Complaint Review: Alamo Car Rental - Oklahoma City Oklahoma

Crystal, 

We’ve noted your comments and would like the opportunity to turn this around. Please send us a detailed email to [email protected] include the exact rental location, your contact telephone number, your claims, rental agreement or reservation numbers and any further information regarding your experience with us.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Carol H. 

I booked the rental through Expedia online and even did the online check in, everything seemed to be going smoothly.  I checked the required items needed from my online check in email. (No where did my online check in say anything about a MAJOR credit card or Debit Cards).  I got to the counter and they refused to allow me to rent a vehicle because I only had my bank card which on the card doesn’t say debit just says visa.   They began to tell me that their system said it was a debit card so therefore I could not rent from them at the OKC Airport location but I could go to a different location but I would have to rebook.  If I was to do that I would be charged an additional $900 for the car I needed to rent.  

After being there so many hours the man at the counter told me if I could get a "MAJOR" credit card (That was not linked to my bank) for a $200 deposit and then I could pay for the rental with my other card.   So I drove 2 hours to meet my daughter that had my "MAJOR" credit card (This is the day before Christmas Eve so she was shopping) and then drove back 2 hours to proceed to the counter where I was denied again!!!

I was then told that I had to have the whole rental amount and the $200 deposit (Which was $1800) on my "MAJOR" credit card and not just the deposit.   With it being Christmas and all, I did not have that available on my "MAJOR" credit card but had the money on my bank credit card that they would not take.  I was then told they could not split the payments but was told I could pay with my bank card when I returned the car? Which makes no sense.  DENIED AGAIN!!!

I was then told that if Expedia would allow me to pre pay through them then I could rent the car with only the $200 deposit fee.   After spending an hour on the phone with Expedia and allowing Expedia to speak with ALAMO counter person which they told Expedia that they could not pre pay, DENIED AGAIN!

Then I was told by the counter person that if I could get a supervisor to give him the okay that he could run it all on my bank Credit Card.  So I called the 800 # asked to speak with a supervisor.  After being transferred 6 times, I was told that there was no one there due to the Holidays that could give them the okay.  DENIED AGAIN. 

Then I asked to speak with the location's supervisor (AMANDA);  She was the rudest supervisor I have ever dealt with.   Did not want to help at all.   Was not ever willing to do anything to help me.   In my 35 years of experience in the business world, where I have rented hundreds of cars, I have never come across an experience as this one. DENIED AGAIN. 

I proceeded to leave and give up.  I sat in my car crying because we were taking the kids on a Christmas vacation and now had no way of being able to get them there. After about an hour of feeling hopeless and realizing every rental car place was closed now because of the holiday, I decided to try Priceline.com and see if I could find another rental car somewhere else.  After booking online with Priceline and prepaying for my vehicle I was sent back to ALAMO.   I walked up with my new reservation and handed her the "MAJOR" credit card for the deposit and like magic I was able to rent the car.    SO WHY IN THE WORLD DID NO ONE (counter help, customer service, and counter supervisor) say one thing to me about Priceline?  

So after 7 hours I was able to leave with a car I needed for my FAMILY Christmas Vacation.   I ended up having to pay $600 more because the short time frame of booking, but I got the car.   

It doesn’t end there!   I returned the car almost 20 hours early.   Got half way home to get a call from my daughter that she left her school book under the seat in the car.   I called the 800# 7 times - I was told they could not help me that I had to go to the website to fill out a form.   After explaining to customer service I was driving and asking if there is any way they could fill out the form for me I was told no "She doesn’t have google" and that I had to do it.    I pulled over to attempt the online form from my iPhone 8 and the mobile website was horrible.   Very frustrating.    I called back and asked to speak with someone at the location (It took them 6 times to get me to someone)   the number they gave me rang and rang and rang.   So finally I got a hold of the location 45 mins later, to be told that if the car was already taken I’ve have to fill out some form.   I explained that I just dropped off the car and asked if someone could please just grab the school notebook and I would come get it.   I was told that someone would have to call me back in the morning..... So I had to continue to drive home 2 hours to never receive a call this morning about the notebook.  My daughter was so upset about the 200 point English notebook that she called this morning and they said they have it, so now I am having to drive 2 hours on way to pick up the notebook that would of took someone 10 mins to find last night when I dropped off the car and saved me 4 hours of driving today. 

Amazingly, I thought the customer service was bad when I rented the car, while its just bad all the way around.    You must WATCH WHAT YOU ARE TOLD, BECAUSE THEIR STORIES WILL CHANGE, over and over.  I wish I would have had a tape recorder during all of this so that I could show you how many times the stories changed and how it was almost like your company is working against the customers.   I witnessed during my 7 hours that day everyone getting turned away.  You customer service reps seemed to always have an excuse or additional reason they CAN’T help you, even with a simple request as helping fill out a lost and found report because someone is driving and shouldn’t be mad to pull over.   What is customer service for?