Thrifty Car Rental Reviews

There is too much for just 50 words, just suffice it to say that we paid for a midsize SUV and we’re given a compact SUV. This was brought to their attention, but the agent did not care. Because we were half an hour early we were told our car was not available to which he said that’s fine. But he said if we upgraded that we could go ahead and get one now, we said no we would wait. So that is when they downgrade us but insisted it was the same thing because a midsize Sit, five people and a compact sit five people. Then the deception about trying to sell the insurance. Do not trust Thrifty.

Horrible customer service and complete lack of professionalism. I called because I was unable to find my rental receipt. I was left waiting on the phone for almost an hour. To make matters worse, the customer service agent started talking about me to someone else and neglected to mute her line. I had to sit there and listen to her talk badly about me instead of helping me. Completely disrespectful and unprofessional. Avoid this company if you value decent customer service.

Thrifty White Plains Airport location. At time of pick up of the vehicle I reported to the lady attendant the condition of the car. Dirty and strong smell of smoke. They did not offer a replacement vehicle. Time of return I spoke to the same lot attendant lady and did remind her of the condition. She remembered me from a couple days earlier. At the rental desk I told the attendant what happened and he told me I will get a discount for my trouble. Later I have received an email with the final bill and they charged me $400 for smoking in the car instead of the discount. At the desk the attendant attitude was, "It’s too bad we have to charge somebody for cleaning the car." Asked for the manager and I was told he cannot be bothered, I should take it up with customer service.

I'm rented in Miami 06/28/2026 to 07/02/2026 ,really nightmare, I'm pay 27 for fast checking the person in counter don't respect this and say need take the line (2 hrs waiting), after I'm explain I'm used my own insurance and my own EZPASS, now discount in my credit card 72 for insurance plus 50 for EZPASS, when I'm check my EZPASS account the toll is paid. The nightmare.

The guy at the counter basically threw my contract at me with no direction as to where the vehicles were located at.

I rented a car from Thrifty (a Hertz brand) at Chicago O'Hare, Rental Record #**— a one-day, one-way rental, May 4–5, 2026, O'Hare to Newark. I booked online, where the one-way pricing was already built into the rate. My signed rental agreement shows a Total Estimated Charge of $371.17 for the whole rental — everything included — which I paid at pickup via Apple Pay (the agreement says "Paid By: Wallet/Digital"). On the morning of the rental the car got a flat tire, and it took Thrifty roughly 5 hours to deal with it and swap the vehicle. Because of their delay, I returned the car a couple of hours late. On May 7, Thrifty emailed me confirming the car was returned, inspected, and had no damage. The rental was closed.

Very poor experience. I made a reservation two months in advance for a car at JFK Airport. I got multiple texts from Thrifty prior to and on the day of the reservation. I completed the pre-check in in advance and got the text saying I was all set and my car would be ready. After a very long flight I got to the Thrifty counter and was told the wait for my car was at least 80 minutes because they only had two people cleaning the cars. There were many other customers sitting around on the floor waiting for their cars. I canceled my reservation and got an Uber that cost me $170. Terrible. Won’t rent from them again.

I will never rent from Thrifty again. I ask to add a driver but was not. It would $400 more then to return it early where I am would cost me $500. Never again. 🤬🤬🤬

If I could rate Thrifty a minus number, I would. I reserved my car back on October 31, 2025 I am a Blue Chip member and have been for decades. My total for the week in Phoenix was $441.22. A week before my rental, I was told I could check in. In trying to do so, I was having a hard time. Your site just wouldn't cooperate. I called Thrifty customer service. I was told that you did not have a car for me. WHAT???? I proceeded to tell Klaus that I reserved this car 6 months in advance. He put me on hold to see what he could do. He came back and told me he got me a rental and the price would now be $680. I said no, that wasn't the amount I contracted for. It's going to be the same amount as my reservation. On hold again. He came back and now told the price would be $480. NO. I am not paying extra for Thrifty's mistake.

