Economy Rent A Car
Is This Your Business?1.2
4.7
Overall Score
Economy Rent a Car has been in business for over 25 years and has expanded to over 100 locations in 32 countries around the world. Today, the company is headquartered in Costa Rica and is Costa Rica's largest car rental provider.
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The Good
- Locations at Most Large Airports
- Roadside Assistance
Locations at Most Large Airports
Economy has locations at most major airports throughout North America, including New York, Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles, etc. This makes Economy a prime option if you're traveling from out of town by plane and need to rent a car right when you get off the plane. This is on par with most car rental companies, who have counters at the majority of large U.S. and Canada airports.
Roadside Assistance
Economy offers a roadside assistance option for rental customers for an additional $5 a day. This service helps customers in case they get a flat tire or some other unexpected issue while driving. This price is mid-range, since some competitors offer the same service for an average of $3.95 a day but still affordable.
The Bad
- High Economy Price Range
- Available in Only 10 states
- Strict Cancellation Policy
- Limited Instant Return
- No Toll Prepay Option
- No Online Check-In
- No On-Site Fuel Discount
High Economy Price Range
Economy cars prices are average to high in the industry. The price is dependent on the class of car and rental area.
Available in Only 10 States
Economy locations can be found in approximately 10 states. This is low in the auto rental industry. Most companies average at approximately 23 locations or more in the U.S. This lack of location availability increases the chance customers will not be able to use Economy.
Strict Cancellation Policy
If you have to cancel your reservation, Economy requires you contact them at least 72 hours in advance. Otherwise, you will be charged a cancellation fee of $50. This is not beneficial for situations that occur last minute that force you to cancel. Other companies offer free cancellations regardless of how close it is to the reservation time. The good news is that the amount of time Economy requires you to cancel in advance (to avoid fees) varies depending on the state you're in. For example, New Jersey only requires a 24 hour notice, which is much more reasonable. Overall, Economy's cancellation policy falls short of its competitors, many who offer free cancellations.
Limited Instant Return
After hours, Economy allows customers to return the car and drop off the keys in their drop-off box. Economy will inspect the vehicle the following day when the office opens and will email your invoice to you. If you return your vehicle during office hours, you need to drop off the keys to the front desk. This is not an advantage for customers, who typically return cars during business hours.
No Toll Prepay Option
Economy doesn't appear to offer a Toll Prepay option that is available on their website. Inquiring of them directly is the best way to learn about any toll prepay options. This is inconvenient and time-consuming for customers trying to book an online reservation. The majority of rental car companies have this information readily available on their website during the booking process. Economy falls short in this regard.
No Online Check-In
To check in, you have to go to the rental counter and finalize everything before getting the keys. This can take time with waiting in line. All customers will be required to provide their e-mail address at the time of rental to be used as an alternate contact source during their rental period. Customers who refuse to provide their e-mail address are subject to being denied their reserved car. This works for anyone who has an email. If a customer does not have an email address, this option will not be viable or convenient for them.
No On-Site Fuel Discount
There are no on-site Fuel Discounts. Economy offers customers 3 refueling options based on their needs:
- FUEL NOW - you may purchase a tank of gas at the time of rental and return the vehicle with as little gas as you like. This eliminates the need for you to refuel the tank prior to returning. but they won't issue a refund for unused fuel.
- FUEL LATER - You let Economy refuel the car for you. You pay for the fuel required to replace the fuel you used and for the service and convenience of refueling the tank.
- SELF SERVE - You have to return the car with the same amount of fuel as when picked up. If not, fuel charge will apply of $8.00 per gallon.
Customers can save money if they choose the option best suitable for their situation. If you use FUEL NOW, you won't get a refund for any unused fuel. Self-serve may be more cost effective if you are not planning on doing much driving. Otherwise, there is a charge of $8 per gallon.
The Bottom Line
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Mauricio Carranza Austin, TX
I made the mistake to rent from this car company thinking that the rate was affordable. The final bill was about double the price for a junker that felt like about to collapse. Expedia nor the car rental company indicated this rental company was not at the Cancun airport. The pickup was scheduled for 3:30 and 3 hours later we were able to pick up the car. Do yourself a favor, do not rent from this company.
4 days ago
Richard E Farabee
Car was uninsured, expired registration and safety sticker. Customer service used foul language in person, hung up on my when discussing being pulled over for expired registration and safety sticker. Also, unable to return car and no shuttle service to airport before 8am. Worst experience I've ever had. It's a shame they are still in business and/or being advertised given their ratings and customer feedback.
