Business Profile

Car Rentals

National Car Rental

This business is NOT BBB Accredited.

Find BBB Accredited Businesses in Car Rentals.

Complaints

This profile includes complaints for National Car Rental's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see

Customer Complaints Summary

310 total complaints in the last 3 years.
113 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

If you've experienced an issue

Submit a Complaint

The 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:03/27/2024
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
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.
Rented from ************** 3/19/24. Drove to ********* and realized the car had no tail lights. Had to drive this car back with no tail lights on busy *************** to get back to National to be told they didnt have any other vehicles. Had prior called the roadside assist number who informed National ****** we were coming back but they didnt even hold a car for us. Finally the manager locates a mini van that wasnt even processed and was dirty that we had to take. Manager said there would be 100$ discount just received my final invoice and was charged full price for this dirty vehicle. No compensation for having to drive back to ****** in an unsafe no tail light vehicle late at night 45 mins back! I am an emerald ****** and have been treated horribly. It is unacceptable to give a customer a filthy van that has horrible gas mileage and charge full price after this ordeal! I was lied to at ****** Lovefield by the manager on duty as there was no discount given. Requiring someone to drive back in an unsafe vehicle is unacceptable and dangerous! ************* to not put back a vehicle when they were notified by roadside assist we were headed back is unacceptable! There were cars being picked by customers as we pull up to return our unsafe vehicle! They could have held a vehicle back for us. We have been ******s of emerald **** for several years now and this is absolutely unacceptable on all accounts! We have two long trips coming up that I have already reserved with National but unless this situation is made right will be cancelled.
Business Response
Date: 04/03/2024
Thank you for the opportunity to respond. Management is adjusting the rental.
Initial Complaint
Date:03/27/2024
Type:Customer Service Issues
Status:
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'm writing to report an employee misconduct at the ************* location. When I arrived on 2/1/24, I was looking for a nice sedan (like **** Mustang, Audi A4, *** 3 series like I did before), but I only found around 30 large SUVs in the executive aisle. I would be happy to pick one SUV if I'm on a ski trip with my family, but this time I was on a date with my wife, and we are celebrating our anniversary in *****. So, we need a nice sedan to drive in the city. I spoke with an employee (a Hispanic guy with glasses and curly brown hair, not sure if he's the manager or not), he put all the nice sedans in another aisle, and told me I need to pay extra to get one of those.I totally understand the executive aisle is purely depends on availability. If a location don't have a sedan, obviously I can't ask them to do some magic and give me a new one right away - but the situation here is, they do have 20+ sedans parked on the other side of the lot, but they just refuse to make them available to me. If they say some other customers has reserved those specific car classes, how come those cars will suddenly become available if I agree to pay extra? So what the guy told me just doesn't make sense at all.All in all, the most annoying part is the employee's attitude. At other locations, even when they are unable to fulfill my need, they still provided pretty good customer service, and treated me with respect. But this time, this guy was very rude, and said something like: "yes we are *****. We are unique. If you want a better car, try your luck at other places". As a global chain, I think your goal is to provide consistently high level experience at all locations. What he said is definitely against the company culture.
Business Response
Date: 04/18/2024
Thank you for the opportunity to respond. Management resolved the matter directly with the customer.
Customer Answer
Date: 04/18/2024
Complaint: 21496642

I am rejecting this response because:

The case is still unresolved. After almost a month, a regional manager called *************************** finally reached out through email. She just copied and pasted some official language (typical PR BS), but didnt really provide any resolutions at all. Ill escalate the case to higher management and small claims court.

Sincerely,

Nong Ye
Initial Complaint
Date:03/16/2024
Type:Product Issues
Status:
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.
National Car cancelled my reservation less than fifteen minutes prior to the rental start time. They offered no help in making alternate arrangements, and refused to offer any compensation. As a result, I missed my travel plans for the weekend. The location's management did not get back to me at all, despite leaving my contact info at the location itself and requesting a response via the company's customer service phone line.Upon independently finding another National location with availability for the same type of car I had booked, National refused to honor the original rate (offering a rate more than times what I had booked), refused to compensate for the cost of transportation to that alternate location, and refused to provide any type of compensation for the ordeal.
Business Response
Date: 03/28/2024
Thank you for the opportunity to respond. Management spoke with the customer and agreed on compensation for the situation.
Customer Answer
Date: 03/28/2024
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********. The locations management handled the follow-***************** to this complaint exceptionally well and promised compensation in the form of a complimentary rental for April *****. Provided this compensation is ultimately honored, I am happy to consider this complaint closed.

