Dollar Rent A Car
Reviews and Complaints

I recently rented a car from Dollar Car Rental at Buffalo Niagara International Airport and was hit with an undisclosed $139.95 fee from PlatePass after the rental period ended. Unfortunately, this experience has left me deeply disappointed with both companies, and I want to warn others about their unethical practices.

When my wife and I picked up the car, the EZ-Pass transponder was already open and active, and we were given no information at the rental desk about optional toll services like PlatePass. As tourists from a city without toll roads, we reasonably assumed the transponder was part of the service. At no point were we informed that using the transponder would automatically enroll us in a $139.95 PlatePass All-Inclusive package.

After returning home, Dollar and PlatePass attempted to charge my credit card, but the transaction was flagged as potential fraud. When I contacted them, they acknowledged that the fees were not clearly explained at pickup and offered only a partial fee reduction—still expecting me to pay administrative charges I never knowingly opted into.

The transponder was pre-activated when we got in the vehicle. We never had a chance to opt in or out. Even if the terms were buried in a lengthy rental contract, it is unreasonable to expect customers to comb through fine print for such critical information. It is clear that Dollar and PlatePass use this hidden-fee tactic to generate revenue at the expense of unsuspecting customers.
If you are planning to rent from Dollar or any company partnered with PlatePass, be extremely careful—check the transponder before driving off and ask detailed questions about their toll policy.

I hope Dollar and PlatePass address this deceptive practice. But as it stands, I will not be using their services again and strongly recommend renters consider other options to avoid similar issues. To be clear, Dollar/Thrifty/Hertz are all owned by the same company.

In 2011, a class action lawsuit was filed against Hertz, Dollar, Thrifty, and their partner PlatePass over allegations of undisclosed and misleading toll-related fees. Customers reported being charged excessive administrative fees without proper disclosure, and some were enrolled in toll programs without their knowledge or consent.

The legal proceedings culminated in settlements between 2014 and 2019. Hertz agreed to an $11 million settlement to address complaints that it had charged customers without sufficient notice about the PlatePass fees. Dollar and Thrifty faced similar legal challenges.

These cases highlight a pattern of complaints about the lack of transparency in toll-related programs offered by the Hertz Corporation. Be warned. Better yet, choose another rental company.

After reading multiple reviews from customers, it's evident that Dollar Rent A Car has been receiving a lot of negative feedback. Customers have expressed concerns about hidden charges, poor customer service, and unexpected fees. Many customers have reported feeling misled and dissatisfied with their overall experience. It seems that Dollar Rent A Car needs to address these issues to improve customer satisfaction and transparency.

I rented through rentalcars.com. On the site I was to pay for the rental amount at booking and then all the taxes and fees at the Dollar rental counter. It showed $95 due at the counter. I paid that amount and got my rental. When I got home a week later, I found an additional $76 charge for taxes and fees. I have contested this with Dollar to no avail. They don't have anyone you can contact as all complaints are handled via Web only. No one communicates back. Be careful not to get ripped off by Dollar or their parent company Hertz.

I reserved a car on Expedia and prepaid $488.92. When I went to the counter at MCO the Agent offered me an upgrade. Did not inform me of the $400.00 fee plus taxes. When I got my final bill, I owed an additional $955.58 for the rental vehicle. If I reserved the same vehicle today, it would cost me $580.68 total. Since I was offered the upgrade without even asking for it, I cannot wrap my head around paying an upgrade fee plus all the taxes and fees. The Agent never stated any of this and even told me I would be receiving a refund from my prepaid booking. When I prepaid $488.92 that also included taxes. Why would I be able to rent the same vehicle today at a cost of $580.68 but when I go to the Dollar counter and told I am going to give you an upgrade, I am charged more than 2x that? Difference is $648.82. This would make sense to no one. This is not an acceptable response from Dollar. I feel Dollar is taking advantage of the customer and I feel ripped off and very dissatisfied. Dollar is offering me only $215.00 (half the upgrade fee) and will not budge. I have reported this to my credit card, state Attorney General's office and the Better Business Bureau.

