Menu
National Car Rental
National Car Rental Customer Service Phone, Email, Contacts

National Car Rental
reviews & complaints

www.nationalcar.com
www.nationalcar.com

Learn how the rating is calculated

3.8 168 Reviews

National Car Rental Complaints Summary

118 Resolved
50 Unresolved
Our verdict: You can expect a very good level of service from National Car Rental. To navigate their system effectively, thoroughly understand their service scope. Check online forums and review sites for others' experiences. When contacting customer service, clear and concise communication can help resolve your issues faster.
Claimed
National Car Rental has claimed their business profile
Get notifications about new complaints and reviews of National Car Rental. We promise not to send you any unrelated messages.
Share
Write a review File a complaint

National Car Rental reviews & complaints 168

Sort by:

Newest National Car Rental reviews & complaints

ComplaintsBoard
A
9:26 am EDT
Resolved
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.

National Car Rental policy change/credit cards vs debit

I'am a customer since(1998) and have always used my Banking card and have NEVER failed to pay the amount needed to complete the transaction w/National. Recently I was deterred from doing my normal rental because of a policy change from using my Banking card that again I've always used.The counter person also stated that I could use my credit card to HOLD the car and upon return I could use my Banking card to complete the final charges, which didn't make any sense.My occupation Police Officer w/ID would be jepordized if for any reason I'd DEFRAUD National or any other business. If my card rental number is needed or my email would help me in any way please email at the following ([protected]@aol.com), and my business number([protected]) Officer Day. 3pm to 11pm daily off sat/sun. Thank you

Read full review of National Car Rental
Resolved

The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.

Hide full review
ComplaintsBoard
L
10:49 am EDT
Resolved
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.

National Car Rental no credit yet received for incorrect charge

I returned at one-day rental, including GPS system, on May 5, 2009. I was dismayed to discover, two days later, that my credit card had been charged $299.52 for the GPS system which I had returned. After multiple (several dozen) phone calls during a two-week period, to the Customer Service Dept. at National Car Rental, I was finally sent a FAX, on May 15, 2009, by the local rental office indicating that my credit card account was being refunded the full amount. I was told by the local agent that iot would take three or four days to appear on my statement.

A week later, after no refund appeared on my credit card account, I called National Car Rental's Customer Service (again) to inquire about the status of the refund. I was told it would take TEN business days to appear, and that whomever said "3 to 4 days" was wrong.

It has been 13 business days and still no refund on my credit card account. My bank verifies that there has been no money refunded. At my bank's recommendation, I opened a formal dispute regarding this charge.

I have attempted multiple times to speak with an agent or the manager at the car rental office at New Orleans International Airport, without success. Either the phone is not answered, or when it is answered I've been told that no one is available to respond to my inquiry. Today, June 2, two hours ago an agent told me that the manager was on a conference call and that he would call me "in a few minutes." After waiting two hours, I tried to call him at the local location but there was, again, no one answering the phone. I called National Car Rental's Customer Service at their main number to ask for assistance. I was told to call the local number. When I explained that they were not answering, and that I needed some help with this, she did try to call them. She came back on the line and said that "They are being assessed."

I explained that I had been waiting to be called back and found it difficult to understand how the company could manage their "customer service" inquiries in such an off-hand way. She then said that I would, of course, be called back by the manager but that it might be, "in two or three days. " I asked her what "being assessed" means, and she said it means they are "in a meeting."

My experience should be a warning to others. National Car Rental has terrible customer "service" practices. They difficult to reach via phone, they are not truthful about what a customer can expect, they contradict their own information, they do not follow through when they say they will do something (such as refunding hundreds of dollars for a bogus charge!). Most of all, they are almost without exception arrogant and rude when they cannot think of anything else to say in reply to the question, "Where is the refund that you told me has already be processed?"

Read full review of National Car Rental and 2 comments
Resolved

The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.

