“As far as I can tell, this company doesn’t have a clue about ethical business practices”

One of the most questionable business practices among car rental companies is when it resizes its fleets to lift profits, a practice apparently pioneered by Enterprise. But now Dollar appears to have outdone it by changing its car sizes at just one location.

David Costner describes his recent experience at Dollar in Boston as “a car rental experience that just about hits my worst-ever mark.”

How so?

I reserved a full-size car. When I got there I was provided with a mid-sized car: a Hyundai Sonata, which is the car that Dollar actually uses as their definition of mid-sized on their site.

Let me interrupt Costner for a minute. Here’s the link to Dollar’s classifications.

When I questioned the substitution of the smaller car at the higher price, the counter agent, who I later realized was the location manager, screamed at me — something about, “Do you want to get a car here, or would you rather just get out and get one somewhere else. We don’t need your business”.

I should have given him the keys back and taken my business elsewhere, but I was already running late for an appointment. I figured I could call customer service, or deal with it when I returned the car.

Just to make a long story short, neither of those approaches have proved fruitful.

The one and only guy working when I returned the car was a Russian immigrant with no real English language skills and even less authority to do anything other than take my keys and drive me to the terminal. Lawanda, the customer service agent I talked to when I called their 800 number today, informed me that Dollar “can’t guarantee a car, only a price,” which misses the point entirely.

Dollar offered Costner a $20 gift card toward his next rental, which doesn’t even come close to fixing the problem.

I suggested he write to Dollar. Here’s where it gets interesting.

This is the response:

Thank you for notifying us of your recent experience with Dollar Rent A Car in Boston. On behalf of Dollar Rent A Car, please accept our sincere apologies for any inconvenience you experienced.

I apologize that you were not satisfied with the vehicle that you received. For the Boston location the Sonata is a Full Size car. I apologize for the misunderstanding. While reviewing the website, I found that we do not advertise the Sonata a midsize car for Boston.

We appreciate your business and hope you will allow us another opportunity to fulfill your car rental needs in the efficient, professional manner you expect and deserve. Thank you once again, Mr. Costner, for taking the time to notify us of this situation. We look forward to serving you again soon at Dollar Rent A Car.

Say what?

Costner says he’s left to conclude the following: “When the Sonata is in Boston, it becomes a full-sized car. Magic, I suppose.”

He adds,

As far as I can tell, this company doesn’t have a clue about ethical business practices. I won’t be doing business with them again.

I would have walked away when the manager started to yell at me, if not sooner. But this creative “resizing” based on location is totally absurd, and may, in part, explain why car rental companies are the first ones people think of when it comes to fees.

  • David H

    I’d hate to see what they have listed as their compact car there. Would it be a Smart Car?

  • Mindy

    Congrats on the stellar customer service Dollar! Count me as one more customer lost. Ridiculous.

  • Roberto

    Dollar’s response leaves me completely speechless. I’m not even going to comment on that.

    Costner probably is already reconsidering the wisdom of scheduling travel too tightly with a meeting, especially when renting a car. He could never of foreseen Dollar’s incredible lapse in ethical business practice, but it’s well-known that a car rental reservation is a bit of a nebulous concept. While that typically means you can cancel or no-show without penalty, in return, it seems a reservation for a car is treated more like a “request” for a car.

    I’ve shown up for a reservation, and the rental company had no cars. I’ve been made to wait an hour for a car (just 5 more minutes, over and over and over until I gave up). I’ve had my car class changed (and rental fee reduced, if it’s a downgrade). I’ve encountered long waits at the rental counter.

    In other words, when you reserve a rental car, you have to allow for the possibility that your car will not be there for you to just drive off the lot without fuss.

  • MrsKruse

    I had a horrid experience with Dollar in Corpus Christi in 2006. We finally gave up dealing with the person at the desk at 11 pm that night and managed to get the person at the desk a few days later to give us a partial refund for our trouble. Wasn’t thrilled with a free day + a discount on our under 25 fee, but it was better than nothing.

    And I’ve not rented with them since.

    I’m guessing that they don’t do much for corporate contracts. I know our travel team wouldn’t be happy to learn that a car size varies so much from market to market. I’ve never had that kind of trouble with Hertz.

  • John Baker

    I’d take a screen shot of the website and send it to the State AG as a case of consumer fraud and false advertising.
    Might not get your money back but the owners will get stuck paying to defend themselves.