I rarely write negative reviews, but my experience with Thrifty and Hertz at Salt Lake City Airport was so poor that I feel obligated to warn other travelers. I prepaid for a rental car through Thrifty. When I arrived at the Salt Lake City Airport location around 8:30 PM, there was no vehicle available for me despite having a confirmed prepaid reservation. The problems didn't stop there.

Thrifty car rental does NOT have a kiosk at the Richmond, Virginia airport. When you reserve a car from Thrifty for the Richmond, VA airport, you must take a $60 cab ride to 8201 W. Broad Street, Henrico. The confirmation lists the airport address and a phone number for Hertz. There is no way to contact Thrifty and speak with a person--the number is only automated help. The representatives at the W. Broad office were very helpful and compassionate but I do not want this to happen to anyone else.

We rented a car at the Thrifty car rental in Philadelphia on 4-15-26. They tried to give us a car with brake problems. My spouse refused to take the car that they tried to give us and we did get another. We traveled to NJ to go to Atlantic City and received a tire warning. We stopped at a gas station that was getting ready to close for lunch and was told that the tires were not filled with the proper air. The tire in question was tested for any punctures and there was not one. Tires were not checked and filled properly per the attendant. The attendant filled the tire with the appropriate amount of air and we were on our way. What if we had a blowout? The female that worked the front desk was excellent and when she was told about the brakes, she informed the staff.

Unprofessional Handling of a Simple Request. I had a horrible experience calling Thrifty customer service today. I was trying to find out the security deposit amount for a car rental at Providenciales International Airport since it is missing from their website. The representative, Zoey, refused to help and told me to search online. When I requested a supervisor, she left me on hold for six minutes, came back to say a manager named Rhey would call me back, and then hung up on me mid-sentence. She didn't even take my name down for the callback. This level of customer service is completely unacceptable.

I have rented from Thrifty a couple of times using the wildcard option, which detailed a compact or larger car, 5 passengers, air-conditioning and transmission. When we picked up the car, they gave us a 15 seater Van, yes 15 seater and would NOT exchange it even though it stated on the wildcard option 5 passenger vehicle! Very disappointing, and customer service was no help either. How could they rent a 15 seater Van and not be able to change it the vehicle!??

Charged me over $600 after returning the car, when my booking estimate total was $350, just scanners as a company, they make up hidden fees and not one was for the damage or cleanup, that’s the scary part.

Very disappointing experience with Thrifty. I paid for full insurance in advance, yet I was still charged again on-site without proper explanation. On top of that, I received unexpected charges later without any prior notification. It took a long and frustrating effort just to understand what these charges were for. Their responses felt generic, and they either did not understand simple questions in English or avoided answering them directly. Overall, poor communication, lack of transparency, and unexpected costs. I would not recommend this company.

The car was fuel efficient however it smelled of cigarette smoke something awful and the driver side sun visor was broken and would not stay up... It kept falling down... The lady at desk in Seattle airport was not very friendly.

They steal your money and their cars are always dirty and they charge you for something the previous renter did.

I am writing to file a formal complaint regarding my recent rental experience at the Thrifty location at Pittsburgh International Airport from March 24-31. I have rented cars many times and take the process seriously, and unfortunately this was one of the most unprofessional experiences I've had with any rental agency. At pickup on March 24th around 10:00 AM, the two older employees working the counter were dismissive and unhelpful. When I declined the additional insurance coverage--after having already confirmed with my insurance company that I was eligible and covered --the woman at the desk laughed at me, and in a snarky tone asked, "What's your insurance?" When I asked about how tolls were handled, she didn't answer me. When I asked whether my card went through for the rental after using the tap card option, she replied, "How should I know? You should be able to see it."

I would strongly advise people to avoid this Thrifty location. We had already completed the online check-in on Thrifty’s website, which is supposed to save time, yet we were still told we had to wait in line unless we paid an extra $35. That already felt dishonest. We landed in Los Angeles after around 20 hours of travel. Since the rental location is not even at the airport, we also had to take a shuttle for another 15–20 minutes. We had provided our flight number during booking, our flight was on time, and everything was known in advance.

I had prepaid for the car but had to wait in line at the airport to pick up for close to an hour.. Although I had filled up right before my return they charged me 38.00 in gas.

