Alamo Rent A Car Dishonest, Ripoff, Blackmailers when you don't take their insurance consumer fraud ripoff Dallas Texas, Florida & Nationwide *UPDATE

I, too, recently rented a vehicle from LAX National office. Picked it up on Friday, drove it to a friend's house 12 miles away in Hollywood, parked it in his private driveway. I didn't touch it again until I drove it another 12 miles back to the airport.

I recently got a letter claiming the "Recovery Department received a Loss/Damage Report."

What should I do? I KNOW I didn't cause whatever damage they are claiming (they haven't even told me what's wrong with the car). I don't want it to go to my AMEX insurance or my car insurance. it's not fair for them to pay out just as a nuisance claim.

It's the principle. Do I simply deny?

I am also a victim of National/Alamo Rental. I am currently looking for any way to fight the $500 bill that was mysteriously sent to my door after renting a car from their Boston location.

I was traveling to Boston on business and my company uses National as the company car rental provider. I picked up the car and returned it without any accidents or occurences of any kind. A month later, I get an accident claim for $482 in damage to the front-end of the vehicle. I know I didn't cause this damage, so I asked for proof that it even occured. I wish I could attach the photo they sent of the damage!! There is absolutely no visible damage to the grill (which they had completely replaced) and the license plate mount was slightly crooked. Do I have any recourse?? I'm going to discuss it with a lawyer, which is probably hardly worth it for $500, but the principle of it is killing me!

There is a consulting company that has been hired by Alamo to teach agreesive sales tactics for CDW. In most cases CDW is added to the contract without the customer knowing (as most customers never read the signed contract) unless the customer points it out at the begining of the rental in which its described as a "glitch" and the employee apologizes and reprints without the CDW added. The same trick is added for the "fuel option" and Alamo employees will leave it on but balance it off with a "ghost coupon" so that the agent will get credit for the sale when it was never made.

Did you know all those coupons will work? There is an overide key for all rental agents to accept a coupon. Now of course, if you do not take any optional sales at extra cost they will find you the basic car (as they will even say "you have reserved a basic mid-size or whatever class you have booked). At our location we would give you a car at a lower class than what you have reserved unless you came back inside to complain very hard (usually when we were running low on cars).

Pay very close attention to this one. When we would turn cars back for auction we would file a claim for damages for the LAST PERSON THAT RENTED THE CAR as a damage claim even when we had no proof it was them on the claim. Management forced us to make damage claims against persons in about 90% of renters that never caused any damage to a vehicle so that we would get the claim to fix the minor damage so that we could sell the car at a higher rate at auction. All points of management is aware of this practice which should be fraud on Alamo's part.

Bottom line. Just avoid Alamo and National because more than likely you are going to be stuck with a bill that will never really be resolved.

Your complaints are validated! Alamo employees are unskilled workers. They hire people who have no educational background and if you are completing or complete your 4 year degree while working for them you are their number one target to lay off. The Orlando location is a zestpool. So while maintaining this status you can see that their professionalism and ethics are far and few between. Employees are rewarded for their high pressure sales tactics. They are required to ask you for insurance, upgrades, and fuel minimum of three times.

If you have paid anymore then $10/day for an upgrade you have been ripped off. I have seen $45/day, $75/day, and even $99/day charges for upgrades. Customers are led to believe that in order to get the car they 'need' (not necessarily want) they must pay high prices.
Also, the coupons are a scam. If you try to present one they will make up some type of excuse as to why they can't except it. The employees get paid on how much revenue they bring in vs. how many of these are sales.

Be careful and read everything (even the back of the contract). They add insurance and extras and without you double checking EVERYTHING they will have you sign the contract. I would say that about 1 out of 20 people that I came across would actually read their contract. This amazed me how people don't pay attention. They fall right into these other agents hands easily.
Bottom Line: Don't rent from Alamo/National and just be very aware of what you are signing.

I used to work for Alamo and they were the least favorite company I have worked for. I will never rent a car from them. Customer service sucks and you deal with a bunch of extremely aggressive rental agents at the counter that do not take no for an answer on the insurance.

Sorry to hear about your bad expensive with Alamo. Being female and travelling alone that would be scary.

On 5-7-02, I contacted Mr. McPhee by phone and he was more than helpful. Finally, a voice of reason and geniune concern. He assures me he will help me get the 144.15 paid and gave me numbers of people to call for the overcharges. Too bad the rest of Alamo does not operate by this man's standards. A very honest and caring individual!