  • Walt Blackadar

    I agree with John Baker. Take a screenshot and send it to the State AG for fraud. Also, file a complaint with the local BBB and just about every other agency you can find out there.

  • Joe Farrell

    Guys – stop booking by car class – if I need to call for a reservation I ALWAYS ask – what is the LEAST EXPENSIVE vehicle – you want the cheapest car you need to ask for it. And use multiple discounts numbers – the prices vary by up to $5 – 10 a day.

    Most people equate the ‘economy’ car with the ‘cheapest’ and thats not always true. It is not all that rare in an environment to see in certain places [vacation places notably] to see a full size or a small SUV like a KIA being the least expensive since people do not generally want to rent big cars on vacation -

    So – you can avoid these hassle by asking for hte least expensive – or simply checking the rates on line when they offer you the cars. NEVER NEVER NEVER Take a $2 upgrade offer on line – that tells you that they do not have your car class and will upgrade you for free anyway.

  • Arizona Road Warrior

    It is my guess that the site was out of full-size cars and tried to pass off a mid-size car.

    I had two similar experiences. Once at a Budget location (franchisee), they tried to pass off a smaller car as a full size car. I said “I reserved a full-size car…this isn’t a full-size car…if you are out then gave me a premium or luxury car at the same rate.” They were not happy but they gave me a preimum car.

    Another time at a Hertz location in Canada, they tried to pass off a smaller car as a full-size car. They claimed that the Hertz US website is wrong. I pulled out my laptop and went to the Hertz Canada website and it shows the car that they want to give me as a mid-size. They ended up giving a real full-size car.

    When I go to Canada, I will carry a print-out of the cars from the website; however, I haven’t had to pull it out since the above incident which has been three years.

  • Erika

    What a nightmare! Having never rented from Dollar before stories like this make me believe I should never rent from them. Dollar must be on something because I’d hesitate to consider a Sonata a mid-sized car let alone a full-size. And can you imagine what Mr. Costner might have received if he’d gone with the Lock, Low & Go option? (see the picture at the top of the page) Or, perhaps that’s the way to actually get a REAL full-sized car in Boston.

  • Thalassa

    Concurring with everyone else – that’s absurd! If the corporate website says you’re getting a full-sized car, and that the Sonata is a mid-sized car, then you should not be getting a Sonata, no matter what city you’re in!

  • Carver

    My rental experiences are different that described above. Not that they’ve been perfect, but my experience has been

    1. Joining the frequent renter program is critical. They reserve the best cars for those folks, sometimes from early morning. Much less likely to not have your car. No long lines, no hard sell, etc.

    2. Be wary of off-brand rentals. They tend to have more onerous policies, worse, service, and less ability to rectify problems

    3. Be aware that non-airport location tends to be cheaper, but also seems to have more complaints.

    4. If a company tends to have alot of complaints (Dollar/Alamo) perhaps they aren’t worth dealing with,especially in non-airport locations

  • Meredith Putvin

    Actually, Martha Coakley’s (Mass AG) office just might take the case too.

  • Chris in NC

    I’ve been pretty lucky with car rentals too. Thats not to say that I haven’t had problems. My experiences are…

    1) Be wary of FRANCHISE locations. Corporate locations seems to have a better record of “following the rules.”

    2) Be wary of FRANCHISE locations
    3) Avoid off label brands (ie Advantage, Payless, etc.)
    4) Be wary of FRANCHISE locations

    Chris

  • DJP

    Amy problems with Dollar or Thrifty…here are some contact info for right now…could change when its restructures with it getting bought.

    Scott Thompson, Scott Anderson; Todd Dallenbach; Randy Tietsort; Kathleen Hernandez; Fred Fleischner
    firstname.lastname@dtag.com
    Kathleen Hernandez
    Executive Liaison
    Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group
    918-669-8592
    918-828-0959 (fax)
    Kathleen.Hernandez@DTAG.Com

  • Bill

    This is a pretty amazing story.

    I didn’t know that Dollar was like that. I’ve been quite satisfied with the service I’ve gotten from Hertz over the years. They seem to have it right.

    I’ve dealt with Avis and Budget on occasion too…and they’ve also been good.

