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Alamo Rent A Car Complaints 392

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6:59 pm EST

Alamo Rent A Car hidden fees - scam - fraud

On August 2009, we book our compact car by the Internet at Sanford int, Airport. When we showed up at the counter, the clerk ask us if we wanted to have a convertible for 3$ more a day. I ask the clerk 3 times if it was realy 3$ a day and he told me yes and It would be only 30$ for 10 days plus taxes.

So I decided to take the convertible since the clerk told me nobody wants to have convertible in Florida in the summer time and that was why it was so cheap. When we came back from our trip I saw on my credit Statement that Alamo took 265$ + 310$ for the convertible. So I paid 575$ when I was supposed to pay 295$. I called the customer service and the gave me 100$ credit and they told me as a courtesy. I forgot to read the review before booking my car and that is my mistake... I never gonna book any car with Alamo after that... The customer service is very bad and I strongly suggest you to read all the review before taking any reservation with this company. I feel very angry being ripped off by a company who don't care for their customer... I am telling you read the review carefully or you will pay...

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Alamo Rent A Car late and rude

MY cab was supposed to pick me up at 7am on February 17, 2011 but did not show up until 7:33 at the fault of the dispatcher. When I called the dispatcher to inquire as to why my cab was late, she was very rude and immediately put me on hold but did not ever return to the line. I continued to call back but she would not pick up the line. I finally got through when a new employee answered. I explained to him what happened and he assured me that something would be done. I called back on Monday the 21st of February to follow-up on my complaint and the same employee that assured me something would be done, basically assured me that nothing would be done. He said that because the rude employee contacted another cab company to pick me up, they werent able to give me a refund. My complaint is that I called Alamo cab company to pick me up and because of a mistake on their part, they had to out source to another company but I was not informed of the mistake or what was being done to fix it until the very last minute. Aside from that, the dispatcher had the audacity to be nasty to me when she was at fault. I want a full refund for all of my trouble.

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Alamo Rent A Car beware

Never rent from Alamo at their Lihue, Kauai location. They deliberately deceive you to pad the pre-arranged package deal from Costco. I entered all information online so I could use a Self-Service Kiosk to save time at pickup. None was available so my husband and son, our drivers, waited in line. My Costco deal was for a standard 5 passenger, 4 door Pontiac G6 type car.

We had been awake and/or traveling for about 30 hours by the time my husband reached the agent. He was told that I rented a 2 door and it would not fit 5 people but she would upgrade him to a full size for $1 a day. Sounded like $6 extra for the 6 day rental so he said yes and told her we do not want the additional insurance. My son verified that he heard the same information. The lot attendant said they do not even have any 2 door cars there, proving her lie. Also, we were never given any paperwork to note pre-existing damage to the car, which my husband checked, it was clean so we did not say anything.

The next morning I asked my husband for the rental agreement to put in a safe place and saw that my pre-arranged 6 day $340 rental was now $557! I called the Lihue manager and told him that we had declined the insurance and had a perfectly acceptable 5 passenger car on reserve. The agent had circled the choices for my husband to initial to decline insurance. In his exhaustion he did not realize she circled that he wanted insurance, an extra $56.56, and she charged $11 x 6 days for the full size upgrade, not $1 a day. He did pre-pay for gas for $56.56 making the correct total $404 without the upgrade and insurance. This overcharge of $153 sure added stress to our first day of vacation and cost my husband over an hour to get back to the airport to straighten this out. The desk agent said he was out of luck but he asked for the manager, who had talked to me already. We ended up getting the correct price and keeping the full size car, which was not at all fuel efficient, but we did not want any more trouble.

Later I did an online search for Alamo Lihue and read identical stories of deception, two specifically mentioning a Costco reservation. Apparently they are signing everyone up for insurance whether they decline or not. As we were returning our rental two people, outside the door to the Alamo counter, were discussing that their receipt said they asked for insurance and they had not. We quickly told them our experience and what I learned online. From now on I am going to look up any rental car agency for complaints before making a reservation. I have never had a problem with Enterprise but thought that this time Alamo was a better deal (wrong)!

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Alamo Rent A Car claim of damage

We rented a car for the day while our ship was in port in Cozumel, Mexico. We rented what they call a chevy open. We declined the 11.95 insurance (coverage from State Farm and Visa). The car had over 69, 000 miles on it with many scratches and dents. When we returned the car they accused us of damage to the front bumper. There were two spots of paint missing. We did not do this damage to the car and even walked around the car with the attendant before leaving the lot. He did not mark anything down - just nodded his head. The clerk called in the store manager who announced that we owed him 3000 pesos for the repair. He just made the number up while standing there with us. We disagreed and refused to pay the fee. As we walked away he reminded us we were in Mexico - which felt very threatening. The company charged our credit card for the alleged damage. We are currently disputing the claim - but needless to say it put a damper on our vacation. We have not had a bad experience in the past with car rental - and we have rented many cars. We are hopeful that Alamo will make this right.

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Wpayton5599
Bolingbrook, US
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Mar 21, 2011 11:28 pm EDT
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That is terrible! Always remember that your State Farm Policy will not cover you in Mexico past 20 miles over the border! Your best bet is to secure Mexican insurance to cover your liability. Mexican police may not accept your insurance and then you will be in trouble!

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6:14 pm EDT
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Alamo Rent A Car false damage claim

I rented a car from Alamo from July 9-12, in Billings, MT. A week later I received a call from Amy Davis stating the windshield was cracked when the car was returned.

Both my passenger and I can attest to the fact that there was no damage to the car. We filled the car up and washed the windshield one mile from the airport we returned the car to.

I wrote and asked for picture varification, and a bill from the company that did the repairs. Also the reason I was charged two days down time while the repair was done.

The only "proof" I was sent was a black/white drawing of a car with one of six boxes at the bottom marked.

After check the internet under Alamo complaints, this scam seems to be wide-spread world wide.

PurCo Fleet Services has a c- rating from the Utah BBB for similar complaints.

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Alamo Rent A Car poor customer service

I was recently in NYC for a holiday and used Alamo Rental Cars. Although the car was fine (I think it was a Toyota Corrola) whne I went to return it, I was charged for a scratch on the right door. It looks like someone 'keyed' it. Here is where they get you - because I did not elect to get extra insurance on it, I am now responsible for the damage even though I had nothing to do with it. I didn't get the extra insurance because I thought I would be covered under my normal insurance and the extra cost would have been an additional $300 for the week! They certainly didn't let me know about this extra cost when I confimred my order. Hidden costs!

