Some rental locatons leave a bad taste in your mouth. This is one of those.
I am a frequent car renter and really like this company. But this location sucks the big one.
I rented a full size SUV from this location a few months back... got a good rate through my frequent rental program. The agent did nothing but bitch to me about how I got a rate that did not even cover his expenses.
I returned a few months later and wanted to rent the same SUV for a weekend. He accepts the reservation over the phone at the same rate as before. When I show up to get the vehicle, he says his division manager wants to give me a mini-SUV because of the rate he quoted. I own a mini-SUV, so why the **** would I want to rent one from him. He reluctantly agrees to give me the vehicle I ordered. I then tell him I want to put it on free day passes for the weekend. His face light up and he proceeds to double the rate (as I am not paying it). I tell him I'm not paying anything extra and he proceeds to tell me to pay cash for the taxes and it will all be ok. He then charges me three days in rental passes for a two day rental.
I'm heading down the highway and see a little stone chip in the windshield that I did not see on the walkaround, about the size of the tip of a bic pen. mentioned to my wife that there is a stone chip there... and of course its not identified on the damage report.
I return the vehicle and two days later he phones me about the stone chip. I told him it was there when I got the vehicle and he says no problem - he'll add it to the damage report and I should stop in to sign it.
A few weeks later, I'm renting a car at my usual location, and they ask me to file a damage report for the guy.
A week later I return home and I get this bill in the mail for over $400 for windshield repair. Basturd.
Now I do carry insurance to cover shit like this, but this blatant ripoff really pisses me off. Not only is he ripping off his own company in additional charges (does that sound like fraud to you?), but he rips me off for damage that I did not do.
Now, normally I would say shame on me for not seeing the chip during the inspection - but let me point out that the chip was so small I had a hard time seeing it. Let me also point out that I rented a truck from another company (National) that had a totally smashed bumper that was not on the damage report (wondered why it was backed up against a fence) and they were ok with that - they covered the damages themselves.
So be careful with car rental companies, check the damage, carry full insurance - AND DO NOT RENT FROM THE WINNIPEG REENDERS DRIVE, MB, CAN THRIFTY LOCATION. He will rip you off too!
Ben
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Canada
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