  • Alex L

    I had similar experience regarding the mismatch between what I have seen on website and what I got, but with a hotel chain instead. Several years ago, before I have heard of this blog, I booked a leisure trip package through an agent to Bangkok after reading the room specification, opting for one with balcony. I told my agent what exactly I wanted and I double checked after getting the hardcopy itinerary, making sure the room type booked is correct.

    But after I have checked in, got the key and walked in the room, I began to noticed there was something missing, and it turned out to be the balcony. So I went down to the front desk and asked. I escalated to the complaint manager there, and they kept telling me the room was what I have booked and paid for. At that time, to our own observation, we noticed there was a huge conference being held there. I asked the manager whether it was the reason behind and he first stunned, and kept saying they had done nothing wrong. And replied “Go ahead”, when we stated we would file official complaint to their head quarter. We got back to our room and contacted the agent, but she replied room is so full for that time being.

    Back then, we didnt have smartphone and internet cafe was not common as well. When we went home, checking their official website, and noticed they were indeed correct!!!!! The room we booked didnt come with a balcony. But after some further scrutiny to the site, we saw that particular webpage was updated the day after the drama, written clearly on the corner.

  • Realistic Traveler

    This is an example of what is wrong with both sides of the travel industry today – on one hand you have the company with extremely poor customer service, and on the other hand you have a traveler with an unrealistic sense of entitlement.

    I can understand this guy being upset about the abuse he had to take from the manager – by all means, demand an apology and some sort of compensation for the way he was treated. And the way that these companies represent “example vehicles” in each size option is something that could be done in a better manner.

    But he needs to give up this whine-fest about being short-changed on the size of his car. Once he got to the car, there was no way he could have thought that he was getting a “mid-size” car.

    I was on a trip recently where I had a mid-size for the first half of my trip (personal) and upgraded to a full size for the second half (business) because I was going to have a few people riding with me. The “full-size” I was given was a Sonata, and it was huge, comfortable, and loaded with all the features that you could want.

    If you want to compare, go to the Hyundai and Dodge websites – the cabin space for the Sonata is exactly the same as the Charger (104 cu. ft.), which is the car that Dollar had listed as their “full-size”. I’ve also test-driven the Charger at a dealership – in my opinion the Sonata was roomier up front and was set up much more comfortably.

    So, yeah, there was some confusion at first about getting a “mid-size” for a “full-size” price, but at some point common sense has to come into play. The only way this guy was going to get a bigger car than the Sonata was if they put him into a Lincoln Town Car or an SUV.

    In the meantime, these rental car companies need to teach some manners to their employees and find a better way of explaining what a “representative” vehicle is for the different size classifications.

  • Carver

    @Realistic

    Your rant makes no sense. How exactly is the OP self-entitled? Since when does one become self-entitled by expecting to get what one paid for. Its great that you were satisfied by the Sonata. However, it is listed as a mid-sized car and the OP purchased a full sized car.

    If the OP wanted a Sonata (i.e. mid-sized) car, the OP could have reserved a mid-sized car and paid less. The OP was cheated out of the difference. I hope that clarifies why the OP is upset, beyond the size of the car.

  • Jeanne in TX

    @Carver –

    I’m with you on stating that it’s not self-entited to expect to get what you pay for. I’m also confused as to why @Realistic thinks that the OP was self-entitled in the first place.

    I’ve called rental car companies, or booked on rental car websites, and requested specific requirements of the car. These weren’t extravagant demands, like “luxury car,” but reasonable demands, like the specific example of asking for an “economy car or mid-sized car with cruise control since I’ll be driving for 4 days across the country.”

    Enterprise delivered a car without cruise control, after I specifically stated that I needed it — twice. (Once when I made the original reservation, and once more when I called the day before the reservation to confirm all aspects of the car’s features. Both times Enterprise promised they’d get me a car with cruise.)

    I don’t think that I was “unreasonable” or “self-entitled” when I called Enterprise after they delivered the car to insist that they switch it out immediately with what I ordered — and with what they agreed that they would deliver on TWO occasions. I didn’t rant or rave. I just insisted that they give me what I’d ordered in the first place.

    To their credit, the manager there was great — apologized and asked me to drop by the rental office on the way to start my trip. They upgraded me from an economy to a mid-sized with a cruise, but charged me the economy price only. As a result, they’ll continue to get my business.