6 days ago
Karen Coglitore Churchville, NY
Reserved a vehicle with Economy in Ft. Lauderdale about 1 1/2 months before our arrival, when we arrived at the off site location we were told our reservation had been cancelled. No phone call, no email, no text to inform us of this! The reason it was cancelled was because we arrived 2 hours after our pick up time. My brother called them a few days before to confirm the reservation because we had heard that getting rentals in Florida was extremely difficult. He also told them our flight had changed and we were going to be later then we expected. The vehicle was prepaid and when he asked for a credit the clerk told him he had to fill out a request and it was not guaranteed he would get a refund!!! What??? Are you kidding me??? He is in the process of filling out the paperwork for the refund. Needless to say the four of us were left there with no vehicle and we had to take an Uber to our condo which ended up costing $85.00. We will never consider renting from economy again. Absolutely horrible experience!
3 weeks ago
Taylor Alongi Billerica, MA
Do not rent from Economy. They are a horrible company who could not care less about their customers. I am surprised they are still in business as the cab that ultimately had to pick us up told us he picks up people from the Orlando, FL location 2 - 3 times a week crying. After my experience there, I believe him. Do yourself a favor and go ANYWHERE else.
4 weeks ago
Nika Saint Paul, MN
Awful company and disrespectful stuff!!!
I would give Economy Rent A Car a negative rating if there would be such an option. One star feels too overvalued!!!
Instead of the 7 hours of rent paid by us, me and my husband were able to use the car for only 1.5 hours, because the agent of this shitty company-Austin illegally tried to force us to buy insurance that we did not need and spent 3 hours of our personal time, blocked $ 1000 in our account and ruined our vacation. He even forced us to contact our insurance company in order to confirm that we are insured with them!!! It took as about half an hour!!!
After all our mood was completely ruined and we did not realized that in addition to everything else the tank was not filled with gas at the moment we finally got our car after 5,5 hours of negotiations and waiting in the line!!!
I would like to mention that were told several times at the front desk by the worst agent we ever had business with -Austin (Fort -Lauderdale (FLL) location) who treated us as a s**t all way long, that the tank must be full of gas at the moment we return a car, and the contract states that if we do not fill the tank with gas, the company charges us $ 5.6 per gallon.
The receipt that we have clearly confirmed the amount of missing gas was used not by us, since we drove just 16 miles, but by the previous customer. I wanted to be reimbursed for the gas we did not use, that is why I contacted their customer service via email.
But this company does not treat their customers as people and the only one answer I received from them was:
“Good day,
This is how we gave you. There is no a pending refund for gas.”
So, If YOU ARE THINKING OF RENTING YOUR CAR THROUGH ECONOMY RENTACAR....Never ever do it!!!!
3 months ago
Dante Berardi London, ON
Terrible experience. They use low prices online to trap you into reserving and then double the price with hidden fees upon pick up. They also make it impossible to cancel the reservation by making you email the american office with no explanation of how long a reply will take. There are also fees to cancel the reservation so once they tell you about the hidden fees upon pick up you cannot go to another rental company. Indifferent / boarder-line rude customer service staff (mississauga location), many not wearing PPE properly. Car was in okay shape but had many large stains on the inside and had “maintenance required” light on when we picked it up. NEVER BOOK WITH THIS COMPANY.
8 months ago
Andre Godin Minneapolis, MN
I would give Economy Rent A Car a negative rating if I could. One stat feels why too overvalued.
I was hooked by the $9 per day rental price. Way too good to be true, as it turned out.
I had made a reservation for a 5-day rental, to be picked up st the Fort Lauderdale airport.
When I got to the counter, the agent asked for proof of insurance. I gave her my card to peruse, and thought that was the end of it. She asked if I had brought my actual policy with me! When I responded "no", she said that I needed to verify with my agent that I had "suitable" collision insurance. In short, I called my agent and he spoke with the Economy employee.
She informed me I didn't have enough insurance and they would put a $1000 fee on my Amex Card. Their insurance rates were ridiculously inflated, along with other hidden fees (Sun Pass, e.g.).
I decided not to proceed with this rental, and since I did not rent through Economy, wanted a full refund ( approximately$77.00). The counter lady lied by telling me I needed to get the refund through Expedia (where I booked the initial reservation). I went back to the terminal to rent another car.
When I contacted Expedia, they said no, Economy had already processed the payment, and I needed to get them to refund me. I called up Economy Service Center, and after being on hold for 20+ minutes, the agent said I needed to send an email request.
