Auto Rentals and Leasing
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Important information
- Customer Complaint:Thrifty Rent A Car requests and BBB recommends that if you have any complaints or concerns, please contact Thrifty's Executive Customer Service Team at [email protected] or (239) 301-7000 prior to contacting BBB.
The customer experience information and complaint history provided in this BBB Business Profile reflects Thrifty Rent A Car's worldwide operations. BBB Serving West Florida services all customer complaints and reviews for Thrifty and its locations throughout the world.
Complaints
This profile includes complaints for Thrifty's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see
Customer Complaints Summary
- 2,081 total complaints in the last 3 years.
- 444 complaints closed in the last 12 months.
If you've experienced an issue
Submit a ComplaintThe complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.
Initial Complaint
Date:06/04/2024
Type:Product IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
I rented a car from Thrifty at *************** (agreement number *********). I wanted to add my wife, ************************* (*******************) as an authorised driver. I told the clerk that I did not need to pay any additional fees to do this, as Texas state law automatically covers the renter's spouse as an authorised driver - see here: *********************************************************************************************************************************************************************** Both the clerk and their manager refused to acknowledge this and pressured me into paying an additional driver surcharge of $51.76 (rental agreement proof attached).I am requesting a refund of the additional driver surcharge of $51.76, which was incorrectly charged to me and goes against Texas state law.Business Response
Date: 06/13/2024
BBB Case 21803500
Rental Record 151102173
This is in response to ***********************,
Legal has reviewed Section ******. I received the following response based on their review. Section ****** defines an authorized driver as a spouse, in addition to several other options (e.g., the renter, an employee, etc.), however, it is for the purposes of the Private Passenger Vehicle Rental Companies regulations and not necessarily to permit or prohibit charging an additional AO fee for a spouse. In other words, it's a definition but Texas does not mandate that a spouse is free. Based on this response, the fee will stand.
Thank you for contacting us.Customer Answer
Date: 06/13/2024
Complaint: 21803500
I am rejecting this response because:I specifically asked your staff at the rental counter whether it is legally required for me to pay a fee for my spouse to be covered to drive the rental car in ***** and was told (incorrectly) by Thrifty staff that it IS necessary. This is why I paid.
Your argument concerns whether it is legal to charge an additional fee or not, you have not addressed the fact that your staff consciously provided incorrect information. Under Texas state law, it was not necessary for me to pay an additional fee for my spouse to be legally entitled to drive the rental car. As such, I expect the fee to be reimbursed.
Sincerely,
***********************Business Response
Date: 06/16/2024
BBB Complaint# 21803500
Rental Record# 151102173
This is in response to ***********************.Hi, unless the reservation is attached to a loyalty account it is our policy that an additional driver fee will be charged if you want to add on a spouse or domestic partner. This policy applies in the state of Texas.
Thank you for contacting us.Initial Complaint
Date:06/02/2024
Type:Sales and Advertising IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
Thrifty did not provide the vehicle we paid for-- their email said *** X3 or similar. According to their website, several options will be available. There was NO option available and we had to pay more for a vehicle. Date of Transaction : May 18th 2024 Time : 4 pm.Business Response
Date: 06/12/2024
BBB Case ********
This is a response to **********************;
Please accept my deepest apologies for the difficulties you encountered during this busy travel day. It is our goal to provide quality service, before, during, and after a rental. Normally our inventory of vehicles is more than sufficient to meet confirmed reservations; however, on rare occasions, unforeseen situations may arise that are beyond the branches' control. This is usually caused by late returns, extended rentals, damaged vehicles, etc. While we do our best to accomodate our customers, regrettably we cannot guarantee a vehicle will be available. I apologize for the inconvenience.
Thank you for contacting us.Customer Answer
Date: 06/16/2024
Complaint: ********
I am rejecting this response because: they are not returning the sum of $46. 76 that they overcharged me.
Sincerely,
************************Business Response
Date: 06/18/2024
BBB Case ********
Rental Record *********
This is in response to ************************,
You can expect to see the refund in the amount of $46.24 post on the billed credit card within the next 7 business days.
Thank you for contacting us.Initial Complaint
Date:06/01/2024
Type:Product IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
Returned vehicle at *****************************. Filled Gas 2 miles from airport. Only drove a total of 62 miles. ******* the receipt to attendant receiving the vehicle and was told it wasnt needed. When I got final bill they charged an additional $28.55 for gas.Business Response
Date: 06/06/2024
BBB Case 21789876
Rental Record 152420796
This is in response *******************,
You can expect to see the refund for the fuel charge post on the billed credit card within the next 7 business days.
