This rental agreement was for 5 days, April 8 through the 13th.

    When I arrived at the Payless desk, a gentleman named ** assisted me. Immediately, he started trying to talk me into purchasing an upgrade for a Chevy Tahoe, telling me it was a much nicer vehicle, a much more expensive car which would be a great deal to trade up. He used high pressure words and body language. I was feeling pressured and told him, "No, I just want the Jeep Cherokee that is listed on my agreement (which I had in hand)." He continued to try to talk me into the larger, more expensive upgrade, and I continued to refuse, stating that I did not want to pay more than I had already agreed to. He appeared exasperated with me and left to talk to another associate. The other associate said something to him with a rather sarcastic looking facial expression, which I observed.

    Then ** came back to me and proceeded to try to convince me that he was going to offer me an incredible deal by offering me a free upgrade to the Chevy Tahoe. I said, "I don't want the Chevy Tahoe, I need a Jeep Cherokee or the same size so I can put the wheel chair in the back." I had my granddaughter in her chair next to me. By this time, he is looking and talking to me in a very condescending tone of voice, saying things like, "Why wouldn't you want this good deal, much nicer car valued at $50,000. No, $60,000! I am offering you a great deal. Why would you want a Jeep Cherokee when I am offering you this." I said, "I just want what the agreement says." He was really wearing me down. I finally said, "Fine, all right (very exasperated)."

    I could tell by this time that he did not have the car that I wanted. I was tired, with two small grandchildren in tow and another 5 year old grandson living in Phoenix who was expecting me to pick him up from his school at 2:30 pm. Then ** proceeded to try to sell me an insurance plan. I told him I had coverage and did not need additional coverage. He looked at me like I was incredibly negligent and stupid. He said, "you would be foolish to take this car out without our coverage. Do you realize how expensive this car is and how much it would cost if there was a problem. Geico will not cover you on this. Call them and find out for yourself." I did not choose to call Geico and that moment because of time and pressure, but I SHOULD HAVE!! But, furthermore, he had no business threatening me like that. I am sure he knows that car insurance companies will cover their drivers when they are using a rental car.

    Furthermore, I have rented many cars and have not opted for insurance in the past since I am always covered. I have an excellent driving record. He continued to pressure me with what a poor choice I would be making by not getting additional coverage. Finally, I asked for prices, just to get the process over with. He quoted me three prices, the last one being $25.00. I said, in an exasperated voice, "Okay, fine. I'll take the $25.00 one." He typed it up and put it in front of me, I saw $129.95. I said, "What is this? You said $25.00." He said, "It's $25.99 a day." I said, "Take it off. I don't want it. I want to pay the price I agreed upon." Then he looked at me again and said I would be foolish to drive off the lot with that expensive, etc. car without their coverage.

    He looked at me with this look of disdain and condescension. Then he said, "You might as well not take the car if you are not going to have the insurance." and other similar comments to convince me that I would be stupid and negligent unless I took the coverage. By this time, it is getting late, I am tired and exasperated and I sign the form. We proceed to the garage to get the car - this humongous vehicle, much larger than I wanted to operate, and find that it has three rows of seats with no storage for the wheel chair. We try many ways to fit in the chair, folding down seats, etc. and it is not working. I go to the personnel on the lower level and ask if they will remove the back seats. She told me they cannot do that and told me to go upstairs and talk to my agent.

    I told her I would not talk to ** again. I already had a bad experience with him. She said she couldn't help me. Meanwhile, my grandchildren are tired and my husband is continuing to try to rearrange our things to fit the wheel chair in. I make a trip back upstairs to the desk and see that there are now 15 people in line with two agents at the desk, one of them being **. I can see that this wait will be a very long time and I do not have that kind of time. In addition, I do not think they had a car to meet my needs. I went back down and find that my husband has finally figured out a way to get the wheel chair in. Due to time constraint, we go ahead and take off in the Chevy Tahoe.

    I called yesterday evening to register my frustration with the agent there. I told him that I did not want the insurance and please remove it. When we arrived at our location today, I called my Geico agent and she said that I absolutely had full coverage for my rental vehicle. In addition, I told the Payless agent on the phone that I was also billed for roadside assistance at $5.49 a day, which I did not agree to and was not told about. There is also a charge for consolidated facility at $6.00 a day which I was not told about. He was very flat in his affect and responses. He said "you can call the parent company, but they will just tell you to call me again." He told me I could drive back to the facility and get a new contract written up and get a different car. Unfortunately, that would be very inconvenient to make a trip back to the rental facility and revisit this process. Payless closed our complaint and did not contact us about this.