I received an email stating that I was not entitled to any refund BUT because I was a "valued customer" they would honor my request, LESS A $35.00 processing fee.
In their email they said my request would be processed in 30 BUSINESS DAYS due to the high volume of refund requests. There's a shocker. This was on 8/6/20, and I am still waiting a refund of about $40.
IF YOU ARE THINKING OF RENTING YOUR CAR THROUGH ECONOMY RENTACAR....DON'T!!!!
I did not do my due diligence by checking out the numerous complaints, and got burned.
8 months ago
Erin Thomas Gallatin, TN
I wish I could give zero stars. DO NOT rent from these people! I was charged a $250 smoke fee & I don't even smoke! & sadly there is nothing I can do about it but let them take my money
3 months ago
Angela Blau Wenatchee, WA
It looks like a lot of people, such as myself, were scammed by this company. This company over charged me $1,500. I've talked to the better business bureau and they said once they get more complaints from people then they can start making moves and report this company. I have already written a report to the better business bereau (specifically reporting the san jose costa rica location). If we group together we can get these people out of business!
8 months ago
Kristin G Pleasant Grove, UT
We found a great deal online with Economy Rent a Car in Dallas, TX. We rented the car for an entire week while we were visiting our grand children Nd had no issues what so ever. The customer service was great. The car was clean and ran as expected. I would rent again from them.
2 years ago
Trisha Davis Norcross, GA
If I can give zero stars I would. Folks please do your research on this phony rental company. I wish I did because they are thief’s. Due to being a healthcare professional I was unable to travel, and postpone my trip. I requested a refund 3 months ago they keep telling us it will be credited to our account on a certain day. Up to now I never received my money. Called a rep and tell them I will take them court they said go ahead then you wouldn’t get your money back. They are rude, they are thieves, and they are scammers. Please keep away if you wanna get robbed go right ahead
10 months ago
Edward Chung , WA
BE VERY AWARE OF THIS RIPOFF SCAM ARTIST RENTAL CAR COMPANY ECONOMY, AND IT'S AFFILIATE AIRPORTRENTALS.COM BASED OUT OF NEW ZEALAND. THEY HAVE HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF REALLY BAD REVIEWS AND COMPLAINTS. WHEN I BOOKED MY RESERVATION WITH THEM 4 MONTH'S PRIOR I PURCHASED RENTAL CAR INSURANCE THROUGH THIS AIRPORTRENTALS.COM IN ADVANCE. WHEN I GOT THERE THE CUSTOMER SERVICE AGENT TOLD ME HE DIDN'T KNOW WHO THAT COMPANY WAS AND THEY DON'T HONOR THAT COMPANY'S INSURANCE. I TOLD HIM "WHAT"!? THIS INSURANCE COMPANY'S INSURANCE (AIRPORTRENTALS.COM) IS POSTED AND ADVERTISED ON SAME ECONOMY WEBSITE I MADE MY RESERVATION ON! HE STILL DENIED AND SAID HE DOESN'T KNOW WHO THEY WERE AND THAT I HAD TO BUY INSURANCE DIRECTLY FROM THEM. I TOLD HIM WHAT HOW COME WHEN I RENTED CAR'S FROM ADVANTAGE RENTAL CAR'S BEFORE THEY TOLD ME RENTAL CAR INSURANCE IS OPTIONAL IN VEGAS. HE THEN SAID TO ME "EVERY COMPANY IS DIFFERENT". THE GUY ALSO TRIED TO GET ME TO ACCEPT A MINI VAN INSTEAD OF A CHEAP ON GAS ECONOMY CAR I MADE MY RESERVATION FOR ONLINE. HE SAID THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY SMALLER SIZED CAR'S THAT I MADE MY RESERVATION FOR. AFTER ARGUING VEHEMENTLY WITH HIM ABOUT MY CAR RESERVATION CHOICE HE FINALLY SAID HE WAS GONNA GIVE ME A NISSAN SENTRA BUT THE INSURANCE FOR THE SMALLER CAR WOULD BE HIGHER THAN THE MINIVAN. BY THIS TIME I WAS REALLY STARTING TO FLIPOUT "AND GETTING LOUD". HE KNEW IT TOO SO HE FINALLY SAID HE WAS GONNA GIVE ME THE SENTRA FOR THE LOWER PRICED INSURANCE (WHICH AS I MENTIONED UP ABOVE ADVANTAGE RENTAL CAR'S TOLD ME IT'S OPTIONAL IN VEGAS). ECONOMY RENTAL CAR'S ARE A RIPOFF. THEIR SCAM IS TO LURE YOU AWAY FROM THE MAIN MCCARRAN AIRPORT RENTAL STATION. ONCE THEY GET YOU TO THEIR YARD AREA THEY TRY TOO RIP YOU OFF BY TRYING TO HUSTLE YOU BY TACKING BOGUS CHARGES. BECAUSE THEY KNOW YOU'RE STUCK NOW IN A BIND AND CANNOT REALLY FIND A LAST MINUTE BETTER DEAL WITH THE OTHER COMPANIES. ALSO BE VERY AWARE OF AIRPORTRENTALS.COM OUT OF NEW ZEALAND AND THEIR INSURANCE PITCH ON THE SAME ECONOMY WEBSITE. THEY ARE AN AFFILIATE OF ECONOMY RENTAL CAR'S AND CLAIM TO TAKE CARE OF ANY COMPLAINTS AGAINST ECONOMY, THEY'RE PHONY. AND BOGUS. THEY'RE REALLY THE MAIN SCAM SOURCE FOR ECONOMY. IF SOMEBODY OUT THERE IS A LAWYER AND READING ALL THESE COMPLAINTS AGAINST ECONOMY AND AIRPORTRENTALS.COM,"PLEASE FILE A CLASS ACTION SUIT AGAINST THESE RIPOFF CROOKS". THIS HAS GOT TO BE STOPPED!