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Patrick Kelly222
US
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Aug 18, 2021 10:18 am EDT

Very disappointing indeed
We are experienced travellers and often use companied such as Almo when renting vehicles abroad. We are perfectly accustomed to not receiving the vehicle listed on the web site so that is not a problem. What is a problem is being offered only an automatic transmission when we have requested a manual. We are from the UK, where very few vehicles have automatic transmissions and when we specifically ask for a manual we expect to receive one. The model, make, engine size and everything else is adaptable, the transmission absolutely not so!
On this occasion, my wife was extremely upset at the offer of an automatic transmission. She protested at the time but was offered no alternatives. It was a ‘take it or leave it’ situation. It was a Sunday and we had plans so she felt compelled to accept. It took her a full week of our 2-week holiday to get accustomed to it. In the meantime, we altered our plans as we had long haul drives planned which we were compelled to change as my wife was feeling ill-accustomed to the car – especially its lack of responsiveness (manual drivers will know what we mean by this). We also spent a great deal more on petrol that we would have – had we been provided with a manual vehicle as requested.
Upon complaining to Alamo, we were phoned by a representative who offered a 50% reduction on the basis of our account that it took a full week of our 2-week holiday to grow accustomed to the car. Although this did not account for the additional petrol costs, we accepted. Around 15 minutes later he phoned back to say that he had spoken to his manager and the offer was now a non-negotiable 15% which, frankly, is derisory.
Since then we have tried and tried (in vain) to get a response, any response, from Alamo customer services. They tend to send pleasant sounding emails initially promising their attention, before then failing to communicate with us. On one occasion we were promised a call from the management at Limoges airport to agree a resolution. That call was never received. Very poor service. A company without a customer service spirit or inclination. My advice would be to avoid them.

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Alamo Rent A Car
St. Louis, US
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Aug 26, 2021 1:20 pm EDT
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Replying to comment of Patrick Kelly222

Patrick Kelly222, I see my colleague, has previously responded to your post on Twitter. We have asked that the primary renter please reach out to us directly. Please email us at care@alamo.com with the details above, contact information, and rental information. Thank you! - Carol H.

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KLMNAL
Concord, CA
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May 20, 2014 9:35 pm EDT
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I have reserved a minivan to the long weekend on May 16th, 2014 one week before my trip. On one day before my trip I have received a call from the company with confirmation that I would pick up the minivan. I have decide to check-in on the company's web-site 12 hours before the trip and suddenly discovered that the vehicle was not available. I called company immediately to the branch, and was reassured that the company would find alternative vehicle because "Chrysler" has recalled this type of cars recently. The following day, the day of my trip nobody called me; my calls were ignored and never returned to me. After my insistence to talk with a manger of the branch I was told that the company could provide the alternative car not before 3:00 pm. I have agreed to this inconvenience and delayed my trip to this hour from 9:00 am. At 3 pm nobody contacted me, nobody returned my requests! I was forced to find another company to rent a minivan for the significantly higher price.
Main frustration is that my calls were IGNORED!
I can understand any situation, but I will not accept ignorance and non-responsibility NEVER!

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mARIE
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Aug 02, 2008 8:32 pm EDT

I rented a car from Alamo Rentals in Dallas, What a BIG mistake! Four months later I received a charge on my credit card for so call a ticket I never received. I am still leaving messages for someone to return my calls. Where is customer care? Do they know when you leave a message you need to return the call? Hello?

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ExxonGeo
Greensboro, US
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Feb 11, 2011 2:01 pm EST

I had a similar experience with Alamo in Midland this past week. I was held responsible for a dead car battery. I consider that their issue, not mine, irrespective of "their roadside policy" Audacious. Cost me $50 to be jump started and 8 hours. The attitude from the local staff made matters worse. I am glade this is a competitive business.

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PRogers1
GB
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Aug 25, 2010 10:05 am EDT
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Marvin

You are clearly the kind of person who looks to blame somebody else whenever things go wrong. How about taking some personal responsibility? You signed the agreement, I assume nobody forced you to? I assume like the rest of us you had plenty of rental car companies to chose from?

Get a life and stop wasting peoples time. Holidays in New York? Many people would give their right arm for the chance of a decent break and your complaining because you didn't take responsibility for reading a contract you signed. Pathetic.

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Pamela Magee
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Aug 18, 2008 12:20 pm EDT

I totally agree! We also just got hit with fees for a toll violation on a freeway that has no place to pay for tolls, you have to have a tag, but Alamo doesn't supply it. When I called to complain I was hung up on by customer service!

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Alamo Rent A Car charging for damage to a car we did ot rent

We traveled to Tulsa OK the weekend of May 7th - 10th and rented a car from Alamo as we had a coupon for a "good deal". When we arrived at the airport, the attendant attempted to rent us a silver Dodge Avenger with damage to the back bumper and side panels. We insisted the attendant document all of the damage before we would accept the car but she didn't want to do it as the damage was pretty widespread. Instead, the black Dodge Avenger parked right next to it was in perfect shape so she rented it to us instead. On Monday we dropped off the car with a full tank of gas, the attendant inspected it and said everything was fine.

A month later we get a bill from Alamo for $500 for damage to the Silver Dodge Avenger. The customer service is almost impossible to contact. In the many attempts my husband has made to call them he has actually spoken to someone once. She said she made a note that we never accepted the silver Avenger however, the bills for the $500 continue to arrive at our house. There are no responses to email and calls are deferred to voice mail which is apparently full as you then get hung up on.

This could all be settled quickly if the right person would look at the rental agreement. We were sent the repair bill for the black Avenger and it had the mileage on it. Could they check to see how many miles accumulated on that car the weekend we were in Tulsa? That would be another way to show that we didn't rent the car.

If their rental contracts are as messed up as their customer service this may never get resolved. Let this be a warning to others thinking Alamo is providing a good deal. You may have to fight with them for a long time over something obvious like this as they pay absolutely no attention to any information right in front of them.