RENTER BEWARE!

I returned my rental and never received my receipt to submit a trip voucher. There's no customer support for post returns and I've sent multiple e-mails regarding my issue. No replies, no return phone calls, nothing. When I finally spoke with a representative (selecting different options) I was instructed to emails my issue on the website then hung up. Very disappointed!

I received the car on 3/4 tank of gas and was told to return with the same amount. I returned the car with more than 3/4 tank and was charged $44. I want my $44 returned to my card.

Rental Record #[protected]

Rental dates 3/23/24 to 3/24/24

We rented a vehicle on 11/2/2023 at Santa Ana, CA airport. We opted for the fuel purchase at $4.85 per gallon based on what the representative told us. Gas elsewhere was $5.19. We were told that we would be charged for any gas that was used at the rate of $4.85 per gallon. When we received our receipt we were charged for a full tank of gas, $74.54, when we returned the car with over half a tank of gas. Contacted customer service and they advised that no, we agreed to pay for a full tank of gas. That was not what we were told. This is a scam. We would have only been charged $35 for the gas that was used. In addition to the "extra" fees, our additional charges came out to $147.64 on top of the car rental cost.

My name is Bahaaldeen Aldaqqa , I rented a Mazda6 in Dubai airport on Nov13 ( reservation no is DLR52070) and returned to Dubai Airport terminal 2 on Nov17 at 5 PM to a guy named Arshad

I asked him to get an invoice for the total I paid, he replied that he is alone and cannot move the counter ,, he promised to send me an invoice thru email at the same day and once his colleague will arrive ,, I confirmed to him that it is important to send it and he immediately replied (don’t worry at all , will be sent today)

Unfortunately, still I didn’t receive it ?!

I live in France and prepaid for a rental car for 14 days through a third party company. When I went to Dollar at SNA airport they refused to rent me a car because I did not have a French driver's license. I have dual residency and provided my French ID and debit card, but they would not give me a car in California even though I had a valid California Driver's License. They offered me a car at the day rate which was over 3 times what I paid through the third party. Additionally the Manager said that I could not leave the deposit with my French Debit Visa card and that I needed a French credit card for the contract I paid for in France. The problem is the banking system in France is different than the US and there is no such thing as a French credit card. I have been renting cars for 30 plus years and this was by far the worst service I have experienced.

Hi I just received a copy of my invoice for a car rental with Dollar picked up from San Francisco Airport on Saturday 23/09/2023.

I noticed that I have been cgarged for an [protected]@ 531.00 Dollars.

I did not request an upgrade on the day and merely accepted the car allocated to me at the desk.

My original booking was through a travel agent in Dublin and the booking was prepaid.

The car indicated on the booking form is IFAR - SUV or similar.

Car rental Voucher - Flexible Autos Reference - 4H871501.

Can you please review this charge as I am certain I did not request

this upgrade.

The desk was extremely busy on the day of collection and

I only noticed this charge on receipt of my invoice by email

Regards Sean Mc Ginley

Mobile Number [protected]

On July 29, 2023 I reserved a car at Atlanta Hartsfield Airport for September 2 - 6, 2023. When I arrived at the Dollar counter at 12:00PM there was a large gathering of people in front of the counter. One of the people told me Dollar has NO CARS. I replied we have a reservation. Person responded they also have a reservation. As I approached the counter there was an employee advising that Dollar Rental car was closed for the day as they have No CARS. Employee also communicated during my chat that this is a frequent issue on Thursday to Saturdays at this location. If I have a reservation confirmed I expect a car to be available. This is outrageous.

I was tricked into paying for gas and was charged for liability coverage which I already paid for through economy bookings, I didn't even use all if the gas that came with the car and the extra$ 65-67 i was okay paying but them lying and stating i asked or requested liability coverage which i had alreadypaid for is fraud the rep never asked me about liability which i didn't need so why would I pay for it twice and why force a customer to pay for gas telling them its cheaper at the airport.