Thrifty Car Rental Avaliações 

DESPITE IRREFUTABLE PROOF, THRIFTY REFUSED TO REFUND MY $523 & FOUGHT ME THROUGH A FORMAL ARBITRATION PROCESS OVER A 75-DAY PERIOD (which they lost)

I prepaid $523 for a Thrifty rental at Los Angeles Airport, booked via Expedia on 6/4/26. The booking terms allowed free cancellation w/in 24 hrs

I cancelled ~20 hrs after booking, doing so more than once & documenting each step -- by phone w/ a Thrifty agent on a recorded call (who confirmed no charge) & again by email

(Note: I had tried the online cancel'n, but the Thrifty site wouldn't register it, which meant I had to place a live call & be on hold before getting to a live person.)

At cancellation, Thrifty's website confirmed "Cancellation fee: FREE" and "Refund amount: $523.35." On 6/12/26, Thrifty emailed a cancel'n confirm'n: "I have processed a refund of $523.35...", but saying it was granted as a "one-time courtesy." I asked why it was a "courtesy"/ favor for them to honor their express policy. They responded "We apologize if this wording caused any concern, as it was not intended to diminish your eligibility or experience."

However, the refund never appeared. Rather, Thrifty fought to keep my $523 that it wasn't owed -- despite their express policy marketing on their website, their own recorded call & their own written confirm'n

This dispute ran 75 days from 6/5/26 to 8/19/26. On 8/6/26, my bank notified me Thrifty was still refusing to refund the charge despite full, unequivocal proof of proper cancel'n having been provided

My bank then submitted the claim to a formal Arbitration process, which reviewed both sides and ruled in my favor on 8/19/26

This process consumed a large amount of my time at real cost to me. However, I pursued it -- and write this review -- on principle given many consumers wouldn't have been able to successfully fight back

Worst hire company ive had the displeasure of dealing with got a parking ticked on mobility hire car i didnt realise I hadn't swiped my disabled badge properly the hire company took 42 out of my bank account leaving me nothing to live on for a week as on benefits and now I still have to pay the 70 parking fine on top of there charges I would never trust this company they basically told me to pay it or ide get a bigger fine absoluty disgusting behaviour with disabled people

Hertz is the parent company of Thrifty Rent a Car; I believe a similar experience can happen with Thrifty as it did with Hertz.

A reservation for a car made on the Hertz website was not honored, this San Diego California "franchisee" apparently can add a "facility" fee (possibly other fees for any reason the franchisee chooses) that increased my cost by almost 40% over the rate quoted on the website--and Hertz will not admonish the franchisee for doing so. The reservation included an "airport fee" which should have included any possible "facility" fee. I feel this is a classic "bait and switch" procedure.

Arriving with a printed reservation means nothing, one either pays the added "facility fee" or they are potentially left stranded. On a tight schedule, I had no choice but to take the car offered--one that had almost 60,000 miles.

I'll always avoid Hertz, and their affiliates: Dollar, Thrifty and Firefly.

I booked a car rental through Booking.com for a rental vehicle from Thrifty Car Rental at the Tampa International Airport (TPA). With this booking I even purchased additional insurance coverage for the vehicle in case of an accident. I reserved a Nissan Rogue but what I got was a complete downgrade from that vehicle at the Thrifty counter at TPA. I was given a hassle because I had a voucher from Booking.com and the additional insurance coverage. The agent told that Thrifty doesn't accept third party purchases. Then why are you allowing to have my rental? I was also charged an additional sixty-six dollars ($66.00) for concession fees and such. WHAT! I already paid for this rental and I am getting charged more because I didn't rent it directly through Thrifty? Disgusting. When I got to my vehicle it was a Chevy Trax! This was clearly a downgrade from what I reserved and what I paid for through Booking.com. I am done with Thrifty and will never rent another vehicle through them. This is a disgusting business practice. I am fed up with companies who go through Booking.com to have people reserve vehicles then do not honor the contract! This was irritating and disgusting!