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Xandor Tik'Roth
Eugene, US
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Aug 09, 2010 7:52 am EDT

You'll definitely want to make sure to contact the DRU ASAP if you haven't already. You're right, one look at the RA and it should show not only that you got a BLACK Avenger and not a SILVER one, but also the plate numbers and VIN doesn't match with the silver one. If you continue to have problems contacting DRU, first call the 800 number and request to be transferred to Customer Care. They're open 8-5 CST monday through friday. If that doesn't work, request to be transferred to Help Desk.

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kellyjps
IE
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Aug 07, 2010 6:04 pm EDT

ALAMO ARE THIEVES! DO NOT GO NEAR THEM!

I was due to collect my rental car at 9.30am from East Midlands Airport. In the queue at Alamo, there was only one person ahead of me already dealing with the lady behind the desk.
After almost an hour of waiting in the queue, with no apology regarding the delay, we were eventually dealt with.
All I had to do was pre-pay and pick up the keys. This seemingly simple process took almost another hour. In my confirmation email it stated the balance to be paid was 62.80GBP was due on arrival. However, I was then told I had to pay other fee's such as a young drivers fee of 26.00GBP. This wasn't made clear and I was quite disheartened about that hidden charge, however I didn't want to make a big deal about it so agreed to pay it. I handed the lady my Credit Card for pre-payment which was declined. I know 100% that there was and is money on that card (I checked my online banking immediately afterwards), so I could not understand why it was declined. I told her I would pre-pay in cash to whuch she told me that a credit card had to be taken. I told her she could use my boyfriends mastercard as a pre-authorisation only, but that I was pre-paying in cash. I absolutely stressed that I did not want my boyfriends card to be charged. She agreed.
I paid 88.80GBP in cash, eventually got the keys and was then sent out to find my car by, as she advised, ''Pointing the alarm at every car until one beeps...''

Anyway, I returned the car with a full tank and on time, gave her the keys, she recognised us, smiled and waved us goodbye and got we caught our flight.
A week later, my boyfriend noticed his credit card had also been charged!

To say that I am outraged is an under-statement. This trip was a gift for my boyfriend, and after recieveing such shabby service and then for my boyfriends credit card to be charged for no reason is ridiculous.
I spoke to a customer service agent who frustrated me further, NO HELP!

The lady from Alamo just pocketed my cash payment! I don't know how she can live with herself. Scam artist! I have begged management to check the CCTV but they said there are none and that the woman took no record of my cash payment. I had my tiny receipt, but when we dropped the keys back and were sent on our way without a word I didn't think of holding onto the teeney tiny peice of paper that was the receipt.

I'm devastated and would advise ANYONE who is even THINKING about booking with Alamo, NOT TO! They are out to scam us, rob us, and have no remorse for it afterwards. I'm just sick I ever went near them!

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Alamo Rent A Car cars bad conditions

i rented a car in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas airport. The first car they gave me, the air conditioning didn't work, i reported to them and they gave another one, it wast worse, when I try to see how fast I was going, i realiced that the speedometer didn work, then the brakes were not in the optimus conditions, and the air conditionign worked one day, the next day did not. I reported all these bad conditions, and they were aware of it, but they couldn´t do anything.
So, how dare to rent cars in poor conditions? if they were aware of it, why they didn´t notifed me?

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Jorge Mtz Castro
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Jan 04, 2013 5:17 pm EST
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I have a complaint regarding the rental of a van in San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur, México

I rented a Mini Van for 7 days to cover around 1500 km in Baja. Alamo knew I was going out to road as I will return it in another city.

I had a van with 119.000 km, badly worn tires and windshield wipers with the risk that this has. They told me it was the only one they had for rent.

Before I left Cabos, the Van indicated that needs to change the oil. Of course I didn´t take the risk of leaving the city and have an incident on the road. I had to waste an hour and a half or two trying to get it fixed at the Alamo´s garage

Upon they realize i would take a highway and saw the state of the tires, finally traded it for another Van that was going to get another customer (who surely got mine).

They deducted 40.00 U.S. and 1/4 tank for lost time, I wonder what value they give to FAMILY TIME 1, 000 kms from home?

It is a shame that rent cars in that state.

I wish I had an answer for you.

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T Towns
Madison, US
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Nov 11, 2010 3:06 pm EST

I rented a car in June. The brakes were bad. I was riding through the Chattanooga mountains at 11:00 at night. I phoned customer service and he did not know how to get me to the chattanooga rental place. Once I got back to nashville to report my complaint. I was told I was lying, the manager refused to come and talk to me, ans I was given bad numbers when I asked how to speak with someone over them. On the phone, I was told that I should be greatful that I got an employee discount. He then questioned me about what family member gave it to me. I told him my cousin. He then wants to know if it was my first, second, or 3rd cousin because 2nd counsins aren't considered family. Just stupid. My cousin then gets a phone call the next day saying he needs to check himself about who he gives the family credit to. This has gone on for months. I was told I would get a full refund and now no one seems to remember saying this.

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Alamo Rent A Car alamo rents a car with bald tires

I rented a car from Alamo FLL, a 2009 Mazda 5 Grand Touring and picked it up at Fort Lauderdale International Airport, on February 8 to head for the state of Maryland. We(myself, my wife and son) reached North Carolina without any precipitation. Thereafter, for four hours straight, we traveled under heavy rain until a forced stop at a hotel in Fredericksburg, VA, because the car was starting to twist. In one situation we almost hit a truck that was passing next to us on the same direction, making my wife and my child on the back seat to scream desperately. We were all frightened to death.

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Due to the hurry to get to our hotel room the night before, I left the car steering turned all the way to the left allowing the tires well exposed. And to our surprise and indignation we noticed that they were completely bald. As we found out later, part of the tire was already showing some steel mesh. At that very moment we realized how much risk our lives had been exposed to, after driving for so long. A tremendous disappointment crossed our minds, for the enormous irresponsibility from Alamo. We immediately started using our movie and photo camera to make a complete report of the situation.

I called Alamo toll-free and the attendant on the other side could not send another car because there was no office of Alamo close to where we were. Then she asked me to head to a tire store, which Alamo holds an agreement with, to exchange for new ones, just about a mile away. Later my GPS proved that it was 5 miles from the hotel. The fear of driving in the melting snow and ice with bald tires still hung over our heads. Since they would not come to us as in my understanding they should, we were forced to venture to the workshop indicated.