1 year ago
William Bolton La Porte, IN
The worst car rental company I’ve ever rented from. Told us we had to use there SunPass toll device to use there car around Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and travel down to the Keys. This is a LIE! You can purchase your own, even a SunPass Mini and place the rental cars License Plate ID on your account ( then remove it when you return the car Cost for Mini $12.00 . Cost for regular SunPass $4.99 plus toll fees. Economy charged us $8.00/day...
Then They try to sell you all sorts of extra insurance, hold a $1000.00 deposit fee (given back at end of lease or charge not sent thru)... then add on all the extra fees, tax , etc... I recommend going with a name brand rental agency you know....
https://www.sunpass.com/en/about/sunpassTransponders.shtml
1 year ago
Michael r mason Fairfax, VA
Avoid renting from Economy Rental Car. This company is run by scam artists. I rented a car from there recently and, as I always do, I declined their insurance coverage. I have a credit card that I always use when I travel that covers collision and liability for rental cars. I use it when I travel national and internationally and I have never had a problem getting a rental car company to accept it. Economy said they could only accept it for collision but not for liability. The guy at the desk argued that this was posted on the web site but I have been able to find it. So, I offered my regular car insurance (State Farm) and they said that they would take that for liability coverage. Then the agent claimed that I would still have to pay $9 a day for liability. I told him that this didn't make sense since I already gave him my credit card and my personal auto insurance card. He still insisted I needed to pay $9 per day or I could leave a deposit for $1000! I told the guy that there was no way I was going to leave $1000 for his company to use at their pleasure. Well, since I couldn’t get a car by that time anywhere else, I paid the extra charge and went on my way. In the end, it turned out I could have gotten a rental for the same price as what I paid Economy Rental Car if I had gone with a more expensive company. So, beware of this company. Don't be fooled by their initial low rates. They will scam you for additional expenses.
1 year ago
Scott from Dallas ,
Should be a "0". Please people, do not ever rent from Economy Car Rental. We must band together to drive them out of business. I rented a car for 30 days at a very healthy price for the company to make a profit (not discounted) of over $750 for the month. I had the printed (on paper) insurance coverage letter from my credit card company. They stated that they don't honor it and REQUIRE their mandatory coverage at $35/day ($1,000 extra for the month). I told him I wouldn't pay it and he replied "then we don't rent you the car", which they know leaves you stranded so you will take it anyway. I argued enough to get the lower cost insurance that he initially denied having, at a cost of $20/day extra, doubling the cost of my car and then charged sales tax of 13% on top of the insurance cost. If you take the car and intend to turn it in early so that you can find a better company, you get no refund, either. They don't even provide proof that you actually have purchased insurance nor that they will really forward the "sales tax" to the country. Do not get tempted to use this company.
1 year ago
Raul Toronto, ON
This company is a fraud and the government must intervene to take an affirmative action against this company since they are getting away from fraud. I booked a reservation through carrentals.com which has no contact information and users are forced to contact Economy Rent a car mediocre customer care. I initially signed up for unlimited mileage, but upon arrival, I was told to take 11.99$/day insurance w/ only 200 Km/day allowance since I was taking the vehicle to Buffalo, NY and worst, there is a fee per day for taking the vehicle across the border. Carrentals.com never mentioned anything about these hidden mandatory fees which users are obligated to pay or lose all your money since prepaid transactions are not refunded. I refused to rent a vehicle, but still got charged for the entire booking. It is a full-blown scam and Economy Rent A Car must be held accountable for fraud. I will never use carrentals.com or neither Economy Rent A car ever in my life.
