ComplaintsforNational Car Rental

• Initial Complaint

  08/05/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  National Car Rental was 100% negligent in the handling of claim # ******** in that they breeched their contract that states that they will exhaust all effort to recover damages from the responsible driver and/or insurance company, which would have been the gentleman that backed into my rental car and his insurance carrier. I had to do every single bit of work to open a claim and get this resolve. I received a letter, finally after many months, from National that this claim was paid in full by First Fleet (the insurance company). Despite this, National sent this to collections **************************************** I want this amount removed from this claim and all three credit agencies notified to remove this from my credit report. This negligence is abhorrent and it is sickening that a company would put a customer through this as they violate their own rental car agreement. They had even obligation to pursue the driver and insurance company since I provided them all necessary information. Instead, they did nothing. Horrible company and abuse of a customer.

  Business response

  08/08/2024

  Thank you for the opportunity to respond. A response is attached. 

• Initial Complaint

  07/30/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I rented a car from National Car Rental on July 15 2021. The total for the rental was $1291.90 using a discount code from Michigan State Fraternity. At the location I was offered a free upgrade to a minivan off the Executive isle and offered an additional driver as perks for being an executive member. The minivan was damaged in a accident and had to be towed. Without any notice I was charged full rate for my vehicle, charged a fee for the van and additional driver and my bill was changed to $4008. I was put on the *** list and the company refused to call me back to discuss. I tried disputing the charge via the credit card but ***** denied the refusal. I tried many times to contact the location and corporate with no success. My attorney advised me to start with BBB before a small claims court case.

  Business response

  08/02/2024

  Thank you for the opportunity to respond. Management spoke with the customer and will be taking no further action at this time.

• Initial Complaint

  07/19/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  We just had an awful experience with Enterprise/National Car Rental. My husband drives National Car rental cars 260+ days per year and this treatment is unacceptable. I need to rent a car but my husband has been deployed to ** for work. I can't use our free days to rent a car because he is not here to pick it up. The second lady I spoke with said it would only work if I make my own account and then he can transfer a day to me so I can get the rental. I was told this would be good at any location including the Enterprise location near my house and for his full benefit which will cover a large SUV. I asked twice to make sure since there is no National Car Rental near by. I was assured that this would work so I made an account. Now I am told it will not work. I asked to speak with a manager and after a 10 minute hold another representative came on the phone to tell me again that it's not going to happen and that no one should have told me that it would work. He also made me feel like I was lying! He got some more information and said to expect a call from a manager but I haven't heard from them. I think he was just put on the phone to get me to give up. I usually don't complain but this whole experience has been so frustrating and a waste of time. Do companies not take any pride in customer service anymore? Why is it so hard to use our free days? My husband has definitely earned them and his company has a huge account with ******************** / Enterprise. They are also one in the same company so it is just absurd that we are having so much trouble using our free days. This week, out of everyone I talked to at Enterprise / National Car Rental, only one lady was actually pleasant to deal with and happy to help me. The rest had bad attitudes, poor customer service skills and acted like they were better than me and had better things to do. It will be very hard to recommend National Car Rental / Enterprise to anyone I come in contact with if they don't make this right.

  Business response

  07/27/2024

  Thank you for the opportunity to respond. ************ members can transfer 3 days per year to an immediate family member. It is required that the actual member make the request. A spouse or travel agent is not able to request on behalf of EMC customer. It takes 3-5 business days from transfer initiation to be completed. Coupons are emailed to the recipient and the member is copied on the email. Coupons are valid for 12 months after the date of transfer. The coupons can be applied post-rental if the transfer is not completed before the recipient picks up the rental vehicle.

  Customer response

  07/29/2024

  Complaint: 22016748
  
  I have reviewed the business' response and am rejecting it because: National Car Rental didn't address or correct the issue that they caused that was 100% at the fault of the company. Two weeks ahead, My husband already transferred the day to me as instructed and we waited until it was transferred and available and we were given the green light but then National Car Rental would not allow me use that day. This cause great distress and wasted our time and money. We followed all of their request and instructions for over a week only to get throw to the curb. The response National gave for this complaint is ridiculous and doesn't even address the problem. 
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

  Business response

  07/31/2024

  Thank you for the opportunity to respond. The offer to redeem National Free Days at Enterprise Rent-A-Car locations does exclude transferred coupons. To compensate for the time lost, inutile transferred EMC day, and the complainants experience, management has applied two free days to the complainants loyalty account. Reservations using these free days at a nearby Enterprise locations can be made 24-hours in advance by calling ************.