Ze vroegen om de LeapMotor C10 te reviewen, deze was namelijk nieuw in de vloot op Valencia Airport. We hadden in 1e instantie een Peugeot 2008 gereserveerd (of iets vergelijkbaars lees je dan meteen). Dat werd bij aankomst dus een Renault Captur, ook niks mis mee. Maar de dame kwam met een aanbieding, omdat de LeapMotor gloednieuw was, konden we deze voor 20 euro extra huren voor de periode van 6 dagen. Geen verborgen kosten ofzo, 20 euro extra. Nou, dat werd achteraf alsnog 36 euro, maar goed. Toch maar gehuurd, leek ons wel aangenaam, zo'n grote luxe 'bak'. Verder puntje van kritiek overigens, de bemanning van de verhuurdesk, 1 persoon. Leuk als er zo'n 6 personen vóór je staan, per afhandeling stond minimaal 10 minuten. Hoef je niet op je koffer te wachten, kun je dáár een uur in de rij gaan staan. Let wel, om 10 uur s'avonds
Dan de auto op zich. We kregen een erg minieme uitleg, eigenlijk alleen omdat ik nog nooit in een EV (hybride) had gereden. En na die 6 dagen weet ik ook zéker dat dat zolang mogelijk zo zal blijven. Je meld je bij de auto aan door een pasje (de sleutel) tegen de buitenspiegel te houden. Dan stap je in een luxe, grote reiswagen met alleen wat knopjes op het stuur, verder niks dan alleen twee schermen. Alles in het Spaans natuurlijk, fijn als je dat onmachtig bent. De medewerkster kwam er verder helaas ook niet uit. We moesten anderhalf uur rijden van Valencia naar Altea, maar de navigatie wilde persé steeds van de snelweg af. Omdat we dat op den duur dan maar deden, werd de rit al tweeënhalf uur. s'Morgens met behulp van ChatGPT na veel omwegen eindelijk Nederlands(!) erop gekregen, dat scheelde in ieder geval aanzienlijk. Dan moet je 'm nog kunnen starten, blijkbaar moet het pasje echt op een speciefieke plek worden gelegt, iets er vanaf en helaas, dan doet ie niks! Het rijden met een EV is op korte stukjes best leuk, je hebt meteen 'full power', dus 'gas' erop en gaan. Maar op de snelweg ontpopte de auto zich in iets wat ik tegen mijn ruim 10 jaar oude Astra niet zou willen ruilen. Om iets (simpels!) in te stellen moet je van menu naar menu naar submenu, etc... En wij zijn echt wel bij de tijd, het is niet zo dat zulke zaken ons vreemd zijn.
De airco springt al aan wanneer je bij 19 graden één tandje terug wilt doen, een tè grote overgang ineens, hier is dat vaak pas bij 15 of zelfs 14 graden. De navigatie heeft als gezegd een willetje op zich. De cruise control, wanneer je die al kunt vinden, idem. Je stelt 'm in op bijvoorbeeld 120 km/u, maar om onduidelijke redenen zakt ie soms vanzelf terug, wel ooit met zo'n 20 km/u. Verder 'hapert' de auto ook regelmatig, en produceert dan een geluid (wanneer je op benzine rijd) wat lijkt op de 'pulse' stand van een blender. Ook dat gevòel heb je soms onder het rijden, héél erg vervelend. En dan heb je nog de còntante stroom aan meldingen, piepjes en bliepjes... om mòe van te worden! Het grootste gedeelte kan uit gezet worden (wèl elke rit weer opnieuw!), maar er blíjven er altijd een paar aanwezig. Eén van de zaken die gelukkig uitgezet kan worden is de rijbaanassistent, wàt een verschrikking is dat (op elke auto overigens!), alsof je in een botswagen zit af en toe, héél erg hinderlijk! Dan mag je nog proberen(!) af te tanken wanneer je de auto weer in moet leveren, succes daarmee. Nergens een lijfelijke knop om de tankklep te openen, je moet wederom in verschillende menu's gaan zoeken. Ook voor de achterklep geldt dat, maar die is wel wat sneller gevonden. Maar het blijft vervelend dat je de auto dus eerst in moet en dan via het scherm pas kunt ontgrendelen. Al met al voor ons geen EV meer, al zouden ze 'm gratis voor de deur zetten, van mij mogen ze 'm houden. Geef mij maar een gewone normale auto met een brandstofmotor, en lijfelijke knoppen waar ik op kan duwen, aan kan draaien... Dit heeft wat ons betreft niks met vooruitgang te maken, het is vaak gewoon hinderlijk, rijd zéker niet altijd fijn, en je hebt waarschijnlijk maanden nodig om te wennen aan al die zogenoemde 'moderne foefjes'. Nee, volgende keer gewoon de 2008 of Captur, op diesel of benzine graag.