1 year ago
Andrea Belmont, MA
I have rented many cars over the past few years and I have never had an experience like I did with Economy. I rented online through my account on Expedia. The rates were not expensive so I booked it. I have my own comprehensive and collision insurance which also includes liability insurance as well as glass coverage. I did look into the additional charges page and nothing seemed out of the ordinary to me. So I declined there insurance coverage due to having my own. Once I arrived at Economy I was asked for proof of my insurance (this was a first for me). After pulling up my policy online, I was told that my liability coverage did not cover their requirements and I would have to pay for their liability insurance or I could not have the car. Feeling stuck at that point, I had no other option. Along with the liability insurance I was also charged for Glass and Tire Protection. Once I was at my destination, I went searching for their disclosures regarding the liability insurance information and I had to go through four different online pages to finally find it. I feel that this should be on the first page, at the same location as the check box for their insurance because at that same moment a consumer would be able to make a more informed decision as to whether they need it or not. It is not considered an ethical business practice when the consumer is deceived through advertised lower prices and not allowed the opportunity to make a more informed decision without jumping through hoops to find the disclosures. I will no longer rent through this company.
1 year ago
Deb Ambler, PA
Horrible. Rip off. Waited 30 minutes to be taken to the middle of nowhere to pick up car only to be told that we needed our insurance declaration page or we would need to buy their insurance. They only accept some insurance companies anyway. Also told that we needed to buy the Sunpass. The rep lived in Orlando for 8
Years but didn’t know what roads needed the pass and they didn’t have that information. We got an Uber out of there!
The next day we went to another car company who gave us the Sunpass information and didn’t make us but their insurance. Save yourself A lot of grief and don’t use Economy. If you prepay and decide not to buy the insurance or Sunpass, you will lose your deposit.
It’s hard to believe these guys are still I business. Ufortunately. I did not look at any reviews before I booked the car. I won’t do that again!
1 year ago
michael alawee Dunnellon, FL
We rented a car from economy rent a car through Jet car rental in Dorval QC. From the time we got to the rental site we had bad service. We were forced to buy insurance for $40/day, when we knew our insurance would cover it but we could not prove it as it was after hours. Also there was a $500 deposit. The sales person was extremely rude even to the customer before us. We had to take the car because there was no other alternative and no cancellation. The car was so filthy that we could not see out the windows. when we returned the car 4 days later the desk attendant was different, but the driver was the same rude person that originally checked us in. He was on the phone the entire trip to the airport and didn't even stop to assist with our luggage. I would not advise anyone to rent a car from them.
1 year ago
Marc harris Henderson, NV
ZERO star for Economy Car rental. Expedia should have better third party vendors. They attempted to help but Economy was rude to them as well and doesn’t care about customer service. Reservation for a car in my name (driver) with 83 old mothers credit card. I was only helping my mother who doesn’t like to fly drive to a special family event. Didn’t see an issue at first. I have a drivers license, AAA insurance forever and debit. She has identification and the credit card we used to reserve. Additional driver to take her. I don’t rent cars often. I called immediately and they wouldn’t change, cancel or refund an 83 year old who can’t drive ! They wouldn’t allow a debit as exception from me the driver WITH her credit card and Identification and being present knowing her age she’s obviously not driving. They wouldn’t allow anything except they wanted her money!!!!!! Crooks!!!!!!! Beware!!!!!!!
1 year ago
Richard Perry
I pre-rented a car from Economy thru Expedia to be picked up in Montreal. I made this selection based on best price. When I arrived at their location I was told that I needed to buy mandatory $11.95/day liability insurance. This increased the rental cost by 50%. I have rented cars all over the world and never before had to buy additional liability insurance. (I have it for my personal cars) I tried to get both Economy and Expedia to refund the liability portion of the rental but neither would do anything. So I will never rent from Economy again (how do you know what the cost will be?) and will avoid Expedia as well. They need to do a better job of screening businesses that use their site and a better job of helping customers that are cheated).
1 year ago
Run Away From Economy!! Ellicott City, MD
As everyone else has stated, these people are CROOKS!!! I rented a car via Priceline in Santo Domingo for a very low price. Upon arrival at the airport, an extra $200 was tacked on for insurance.