The situation turned into a great paradox, because the rep person from Alamo had warned me that if the tire store to which we were about to go found out that the vehicle was not able to traffic, they, the people from the store, would not allow us to drive out of there. It was like if someone asked me to walk from the top of one building to another on a tightrope, and then on the other side someone was waiting to consider whether the situation might be actually risky. If so he would not let me go back the same way I came. Because of the ice and snow the night before the streets were very dangerous even for a car with new tires. We could see some cars hanging along the road sides as the result of twists.

We talked with Marcus, the consultant of Firestone Complete Auto Care, who was waiting for us, already advised of the situation. We were extremely stressed. Bureaucracy and paper work took 3 hours before the official authorization from Alamo to change the tires, because a simple report from the workshop was not enough.

Tired of waiting, because we could not leave the store without a solution, the news finally came through the consultant, falling like a bomb on our heads. Needed to return the next day because they did not have the model and size of tires that the car used and needed to order them from another branch. Marcus settled up with us for 9 o'clock the next day, promising that the tires would be waiting for us by then. The store opens at 7 and would give them time to pick them from the other store, about 20 minutes away. There was another overnight stay in the hotel, meals, more stress, frustration and uncertainty.

The situation forced me to prove that the Alamo attendant was wrong. I drove the same car with the showing-mash-of-steel tires back to the hotel and from the hotel back to the store the next day.

Although arriving at 9 as marked by Marcus, we only left the store with the new tires at 12:35.

I'm asking for refund of my expenses and three air tickets Rio/Washington DC/Rio to give us the chance to accomplish what was not fulfilled at the time of the rental due to the setback provoked by the situation

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BBB5580
Winchendon, US
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Mar 24, 2010 9:26 pm EDT

Jim,

My wife and I rented a car just last week which also had bald tires, with the mesh showing. Unfortunately, we were actually in an accident. Our car felt like it was fishtailing for several miles, the back end would swing out then correct itself with a jerk. We had decided to call in the morning and demand a new car, but unfortunately we never had the chance. With my wife, 2 year old daughter and brother in the car, the back end fishtailed out and never recovered. We did a complete 180 on the highway and slammed into a concrete divider, totalling the passenger side of the car. My wife and child went to the hospital, me and my brother we beat up, but not seriously injured. The car, totalled, 2 under-inflated BALD tires on the back of the car. My wife and daughter were released with minor injuries. I HATE ALAMO, they almost killed my family. What am I asking from alamo? Nothing, my lawyer will do all the asking for me.

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Alamo Rent A Car the worst car hire in the world.

I had the exact same problem with National car hire in three different countries. National car hire just doesn’t care any bit about the service they provide. At Toronto int. I booked a mid size car at the counter. Paid for it, wand the $200 deposit. I went to the midsize car section, only to find that there is none available. Now I ask you, how the hell do they make you pay for something that they don’t have? Got back to the counter and ask them how do they work. The Indian guy who was helping me said, Sorry, but I don’t know what is available. Would you prefer something else? I’m to afraid to ask what you have available. After a long fight with them to refund me they said the Manager is not available to sign for the refund. WTF! You make me pay for some thing you don’t have, then you tell me you don’t know what there is, then you can’t refund me till the next day. What’s next? Luckily Avis’s Manager overheard everything that was conspiring at the desk. Because of the situation with the refund, Avis arranged a car for me for one day free of charge. The following morning I eventually got my money back. National even had the audacity to ask me if I still want to rent the car from them. WHAT? ARE YOU F****** INSANE?! I went back to Avis and booked the car for the rest of the week. About a month later I returned to Ontario for a project. I was so thank full with the great service I got from Avis that we decided to book 35 cars for 6 weeks in Ontario. It doesn’t matter where in the world you are, National car hire’s service is up to ###! Especially in South Africa! I advice people traveling to South Africa for the 2010 Fifa World Cup to make sure that they book with Avis or First car rental. You will have no problems what so ever. Friendly and fast service.

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Alamo Rent A Car charged twice for the rental

Hi.
Booked a car rental from a website called arguscarhire which coated me some £85 for 3 days including insurance. After the hire period I received a invoice which showed me only 1 day + 54 ltr of petrol. and charged me £99.76.
I called Alamo car rental and they told me they have charged me by mistake and they will arange a refund. After 2-3 days I received one more invoice for £69.64 and that was also taken from my credit card.
Calling back Alamo they told me that I am charged correctly and if I have any issues I should send an e-mail to europcar customer care. I have sent a e-mail to Europcar customer care it's been almost 1 week but not even a single reply.
Every time I call them it is a 087 number which costs me, I have lost a lot of money by calling these people and still my issue is not resolved.

Please don't book your car rentals from europcar / Alamo car rentals . I will never ever book from these people in my life. waste of money and a lot of stress

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AntiAlmo2
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Jul 14, 2010 6:01 pm EDT

ALAMO are thieves! Do not book with them. I rented a car from Alamo in East Midlands Airport. Paid a deposit online, and paid full amount on arrival. They have since charged me AGAIN for that and said they had no record of my original payment. I had to go through so much stress trying to get it sorted. The woman behind the desk on the day was an apathetic idiot with no clue how to do her job, so I should have known! I wish EVERYONE knew about these crooks so that no one ever books with them again!

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Alamo Rent A Car attention: overcharging scam; it has method and it looks like they are trained to do it. never saw something like this in the us before

we rented a car through Alamo in Aug 09 and paid for it in advance and declined the insurance already as we booked it.
At the airport we arrived tired, 2 kids, long line. The employee asked if we want insurance we DECLINED it then he kept talking with me about upgrading the car as he marked the places to sign to decline stuff (like in 4 places).
I signed fully trusting his marks and thinking that I can look it up later, just in case, but the copy that I got was just a printout not including my signatures. On the printout there is a lot of stuff: no way to know later where did you sign.

Anyway I didn't think much at that time, not even as I returned the car and got he receipt (there was the aprox. the same amount I paid for the car and a balance of $0.0, so I thought this is the rental fee that I have already had paid. As l I got home I saw that amount charged on my card. I thought that might be a double booking but no, it seemed that I was misleading to sign an insurance of $20 a day (that I already have and never needed and declined more than one time) So I ended up paying $60 a day for a compact rental: nice way to make profit scamming your customers.