I rented a vehicle in Newport, Rhode Island in late February. However, I have since been charged twice in March for tolls that I did not incur. I was not in possession of the vehicle on the dates of these charges, nor did I pass through any tolls during my rental period. I am formally disputing these charges and request that they be promptly reviewed and removed. This situation is concerning, and I expect a timely resolution. Please note that this experience has negatively impacted my trust, and I will reconsider future business depending on how this matter is handled.

Showed up for rental and despite website saying they had 24 hour pickup, the office was closed. I had to sleep on the floor until after 6:00 the next morning. It was after 6 because the employee didn't show up on time.

On Saturday, March 14, 2026, my reservation for a minivan was not honored and I subsequently had to cancel my Spring Break vacation. I made the reservation 4 months prior, and I had received a conformation. I was told that there was no vehicle there that could accommodate my request. I was offered a regular vehicle at double the cost which I felt was very condescending and unprofessional. I needed a minivan that could accommodate six people, and I explained this to the rental location, however they didn't seem to care and it being so late, I was not able to secure a minivan for the trip with any other rental car agency, so I had to cancel my trip. The way this was handled was very unprofessional and I will never use that location for any type of business again.

Due to weather I was not able to pick up my car. This resulted in never receiving a car unless I was willing to increase the cost for the rental over 4x the original price. The customer service was not helpful. This is an extremely unethical company that I would never do business with again

I asked to put boyfriend on the rental as a second driver and was told no because our ID do not have the same address. I was very disappointed that I was not able to do this without paying a daily fee for more than 20.00 a day. I really needed help driving on a trip that took more than 7 hours. I asked the clerk if I could speak to a manager to see if they can help me out with adding him as a second driver without the fees and explain to them we live in the same house with mail. I was told to go to the Hertz counter to speak to a manager.

I can’t say enough great things about our experience with Thrifty Rental car in San Diego airport especially with Marissa. After an extremely stressful travel day, dealing with multiple issues at the Las Vegas airport involving Frontier and TSA, we ended up missing our original flight. We had to spend the entire day at the airport and purchase last-minute tickets with Southwest just to make it to San Diego later that evening. Needless to say, we arrived exhausted and frustrated.

Arrived in Reno and went to get my Thrifty Rent a Car, Only to find over 20 people waiting and only one representative working. I'm about 1/2 way to representative as I write this and it's been an hour.

Rented for ten days at Thrifty Newark Airport. Said not to use their way too expensive EZ pass toll box. (26,- USD/day!) I used my own EZ pass New York Temporary Travel account using the license plate of the rental car. All the toll was payed directly from my credit card. But over a week after I gave the car back to Thrifty I got an e-mail from Thrifty with an invoice for the toll, 45,- USD. Above this a "convenience" fee from Thrifty at 44,- USD! Also no proof from EZ pass that this toll is actually billed in this period on this license plate to Thrifty. This all in an e-mail on which you can't reply. So no defense against this illegal bill.

Beware, they will take advantage of you and their parent company Hertz will try to shake you down! I rented a car here at the Thrifty at the airport through my credit card travel portal because they had a great rate. Went to pick up the car, there was damage to the trunk (several small dents). I took several pictures of the dents and of the car while it was parked in the stall. The pictures clearly show the damage and the pictures clearly show the car in the numbered stall in the Thrifty Rental Car pick-up area in the garage (I made sure to capture the sign & stall number in the picture as well). I took several pictures from multiple angles. I reported it at that time and was told the damage was already noted. I returned the car a few days later. When I returned it, there was nobody in the return area (at least when I arrived). Waited like 10 minutes, still nobody.

(Boise, Idaho, 1/10/2025) I wish I'd read these reviews before I rented a car from Thrifty. The process was easy, the guy behind the counter was very pleasant, the car was clean and in excellent condition and returning the vehicle was a breeze. It was my first time renting a car and I was sure I was going to be a Thrifty repeat customer. I'd have given a five-star rating until I checked my credit card statement. What was supposed to be a $34.15 charge was $357.00. WTAF??! After almost an hour on hold then dealing with an associate who struggled with English then calling the counter where I picked up the car, I found out that they place funds on hold in case of damage. But they don't tell you that when you pick up the car. So my credit card has been over the limit and frozen for days while I wait for the charge to be reversed, which could take up to a week. Not cool Thrifty, Next time I'm going with Enterprise. And yes, I've read the reviews.