Hide full review
2 comments
Add a comment
M
M
mr. albarte
, CA
May 02, 2011 9:29 pm EDT

i also set over charge with more then $1000 from my original contract in January 2011 by national car rental in yul airport at. Montreal and when i call in to the location in the airport the pot me on hold in lat me wait a hoer on the phone in after the manger with name Francis come to the phone i told me if i have a problem can i go to a other location.
in thats what i do and i m very happy.

A
A
anonyMiss
San Diego, US
Aug 02, 2009 2:40 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

You should always inform someone when you are paying with a debit card, as bank's don't operate on "real" time. It usually takes 30 business days to reflect a credit on a debit account, depending on your bank.

ComplaintsBoard
A
4:17 pm EDT

National Car Rental their a fraud there's no web site on them their already on the complaints board

I got a phone call and this lady said I could get a $40 gas certificate $1000 grocery certificate for $1.00
for 30 days after the 30 days then I would have to pay$19.95 a month, but if I did't want it just call them and cancel and I wouldn't get charged for it. She asked for my debit card # so they could take out the $1.00 and I gave it to her. I got the paperwork in the mail today and it said to claim the $40 gas certificate to go on www.budgetsaversonline.com and when I tried to get on line Complaints Board came up so I guess this is a scam now I'm worried about my debit card what can I do?

Read full review of National Car Rental
Hide full review
ComplaintsBoard
R
12:00 am EST

National Car Rental charging for services not authorized!

Hired a car from national car rental at heathrow airport. Returned sat 5th january 2008. Received a receipt upon return which states car in tact and undamaged. There was previous scratches to the car which was pointed out to the gate when taking other than there was no damage to the car. They made a charge on my credit card of 25 pounds for tires and windshield which I have no idea what they are talking about. This charge was never authorized by me and so amounts to theft.

I am prepared to attend court rather than let the thieves get away with. I am a former british citizen and this reflects badly on the integrity of british business. I will never use them again. I will also be making a complaint to my credit card company.

I wonder how many times they do this. It is criminal no more no less.

Bob lessemun.

Read full review of National Car Rental and 1 comment
Update by Robert C lessemun
Feb 21, 2008 3:02 pm EST

This matter was resolved amicably and I have no further complaint with this company.

Hide full review
1 comment
Add a comment
S
S
s rogers
,
Jun 15, 2008 5:21 am EDT

i too have the same problems with nationacar hire in the uk " lincoln region "

rude and bullying staff and discriination towards disabled people and ethnic people. and here is the list of problems i had with one vechicle they dropped off for me.

1. the car was dirty
2. off side rear full side scratches
3. off side front wheel trim chipped and damaged
4. near side front wheel trim chipped and damaged
5. sever damage to rear screen wiper and broken and missing bits
6. No dust caps on any wheel.
7. Engine oil level low and not showing up on dip stick, light visible on dash board.
8. Mileage did not match the paper work 4518 actual mileage 4539 on delivery.
9. The name was wrong on the documents.
10. And billing information supplied was incorrect.
11. And the collection document was wrong as well.
12. the bad attitude by the deliverer Paul
13. The rude and force full manner by the Lincoln manager and mouthy and rude manner by area manager carol on collection of vehicle.
14. Diesel fuel running down the side of the car and the fuel car lose or not connected properly fuel cap.
15. tires on the car not inflated to correct tire pressure
16. battery cover not on and floating around engine bay.

and bold tires on one of the vehicles i hadthey are rubish goto avis.

ComplaintsBoard
R
12:00 am EDT

National Car Rental rates and customer service!

I booked a car on line with one of those direct links from an airline - I noticed that it didn't ask for my Emerald Card number (I am an Executive member although it means nothing). The rate was $52 (usd) which also bugged me but I printed off the contract and took it with me to the airport counter in Edmonton Alberta. I was greeted with - I am sorry but we don't have any vehicles right now. It won't be any longer than an hour." yuck. But thats not the worst, when I asked the clerk to add my emerald club number to the file she seemed very confused and asked other people what the message on her screen meant. The she asked if she could have my card back and said shed have to destroy it. WTF?