I rented a car online. Filled out what exactly I wanted to pay for. When I got to the counter to pick up the car, the woman behind the counter kept trying to add things on. She then told me I had to prepay for fuel, but that it would be refunded when I returned. I questioned this two more times because the wording was xxx on the form she was showing me. I finished the rental and was charged the amount she said was refundable. You can not call and dispute this. You can only send an email, and so far, no response. I was blatantly lied to and given a form that did NOT state the information correctly.

I had a frustrating experience with billing after extending a rental. The extension was agreed to at a specific weekly rate, but the final charges were later increased significantly beyond what was originally documented.

The final charge was $983.89. However, Thrifty later confirmed in writing that the correct total was $546.88 and that the $437.01 difference had been cleared. Despite this, I was still left paying the higher amount and no refund was issued.

The process to try to resolve this was time-consuming and confusing, with inconsistent information along the way. Communication with customer service was also difficult.

I would recommend documenting everything carefully and confirming all rates in writing if you extend a rental.

A complete farce of a company.
Tried to rental me 2 cars that didn't work, only finally getting the 3rd one. Then after 2 hours delay due to their incompetence, I could get out of Alicante parking area as the man on the intercom at the barrier said Thrifty hadn't paid their bills. Steer clear of this company. Never again

Moe is the man and was exceptionally helpful in every way. Made the whole experience surprisingly enjoyable with “food and fun” recommendations for our quick last minute birthday trip. When going to Thrifty #getmoe to help you out.

Thrifty charged me after I turned in my rental.

I recall during the counter process that I stated that I did not bring reading glasses with me and could not read the agreement. My fault in asking where I needed to sign. While my signature created a legally binding agreement, this was a deceptive ethical practice. My voice will be louder. I will never use Thrifty again and I will tell my circle about the less-than-1-star experience.

said that they did not have my booking with expedia even though I had all the paperwork. Girl at the counted was not helpfull at all.
charged me for a whole new booking. Cost me another
450.00 US. 10 PM soI didn't have much of a choice. Used them all the time. Not anymore!!!

This company uses Economy Bookings for car rentals, in the clear knowledge they provide inaccurate rental quotes. I received a contract voucher for a rental at Alicante airport in the amount of 144.75 eur. When I came to pay the amount was 433.99 eur. Thrifty said items listed on the Economy Bookings voucher as included in 144.75 eur were not included. The Thrifty desk agent said it was something that happens a lot with this agent. What does that sound like? To me, BUYER BEWARE with these two.

Appalling customer service from drop off agent at Gran Canaria. Rude, aggressive, deliberately uncooperative and confrontational. Repeatedly refused to look properly at the photographic evidence of the damage recorded by the company on pick up and compare it to the condition of the car on drop off. Wasted much time. His colleague in the drop off office was equally unhelpful and sat watching the debacle ignoring our requests for help. We have hired cars multiple times in many countries and never been treated like this. Never again.

If I could give 0 stars I would.

This company include HIDDEN FEES, once you provide your credit card at the desk this is deemed "accepting terms and conditions" even though they do not provide their T&C's to you directly. Expect to pay almost as much as you pay for the rental again in hidden fees.