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    Customer ServicePricePunctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed April 14, 2015

    We were a walk up in Las Vegas met a very nice guy ** and he helped us hire a Mustang to go to LA because Budget let us down. We agreed the prices and it came in a little more expensive than Budget by $10 but we were on our way and happy. We confirmed that rental starts when we leave the car park with the car and they have cameras to prove it.

    When we returned the car 48 hours later by 12:15pm again everything seemed fine, no questions - we were told by the guy I handed the keys to that all was good with the car and we could be on our way. Later that day while still in Vegas we received the bill instead of the agreed $195 it came in at $275 - of course we questioned it immediately. While still in Vegas we rang customer services.

    Anyway to cut a long story short they had overcharged us for CDW, Additional Driver and then said we returned the car late and was charged extra for that. We questioned this several times over the phone while still in Vegas and got nowhere and then preceded to phone and write emails when back in the UK for weeks after.

    They don't care about the customer at all - they refused to accept my logic and refused to look at video evidence that we arrived back by 12:15pm. They wouldn't even put me in touch with Las Vegas desk but Eventually we were passed to the Station Manager who was very unhelpful too. However eventually after weeks of arguing credited back the $80. However it had cost me over $80 in phone calls and time but they refused to acknowledge this at all and are now ignoring my emails.

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    Customer ServiceStaff

    Reviewed April 13, 2015

    My office reserved the car for a business trip in Texas. I flew into the Austin Airport and went straight to the Payless counter to pick up my rental car. The agent on duty told me that the car was ready and the amount would be $54.45 per day, but she had a cheaper new car for only $30 per day. I told her to switch me to the cheaper one to save the company some money. I declined the insurance, extra driver, prepaid gas, and other crap she offered. She process my paperwork and out the door I went.

    When I returned the car at the end of the week I was charged an additional $200 for an upgrade. I disputed the charges, but didn't get anywhere. I called my office and explained the situation and we agreed to deal with it on Monday so I wouldn't miss my flight. We have tried to get the problem resolved with no luck. They tell me the agent doesn't work at that location anymore and that I agreed to the upgrade. Later that morning I get an email with additional charges. No one will help me with the problem. We keep getting the run around or voicemail when we call back. I WILL NEVER USE THIS COMPANY AGAIN.

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    CoveragePricePunctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed April 13, 2015

    When I got on courtesy van at Dallas Love Field, I knew I was in trouble. Employee/driver told me that the place was a disorganized mess and he hoped they would have a car for me. He said Ace had been bought out recently by Payless and that they were understaffed and out of cars. When I arrived, there were several patrons there and every single one of them was complaining about additional charges that were not mentioned on the reservation. The staff was courteous, but I did hear employees shuffling to get cars ready for customers and customers having to wait some time for their rentals. Once it was my turn, the employee attempted to charge me an extra $10 because my flight was early in the morning and I needed to return the car at 5:30 am. He stated they are not open that early so I would have to take the car elsewhere and be charged the additional pickup fee.

    He tried selling me the optional insurance, which I didn't need, but I was still charged an extra $10 for some type of tire coverage. I was quoted a price of $31, but ended up being asked to pay $47. I ended up cancelling the entire thing and going back to the airport, where I walked right up to Enterprise and was given a beautiful SUV for $36 including tax and a fabulous, hassle free experience. Never again Ace/Payless! Stay away!

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    Customer ServiceContract & TermsSales & MarketingStaff

    Reviewed April 13, 2015

    I rented a vehicle from the South Carolina Payless office near the airport. My credit card was overcharged $300 for the rental. The manager also added roadside service fees to my account after I left, which the PAYLESS corporate office says they can ONLY go by what's written on their screens to enforce charges and of course the manager, SHE wrote I needed a service I didn't. They are shady and scam artist at the SC office. We also got charged $80 for 3 days addition rental fee because when we went to extend our rental to avoid fees, the office was busy and we were told to keep our vehicle instead of trading in for another one and get new rental agreement. And to top it off, we turned the vehicle in on March 22, 2015 at the airport in Lovefield as they requested we do.