Sincerely,

***********************
Initial Complaint
Date:03/15/2024
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
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 was charged incorrectly by a National branch location. I was also treated in an extremely rude, arrogant manner and to date, attempts to resolve this have been unsuccessful. My RA number was 564992643.This was the most poor rental experience I have had with National in 12 years and the employee who I dealt with at this location was one of the most rude, arrogant National employees Ive ever met. He identified himself as the branch manager but refused to provide his name. I was charged a daily upgrade fee despite the branch not having the car class I reserved (luxury) and this employee ultimately also changed my reserved car class to a lower class for a higher rate.When I told him that I would express my dissatisfaction to National, he became extremely loud and arrogant, and kept repeating the words I am National. After leaving the branch, I was also shocked to see that the vehicle had only 1/4 tank of gas. I emailed a complaint to national and faster four email and telephonic follow-*** and one follow up with manager *** at the ******* location, it took six days for a reply. I then received a rude, arrogant email by somebody named *************************, who did not identify himself and who refused to acknowledge any of my concerns. This location needs to be held responsible for their actions and lack of customer service. I was also never provided with an apology, the overcharge was never rectified, and I was never provided with compensation.
Customer Answer
Date: 03/15/2024
The address of National corporate, whom I am trying to address in the complaint, is *************************************************************************
The address of the physical location was *****************************************************************************************

Business Response
Date: 03/22/2024
Thank you for the opportunity to respond. A refund has been provided.
Customer Answer
Date: 03/26/2024
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:03/11/2024
Type:Product Issues
Status:
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 have contacted National Car Rental via phone and email with zero resolution, rude customer service, being hung up up, not responding to my emails, etc This is pertaining to my last rental out of Orlando ****** (MCO), #*********. After leaving airport and turning on air, car filled with smoke smell so bad it made us cough and gag. We had to keep air off it was so bad. I called and was told I could return and get new car. My destination was 1.5 hours away and it was 1am and we didnt have time to go back to airport. ***** told everything would be taken care of at my return. The radio FM and XM was unusable. At return I was told your office would contact me with resolution. I never got call as if it was all a lie. I would like all customer to know that ********************** says they will fix situation and call you back but after the return they neglect you and just dont do anything. I have uocoming reservation out of ***** (TPA) on March 20th (reservation **********) and I am trying to reach National to make sure I dont have similar experience and ask that the location manager call me as Inwasnorigia in promised. I was also told they would do something after last rental and nobody has called me whatsoever! Just looking for resolution.
Business Response
Date: 03/27/2024
Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the complaint. Management has reached to the customer several times to discuss the situation but has been unsuccessful in reaching customer. Unfortunately we cannot take further action at this time.
Customer Answer
Date: 03/28/2024
Complaint: 21416397

I am rejecting this response because:

I have never been contacted as they state. If they are calling me I dont receive blocked numbers, so I please ask that someone from the executive team leave me a voicemail with a phone number to call them back.
again, please have National executive team leave me a phone number to call them back. They can also email me with a phone number to call back. My email is ********************

Sincerely,

*****************
Business Response
Date: 04/09/2024
Management has made a concerted effort to contact the customer. Voicemails were left for the customer, so this was not a concern related to a blocked number. We encourage the customer to reach back if they would like to speak further. At the current time, we can take no further action.
Customer Answer
Date: 04/15/2024
What was their response? Nobody called me as I stated? Not sure what you are referring to when you thanked ****?
Initial Complaint
Date:02/28/2024
Type:Billing Issues
Status:
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.
Rented a car through National and they charged my credit card on file for the tolls I drove through but have refused to provide a proper receipt. The receipt for the car rental itself shows the last 4 digits of the credit card used, something I need to be reimbursed by my company, but the toll receipt does not and they refuse to provide it.
Business Response
Date: 03/22/2024
Thank you for the opportunity to respond. The receipt is attached.
Initial Complaint
Date:02/22/2024
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
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.
Ive recently (last year and half or so) been added to the Do not rent list for National Car rental for renting vehicles.Ive had no issues with any rentals, no tickets, no late returns, no accident or incident not spills. Ive always been the sole driver on my rentals. I attempted to rent a vehicle on the app in Virginia, and was allowed to reserve. When I arrived I was told I could not rent and offered a number and they left me stranded. I contacted the number provided several times and its clear to me, the company doesnt have information for me about why I was placed on this list. The questions were, did you have an accident? And the answer is a definite No. my case has been escalated to the risk team more than once with no response. In addition to email, I have made several attempts in good faith to get an understanding of what happened here but have yet to receive a response, or a call back. My calls to the risk team have gone unanswered and the customer support team doesnt have answers for me.
Customer Answer
Date: 02/22/2024
The first indication I got that I was on the do not rent list occurred at ************************************************************************. I had created a reservation prior to my arrival on the National app. However, when I arrived I was told I am on a do not rent list. I have a ban at all National locations. Prior to this I attempted to get a car rental at ***, *********** but was unable to pick the vehicle up because they were closed. My plane was delayed and arrived too late.
I have been told to contact corporate customer service so this is not a local location issue. This is network ********* ban.
When have contacted in the past I am asked if I did anything wrong, and the answer is no, nor have I been informed of any issues with my account prior to attempting to rent. So its unclear why or how this happened.