Thank you for contacting us.
Initial Complaint
Date:05/31/2024
Type:Billing IssuesStatus:ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
Rented a car from Dollar/thrifty car rentals at the *****************************. Was told it would be 196. Prepaid 123. The rental agreement was for a SUV. When I arrived at airport. They tried to give me an electric vehicle, which I declined due to the distance I was driving, ***********. They gave me a ***** car, not SUV. When I got my invoice it stated that I was charged an upgrade. This was never discussed or approved. Just charged it. I have tried to contact the company and only received 2 emails. One stating that they were keeping the charges without any further discussion. I will be filing a dispute with my credit card company as well.Business Response
Date: 06/05/2024
BBB Case 21787390
RR No: 150739960
This is a response to ***************************
I apologize for the difficulties you encountered. As a gesture of goodwill, I have issued a one-time refund of $174.01 to the card on file. Please allow up to 7 business days for the funds to post to your account.
Thank you for contacting us.Customer Answer
Date: 06/06/2024
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Sincerely,
***************************Initial Complaint
Date:05/31/2024
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
On 4/5/24, I had a car reservation with Thrifty at PVD Airport through EconomyBookings.com. My flight was delayed so I called the counter to let them know I would be late. The person that answered the phone said they would stay open as long as my flight number was on my reservation. When I arrived around 1am, no one was at the counter and I had to call an Uber to my hotel. Then I had to call another one in the morning to go back to the airport to get the rental car. When I complained to Thrifty they told me my flight number wasn't on my reservation even though I emailed them a copy of it where it was clearly on the reservation. They then told me to speak to EconomyBookings, which i did. Economy bookings sent the email attached to this complaint again saying the flight number wasnt on my reservation.Business Response
Date: 06/05/2024
Complaint ID: ********
********************** Res#: ********************** correspondence is being sent in response to a query made by *******************************. Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to review your concerns.We apologize for any inconvenience caused to you regarding your reservation with us in **********. When your booking was received from the third party booking source, your flight information was not included. Our records show your reservation was booked as a "walk-in" reservation when it was received from the booking source. Unfortunately, this was not a Thrifty error but rather in the transfer of the booking from the third party booking site. Please follow up with the third party booking source for assistance with any refunds of payments made for this booking.
Customer Answer
Date: 06/05/2024
Complaint: 21786479
I am rejecting this response because: I spoke with a Thrifty employee at the counter before my flight took off to let him know it was delayed. He told me they would stay open.
Sincerely,
*******************************Business Response
Date: 06/11/2024
Complaint ID: ********
********************** RR#: 114000456This correspondence is being sent in response to *******************************.
We have been unable to confirm where a Thrifty agent advised the location would remain open to meet your reservation without flight information included. As previously advised, no flight information was included on your booking when it was received from the booking source. We apologize for any inconvenience caused; however, our decision and response remains unchanged.
Initial Complaint
Date:05/31/2024
Type:Billing IssuesStatus:ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
I rented a car from Thrifty Car Rental in *******, ******* from August 31/2023 to September 5/2023. I returned the car on time with no damage and received confirmation of this via email and my **** Credit Card was charged the agreed upon amount of $424.07. Then on January 5/2024 my **** Credit Card was charged $257.50 from Hertz/Thrifty (showed as Hertz on my statement). I hadn't rented a car from either of them since the rental in ******* during the above dates. As a result I believed this to be fraud and had the charge removed from my **** Credit Card and issued a new card from my bank ****** Fast forward to April 2024 and the charge was reapplied to my credit card by my bank as Thrifty had reached out to them and declared it as an actual (non fraudulent) charge. I reached out to my bank again to have them remove the charge and they said they couldn't and I would have to reach out to Thrifty to get reimbursed. The bank was at least able to say now that the charge was for a Toll Charge. I don't know of any Toll Charges being $257.50 and I am confused as to why it took over four months to be issued to me after I had returned the car. I also only drove the car from ******* to ******* and back where there are no Toll Charges in between. Over the past six weeks I have been in contact with Thrifty through emails (emails take a week between responses from them) and they have given me numerous telephone numbers to call and each one says they cannot help or give me a new phone number to call. I have also used phone numbers and websites to provide me with proof of the Toll Charge for which I was charged and nobody has any record of a Toll Charge for the vehicle during the timeframe I was renting/using the car. Upon request I can provide **** statements, email chain correspondences between Thrifty and myself, along with my original rental agreement from last August/September in *******, *******. My rental agreement number is *********.Business Response
Date: 06/16/2024
RE: BBB Complaint 21786142