It turns out some other people complained about it and that this behaviour has method. They were very rude to my complaints and stated that I should read carefully what I sign (true, but with a long line in your back you kind of trust them to put the x-es on the right place or at least not to talk to you like a waterfall as you sign). So if you book Alamo expect huge lines in the future!

They gladly take your money and do not cooperate and if you want to see your signatures on the damn contract you have to request it in written and wait 4 weeks :)) I am still not sure I signed there actually but they say I did, I assume they are right otherwise the scam is a huge fraud actually. Why not fax a copy over right away to clear the doubt?

Why would you print out anyway a form with multiple options if the customer denied it verbally already?
And why do not provide him with a signed copy of your contract so you can see your wrongdoing 5 min later as you get settled in the car?
(We have computers now and you print it out especially for your customer anyway, why then all the listed options) Yep, this has method and it is intentionally set like this!

I have serious doubts of the validity of a contract with multiple options where I cannot see exactly what I sign! I will probably cntact a lawywer on this because it seems like organized scam and from a big US company like Alamo I wouldn't expect this at all.

It makes me mad and sad that a US company will go so far just to make profits; we as consumers have to stop this or we'll all have a lot of bad days in the future.

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Xandor Tik'Roth
Eugene, US
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Aug 09, 2010 7:56 am EDT

I won't address the bulk of your complaint here... It would take up too much space. With regard to the complaint about the contract. Yes, the fact that your signature doesn't make it over to the copies is a little odd, but the multiple options exist for the sole reason that you have to sign off saying that you decline the insurance. You have to sign it one way or the other. If you decide to take the insurance, you have to sign saying that you did.

For future reference, there should be a hard copy of the contract kept by the branch for 6 months or so. You can also file a complaint (which I hope you did) with the company itself and try to get the charges reversed.

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Alamo Rent A Car fraud - hiden fees - scam

On August 2009, we book our compact car by the Internet at Sanford int, Airport. When we showed up at the counter, the clerk ask us if we wanted to have a convertible for 3$ more a day. I ask the clerk 3 times if it was realy 3$ a day and he told me yes and It would be only 30$ for 10 days plus taxes.

So I decided to take the convertible since the clerk told me nobody wants to have convertible in Florida in the summer time and that was why it was so cheap. When we came back from our trip I saw on my credit Statement that Alamo took 265$ + 310$ for the convertible. So I paid 575$ when I was supposed to pay 295$. I called the customer service and the gave me 100$ credit and they told me as a courtesy. I forgot to read the review before booking my car and that is my mistake... I never gonna book any car with Alamo after that... The customer service is very bad and I strongly suggest you to read all the review before taking any reservation with this company. I feel very angry being ripped off by a company who don't care for their customer... I am telling you read the review carefully or you will pay...

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Gmash1
Hortonville, US
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Dec 21, 2010 4:30 pm EST

King1970 - Your a waste of Air. Alamo is screwing people plain and simple. It's deceptive and it's wrong. What happened to trusting what people say anymore? This Alamo Sanford location should be shut down!

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King1970
Orlando, US
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Mar 24, 2010 8:51 pm EDT

Read what ur signing, and if u can judje any rental car company based on reviews from stupid peole like you you will be walking next time ###.

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Alamo Rent A Car hidden charges

Alamo has a very strict and poorly advertised policy of exorbitant late charge fee's. I had a weekend rental for 3 days, taken on Saturday at noon, returned Tuesday 4AM. They charged my credit card and extra $450 claiming that I had returned the car after the designated drop off time. Even though the website indicates 1 day = 24 hours, they claimed the weekend rate expires at the designated time. Read around and you will find lots of problems with Alamo. Do not rent from them.

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Alamo Rent A Car additonal driver fee

Recently I booked a car on Priceline for Baltimore. The contract was accepted by Alamo. I paid for the rental with my credit card and listed my daughter as the driver. Everything was fine until we were leaving the parking lot. The Alamo security lady said that the name on the credit card and driver's license were different so they sent me back to the counter. There the Alamo attendant told me I would have to add my daughter as an additional driver. I showed them my contract which stated she was the only driver. I had an eye problem and was not going to drive. They still charged me for the additional driver. I contacted Priceline and was told Alamo should not have charged me as it violated the contract Priceline has with Alamo, but they could not do anything, I would need to deal directly with Alamo. When I called Alamo, they said their policy was to charge for the extra driver, even though she was the only driver and that Priceline could not tell them to do different. I recontacted Priceline and they were unwilling to do anything else as it was Alamo that charged my account. So, beware, only the person with the credit card used to rent the car can be the primary driver. I am really annoyed at both parties for not telling us this beforehand. It is an underhanded way to get more money.

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King1970
Orlando, US
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Jun 23, 2010 2:22 am EDT

DOESN'T THE WORD ADD MEANS ...MORE ++++++++++

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King1970
Orlando, US
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Mar 25, 2010 12:48 am EDT

Correct...no driver fee in California at all...even if u add 10 drivers.

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Patti510
Alameda, US
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Aug 26, 2009 3:12 pm EDT

Something similar happened to me recently. We rented a car in Michigan (but are from California) and added my husband as an additional driver. Previously, when renting an auto, adding a spouse as an additional driver was free. The rental agreement was originally through Priceline.com and was paid for in full. When we returned the car we were handed an additional charge of almost $100. This pisses me off. This cost was not disclosed and if I had known I would have gone with another rental company. I just called Alamo's customer service department and was told that this is a state based fee and that it is free in California but not in Michigan. I am disturbed about this additional fee especially after spending time doing my homework to find the best deal and then this happened. Boooo for Alamo! The moral of this story is...ask questions when adding an additional driver as sometimes they will not disclose this additional charge. Bottom line, I think this is unlawful.

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Alamo Rent A Car bait advertising

I had a email that showed I could rent SUV for 194 a week. After I put in my dates it went up to almost $500. So I called the company and the nice young lady said well the cars were available when I received the email, but now they are no longer available. So then the both of us went to the website. There was a advertisement for last minute specials. Wouldn't you know it, there it was again. One week for $194. Of course when I put in the actual dates it too went up to $5oo. She apologized and said others had been complaining. And of course National, which is affiliated with Alamo, does the same thing. Deceptive, unethical advertising. Stay away. I'll never rent from them again.

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Alamo Rent A Car hidden fee

Alamo: Why Charge me a hidden Fee?

