Complaint Rating:

Company information:
Thrifty Car Rental
Kansas City, Missouri
United States
www.trifty.com

A chronological listing of the facts:

Upon arrival at the Thrifty car rental counter (6:45 p.m.), only one employee was visible (Desiree N. May), who was engaged in a cellular telephone conversation and clearly upset by the content of the phone conversation. After waiting patiently for over ten minutes, Ms. May ended the cellular phone call and rudely demanded in a loud voice to see my license and credit card. I provided both, along with a copy of the rental reservation confirmation notice. Ms. May pushed the rental confirmation away, yelling "This reservation was canceled", without even checking the reservation status on the computer. I replied that I had not canceled the reservation and that there must be an error. Ms. May then checked the computer, sighed loudly, rolled her eyes, and abruptly left the rental counter area.

Five minutes later (7:10 p.m.) Ms. May returned and informed me that there would be a delay, since I had canceled the reservation. I repeated that I had not canceled the reservation. Ms. May again abruptly left the counter area.

Five minutes later (7:15 p.m.) Ms. May returned to the rental counter and informed me that they did not have a rental car available and would need to get another one ready, since I had canceled the reservation. I repeated, again, that I had not canceled the reservation. Ms. May abruptly left the counter area.

(7:20 p.m.) Ms. May returned to the counter and informed me that my cancellation of the reservation was causing extra work and delays. I once again repeated that I had not canceled the reservation, and that there must be a mistake in the computer. Ms. May abruptly left the counter area.

(7:25 p.m.) Ms. May returned to the counter and informed me that the problem with the reservation was not a computer problem, that I had canceled the reservation and forgot. Ms. May then abruptly left the rental counter area.

(7:30 p.m.) Ms. May returned to the counter. I asked that my credit card be returned so I could obtain a rental car from another car rental company. At this point, three additional Thrifty employees (previously unseen) arrived at the counter area and began screaming obscenities and racial slurs at me simultaneously.

(7:32 p.m.) I left the Thrifty counter area to avoid any potential confrontation.

(7:34 p.m.) I called the Thrifty national customer service 800 number to verify that no charges were applied to my credit card, to cancel the reservation, and to complain about the poor customer service. Thrifty answered that the reservation was active, but they would cancel it.

(7:40 p.m.) I obtained a rental car from Avis Car Rental, directly across the aisle from Thrifty.

(7:45 p.m.) I observed a Thrifty Car Rental employee positioning one of their rental cars so as to block my car from leaving the parking lot.

(7:50 p.m.) I asked the Thrifty employee to move the blocking vehicle so I could depart. He refused to move the blocking vehicle.

(7:55 p.m.) I called the Kansas City Police Department for assistance in getting my vehicle unblocked

(8:00 p.m.) I returned to the Thrifty counter area to request that they move their vehicle so I could depart, before the police that I had contacted arrived, so we could avoid police involvement. They once again refused to move the blocking vehicle. I returned to the parking lot to await the arrival of the police.

(8:11 p.m.) The Kansas City Police arrive on the scene and served me with a violation notice for "disturbing the peace". As the police arrived, the Thrifty employee who had positioned the blocking vehicle removed the vehicle so my car was no longer blocked. He then told the police that my vehicle had never been blocked, that I had been loud and abusive and "just looking for trouble".

(8:25 p.m.) The Kansas City Police finished writing their report and allowed me to enter my car

(8:30 p.m.) I departed the rental car parking lot, one hour and 45 minutes following my arrival at the Thrifty counter and with a violation notice in hand.

The above facts speak for themselves. Never have I been treated so badly as a customer by the abusive and incompetent staff of Thrifty Car Rental in Kansas City. Needless to say, this once loyal Thrifty customer will never do business with them again. I will go out of my way to avoid Thrifty Car Rental for the rest of my life, and encourage anyone with any self respect to do the same. What happened to me that night, at the hands of Thrifty Car Rental, is inexcusable.