Apologies ****************, I'm unable to review on my end, as we are US based. For toll inquires or disputes for rentals in ******, please reach out to CanadaTolls-******************** by email or call ************ for further assistance. Thank you!Customer Answer
Date: 06/27/2024
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Sincerely,
******************************Initial Complaint
Date:05/31/2024
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
My family of 4 booked a rental car through Thrifty ************ We were excited for our family vacation and arrived at your counter at about 10:10 in ********** at the ***************. We were waved away without being told as to which direction to go. We were told the counter was closed. I understand that it was 10:10 and the counter closed at 10:00 but we were a family with 2 younger daughters, age 5 and 6, and even if we were not could have been treated better. We then had to go wait on an exceptionally long line after trekking through the airport, including taking the monorail while carrying 2 heavy carseats. We were not guided as to where to go or what to do. We finally arrived at the counter and after a 45 minute wait we went to the counter. Our car was then sold out. There was nothing in our rental size available as cars were going quicker than could be rented. Twice, the gentleman helping us thought he had something reserved and twice we were too late. Finally, he made our reservation and we went out to another line where we had to wait another 30 minutes. We were helped and offered a car. We walked to the car, got our car seats all buckled in and went to put our luggage in the trunk. Unfortunately, the trunk would not open. The car trunk was jammed. We then had to get both car seats out of the car, wake up our children, and move into another car. At this point, all that was available was a bigger car than I felt comfortable driving. Unfortunately, we had no other choice but to get into the car as all other options in our rental class were sold out. After 2.5 hours of having to deal with renting a car, we were finally able to head to our destination, even if it was in a car we were uncomfortable with. I am not sure how this situation can be rectified, but when I tried to make a complaint in real time I was told that I had to do it online.Business Response
Date: 06/04/2024
Complaint ID: ********
RR#: 124299696
Please accept my sincere apology for any inconvenience you and your family experienced at our *******, ** office. I sincerely regret your rental experience with ***** did not meet with the high standards of service we strive to maintain. As a service oriented company, we rely on customer feedback to help us maintain and improve our service performance standards. As a gesture of apology I have provided a 20% discount on your total. The refund is $42.25. Please allow up to 7 days for the refund to post to your credit card account.
Initial Complaint
Date:05/31/2024
Type:Billing IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
In November 2023, I rented a car from Dollar. Later, I received a repair bill demanding over $6000 for car repairs. However, I did not have any accidents or collisions during the rental period and have already explained this to Dollar. ****** claims that they discovered the damage after I returned the car. I requested Dollar to provide surveillance footage showing the car entering and leaving the parking lot, proving that the car was intact when I drove it out and damaged when I returned it. ****** refused to provide the footage and insists that I need to pay the repair billBusiness Response
Date: 06/20/2024
Complaint ID: ********
Dollar RR#: U61673043This correspondence is being sent in response to a query made by ***********************. Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to review your concerns.
We regret any frustration caused by the additional charges incurred for damages to the vehicle on your recent rental with our partners in ********, SC. The Dollar location in ******** is an independently owned and operated licensee franchise location. As such, the owner of this location purchases, insures and maintains their own vehicle fleet separate from our corporate fleet. In addition, the owner of this location processes their own billing, invoicing and damage claims.
Upon receipt of your concerns, we immediately reached out to their offices for their assistance. They have advised that there is no evidence to support the damages to the vehicle were pre-existing or caused after your rental was returned. Per records on the vehicles ready slip, it was confirmed that both previous rentals to yours show no damage and at the time of rent, you accepted and signed the ready slip confirming no damage prior to exiting the renting location.
Regarding footage, the parking garage is owned by the **************** and not by Dollar. Therefore, your request cannot be fulfilled by Dollar.
The vehicle was returned with extensive damages to the front bumper, if pre-existing this would have been very noticeable.
With the above in mind, we must advise that the charges billed for damages is valid and a credit is not warranted. We appreciate this not the response that you were anticipating, however, we do want to assure you that the matter was treated with the utmost importance, and our resolution is based on the exhaustive review carried out.
Customer Answer
Date: 06/20/2024
Complaint: 21782746
I am rejecting this response because:According to the invoice, the return time is 4:00 PM, but at that time, I had already passed security and was in the airport lounge. I have the flight time and chat records as evidence, so the actual return time of the car does not match the invoice. Furthermore, if there was a noticeable damage when returning the car, why did the rental company staff not point it out to me on the spot? Why was no document issued to me at that time, and why did they contact me for the first time a month later to hold me responsible?