Between May 10th and may 24th, 2009, I rented a Ford Focus through a travel agency in Costa Rica, from where I come from (turhokeanos.co.cr) with ALL INCLUSIVE in Orlando Florida.
Every thing was fine, until they charge an extra $123.53 "Carefree Personal Protection" (CPP) which I NEVER order.
Seems to be that the rental agent at the Orlando International Airport decided that I needed such insurance, but she never ask me for that, the only thing she said was: do you need a GPS in Spanish? I answered: I don’t need a GPS in Spanish. And she printed the receipt and made me sign with my initials.
If I bought an ALL INCLUSIVE PACAGE to the travel agency, why I will need an additional CPP? And I told her: give me only what is included in my reservation.

What I think is, she is getting a great commission, selling "extras" that customers don't order, don't need and don't know are paying.

Let me ask you: Will be the First and last time, I ever rent a car with ALAMO?
Alamo: don’t take advantage of honest and hard working people, give my money back.

Carlos Calderon; from San José, Costa Rica.
RA# [protected] RES#[protected] Contract ID S00208NK

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Alamo Rent A Car on-line reservation car rental

I made a reservation through Hotwire.com for a car rental days in advance. I was transferred to the Alamo Car Rental location at the Tucson International Airport. They gave me the vehicle information and they took down my information and the reservation was completed for the pick up date. Hotwire charged and confirmed my payment. when I went to pick up the vehicle on the set date my card was not accepted at the Alamo Car Rental place...

Now Hotwire refuses to refund me the money charged for the car rental which was for a total of Five (5) days. Yet I had no problem what-so-ever renting from ENTERPRISE and at the last minute even... I even had ALAMO give me in writing on their letterhead that they refused my card (not for the lack of money).

Why is it that my money (card) was good with Hotwire to scam me out of cash yet not good enough for the ALAMO CAR RENTAL? If HOTWIRE is going to support or sponsor or be affiliated with such companies and they do the process to charge and they get their money a car rental should not refuse the card that has the MasterCard or Visa logo...A card from the bank is used as a CREDIT CARD and/or DEBIT...

NEVER USING HOTWIRE ever again...and for those of you who will think of using them...BE AWARE of the scam they do...Nowhere in their Terms does it state that you money will not be refunded regardless if the affiliated company refused you...

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Kimberly Wiesner
US
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Jul 07, 2016 8:29 pm EDT

These two companies sure know how to SCAM.

I was so careful in picking which company to use, read all the Terms and Conditions and Rules and Regulations, as well as the added insurance policy. After checking out with the company I was given, (Alamo), I received a confirmation with a list of things to remember to bring with me. One of them was "proof of travel". Huh? Well upon calling and being bounced between Alamo and Hotwire, AFTER sitting on hold for a loooong time with each company, AND after talking to foreigners both times), I was told that "proof of travel" is a plane ticket. Too bad that I had rented a car because I am DRIVING DOWN TO FLORIDA from PA, so that I can save money! So now I CANNOT GO ON VACATION because I cannot use the service I've paid for, all because I am not flying! WHAT THE HELL KIND OF RIP OFF IS THIS?/? There was absolutely NO explanation of this before I accepted the terms. NONE. Yes I agreed to the no refunds clause. Why not? I had checked everything out carefully. Little did I know that they dishonestly WITHHELD extremely important information resulting in the loss of my money for NO SERVICES RENDERED? Not giving me the correct information beforehand, which would have made me look elsewhere, is one really good scam. I looked up HotWire reviews online beforehand too, and they were good! Unfortunately I had not looked up Alamo since I didn't know what company I would be assigned to.

Why do I have the funniest feeling that these two companies are run by the same people? Wouldn't that just be the kicker!

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE DO NOT USE THESE COMPANIES. It is way past the time for us to fight back against foreign run companies.

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anonyMiss
San Diego, US
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Aug 07, 2009 9:43 pm EDT
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Debit cards hold increased liability and most rental car companies DO NOT accept them. Also most if not all companies have a no refund policy, so if it really is not in their Terms keep pursuing Hotwire.

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Alamo Rent A Car Rental car damage scam

The following is basically how I complained to the Better Business Bureau:

I recently rented from Alamo rental car in MN on March 15th, 2009 and returned it the evening of March 22nd, 2009. I had no problems with the rental car nor was there any damage done to the rental car. I parked it in the return area for rental cars at the Duluth Airport where I rented the car. The return went without incident. To my surprise, I just received a letter dated April 7th, 2009 stating that there was some unspecified "damage" done to the car which they don't want to document until they receive payment. Their claim number [protected]-EXAM. The letter states that I am to send insurance information to an address in Tulsa, OK to their damage recovery department.

This is a scam letter. It could be the corporation scamming as I did not incur any damage to the vehicle.

It could be an employee scam as some of the details seem to be correct--dates, etc. which suggest someone had access to the database to come up with this.

It could be some kind of hacker scam which obtained information through Alamo's database. The reason I believe this is possible is that the logo on the letter looks not well defined, there is a typo in it and they are asking for information that Alamo probably has already. Also, there are recent complaints I've seen from other Alamo customers posted on the Internet who received this type of letter and then call the company to find there is no record of this complaint.

Further, the payment address for the damage recovery department is listed as one in Atlanta on the bottom of the letter and one in Tulsa (PO Box 22300, Tulsa, OK [protected]) on the return envelope.

So, if this is a scam being perpetrated by Alamo, I'm complaining about that to the BBB. If it's someone else--employee or hacker--everyone be aware that this is happening. It may not be Alamo's doing (outside of having bad data security).

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Mrs. Roe
US
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Jan 12, 2021 10:17 am EST
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Well add us to the list of people to get this letter. Son had the car for a short 3 and half hours. Pick up in Tallahassee and drove straight to drop off in Jacksonville on 12/26. Now three weeks later they are sending a letter with no documentation wanting credit card or insurance but no information on the alleged damage. Bottom of the letter indicates it is a collection agency not a claims agency. Two attorney's we talked with both thought it was a scam being played on us. Yes it is - by Alamo. We are disputing this.

Oh - and customer care that keeps popping up this forum does nothing but refer you to the very official "Damage Recovery Unit".

Alamo Rent A Car
Alamo Rent A Car
St. Louis, US
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Jan 12, 2021 2:53 pm EST
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Replying to comment of Mrs. Roe

Mrs. Roe, we've noted your comments. Please have your son contact the Damage Recovery team directly at 1-866-300-3239 or by email at CustomerClaimConcern@ehi.com. Thank you! – Carol H.