Business Response
Date: 03/01/2024
Thank you for the opportunity to respond. The customer has been removed from any renter suspension. They informed the customer.
Customer Answer
Date: 03/04/2024
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. While I have not yet rented a vehicle, I am sure this was the issue. If I have any other issues I will attempt corrective action with Enterprise.

Sincerely,

*********************
Initial Complaint
Date:02/14/2024
Type:Billing Issues
Status:
UnresolvedMore 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 the *********************** location of National Car Rental from Jan 1, 2024 to Jan 13, 2024. There were issues with the reservation and customer service interactions were not productive when I contacted National. There is no way to contact the actual location.After many billing issues I was billed $484.11 and was subsequently given 4 free rental days on my ************ loyalty account. That gave me 5 free rental days. I asked that they be applied to my account.To date instead they have now billed me a total of $989.56.What was supposed to happen was to have the free rental days applied which would have reduced the bill by $187.50 plus applicable taxes.i.e. the bill should be less than $300 including Goodwill adjustments and the application of free rental days.I asked them to correct this but they have taken no stops to correct through their customer service group and the site doesn't seem to be able to resolve the issue.
Customer Answer
Date: 02/16/2024
In addition to previous complaint the Area Rental Manager in *************** sent me an email apologizing and then saying he was reducing my total bill to $8 for the rental. Unfortunately it appears they have a new computer system that not everyone understands and instead of crediting me approximately $438, he has billed me an additional $438 and then right after that an additional $876.....So $1314 in additional charges. I spoke to someone there in their business center department who said the correction would be a credit of approximately $1745. He assures me that all will sort itself out but my receipt and my **** ******************* shows charges. This problem is worse because I am in ****** and there are different exchange rates for debits and credits and there is a 2.5% transaction fee. I have asked him to phone me but he has not. My **** shows 3 transactions....1 is the credit of about $540 and then the 2 charges of $
Business Response
Date: 02/26/2024
Thank you for the opportunity to respond. Management has adjusted this invoice for the customer.
Customer Answer
Date: 02/26/2024
Complaint: 21291136

I am rejecting this response because:
This issue came after the invoice they sent. There have been new charges as staff struggled to allocate free days.
I am trying to resolve with one of their managers.
The main issue is their poor customer service processes.
One of their representatives was suggesting I was a liar in effect....not ok...and needs follow up.
I will provide the info if they call me directly or email me directly...

Sincerely,

***************************
Customer Answer
Date: 02/27/2024
see email where the area manager said he was crediting down to about $9, there is a subsequent one where he says $0....I have taken a screenshot of where we are at....this is strictly with the car rental agreement portion and does not factor any of the issues to do with customer service processes that made the frustration very high and unnecessary
Business Response
Date: 03/01/2024
Management has followed up with the customer.
Customer Answer
Date: 03/01/2024
Complaint: 21291136

I am rejecting this response because:

The matter is still not closed. It was a commitment to bring the cost down to zero as of today that has still not happened and there has been no communication this week. One adjustment was made that was partial. I do not know where we stand, and the person who contacted me from *************** said they would send me an email and they did not.

Sincerely,

***************************
Customer Answer
Date: 03/06/2024
So, National is saying they refunded everything. That is not accurate. Prior to February 3rd I was granted credits for poor service. If all had been left alone that would have been fine. Then on Feb 3rd and the following weekend, Feb 10th new charges started appearing. Then after trying to sort out these inappropriate and unauthorized charges the area manager sent me an email saying he would credit me to near $0 for the rental. Instead he charged me about $1300 more (US funds). As a result I had a huge **** bill that if I didn't pay would start to generate interest charges and nega my negatively impact my score. So I paid it and it has taken until this past week to have some credits cleared that National argues brings it to $0.
That is misleading, I am from ****** and because of their inability to properly charge in the first place and their initial disrespectful customer service I have had to endure much frustration. In fact even when the Small business team got involved I will say they have made a good attempt.s However, they never initiate any communication or discussion. They do things, sometimes making it better, sometimes worse. In the end I have not received anywhere close to a $0 rental and free days may or may not have value as that puts the onus on me to use them again.
They promised 0, they have never been pro-active in discussing a settlement or compensation. This is an arrogant approach to a situation that they caused.
I expect adjustment to $0 plus additional compensation for the aggravation this has caused.
I also expect to hear from someone at the executive service president ***** to discuss their customer service process and potential improvements.

