Dealing with Thrifty car rental turned into an absolute nightmare, starting on February 17, 2024, and escalating into weeks of frustrating disputes. My experience highlights a severe lack of customer service and questionable business practices at Thrifty. It all began with an unwanted charge for Liability Insurance Supplement (LIS), a service I explicitly declined. The agent at the counter insisted it was mandatory, masking it as a “security deposit” that would be refunded upon the rental’s conclusion. Despite my repeated refusals, the charge was forced upon me, setting the stage for a series of disappointments and inconveniences. This was just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to poor Thrifty Car Rental Customer Service.
The Phantom Car and the String of Inconveniences
The initial shock of being wrongly charged was quickly overshadowed by further mismanagement. Upon arriving to pick up my reserved vehicle, I was informed it was unavailable. The excuse? The Daytona 500 event had supposedly depleted their rental fleet. This was despite the fact that my reservation had been made eight months in advance! A reasonable expectation would be that a reservation made so far ahead would guarantee vehicle availability. Instead, I was left stranded and offered a completely unsuitable alternative: an open-bed truck.
This truck was entirely impractical for my family. My granddaughter would have had no proper seating in the open bed, and with rain pouring down, our luggage would have been completely exposed to the elements. Refusing this inadequate substitute, we were then directed to a rack of car seats and told to simply “pick one out” for my granddaughter. This self-service approach to safety equipment felt unprofessional and concerning.
The situation worsened when the first alternative car we were shown reeked of marijuana. This raised serious questions about Thrifty’s vehicle maintenance and quality control. Was there no process to ensure cars were clean and presentable before being rented out again? Alarmingly, despite bringing this issue to the attendant’s attention, the same marijuana-smelling car was rented out to another customer just half an hour later.
Adding insult to injury, I was then informed I couldn’t even drive the replacement vehicle off the lot due to a Florida law requiring a “Gold Star” on my driver’s license – a detail the counter agent had failed to mention or verify earlier. This oversight necessitated another lengthy delay of 30-45 minutes as we had to redo the entire rental agreement, transferring it to my son’s name. This entire ordeal showcased a complete lack of attention to detail and customer consideration, solidifying my negative perception of thrifty car rental customer service.
Customer Service Abyss and Unresolved Financial Grievance
Attempting to resolve these issues with Thrifty’s customer service proved to be another uphill battle. Finding a direct phone number for customer support was nearly impossible. Frustration mounting, I resorted to using their emergency number just to get through to a representative. Even then, I was met with a bureaucratic wall, being told I had to wait until the charges were fully processed before any action could be taken.
Following their prescribed channels, I submitted a formal complaint through Thrifty’s website and engaged in email correspondence with two different customer service agents. Despite providing clear evidence of the wrongful LIS charge of $111.16, Thrifty stubbornly refused to issue a reimbursement. This rigid and unhelpful approach further cemented my view that thrifty car rental customer service is simply not oriented towards resolving customer issues fairly or efficiently. It felt as though Thrifty was actively avoiding accountability and prioritizing profit over customer satisfaction.
The rental was initially booked through Priceline, and hoping for assistance, I reached out to them as well. However, Priceline maintained a hands-off approach, unwilling to intervene in the dispute. Discovering later that the rental cost was over $120 higher through Priceline compared to booking directly with Thrifty further compounded the disappointment. This entire experience has led me to conclude that I will never use Thrifty car rental again, and my confidence in booking through Priceline has also been significantly eroded. The lack of thrifty car rental customer service and the accumulation of errors and unfair charges made this an experience I would strongly advise others to avoid.