I then went through a grueling process to secure the necessary paperwork to prove to the Economy representative that my US insurance covers cars out of the country. After reviewing my paperwork, the representative tells me everything looks good & to “hop in line” (because I had gotten out of line in order to make the call to my insurance provider).
After standing in line for over an hour (listening to everyone argue about being scammed), I finally reach the country only to be told that I still needed to purchase their insurance.
Needless to say, I did not and will never rent from this crooked car company!
Renters beware!!
1 year ago
Herrera Port Jefferson Station, NY
I booked through Priceline for our trip in Las Vegas, NV on August 31st - September 8th. We opted to not take the insurance through Economy since our car insurance company allows us to transfer it onto the rental car. When requesting for the insurance to be taken off of the bill, an extra $200 or so, we were met with extreme shadiness from Alan, the rep at the counter. We were told that we cannot opt out of the insurance unless we get a special approval from our own insurance company. We called our insurance company immediately and even put the insurance rep on the phone with Alan but still was told that it cannot be waived. When expressing our frustrations, we were simply told that “we don’t have to take the car if we are not happy with this.” This was on top of rude and condescending comments he was making, with us right in the office. Since it was very late (our plane landed at close to 11pm), we did take the car but returned it the very next day after securing another car for the entire week through another car rental company without any trouble when opting out of the insurance. I will NEVER rent through Economy again.
1 year ago
John Ferchak Quakertown, PA
What a scam! It is no surprise that over 90% of reviewers give Economy Rent A Car the lowest rating possible. Because I didn't look at the reviews beforehand, I fell for the advertised low prices on my recent trip to Fort Lauderdale. I booked through rentalcar.com, which must be in on the scam. I prepaid to rentalcover.com for insurance coverage to avoid problems. When I arrived, and then spent one hour getting to the Economy office, I was told that my coverage was only collision, that liability insurance was mandatory, which I then had to buy from them. That doubled the cost of my booking. I avoided the sales pitch and costs for the "necessary" tollbooth transponder. This company's activities should be illegal, probably are, but nobody has sued yet. Stay away! Book with an established rental agency. I never had such trouble with any other rental company.
1 year ago
Edin Hidic Bothell, WA
I want to warn people not to rent from this company ever. I paid car in advance, unfortunately, and when we came to office everything went wrong, from price, insurance, deposit so we gave up from taking car. The same thing happen to 2 other customers and we all called taxi and left the rental office in Las Vegas on June 30th 2019 around 7 p.m. Staff even did not try to explain that even if we do not take car that money will not be reimbursed to us. So it happens that we were charged for 5 days of rent for car which we never took. I called office in Florida and they gave me e-mail to complain in writing, which did not work. It seems that they are only good in charging for service which they are not offering at the end.
1 year ago
Lisa P Las Vegas, NV
DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!!! Absolute crooks. We purchased through Priceline, purchased the additional insurance through Priceline. We were prepared for the mandatory insurance for Mexico that we paid to the company when we picked up. Upon pickup the employee took photos and told he she would email them immediately. She never did!
When we returned the car, in the exact condition we received it the kid and the front looked at it and said ok. When we got up to the desk ( room 115 in a hotel) Cecelia asked the kid if the Can was ok. He said yes. She said she needed to look at it. After 30 I asked the guy at the desk if she was returning and he called her. Well she of course returned and said there was a scratch. We demand to see the before and after photos, This requested was refused for 45 minutes. The photos were eventually received because we refused to sign the credit card charges and there were no difference visible in the before and after photos.
We paid the $92 in damages because we would have missed our flight. And we had no way to fight a made up scratch in that office. We will file a claim but it is very sad the lengths this company goes to in order to take advantage of customers. Making up invisible damage, keeping people in the office without information until they know they have to catch a flight. Horrible horrible company.
1 year ago
RM Cincinnati, OH
This was the worst car rental place I have ever used. Zero stars would be more applicable to the service I received here.
I arrived on a Thursday evening ready to pick up my car. However, I was unaware I needed full proof of insurance. The person working the desk would not accept simply my insurance policy #. I had the card that is in my wallet. Apparently that is good enough for the police when you get into an accident, but not good enough to use for rental insurance. As it was late in the evening, and after my insurance company's office hours, I was unable to get the paperwork needed. The person helping me required me to buy insurance through Economy even though my insurance covers rentals. I had no other option, since I had to drive two hours that evening to get to my destination.