Customer Answer
Date: 03/20/2024
I have not had any further update in 2 weeks? What next if anything please.
Customer Answer
Date: 03/21/2024
Complaint: 21291136

I am rejecting this response because:

The business promised to get the original invoice down to $0. Because of their errors including unapproved charges that has caused fees on my end and loss of moneys due to their actions.
A further adjustment is required.
On my app it shows a receipt in the net amount of $250.52
I have attached it.
Invoice number 120004830397

Sincerely,

***************************
Initial Complaint
Date:02/02/2024
Type:Product Issues
Status:
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 am writing to demand a refund of the full amount of a rental as a result of a series of failures by National or its agents, employees, and representatives. I was erroneously charged, then not provided adequate service from Nationals social media team agents, and then never contacted by a regional manager despite assurances one would do so. Most importantly, Nationals Reno location did not adhere to Nationals grace ****** policy as stated on its website and mobile application, and charged me erroneously as a result, as further detailed in the attached complaint.
Business Response
Date: 02/13/2024
Thank you for the opportunity to respond. Management has processed a refund and left a message for the customer.
Initial Complaint
Date:01/31/2024
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
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.
We feel we were totally overcharged by National Car Rental. We were quoted $1,300.95 at the *********, ********** and our total bill when we returned the car in **********, ** was $4,515.24. This was an additional $3,214.29. The problem was when we rented the car, we told the clerk more than once that we lived in ******* and that we would not be returning the car to *****************. We disputed this charge with our credit card and National Car Rental rejected the dispute. We have yet to be contacted by phone, email or letter from National Car Rental when they have promised each time when we contacted someone that they would be in contact with us. No wonder they do not have any rating with the BBB except an "F".Note: My husband, *****************************, is a Vietnam Veteran.
Business Response
Date: 02/13/2024
Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the complaint. Management has reached to the customer several times to discuss the situation but has been unsuccessful in reaching customer. Unfortunately we cannot take further action at this time.
Customer Answer
Date: 07/25/2024
We wrote a letter to ***************************, who is President of National Car Rental, regarding our experience we had with National Car Rental which was dated May 3, 2024. We mailed the letter via the post office on May 3, 2024 Certified with Return Receipt on same date. According to the Return Receipt, the letter was received as the return receipt was signed and dated May 16, 2024.

It has now been over two months and we have yet to receive any communication from anyone at the corporate office regarding our issue. No calls, no emails, no nothing.

In our opinion, this is totally unacceptable!

*** and *************************
Business Response
Date: 07/27/2024
Thank you for the opportunity to respond. Management spoke with the customer and processed a refund with accounting.

BBB Business Profiles may not be reproduced for sales or promotional purposes.

BBB Business Profiles are provided solely to assist you in exercising your own best judgment. BBB asks third parties who publish complaints, reviews and/or responses on this website to affirm that the information provided is accurate. However, BBB does not verify the accuracy of information provided by third parties, and does not guarantee the accuracy of any information in Business Profiles.

When considering complaint information, please take into account the company's size and volume of transactions, and understand that the nature of complaints and a firm's responses to them are often more important than the number of complaints.

BBB Business Profiles generally cover a three-year reporting period, except for customer reviews. Customer reviews posted prior to July 5, 2024, will no longer be published when they reach three years from their submission date. Customer reviews posted on/after July 5, 2024, will be published indefinitely unless otherwise voluntarily retracted by the user who submitted the content, or BBB no longer believes the review is authentic. BBB Business Profiles are subject to change at any time. If you choose to do business with this company, please let them know that you checked their record with BBB.

As a matter of policy, BBB does not endorse any product, service or business. Businesses are under no obligation to seek BBB accreditation, and some businesses are not accredited because they have not sought BBB accreditation. BBB charges a fee for BBB Accreditation. This fee supports BBB's efforts to fulfill its mission of advancing marketplace trust.

Cookies on BBB.org

Complaints

Customer Complaints Summary

If you've experienced an issue

Filter and sort by

Sort by

Complaint status

Complaint type

Complaint statuses

Business Response

Complaint statuses

Business Response

Customer Answer

Complaint statuses

Business Response

Customer Answer

Complaint statuses

Customer Answer

Business Response

Customer Answer

Complaint statuses

Business Response

Customer Answer

Business Response

Customer Answer

Complaint statuses

Business Response

Complaint statuses

Customer Answer

Business Response

Customer Answer

Complaint statuses

Customer Answer

Business Response

Customer Answer

Customer Answer

Business Response

Customer Answer

Customer Answer

Customer Answer

Customer Answer

Complaint statuses

Business Response

Complaint statuses

Business Response

Customer Answer

Business Response

National Car Rental is NOT a BBB Accredited Business.