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Mrs. Roe
US
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Jan 13, 2021 10:06 am EST
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Carol - if we can't get your collection agency to send us any info/time stamp photo what will your customer claim concern be able to do. we can't even get a copy of his contract from you people. you provided nothing but the keys at the onset of the rental. furthermore your sharp eyed return clerk can spot some damage but can't get the simple receipt correct. has him picking up in jacksonville and returning to tallahasee. probably aren't even looking at the correct car. but since we don't have any info we wouldn't know. we filed a report with the florida attorney general.

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EnterpriseRent-A-Car
St. Louis, US
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Jan 13, 2021 10:31 am EST
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Replying to comment of Mrs. Roe

Mrs. Roe, again our Damage Recovery Unit is expressly responsible for these types of concerns. They will be happy to help your son with his rental questions and can be reached at CustomerClaimConcern@ehi.com. Thank you! - Carol H.

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Mrs. Roe
US
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Jan 13, 2021 11:59 am EST
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Carol - my son emailed them last week disputing the claim and requesting info. To date no response. Nor are you guys at care@alamo able to provide any info including the rental contract. That just can't be that hard to obtain, it was all done electronically.

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Tara Shea Roe
US
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Feb 09, 2021 10:45 pm EST
Replying to comment of Mrs. Roe

And here we are almost a month later. Certified letters received by the CEO and COO of Alamo but notably not the “damage recovery unit” (must not get their mail) and still NO ONE can provide ANY info. Not even the contract or receipt. Can’t wait to take this one to court.

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Tara Shea Roe
US
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Feb 09, 2021 10:47 pm EST
Replying to comment of Tara Shea Roe

Carol - are you the “Karen” of Alamo? Seems right.

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Manny Berena
US
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Jul 29, 2018 10:20 pm EDT

I rented a car April 8 - 10, 2018 at New Orleans Airport Rent A Car Terminal. I returned the car April 10, 2018 in a timely manner and I was told everything is ok and Im good to go. A week letter I received a letter that I have an accident damage to which I am not aware of and I had to pay a damage of over $2, 000.00. I sent an email right after I received the letter and email(six times) already and there was no response. Today I received a collection letter from First Financial Asset Management, Inc. with a Georgia address but the mail has a return address of North Carolina. How can I resolve this issue if they are not responding to my email and letter. I suspect that this is a scam they are running.
Thank you
Manny B.

Alamo Rent A Car
Alamo Rent A Car
St. Louis, US
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Aug 02, 2018 2:29 pm EDT
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Replying to comment of Manny Berena

Manny Berena, thank you for bringing this to our attention. I assure you it's never our intention to inconvenience a customer. Please take a moment to email ehiescalationscc@mailca.custhelp.com with your contact information, the exact rental office location, your claims, rental agreement or reservation numbers and the details above so we can address this for you. Thank you. – Carol H.

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nooneyja
US
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Aug 30, 2017 8:06 pm EDT

I had a similar experience with Alamo - they are currently claiming damage to a mini van we rented for a family vacation back in April. I am President's Circle and have rented hundreds of cars through Hertz, mostly at the Miami airport location, I've NEVER had a customer service issue or problem with any rental since joining their rental program in 1997. My wife handled our vacation plans and booked the van with Alamo. We rented the car at a counter three stories above where the vans were parked and were told to 'choose any van in row 9.' We entered the dimly lit parking garage and, with 4 children just having completed a six hour stint in two airports, we chose the first van in the row - there was NO ONE to direct us to row 9, help us choose a van, inspect the van, etc. We loaded it up, jumped in and drove off - we drove two hours and parked the van in a hotel for less than a week. We the returned the van to Ft. Meyers, where a representative carefully inspected the van in the outside daylight and noticed some damage, which was hardly obvious to the average renter and had CLEARLY been repaired some time ago. The aggressive and accusatory tone of the Alamo agent (when simply pointing the damage out would have sufficed), set the tone for the next several months of harassing letters and phone calls (mostly on the weekend) - which continue to this day (now August 30). There was never any constructive phone call - it went straight to aggressive, predatory-like collection calls. You would think, if Alamo were interested in a legitimate business operation, they may wish to maturely engage a renter who is a longstanding, good customer of their competition - not the case. It's a shame that we spend valuable time and money on a family vacation, only to have Alamo's baseless and agressive predatory business practices become our most enduring memory. Clearly pre-existing, long-ago repaired damage.

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Alamo Rent A Car
Alamo Rent A Car
St. Louis, US
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Aug 31, 2017 10:03 am EDT
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Replying to comment of nooneyja

nooneyja, we appreciate it when customers tell us about their experiences. I assure you that it's never our intention to inconvenience our customers. We would like to speak with you further. Please email ehiescalationscc@mailca.custhelp.com with your contact information, exact rental office location, claims, rental agreement, and reservation numbers and the details above so we can address this situation. Thank you. – Carol H.

EnterpriseRent-A-Car
EnterpriseRent-A-Car
St. Louis, US
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May 18, 2013 7:15 am EDT
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bkdlays,
We’ve taken note of your concern and would like to have the opportunity to look into this for you. Please send us a detailed email to care[at]enterprise.com including the exact rental location information, your contact information, your rental agreement or claim number and any further information regarding your experience.
When emailing, please list Reference Number [protected] in the subject line. We look forward to hearing from you.
Respectfully,
Carol H.
Social Media Specialist
Enterprise Rent-A-Car

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bkdlays
West Springfield, US
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May 17, 2013 4:00 pm EDT
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I too just rented a car from Alamo it BWI Maryland and returned it 3 hours later at Enterprise in Lexington Park, MD. I never even parked the car, I stopped along the way only to fuel the car up and dropped it off. The van certainly wasn't perfect as it was a rental mini van with over 25, 000 miles on it. Nobody inspected the car upon picking it up or dropping it off. Now i am receiving a letter of unknown "damage". These jokers think I am going to just hand over my insurance and credit card info to process a claim. Its especially a red flag that they provide NO info about the incident. I have since contacted the "Damage Recovery Unit" which has interpreted my asking for info as a "dispute" They have responded 3 times yet never actually gave ANY info. I have contacted the Attorney General in MD as this is a VERY widespread practice for Enterprise and its subsidiaries Alamo and National. I would RUN from these people and never do business with them. Your turn is coming if you chance it.

