you could always make a website called carrentallist.com

caj11 Are you an Fter?

Naming and shaming them won't fix anything, but it sure will feel good! Posting on tripadvisor.com, google ratings or others is a good start. So who was it?

I had a similar experience one Easter weekend with Hertz. Only exception was they they actually drove out to Newark to pick up cars for me and another couple that got shorted. Took awhile, but I was just happy to get on the road.

We actually tried to contact the corporate head quarter on the day of the issue. I explained the issue, and mentioned that we desperately need a car. The lady on the phone would only go as far as telling me if there are other locations nearby (of the same chain), but wouldn't help me locate, or secure, another actual car rental ("here's next closest location, and here's the phone number", she says. When I asked if she can call with me to secure a car, she said "oh, we here is only a call-in center, we cannot call out".) Given it was the Easter weekend, I suspected that availability would be low (and renting a last minute, probably cost me an arm and a leg too).

I told her it was unacceptable (that she could not locate another rental for me), and asked if I could speak with a supervisor. She said none is available, that I should leave my number with her, so a supervisor could call me back. I ask how long it would take, she said she doesn't know. I asked that I prefer to wait, she said no, you cannot do that. I tried explaining again that we urgently need a car, and the fact that I don't even know how long to wait before talking to someone who could potentially help us, was unacceptable (it was 2pm, and we had a hotel reservation that night in Washington DC, and we'll be going with 2 young children), the lady then actually hung up on me at that point.

Oh also, she also told me the only way I could complain about the ordeal was to file a complaint via their website.

Therefore, at this point, I'm pursuing other venues, as I believe the corporate headquarters won't be much help.

Thanks for the info you provided.
Quote:

I can give you two heavily-visited websites:

www.consumerist.com (you send your story to the site's moderator and they decide whether to post and people can comment)

www.flyertalk.com (there are forums devoted to car companies)

Beyond that, I'd just contact the rental company's corporate headquarters...why didn't you do that already?

I'm wondering if anyone know how to (effectively) complain about rental car companies? We had a reservation at one of the chain rental company in Jersey City for the Easter weekend. Needless to say we were treated very badly (in our opinion, unfairly and unnecessarily, and was refused a car at the end. We had to go to the airport for another car (only available option), and almost missed our hotel reservation in Washington DC.

Any advice and/or suggestions would be appreciated.