  Customer response

  08/01/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  07/19/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  National Car rental provided a faulty car and after reaching out to customer service 5 times over call on 7/18 and one call and chat on 7/19 I still have not received a clear resolution. Instead, they told me I would be charged a one-way drop off fee of $300 if I have to return it to another location during my 5-day trip. The car worked fine as I left the National rental location in *** after pickup but 1.5 hours down the road had electrical failures. National representatives pinball me over to the other and same resolution on chat. I was advised i would get a call back by the manager but that has not happened

  Customer response

  07/29/2024

  -A customer agent from the business was able to assist me with my request and helped me with my rental car order after contacting BBB. 

  -This matter can be resolved/concluded. I do not wish to post a complaint

• Initial Complaint

  07/19/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I reserved a Chrysler Pacifica minivan from the ********, ** international airport location on July 13, 2024. The rental agreement number is *********. It was about a 1.5 hour drive to our final destination. About one hour into our drive, the air conditioning completely failed and was blowing hot air. I had 2 elderly and 3 small children as my passengers. The entire week has been over 90 degrees weather and we couldn't use the vehicle for most of the trip because the air conditioning was broken. When I called support, they told me I had no other option but to drive the vehicle back to the airport to speak with a manager. There was no way to contact the location directly over the phone. Because I didn't purchase roadside assistance, there was nothing they could do to resolve this incredibly uncomfortable and potentially unsafe situation. And on top of that, there was no guarantee I would have a replacement vehicle. There's no way to contact anyone who could help me without driving to the location physically. In this day and age, how is this even possible? I can't get any help without driving a possibly unsafe vehicle back in this weather? If the vehicle you rented to me needs repair, you're telling me that I'm on my own? I can't expect for roadside assistance for your vehicle that you rented to me that broke? Are you serious? I've been stuck without a working vehicle all week and I'm dreading the ride back to the airport in two days in this horrible heat. I expect an acceptable resolution quickly, otherwise, I will dispute this charge with my credit card.

  Business response

  07/23/2024

  Thank you for the opportunity to respond.  Management processed a partial refund.

  Customer response

  07/23/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************

• Initial Complaint

  07/17/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I used my Caesars Rewards SEVEN STAR card to tier match elevate my status, but National Car rental took my only to Executive status when actually pursuant to their TOS: ********************************************************************************************* I should be executive ELITE. My National ****************** is *********

  Business response

  07/22/2024

  Thank you for the opportunity to respond. Management has upgraded the customers tier to Executive Elite.

  Customer response

  07/22/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me, as long as my status remains Executive Elite.  Thank you!
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************

• Initial Complaint

  07/14/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Rental Agreement ********* LOCATION: ************************************************** 1 Dear National, I have a concern with my rental. My vehicle was supposed to be clean for me when I picked up the vehicle, but there was melted brown chocolate stuck in the grooves of the fabric back seat. The chocolate was also on the seat belt. My clothing was stained in brown chocolate. This caused a major delay because I need to wash my stained clothes and I spent time cleaning the seat and the seatbelt of the brown melted chocolate. I lost valuable traveling time in my trip because I needed to wait 2 days for the seat to dry after I cleaned it using soap and water.Secondly, I am an Executive Elite Member. I was not permitted to select a vehicle from the Executive Area. Instead I was told which vehicle to pick by the agent on duty in the Executive Area. Therefore your policy of "Choose any car in the Aisle" was not honored for me and I feel mistreated by your staff at the ******* location.I kindly ask for direct communication from your office to provide reasonable satisfaction for my negative experience. Thank you kindly.

  Business response

  07/15/2024

  Thank you for the opportunity to respond. Management has reached out to the customer and left a message as contact was not established. Management intends to speak with the customer directly.