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BusinessTravelr
Ft Lauderdale, US
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Feb 04, 2013 1:38 am EST

I just got one of these letters too! I rented a car out of Houston. I had the car for less than 24 hrs. I returned it in perfect condition, as an Alamo employee gave me a receipt with mileage, time stamp, and I said to her, " I had no problems", she said everything looks fine. Two months later I got a not very official looking letter too! Asking to make a claim to my insurance for $360 for unspecified damages.
I think this scam is happening all over the country, according to all of the postings.

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jaco19
US
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Apr 14, 2011 8:31 pm EDT

ALMOST the same thing happened to me but this time it IS Alamo! When I rented the car in Alabama, I inspected the car thoroughly and when I dropped it off in Atlanta, GA (22 hours later), the guy on the receiving end literally looked underneath the car (as if I was supposed to do the same upon picking up the car) and pointed out a minor damage. I was surprised to see him find damage there and the fact that he even looked underneath the front bumper! I told him that I did not even inspect the car underneath the front damage as I was only looking at the outside, what was easily viewed and accessible but now I am being charged for the damages I did not cause to the vehicle. I am fighting these allegations but so far no luck. I will most likely be making a BBB claim and possibly hiring an attorney.

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brian Burzynski
Bethlehem, US
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Apr 30, 2009 11:08 am EDT

I too had two run-ins with Alamo. I'm sure they are not the only ones that pull these types of scams, but I wonder why 20/20 and Dateline reporters don't do more segments on unscrupulous rental car companies!

I ordered the car through my airline. When I picked up the car, the clerk made it sound like I was putting a deposit down incase of damage, but I can't remember the exact pre-scripted terms he used. I said no to everything extra he asked me to place on car including extra insurance. I signed and got the car. After checking the document more I was being charged a new set of taxes and fees on top of the price I already paid through the airline. They also signed me up for "CDW" (in code so you don't know what it stands for) Collision Damage Waiver, or extra insurance that I said no to. When you call they will say, "You signed for it." As if after getting off the plane, standing in line for the car, and holding people in line up behind you, you are going to read the entire rental agreement for 20 minutes. I mistakenly assumed that what I told the clerk was represented in the contract I signed.

Customer service graciously returned 1/2 the money they stole from me for the CDW. That seems to be par to stop people from complaining too much.

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kek
San Francisco, US
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Apr 17, 2009 10:18 pm EDT

I had the same experience. Rented a car from Alamo in Houston March 24-27, 2009. Returned the car in good condition and the employee checking me said I was "good to go." (He had plenty of time to check the car because I was on crutches). I received the same letter from the Tulsa Damage Recovery Department postmarked April 8, 2009. When I called the number on the letter I was informed that they had no documentation as of yet, but it was noted that the car had hail damage. I encountered no hail during my trip, but heard on the radio as I was returning the car about a hail storm that was in the area. If there is in fact any damage I bet they are trying to make me pay for something that happened after the car had been returned.

I've been advised not to provide any credit card or insurance info until they actually provide documentation that any damage occurred while the car was on my watch. I have contacted my credit card company who assures me that they will cover the damages if I provide a variety of documents (that will require some persistence to get from Alamo). In the meantime I have filed a report with the BBB. The whole thing indeed wreaks of "scam". The funny thing is that the person at Damage Recovery who I spoke to was named C. Crook. How apropos.

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dakota63
Sparks, US
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Apr 14, 2009 10:30 pm EDT

I just the same letter yesterday! I rented a car in Fargo, North Dakota. Picked it up during a blizzard and hardly travelled with the car. When I returned the car, I went to the counter and all I was asked was did you get the mileage? I said, "oops I forgot", he said "oh well, I will just estimate it" and "did you put gas in it"? It was too cold for anyone to go outside and check the car. Keep in mind the airport and the car rental are no more than 200 steps to the actual car! I signed off and said "have a nice day". Then I got the exact same thing in the flipping mail!

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7:08 am EDT
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Alamo Rent A Car awful experience

I rented a Hybrid car from Alamo to drive from Raleigh, NC to Ft. Lauderdale, FL. I originally was supposed to rent a mid-size car, but took the advice of the sales rep and went with the hybrid to save on gas. Anyway, I drove down and returned the car as expected. I did not have any trouble with the car during my rental aside from the fact that I returned it an hour late since we ran into traffic on the way to return it.

However, I received a letter from the Loss Damage department saying there was damage to the car and they were investigating the claim. The odd thing about the situation is that they sent the letter to my parent's house in Chicago. I have not lived with my parents in over 5 years! I moved from that address when I went away to school and have had an apartment in MD since 2004. I also did not give them that address when I rented the car and it is not on any of my documents.

In addition, I have never rented a car before this time as I was always under age and did not want to pay the underage fee. Thank goodness my parents still live there or I would have never gotten the letter. I don't understand why they would send the letter there and not to the address I gave them. How do they expect me to get the information and act accordingly if they do not send the letter to the address where I reside?

So, I called the Loss Damage department with the information my mother was able to give me to see what damage they are investigating, but the representative was not much help. She could not tell me what damage they are investigating or when she would know. So, I have no idea what they are talking about. Also, when the car was returned, there was no damage noted on my return paperwork. I will never rent from Alamo again because this is absurd!

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About Alamo Rent A Car

Alamo Rent A Car offers a variety of vehicles for rental, catering to travelers seeking convenient transportation. With an online booking system, customers can reserve cars, SUVs, vans, and trucks. They provide options for insurance coverage, fuel plans, and have a loyalty program for frequent renters. Alamo operates at numerous locations, including airports across the United States and internationally.

Overview of Alamo Rent A Car complaint handling

Alamo Rent A Car reviews first appeared on Complaints Board on Aug 17, 2006. The latest review I just had to rave! was posted on Apr 22, 2025. The latest complaint I just had to rave! was resolved on Apr 22, 2025. Alamo Rent A Car has an average consumer rating of 4 stars from 393 reviews. Alamo Rent A Car has resolved 299 complaints.
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  1. Alamo Rent A Car Contacts

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    +1 (844) 354-6962
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    600 Corporate Park Drive, Saint Louis, Minnesota, 63105, United States
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