Friday morning I called my insurance, and requested a copy of my full policy. I forwarded it to the email the economy representative instructed. I followed up with a phone call, and spoke with the manager, Esteban R. He would not accept my insurance unless I came into the actual office. I explained to him that I was two hours away. I requested that he email me the documents required, and I would print, sign, and return them. He refused. He insisted that I needed to be present in order to switch over to my insurance.
As Esteban gave me no other option, I had to take half a day out of my vacation to drive back to Orlando to sign new paperwork.
Additionally, it took over a month to get my deposit returned. I called 5x to Economy rent a car, and spoke with different people. If you need a manager, you have to email. There is no one at the customer service management level that will speak to you over the phone.
This was absolutely awful! The worst customer service car rental place I have encountered yet.
1 year ago
ColtonYYZ
I booked via a 3rd party booking site which stated in bold, UNLIMITED MILEAGE, however upon arrival/check-in, I was told that I should have read the terms and conditions on the booking website I used, yet the emailed confirmation doesn't state this.
They also advised the unlimited mileage only applies to foreign visitors, not domestic residents. After showing them what it says in bold, they wouldn't back down. Only 200 kms a day would be given. After a while of arguing, leaving, returning due to lack of other options, they up'd it to 250 km a day as a final compromise.
Accepting the facts, I proceeded to book at which time I was told the deposit needed would be $500, unlike almost all other rental agencies which normally holds anywhere from cost of booking to $250. Once again I was in a jam due to hotel bookings/deposits etc on my card as this was unexpected. Once settled, I was able to pick a car I really love so the sting was a little less painful.
Upon return however, I was hit again with a surprise of being over charged for fuel. I chose the prepaid option, leaving with 7/8 of a tank, and charged for a full tank. Minor, yet one more issue I didn't appreciate.
They did however, give me a break on the price per km which was unexpected and very much appreciated, considering. However, the saga continued...
When I got home (after questioning the total at the counter doing math in my head), I noticed I was charged an extra $36 approx for a fee called: AMF. This was not included in the original booking website - which legally should have been.
I immediately called the 3rd party booking site to explain everything that had happened, to which they apologized to me on behalf of the car rental agency, and refunded me the overage km charges. They didn't cover the taxes on this portion, nor the AMF fee at first, but then after a follow up call to them, was offered a coupon towards another booking.
Economy refuses to accept ANY responsibility with my experience and blames me for not reading the terms and conditions. RENTER BEWARE! I will never rent from them again. This I assure you.
I rent a lot of cars, am a member of several car sharing companies and I've never had such a bad experience - ever!
NOT RECOMMENDED!
1 year ago
bigperk23 Wakefield, MA
I recently have reserved a car with your company for 1-6 May 2019. I was very disappointed with your service. The price that you gave me was very different when I got there in person. The person who was servicing me had no integrity. He tried to cheat me at every turn. Wanted to charge me extra because I had a debit card instead of a credit card, told me I "Had" to have insurance because it was a state law, which is the craziest thing I've ever heard. So i went to Alamo, I had no problems getting a car with my debit card and insurance was optional. I have rented cars all over the world and in foreign countries and never have i heard such foolishness. I will never use your company again and will advise all my associates on how dishonest your employees are. This is the worst rental car experience I've ever seen. I served 22 years in the military and was treated better by the enemy. The only reason you get one star is because you have to enter something. I absolutely hate dishonesty!!!
1 year ago
Layla
Worst company every bunch of thieves and thugs working on the counter. I came to pick up the rental car had everything with me the visa debit that I paid with, license and insurance the guy demanded that I provide an additional credit card so he can charge me for additional fees even though everything was already paid for or he said I could add another driver but first I would have add the other driver to the insurance l. I refused since I am the ONLY driver and the reservation is for me. So I asked for cancellation and refund but he outrightly refused. This guy was so rude and obnoxious I asked for his name but he refused to tell me what his name was. This is the Toronto location. I am going to try to get help with my bank other wise going to take them to court.
2 years ago
Rob Ladislao Denver, CO
Very poor customer service. I rented a car at FLL location & Sean F. said it is MANDATORY to get Handling Insurance Fee & Use of Loss coverage since I was self-insuring the car. I found out through Expedia this was optional. I explained numerous times to Economy Rent A Car managers & they kept referring to the contract. They’re overlooking the fact that their own employee lied & made me get their coverage. NEVER RENT FROM THIS COMPANY!!
1 year ago
Ramon Gittens Knightdale, NC
This Car rental Company is nothing but scams, I would not recommend to anyone, they try to overcharge you and then make it seems like they doing a favor, they try to get me cancel the insurance purchase online in order to buy theirs. They are cheap online but once you go to pick up the price goes up 2 times the price you got online. I would avoid this car rental at all cost.