One star gives a VERY faulse impression!
Minus 10 would just about sum them up!
We knew we were in for a bad experience when we got to the desk. The two people if front were complaining that they did not have a car and the one they did have was too small for their needs!
So, for us :
What went wrong:
1. No car to pick up, so had to pay $100 for taxi to Villa!
2. Car was dirty & smelly!
3. 2 very young, tired & upset children to cope with!
4. 2 adults in party of 8 with Type 1 diabetes!
5. Complaining since August!
6. Phone rings 3 times WHEN they did ring - once!!
7. Sick of trying to get a response from them via e-mail! AND STILL NO COMMUNICATION FROM THEM!!
So yeah pretty useless company overall. Avoid at ALL COSTS!!!

Literally the worst car rental experience I’ve ever had. I’ll never go anywhere near this company again.

Please do not use Thrifty or Hertz Car rental. (Hertz own Thrifty) We rented a car through Thrifty for our trip to Los Angeles. Unfortunately we had our hotel room broken into and all of our belongings stolen including the rental car key.
We contacted Thrifty using the number on our paperwork in the car who said they would send a locksmith with a new key. We were advised that the insurance we had taken out would not cover the cost of the new key and would be $400. Not ideal but fair enough.
The locksmith came out and said it would be a bit more than $400 as he needed to download software from the manufacturer. We asked how much more and he said he didn't know until he had downloaded the software. As we needed the car we had no choice but to agree.
When the locksmith finished the job he said it would be $3750! We argued and said that was ridiculous and had we known it would be that much we would never have agreed to the job. Long story short the locksmith said if we paid $1000 he would give us the key.
We needed the car so had no choice and a friend paid the locksmith for us as all our belongings had been stolen at the hotel.
When we returned the car to LAX we spoke with the desk agent who advised that the maximum charge for a lost or stolen key was $400 and that we shouldn't have paid the locksmith as the procedure is that Thrifty pay the locksmith and then charge us when we return the car.
I was given email addresses to email in to with our details and was promised an investigation. I had the ladys name I spoke to and a case reference number.
Following their investigation Thrifty said as we paid the locksmith directly then there is nothing they can do.
My issue is that we followed instructions given to us by Jennifer at Thrifty, she arranged the locksmith and told us we had to pay him but now Thrifty won't help us and are saying as we paid the locksmith they won't help us.
I contacted Hertz as the parent company of Thrifty and they do not want to know.
I also emailed various CEO's of Thrifty and Hertz, again they do not want to know.
Please do not use these companies for car rental. They have no interest in customer service or helping anyone.

When picking up car in BCN airport, Thrifty refused to honor prepaid insurance, and forced us to buy a much more expensive insurance from them - if we wanted to make use of our reservation.

I booked a 12-passenger van with insurance through Economic Bookings months in advance. At pickup, the rental company refused to honor the prepaid insurance and forced us to purchase a new policy that cost more than the vehicle rental itself. Neither the rental company nor Economic Bookings offered any real solution—only “pay or walk away.” No refund, no adjustment, nothing.

A customer service representative even admitted this is a known issue, saying other customers have complained but the company “needs to get a certain amount of customers,” so they won’t change their process. That is unacceptable.

To make matters worse, they gave us a 15-passenger van (not the 12 we reserved), from a different brand, which I was uncomfortable driving and which increased the insurance price even more. No alternative options or assistance were offered.

Our trip ended up costing far more than planned because of these deceptive practices. This company clearly prioritizes squeezing money out of customers over honoring reservations or providing basic customer service. Never again.

Total crooks! About a week before I was due to pick up the car I called and asked that my pick up / return time gets changed from 12pm/12pm to 2pm / 5pm because I wasn't sure I'll be back in time to return the car. That was all good. Got to the counter with minutes to spare before 2pm. Line moving VERY slowly. Finally my turn came. "Sorry, your car is not here yet". Some time later, I am asked whether I would take a sedan, Nissan Altima, instead of the SUV I bought... but for the price I paid. Really needed the car, so I took it. By the time I got out of there, 1/3 extra hours I paid for was already passed. They still charged me the full 3 hours "extension". Total BS. I'll stay away from these crooks next time!!!