I instructed her to give the thing back and Id deal with the problem when I turned in whatever I finally got (a G6). I returned it the next day and this time they told me they still had all this information from my previous address and thats why they had a problem. Well she asked me the same questions three times trying to enter it into the system at which point I wanted to say... please destroy my card!

In the end I was charged over $90 Canadaian for the rental - hello, hello our dollar is trading at 98.5 so $52 USD does not equal $95 CDN. I hate this and I am fed up with this company. Won't rent with them again and hate the over zealous exchange rate with arbitrary rates.

Read full review of National Car Rental
Hide full review
ComplaintsBoard
V
12:00 am EDT
Resolved
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.

National Car Rental poor customer treatment

Before traveling to Ireland back in February through AutoEurope website I booked and paid (QSP 6141302) for a car rental for 6 days with National Car Rental. After clearing customs in Shannon Ireland on Sunday morning I went to the National Car Rental booth only to be told by the person behind the counter that they have no cars at the moment. Instead I was given a business card and told to give it to Declan at the Hertz Car Rental booth and he would give me the same deal. I proceeded to Hertz but they would not honor the rate confirmed with National Car Rental and on the spot I had to work out the best deal that I could. I did go back to the person at the National Car Rental booth but they were not interested in helping at all. In fact they were obvious that I was annoying them. After negotiating with Hertz the rental charge was $82 more than what I had already paid when I booked with AutoEurope. When I returned from my trip I worked with my credit card company to get a refund from Hertz for the over charge of $82. This accomplishment took numerous letters over a 4 month period. In June I wrote to National Car Rental ("Wilson, Tara" Email User) because all the problems I had getting back what was overcharged was caused by National Car Rental. I told them at the very least they should acknowledge that point and apologize but they replied that my grievance was with Hertz. Again I wrote and explained that they can not take a prepayment for a car rental reservation, then not provide a car, send their customer to a competitor, have their customer negotiate with a new company, get overcharged, work to get the overcharge refunded and not be held responsible. They did not reply. In turn, I wrote to the Better Business Bureau (BBB) because I would not have expected to have been treated so badly by such a large well known company and I did not want anyone else to go through the same experience. About a week after writing to the BBB I received an email from National Car Rental saying that for all my trouble they are offering me a coupon for 2 days free car rental in the US or Canada to be used before the end of the year. Again I had to write to National Car Rental letting them know their offer had no value to me as the only place that I would be renting a car was Ireland in 2008. They replied that they would not send a coupon voucher for any country other than the US or Canada In closing, I would not have thought in my wildest dreams that working with a global rental company like National Car Rental would have been such a bad experience and that not one person at National Car Rental had the inclination on how to treat a paying customer. Your viewers should be aware that even though you pay National Car Rental in advance to reserve a car it does not mean that they will provide you with a car and certainly they will not treat you well. Service I must report is not at the top of their list.

Read full review of National Car Rental and 2 comments
Resolved

The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.

Hide full review
2 comments
Add a comment
U
U
US TOURIST
Brewster, US
Jun 11, 2014 7:50 pm EDT

These people are a disgrace. All of them. On my most recent visit, they tried to tell me I needed "A Letter" from my credit card company stating that they covered the CDW. After having to call my cc company from the desk to confirm my coverage, they then charged me a higher rate than quoted.
The car rental companies in Ireland are unregulated and are notoriously crooked. The reason that Visa stopped covering insurance there was because of the rampant fraud perpetuated by the industry itself

S
S
s rogers
,
Jun 15, 2008 5:22 am EDT

i too have the same problems with nationacar hire in the uk " lincoln region "

rude and bullying staff and discriination towards disabled people and ethnic people. and here is the list of problems i had with one vechicle they dropped off for me.