Sincerely,
***********************Business Response
Date: 06/22/2024
RE: BBB Complaint # ********
Dear ************,
Thank you for reaching back out to us regarding your complaint regarding the rental car damage. According to our records, there was no damage on the vehicle prior to rent, verified by your signature on the ready slip prior to rent. The customer nor staff reported any damage prior to rent or at pick up. The lot attendant was not made aware of the damage upon return. No research indicates the damage was on the vehicle prior to this rental. After thorough review, the remaining charges that have been billed are deemed valid, and no additional adjustments are justified. I realize this may not be the resolution you were hoping for; however, based on the information available to me, I uphold the charges that have been billed. We appreciate for your understanding and respect for our stance on this issue, as we believe it has been thoroughly addressed.Customer Answer
Date: 06/24/2024
Complaint: 21782746
I am rejecting this response because:When I returned the car, no staff member informed me of any damage to the vehicle, nor was I given any damage report to sign at that time.
I did not receive any notification regarding the damage until a month after I returned the car, at which point I received a repair bill and was asked to take responsibility.
Given these circumstances, I question the validity of the charges. I would appreciate further investigation and explanation or a reassessment of the charges.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
***********************Initial Complaint
Date:05/30/2024
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus:ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
Transaction date 5-6-2024 I prepaid online $256.58 to Thrifty.com with confirmation number K82930599F6 I have a record of this agreement Windward which was $372.59. I was to only pay $116.01 at counter when I pick up the rental car. I refused all extras on my online agreement with no added insurance. I carry my own auto policy coverage. I was charge $711.10 by thrifty. I tried to resolve with them over the phone but they stated there billing department will not talk to people over the phone and I had to fill out online forms which I did. I have several emails from them trying to resolve but I they declined of reimbursement of added charge because I signed the rental agreement at the pickup desk when arriving at airport to get car. The counter agent added fraudulent charges to my rental record. The record number is *********. These were added after a No thank you was given to them twice for the added coverage. Once declined online and once again at rental counter. I have proof of insurance coverage and I did not need to pay for this service. They refused to reimburse me because I signed the agreement at the counter when we picked up the car. It was a very deceptive practice to rush you through the agreement and sign on a computer. They responded with they dont have time to go cover the agreement and are there if we have questions. So until I found out the charges that were placed a week later it was too late. They also will do not respond in real time only via email. I would beware of doing business with this company due to there fraudulent charges and there policy of not speaking in real time over the phone with agent in billing department. Only when you want to make a reservation.Business Response
Date: 06/04/2024
Complaint ID ********
********************** Agreement Number 140548144
This is in response to *******************
According to the Signed Rental Agreement the charge billed for the Loss Damage Waiver is a valid charge. We encourage our customers to review the Signed ********************** Agreement before leaving our facilities.If a discrepancy is found the customer can address with the counter agent before departing from the location.
Based on our records, and as a gesture of our goodwill I have proceeded to remove the charge for the Loss Damage Waiver, and refund the erroneous additional week billed for this rental in the total amount of $330.60.There is still a balance due of $123.92. I regret the inconvenience this matter has caused you and appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns.
Thank you for contacting us.Customer Answer
Date: 06/06/2024
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Sincerely,
*******************Initial Complaint
Date:05/30/2024
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
I booked a rental car through Thrifty car rental at *******************. I initially booked it for 209,76/wk. they said it was an electric vehicle so I accepted the upgrade to the fuel rental instead. This was after waiting almost 2 hours in line, Very frustrating. The agent then asked if I wanted the additional insurance. I declined 5-6 times. She asked if I had insurance I provided her with my insurance company. Again declined the additional coverage. I signed the contact which included the deposit unaware that the agent added the additional insurance. I looked at the contact a day later and realized she added this on, Very sneaky. I called thrifty and opened a case and the agent stated I would get a refund but needed to wait until the rental was completed. Which I did. I called on May 24 and the agent stated he couldn't do anything. i asked for a supervisor. At first he stated he didn't have one, and after I said I would be going further he said someone would call me back. ************** called me back. He would not provide his last name (sneaky again) . He said he would not do anything as well, I stated I would be going further with this as I called a day later when I realized this charge had been added when I specifically declined it 6 times. Very disapointed in this company and their disgusting customer service, ************** basically said to do my research and go further if I want. ****** US was charged. I would like a refund as this was added and is such a scam as I have read several reviews and on the BBB that the same was done to other customers.Business Response
Date: 06/03/2024
Complaint ID ********
********************** Agreement Number 149489130
This is in response to *********************.
After thorough review and consideration I have refunded the ******************* Supplement billed to you as a gesture of our goodwill. Please allow 5-7 business days to receive your refund of $111.16.
I regret this inconvenience and appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns.
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