    WE GOT CHARGED UNTIL MARCH 25... YES!! EVEN after providing proof of the drop office to a PAYLESS AGENT at the airport, PAYLESS refuse to reimburse us for the $300 over charge, nor would they reimburse the 3 days over charging on the card which total $217.68 total overcharge for rental $517.68. This company customer is a JOKE!!!

    They send you on a hamster wheel for weeks before the same 4 people keep telling you they will get back to you before they give you an email to them when a so called manager will email you with a half way apology saying they're sorry but nothing can be done than. They BAN YOU FROM RENTING. That's a JOKE. They actually have your name added to a don't rent list for complaining they stole your money. I'm now taking them to small claims court NOT for the $517 but because they are ripping off hard working American like myself and after serving 22 years in The Air Force, I’m not getting robbed in my own front yard.

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    Staff

    Reviewed April 13, 2015

    I use southwest.com for airline, car, and hotels. I love SW and generally have great experiences. However my most recent car rental was more than a disaster that I felt you would want to hear about and take action. I reserved a full-size car, as usual, for airport SJD. Payless offered the best rate, and it was much better than others. This is typical. I reserved the car for the week for $69. Payless confirmation **.

    When I arrived, they shuttled the family to offsite location. l refused to honor rate unless I agreed to a timeshare presentation. Increased the rate by 10 times, to over $600 for a compact car. Again, continued to try to convince me I could get the confirmation rate if I agreed to timeshare. Said the rate was so much more because of Mexico insurance that was mandatory. No issue though if I agreed to timeshare presentation. I refused, had no way back to airport. Ended up having to take the compact car for four of us at a rate five times what Southwest had confirmed.

    I found this transaction repulsive. Not what I expect Southwest to be associated with. I believe Payless Car Rental has absolutely no integrity to allow this to occur under their name. At this point, I would like a full refund and compensation for the damages and mental anguish they put me through in front of my family. They used five male salespeople to harass and badger me. Never seen anything like it anywhere in the world.

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    Customer ServiceContract & Terms

    Reviewed April 12, 2015

    I rented a car in JAX. The teller asked me if I needed insurance coverage. I told her no and she said OK. When I returned the car the bill is different than the original Orbitz price so I called Customer Affairs at PAYLESS CARS and explained the issue. We went back and forth over email that the insurance was billed to my account when I told the teller no. The issue is they capitalize on the fact it's a busy line and that you won't read the lengthy statement so you sign initial and they ding you on that. So advice would be read what you're signing and if you have insurance on your credit card specifically look at the part of the contract because they will highlight the wrong thing for you to sign.

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    Customer ServicePriceStaff

    Reviewed April 10, 2015

    This company is dreadful! I will never use them/recommend them to anyone. After relocating to Georgia, my family came for a visit over spring break. My mom used Payless to rent a car for their stay after finding great rates online. She requested a minivan and specifically requested it be big enough for 7 people. My 85 year old grandparents were also visiting (my grandfather requires a wheelchair). My mom was told we would have the Kia minivan or something similar. At the Payless desk at the airport my mom was asked for her insurance cards. She was never told she would need this and doesn't travel with that so in order to keep the reservation she had to call her insurance company and have them send verification. We were then informed they don't have minivans but would give us a Mazda 5 which is the closest they have and claimed it's Mazda's minivan.

    The walkway to the back row is so narrow there is no way the average sized adult could possibly fit in these seats. There is virtually no trunk unless you fold down seats in the last row, making it impossible to fit my grandfather's wheelchair, let alone my daughter's car seat or stroller. The whole point was to have my family travel together. I called the service desk at the airport and asked for a manager. I explained the situation and the manager wrote me off telling me this is a minivan and there was nothing she would do. She then hung up on me before I could even ask her name. I then called the corporate offices hoping I'd get a better result. The agent told me she was passing it along and I'd get a ticket number and response shortly. From there on the only correspondence with their customer service is via email. Never have I heard of such a thing.

    The first response I got to my issue has literally nothing to do with the complaint and at the end I was told that because we still had the vehicle and the bill is open there is nothing I can do. I responded back saying this is all unacceptable due to what we requested and needed for my family. The next response I got was stating that this vehicle is that makes version of a mini van and if I had further questions to let them know but that concludes my concerns. I responded again, this time with close to 10 negative reviews on the vehicle, it's size, and statements of it falling under the umbrella of micro van or hatchback and how it is certainly not a mini van. I concluded it with "can we now agree on the matter?" The last response I got was from a desk supervisor stating they would take a whopping 5% off the final bill of $415.