1 year ago
Rose Kissimmee, FL
This rent a car place is trash , they are so unprofessional . They rented us a car that is probably self owned . They are bottom line crooks and don’t have any customer service manners . Don’t rent from this place . Give your money to the self named rent a car place . Even if you have to pay a little more . They are just bunches of no good people .
1 year ago
ARTHUR WEBB
We had the worst car rental ever with this company
Car Rental: Feb. 8, 2019 to Feb. 15, 2019
Location: St. Thomas V.I
Comp: Premium Car Rental
The service was very bad; the cars were in very poor condition.
We had to go through two cars to get one that was tolerable to drive.
The agents are either not well trained or they don't know how to manage customer service.
The first car was barely drivable; a second car was in poor condition and leaked; and the third car was in poor driving condition with low tire pressure; shocks that made driving uncomfortable.
2 years ago
Shanna Los Angeles, CA
Deliberate misleading and false advertising. The website says unlimited miles but when you get there they tell you only 150 miles. The lady at the front desk said I would not be charged because I booked through a 3rd party. That was untrue my card was charged anyway. If you can't get the car for any reason they still charge you a fee. Called customer 3 times no answer and no return call. They are scammers and I dont understand how any reputable company would work with them
2 years ago
Edward Lewin Tampa, FL
Had a horrible experience at Montreal Airport Economy Rent A Car. Forced us to buy liability coverage even though presenting a GEICO Insurance ID, which GEICO states is sufficient to prove coverage. Added 30% to the online price we had contracted. When we attempted to cancel, we were told there was a $50 cancellation fee and we would not be returned to the airport.
3 years ago
Yaodong Jia
(YUL, 03/23/16)
I have booked a car online by the price of $56. However, when I check out, the agent ask me to input my credit card pin without show me the final amount, which made me think uncomfortable. After my asking, he told me the amount was $155, instead of $56. And he showed me my initials on the contract, which was signed with rush and concealed. I have booked online for many times, this is the only experience I have been cheated for money.
5 years ago
Erinn Toronto, ON
Customer Service was very poor, CSR was rude and dismissive and was not at all helpful. Asked to speak to a Manager and was told he was not available until the following day.
Called and spoke to a Manager who was not any more help but instead told me is CSR lied to me and was right to do so to avoid me creating a fuss about my money.
1 year ago
Kathy Moore Fuquay-Varina, NC
The air conditioner in our car did not work. We were told they would get us another car next day. Did not happen! Upon returning car, no one was at rental counter. After a 15 min wait, we called an Uber to get us to airport. Will not use them again!
1 year ago
Pat trainer Fort Wayne, IN
Was a rental car novice and was offered upgrade and person made it sound like it was free with no mention of charges of $30 a day. Same with under age driver . Know now to ask A LOT of questions but will never be using Economy Rent a Car again. Feel their practices were very deceptive!
1 year ago
Torani Woodland Hills, CA
These people are ripoffs stay away from them, they take your money and never give you services. Once you pay them for car rental they won't contact you with their address or hours or any follow up then you are on your own to fiqure out things.
Rude customer service.
1 year ago
Suresh Sangani Fort Lauderdale, FL
Do not rent on website. I booked on carrentals.com. I called them before the rental and they said i need a declaration page from my insurance company. I took it and then they said at the counter that i still need to buy a supplement insurance for $12 a day and jacking up the price. I left the counter. Not a good company.
1 year ago
Janine Winston-Salem, NC
Pre paid for a rental car at Fort Lauderdale airport
Arrived and NO COMPANY and NO CAR
Had to pay additional $300 to get a car
Will never use or tell anyone else about company Expiedia falsely advertised this company VERY DISAPPOINTED
1 year ago
fabian fernandez Fort Lauderdale, FL
THESE PEOPLE ARE THIEVES
CONTACT ME FOR PROOF OF RIP OFF AND SCANS OF THE RECEIPTS
These people WILL rip you off.
STAY AWAY . You are better out with public transportation , even walking.
Hidden fees - Overcharge of your credit card for undisclosed amounts..
Absolutely the Worst company to rent your car from
Contact me for details : cdfafos
2 years ago
Tony Riverton, UT
I've had good luck with Economy, though their rates aren't always the cheapest like you'd infer from the name.
1 year ago
Chaya W Los Angeles, CA
Horrible customer service. If I had a choice they wouldn't get any stars
1 year ago