1. the car was dirty
2. off side rear full side scratches
3. off side front wheel trim chipped and damaged
4. near side front wheel trim chipped and damaged
5. sever damage to rear screen wiper and broken and missing bits
6. No dust caps on any wheel.
7. Engine oil level low and not showing up on dip stick, light visible on dash board.
8. Mileage did not match the paper work 4518 actual mileage 4539 on delivery.
9. The name was wrong on the documents.
10. And billing information supplied was incorrect.
11. And the collection document was wrong as well.
12. the bad attitude by the deliverer Paul
13. The rude and force full manner by the Lincoln manager and mouthy and rude manner by area manager carol on collection of vehicle.
14. Diesel fuel running down the side of the car and the fuel car lose or not connected properly fuel cap.
15. tires on the car not inflated to correct tire pressure
16. battery cover not on and floating around engine bay.

ComplaintsBoard
J
12:00 am EDT

National Car Rental changed the rate when I returned the car

Real Simple. I rented the car at the Los Angeles. I returned the car in Orange County. My weekly rental rate was $148.88 on my original contract. Because I returned the car at the Orange County Airport instead of LAX, they charged me a $75.00 drop fee which I did not mind a bit and fully expected. Then upon my return they changed my weekly rate to $374.39 from $148.88 without notice or warning. I spoke to three people including a supervisor. All three including the supervisor refused to re-adjust my rate to $148.88 which was on my original contract. These people are crooks. They are by the essence of their business practices completely dishonest. Not only would I NEVER consider renting from them again, but I am going to tell everyone I know everywhere my story so other people don't get ripped off as well.

Read full review of National Car Rental and 4 comments
Hide full review
4 comments
Add a comment
J
J
journeys12
Williamstown, US
Aug 10, 2012 3:34 pm EDT

I too hate National Car with a passion now! I used to rent from them a lot for 6-8 months a year and in fact I am an Emerald Club Executive Elite member .But due to a recent horrific experience of being untreated unfairly I decided to switch to Avis for my long-term car rental needs. I rented a compact car from their Boston Prudential Center location return to Albany Airport for a weekly rate of $151.93, they ran out of compact cars so I was upgraded to an intermediate for free. My plans eventually changed so I had to extend my rental for 2 more months. I physically went to the Albany airport to sign a new contract since they had a 28-day maximum duration per contract. They did give me the same rate for my second month and I rented the same car . However when I returned to the airport again for the 3rd month, they said the car that I had needed an oil change so I cant rent it again. They ran out of cars smaller than a full size so they gave me a full size car. And they charged me the full size car rate of 433.48 a week ! I didnt notice it until later so I emailed Customer Service. THey said they cant do anything about it and advised me to contact the Albany airport branch directly which I did. The woman who answered the phone was VERY RUDE and said something along the lines of they cant give me the original long-term rental rate of 151.93 a week since all their contracts have a 28-day maximum so every time there's a new contract there could be a different rate . I asked to speak to the manager Mr. David Bamiro who had given me the original rate on the second month of my rental . I called his direct line no answer, I left a message. I also emailed him. It's been 2 weeks and he never returned my phone call/email. Suffice it to say that I promptly returned the car even if I still needed a car for 2 more months, and rented a car from Avis for a more reasonable rate . For those of you like me who intend to avoid National Car like the plague, please be aware that National Car is owned by Enterprise Holdings who also owns Enterprise and Alamo rental cars. Might as well avoid those companies too!

R
R
roscoewavo
Monument, US
Feb 07, 2011 7:18 pm EST

I hate National with a passion! First rental they tried to scare me into buying insurance by saying if the car was out of commission for any reason due to my rental I was responsible for the loss of revenue. After talking to my insurance agent I found this is a common tactic to boost profits as it was covered in my personal car policy. Check your policy before you fall for this sleezeball game. Shame on National for trying to sucker customers. Second When I tried to redeem my American Express points toward a National rental they doubled the price of the rental between the time I reserved the car and entering the coupon code! I went to Budget and got the car for even less than the first price National gave and will spend my points somewhere else. Shame on National! What a [censor] company. What a crappy way to treat customers. I will tell anyone I can to never ever rent from National.