    When the car was returned, the agents claimed they cannot adjust the bill and it has to come from corporate. So, at this point even the measly discount they were going to offer for a week's worth of inconvenience, wasn't applied. I'm waiting to see if the credit card hold will be given back since they overcharged by $200. Total nightmare company with awful customer service. I hope no one ever does business with them. If I could give them less than 1 star I would.

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    Customer ServiceContract & TermsCoveragePunctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed April 9, 2015

    On April 4th went to Jax FL international airport to pick up rental as stated. We reserved a mid size vehicle. When we arrived the woman assisting us that night was polite and friendly and informed us we were not able to use our prepaid debit card for holding payment. The agent also told us that we were in the system and the Ford Explorer is on hold for us when we come in the morning. So we suggested we would come back on Sunday early morning on April 5th with money in our bank debit card in the amount of 425. We arrived at the rental desk. A lady named ** , I gather no name tag only see this rental agent name on our face page agreement, states that we needed the 350 for deposit and 245 for the rental. We kindly explained to her that is not what the agent the night before explained. ** then was very rude, her demeanor had changed and was just rude.

    We asked her “What do we do now? We are on a time limit.” She said that we could go to another rental agency. We asked to speak to a manager and she said “I am the manager” very rude. She absolutely lacked customer service skills. I asked her how much I needed to put on my card again and said “at least have 600 available to hold”. We left the airport again having to pay another fee for parking to go to my bank to deposit more money. We come back and again to the rental desk and we wait for about 10 minutes as there is no line. She comes out with a look like she was upset. Then takes our ID and bank card and swipes and ask us again “How much do you have in your account?” I tell her “600 now” then she proceeds to tell me she is only going to hold 200 of the deposit because we had to come back for the 3rd time. Which I was thinking well at least that was nice of her.

    Then she ask me about my insurance coverage. So I tell her “Yes I just bought a car, I have all the information on my phone app.” I then pull up and show her my insurance card, she then proceeds to tell me “oh we can't accept that, it's only pip coverage.” So I then pull up my policy and show her what coverages I have as it states comprehensive and collision as I should have due to my car being a 2015 vehicle and a lien in it. Again she says “ma'am it's not shown on your insurance card. I cannot accept your progressive insurance.” She says “you can call them. I can't accept your insurance card because it doesn't state comp and collision.”

    I'm in shock at this point. She was rude and lack of customer service. We were in a rush at this point. We had to leave town to get to our destination at a certain time and we were frustrated with her. We said fine we were not going to stand there and argue with her being the "manager". I will never rent from there again. We were completely dissatisfied with the customer service skills.

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    Punctuality & SpeedStaff

    Reviewed April 7, 2015

    Tampa Florida. When we finally found where we should wait for the shuttle, it was over the 15 minutes. Unbelievably long wait in line with two people behind the desk. After 40 minutes, got to the counter to pick up the economy car that was reserved, they told me it was a two door car with no trunk. CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT. They had me at a disadvantage to upgrade the car by having to upgrade. No issues with the car once we got it. Good thing we were real early for our flight. They held the shuttle up waiting for one person. Would never rent from them again.

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    Customer ServiceContract & TermsStaff

    Reviewed April 6, 2015

    So they give you two options to pay, online or at the counter. Of course I chose online to expedite my counter experience and to get the lower rate. I met all of their terms so I had no problem doing that. I received my confirmation and proceeded to the counter on the day of the reservation only to be told that, after waiting more than 30 mins, I'm on the "Do Not Rent" list because THEY associated me with some other chick from Minnesota (don't know anyone from there). I had to call customer service to be told that only thing they can do is submit a ticket and I could expect to receive a reply in about 72 hrs.

    I needed to rental for that afternoon only so that was a bust. She said I could ask for a refund. Due to the Timetable I opted for the refund or simply lose my money. I had to go rent from another non-Budget/Avis/Payless company. I walked out with a car 10 mins later. Now the 'ticket' agent is telling me because I didn't cancel 48 hours before the reservation I can't back my money. I wouldn't have cancelled/requested a refund if they had fixed their error in due time. I couldn't wait 72 hours!!! Now they're trying to keep my money.

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    Payless Car Rental Company Information

    Company Name:
    Payless Car Rental
    Year Founded:
    1971
    Address:
    P.O. Box 699000
    City:
    Tulsa
    State/Province:
    OK
    Postal Code:
    74169-9000
    Website:
    www.paylesscar.com