• Initial Complaint

  07/10/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I rented a car in ********* last month (rental agreement # *********). Somehow, the location attached my National rewards number instead of my Enterprise number (662N88V). My Enterprise account has more points in it, so I wanted my points to be added to this account. I was told when I returned the vehicle they would do it, but upon returning the vehicle in ********* I was told I had to call the ***** number. I did so, and they told me two weeks ago theyd forward a request back to ********* to do this. It was never done, and Im extremely frustrated. So once again, this should be super simple, but PLEASE credit my Enterprise account the points for this rental. Thank you.

  Business response

  07/12/2024

  Thank you for the opportunity to respond. To ensure Enterprise Plus credit is earned in the future when renting with National, the customer will want to add this ID as a Travel Program on his EMC account and choose Airlines as his credit preference. For this situation, we are awarding Enterprise Plus points to the account named as a courtesy.  The customer will see this shortly on his account. 

  Customer response

  07/12/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

• Initial Complaint

  07/09/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I rented a vehicle from the **************************************** location in *************, OK from 6/20/2024 through 6/23/2024. I accidentally left a personal item in the vehicle upon returning it and notified National Car Rental service one hour after returning the vehicle. The representative assured me this happened often, would message the branch immediately before the vehicle was rented again. I followed up by phone later that day, and again in person at the *******************. Twice I was assured this would be resolved within 24 hours. I have since written three emails and called customer service five times and spoken with the escalation team once, with zero response. Two weeks have passed with no communication. Every time I request to speak with management or obtain a phone number for the **************************************** location, I am told there is no phone number, though I watched the National rep take two phone calls at her desk while I was at the airport waiting for my rental. I have never experienced this poor a level of customer service with zero response, refusal to transfer to a member of management who can proactively find a resolution, and zero sense of urgency or empathy. While I am at fault for mistakenly leaving this item, National Car Rental could have responded when I first called, retrieved the item, and alleviated me this hassle. The cost to replace the item is between $600 and $800. I am in management for a Fortune 300 insurance company who works with National on a daily basis via contract. This certainly does not align with our company mission, and I will be informing management in that division so they are aware. We are also meeting in the coming month to determine travel budgets and choose preferred vendors. As a member of management, I will be participating in those meetings and will offer feedback on which preferred vendor we should align with for executive travel. The lost item ticket number below has date and time stamped notes supporting the above complaint.

  Business response

  07/16/2024

  Thank you for the opportunity to respond. Management shared that the personal item was found and has been shipped to the customer.

  Customer response

  07/16/2024

  A member of management reached out to me 7/15/2024, explained the personal item had been located and shipped 7/12/2024. I consider the matter now resolved.

• Initial Complaint

  07/04/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Car rented for 24 hours using 1 free credit day - the total comes out to $3.10, as per initial rental agreement (uploaded). The car was picked up in ************ at 8pm on January 5, *********************** ************** at 7:55pm on January 6, 2024 as per the rental agreement. As the location was closed during the scheduled drop off time, it was dropped off using after hours procedure - car left in the parking lot, keys dropped off in the key dropbox. National has a record of me calling around the dropoff time to inquire how to drop off the car. Attached is proof of a photo I took once I dropped off the car (has a time stamp showing I was on time) as well as evidence from my ****** maps history, showing I was at the location on time. Some time later, my card was charged an extra ******. When I logged in to see why, it was showing as if the car was dropped off the following day (January 7, 2024) at 6:48am. It must be that whoever was working the location the next morning incorrectly checked in the car.Since January, I have been calling National. Every time I call, I receive a confirmation that this will be addressed and is being escalated. Sometimes I am told the branch manager will call me back to address it (although they never once called me back). A couple of times, I received a refund only to be charged back the same amount a few days later. By this point I have called at least 20 times, each time receiving a promise that it will be addressed. I am still owed $290 as at July 4, 2024. I am not receiving an explanation why they cannot refund me for what is clearly a mistake on the National side.

  Business response

  07/15/2024

  Thank you for the opportunity to respond. Management reached out to the customer providing various resolutions via email. Management awaits the customers response to rectify the matter.

  Customer response

  07/15/2024

  Business noted a refund cheque will be mailed. Once received, will revert back to close this issue. 

  Customer response

  07/19/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

  The business has refunded me the amount owed. Big thank you to ******************************* from National for addressing this so quickly!

  
  Sincerely,
  
  **************

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