A
A
Allison
,
Jul 03, 2008 9:51 am EDT

National is the worst company I have ever done business with. I rented from them three times while recently traveling out west. The only reason I chose them was because I had four free vouchers that a friend had given me. It was a horrible experience every time. Dirty cars, rude staff, charges that made no sense. Even with vouchers, it cost me $700. For example, I was told that there would be a 50 dollar per hour charge on the last day, for each hour I was late in returning the car, up to two hours. I was an hour and a half late and they charged me $319 instead of the original $140 plus late charges.
I encourage everyone to not use these thieves. Their counters at Las Vegas and Denver were much less frequented then the other companies and the people using National were complaining just like I am.

R
R
Reed Fredericks
,
Jul 20, 2007 9:36 pm EDT

Just from what you wrote, I can tell you what they told you: You were NOT suppose to drop the car off at another location. $75 is an unauthorized drop-off fee. The higher rate is the correct rate for a one-way for the rental length from LAX to SNA-Santa Ana Airport (Orange County - John Wayne Airport). If you would have rented the car for a one-way use, they would have quoted you the one-way rate. Since you took it upon yourself to leave the car without advising the company, of course you'll be penalized. Try renting a hotel room anywhere (especially Vegas) on New Years Eve. They'll tell you there's a 2-3 night minimum. What happens if you check out early. Bam! Huge penalties. If you change the rental contract, you can't expect the same price... Get a clue...

ComplaintsBoard
R
12:00 am EST
Resolved
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
Replied
National Car Rental has left an official reply on this complaint.
Featured review
This review was chosen algorithmically as the most valued customer feedback.

National Car Rental - charging me for damage I know nothing about

I was on a business trip in Charleston, SC last month and got a National rental car at the airport, based on best price. I didn't immediately check it out thoroughly because I was expecting to be met by a rep on the way out to go over the car. However, nobody stopped me and by the time I realized nobody would be checking out the car I was on main road. It...

Read full review of National Car Rental and 44 comments
Trust badge
Collect Your Trust Badge
Be recognized for outstanding customer service

Contact National Car Rental customer service

Phone numbers

1800 946 541 1800 691 682 More phone numbers

Website

www.nationalcar.com

Your Voice Matters: Our Commitment to Genuine Reviews

Empowering Real Experiences

At ComplaintsBoard, we believe in the power of true customer stories. Our platform is a space for authentic voices, where experiences, both good and bad, are shared openly and honestly.

Dedicated to Authenticity

ComplaintsBoard is vigilant in our fight against false reviews. Our team employs robust verification methods to ensure every review reflects a real customer experience, upholding the integrity of our platform.

Encouraging Detailed Feedback

ComplaintsBoard values reviews that come with real evidence. Whether it's a photo, a detailed account, or additional documentation, such substantiation adds credibility to your story, helping others make better-informed decisions.

Balanced and Constructive Conversations

We're more than just a complaints board; we're a community for balanced dialogue. ComplaintsBoard encourages reviews that not only highlight issues but also acknowledge positive aspects, fostering a fair and comprehensive understanding.

Free and Fair Platform

ComplaintsBoard's commitment to maintaining a free and unbiased platform is unwavering. Every review is treated equally, ensuring that your voice is heard and respected, regardless of the nature of your experience.

Is ComplaintsBoard.com associated with National Car Rental?

ComplaintsBoard.com is not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with National Car Rental Customer Service. Initial National Car Rental complaints should be directed to their team directly. You can find contact details for National Car Rental above.

ComplaintsBoard.com is an independent complaint resolution platform that has been successfully voicing consumer concerns since 2004. We are doing work that matters - connecting customers with businesses around the world and help them resolve issues and be heard.

Use this comments board to leave complaints and reviews about National Car Rental. Discuss the issues you have had with National Car Rental and work with their customer service team to find a resolution.