  • Steve

    Realistic Traveler, I completely disagree with the idea that the customer was “self-entitled.” I don’t blame him one bit for feeling entitled to receive the car he actually reserved (or, failing that, a complimentary upgrade to a better car or a discount to reflect that he was given a lesser car). If the location truly had nothing to give him except a Sonata – which is certainly possible – it should have been automatic for the employee to give him a discount reflecting that.

    The fact that the manufacturer’s specifications show that interior space is roughly equal between the Sonata and Charger is totally irrelevant. The issue is that Dollar’s own website calls a Sonata a midsize (and charges one price) and calls a Charger a full-size (and charges a different, higher price).

  • Casey

    Realistic

    Are you the manger of the Boston Dollar Rental Car outlet?!!!?? Just a thought!!!

  • http://www.companycoming.com Jinny

    For years I flew into Boston weekly on business. Generally I would rent a car. It was a rare week that I had a positive experience at the car rental counter. But Dollar was among the worst. The only reason I would rent a car there was due to lower price. It certainly was not for the surly customer service. The only requirements for the car was that it was clean — often not the case, in good working order and had an adequate snow scrapper in the winter. The model was an absolute toss of the dice. Sometimes you won, sometimes you lost. For me the worst times were when they tried to give me an SUV which I hate to drive.

  • tb

    My experience at Dollar has resulted in “I will never rent a Dollar car again”. Price will never be a factor when it comes to Dollar. They could be giving me the car for free, nope, I would rather pay and rent elswhere.

  • Geoffrey

    Has David gone after the manager’s job for yelling at him? No franchisee can be allowed to get away with that based upon Company image. I have always fond that he should have paid for the more expensive bigger vehicle, signed with “under protest due to agent error” on all copies, and then fought it out with the company and his credit card when he got back. As far as the $2.00 upgrades, I use them 40 times a year and they are fantastic. Joe needs to learn the real travel business, rather than the perceived deals.

  • Pete S

    I quite renting from Dollar in 2005 after they sent me a threatening letter demanding a $50.00 administrative fee for not paying a toll on an exact change only toll road in Illinois. (I was $0.05 short) They also told me they reported me to the Illinois State Police.
    I don’t know why anyone would rent from them. They aren’t any cheaper than the others.

  • DH

    Had the same issue with Avis in Georgia and South Carolina. They provided a Malibu when I had reserved a full size. they said they had no control over a franchisee….
    I told my corporate travel contact, but don’t expect that anything was done.

  • Another–Never Dollar Customer

    tb said it best. I would never even consider Dollar again after my experience with them at RDU!!!!!!!! I would pay double than rent from them! Fortunately, I was not the one the manager yelled at, that said, he barely lowered his voice while “helping” me. I have certainly had other bad (and also extremely good) service. No other company has been as completely anti-customer as Dollar. I almost walked out while waiting to get my car. They were so taking advantage of a visitor from Denmark, it was unbelievable. Oh and do not bother with their customer service, especially their operators in Manila. They are clearly trained to not help!!!!

  • Mary

    We rented a car from Dollar in Denver at the end of July. Before I even could give any information the rental agent said “I just got back from Las Vegas this morning and I feel like I might yak”. Good morning to you too!! We laughed about that the whole trip.

  • flutiefan

    i nearly always rent from Dollar, and i’ve NEVER had a bad situation.
    they are usually the cheaper option out of LAX (aside from those off-brands, which are hit-or-miss), and for me price is key. everyone has always been pleasant and efficient when i’ve dealt with them.
    the only time i had anything out of the ordinary was there was an issue with my ID last year (it would expire in the middle of my contract, and the new one was in my mailbox at home). they didn’t want to rent to me without proof that i would have a valid license during the time i was renting their car. very understandable. but the only way i could prove that i’d renewed my license was to drive to the apartment and get it….which i needed a car for! thankfully, the manager was awesome and took my word for it. i brought in my renewed license after i went home, and all was fine.

    i just didn’t want all Dollar locations to get completely vilified on here. their operation at LAX is great, and i love that i get to pcik out my car from the lot. i just go out, they tell me which rows i’m allowed to choose from, and then i get one i want. not all Dollar rental counters are bad!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Joe-Scatone/100000567163637 Joe Scatone

    Not sure what model year you got, but the 2006 – 2010 Sonata is rated as a full sized car by the EPA.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Joe-Scatone/100000567163637 Joe Scatone

    Not sure what model year you got, but the 2006 – 2010 Sonata is rated as a full sized car by the EPA.