Thrifty Rental car has to be one of the worse companies I have had the mispleasure of dealing with registered for skip the counter. Line of 20 people at Fort Lauderdale airport and one person working. Skip the counter apparently doesn't work unless someone from thrifty actually assigns a vehicle. Needless to say didn't happen. The person working the counter had the customer service skills of a zoo animal. In addition was not provided vehicle reserved or a similar vehicle. Customer phone service outsourced to Central American company and still awaiting for call back from Oscar.

Employees of Thrifty Car Rental in Detroit (289 Lucas Dr. location) participate in a “bait-and-switch” scam, to which I fell victim yesterday (12/23/25), mid-afternoon. After securing a rental reservation with a third-party booking site with a $200 deposit more than 6 months ago, two women on duty at Thrifty informed me they could not accept my PayPal Mastercard as valid payment. I have used this card frequently for months online and in person with no problem. The present available credit on it stands around $18,000, my credit is Very Good, and I have a new, enhanced WA state driver's license.

RDU Thrifty adds untrue charges after the rental experience. Two separate rentals they have charged me for gas when I returned it full, added an additional hour of rental when I returned it on time. This leads me to believe this is normal operating for this location. When I called, provided proof of filling the tank they remove the charges, but what a pain and I wonder how many people don't bother to call.

This is the worst rental car experience I’ve had in my entire life, and when I first arrived to the counter to pick up my vehicle. I was notified of additional charges that was not mentioned to me a month ago when I set up the rental agreement. This company invade your privacy. While you’re driving the vehicle tells you how far and how fast you can drive. Tracks your whereabouts and speed. I most definitely did not agree to invasion of my privacy. Charge extra fees on top of fees, unexpected fees. Just ridiculous company. Do not rent from this stupid ridiculous invasion of privacy company. You would surely be disappointed. Make sure you take a copy of your contract if they want you to give it back to them when you return the vehicle. They should change their name from thrifty to pricey! Nothing but scammers.

I have never had such a bad experience with a rental car company! The customer service rep at the Atlanta airport was the most disrespectful person I have ever had to deal with. Her name is Tammy and she told me it was not her problem that I had already paid my fee for the car rental. I told her I didn’t want to get double charged! We were double charged and we are currently trying to fight with my credit card company. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!

I received a car (Ford Puma) with electronic problems (apparently I am not the only one) when I rented a rental car in Alicante. It just stopped working while we were on the beach. Not only did it ruin us an evening, instead of taking responsibility and potentially thinking about compensation of such a disaster they made us pay for road assistance and the upgrade to a (defective) automatic car. Scam, I will try to take legal action.

I've rented cars at this locations for several years. Vehicles offered were not as good as those available at other car rental but prices were fine. This year has been the last time for sure I rented a car from Thrifty. First of all my reservation through EconomyCarRental was not honored and I was charged more without any explanation and I wasn't even offered the type of vehicle I had requested. I was charged a further 400USD for a car I didn't want and I didn't require beside the increased priced compared to my reservation. Both the manager and an employee tried to help me out stating that I was entitled to get what I had booked but a couple of employees seemed to have more power than the manager itself. I had the feeling that they wanted to scam some money out of me anyway when I had declined any additional service and being aware that in Denver car rental offices are in the middle of nowhere and customers are forced to accept any solution.

I reserved a vehicle a month before arrival at PDX airport. At the counter, I was told that the car category I chose online was not a real option (they didn't "carry any") and that they only had ONE vehicle, which was an upgrade (a Ford Expedition) for $1950 more after I already paid ($2200+ for the full reservation period). The two staff members stated that "this happens all the time" that this non-existent category is booked (an SUV comparable to a RAV4). You can imagine how flabbergasted and disgusted I am that you can make a reservation well in advance with no specific vehicle assigned.