Travelers say unexpected fees, long lines and poor service are turning everyday rentals into travel nightmares.
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- Travelers are experiencing “rental car rage” due to long wait times, dirty vehicles, and aggressive upsell strategies.
- In retaliation, customers are making multiple reservations that they have no intention of keeping.
- In response, rental companies are implementing stricter cleaning standards, increased security deposits, and increased monitoring.
Mercy Shack’n is angry.
She recently waited two and a half hours at Los Angeles International Airport just to speak with a rental car agent. After completing the paperwork, she inspected three cars that were “far from dirty” before finding one suitable to drive.
One time only? no.
A few weeks later, when I tried to rent a sedan in Washington Dulles, I waited 45 minutes for a car in the category I reserved. The agent’s attitude was “take it or leave it.”
“Both experiences left me feeling undervalued as a customer,” she said.
Mr. Shachne, a marketing executive from Hollywood, Fla., was understandably upset. And she has friends.
A new kind of travel outrage is erupting on counters everywhere. That’s the wrath of rental cars. This is the result of several unfortunate rental car issues, including hidden fees, cleaning fees that would make a hotel manager blush, and service that feels more hostile than friendly.
And the drivers aren’t just angry. They are becoming even.
Why are travelers angry about rental cars?
Why is the rental car craze so prevalent right now? Three words: frustration, deception, and helplessness.
Thomas Plante, a psychology professor at Santa Clara University, offers the “frustration-aggression hypothesis” to explain what’s going on.
“Anger usually appears as a response to frustration or stress,” he says. “Travel is becoming increasingly stressful in many ways. We seem to be receiving fewer and fewer services in exchange for more and more money and effort. This is the perfect recipe for frustration and stress that can lead to aggression.”
Triggers are everywhere.
- Aggressive upselling. Travel agency owner Daniel Oppliger encountered an agent in Phoenix who began a “10-minute rant about insurance” despite repeated refusals to purchase from him. “I said if she brought up insurance again, I would go elsewhere,” he said. She did – and he left.
- Bait-and-switch pricing. “There’s nothing more infuriating than an ad from a rental car company showing you the total price, only to find out that’s the total price before all the junk fees and taxes,” said Mark Beals, a retired mortgage banker in Millcreek, Washington.
- Unjust claim for damages. Some car rental companies use AI to scan every inch of your rental car and charge you for even the smallest damages. “There’s no set process for mutually determining what constitutes pre-tenant damage,” said Sam Toles, a media consultant in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. “So I spend 20 minutes photographing the car and taking pictures of each part in case I get it back and it’s damaged from previous scratches.”
You don’t have to suffer from all three to be furious with your rental car company.
How to know if you’re angry at a rental car
One sign that you’re angry is making car rental reservations that you don’t feel angry about.
Rental car companies usually allow you to cancel reservations without penalty. If you are angry, it will hurt them. Making multiple reservations strains inventory and costs money. ah!
In fact, if you get into an argument with a rental car employee after you return your car, it could be a sign that the rental company is furious.
Deborah Cohan, a sociologist who studies anger, said staff at rental counters are reporting a “noticeable increase in hostile interactions” with customers in heated arguments over fuel policies, cleaning fees and mysterious charges.
“There is many It’s a feeling of anger,” said Allen Baibekov, CEO of rental car booking platform Economy Bookings.
Rental car companies are also fighting back.
Anger goes both ways. Rental companies are fighting back with weapons of their own.
- More stringent cleaning standards. “With increased cleaning standards, sand, pet hair, shiny objects, or vaping odors can result in significant cleaning charges,” Baibekov explains.
- A large deposit. In some locations, deposits are tiered by vehicle class, typically between $300 and $1,000.
- More surveillance technology. Tila Lee, a design consultant in Calgary, recently discovered a tracking device in her rental property. When she asked the representative, he was puzzled. “I wasn’t being followed, but I was aware of it,” she said.
If companies start losing money due to the rental car boom, experts predict they will create new fees to make up for lost revenue. This is a pattern that repeats all the time in the travel industry. But you can stop it.
How to break the rental car anger cycle
Please don’t get angry. That doesn’t help. Start by reading the contract. This is a contract between you and the rental car company.
“The arrangement with the rental car company is contractual,” explains attorney Danny Caron, who represents victims in consumer fraud cases. “If a company does not follow through on its responsibilities, it may be subject to individual or class action claims for breach of contract, unless the rental agreement includes a mandatory arbitration clause.”
It also helps to know your rights in advance.
For example, no matter what the rental car salesman claims, you are not obligated to purchase the rental car company’s expensive insurance. “There is a common misconception that travelers must have car insurance provided by the rental car company or use their personal car insurance for rental cars,” said Daniel Durazo, director of external communications at Allianz Partners USA. (In fact, travel insurance companies like Allianz sell stand-alone policies that cover rental cars, and they’re significantly cheaper than insurance sold by rental car companies.)
You can also rent from a company known for treating their customers with respect. Several drivers I interviewed for this article said they prefer to rent through a good rental company like Avis or Enterprise. It’s a little more expensive, but I don’t play games on it and it doesn’t irritate me.
Finally, take a deep breath. Psychologist Plante says scheduling a little extra time can give you a little breathing room. And it may reduce stress that leads to anger.
Future path of intensification of rental cars
The car rental craze will continue until the car rental industry addresses its biggest problem: treating customers like suckers instead of people.
Louis Ducret, founder of digital insurance platform Eprezto, said the best way forward is full transparency.
“Show your customers upfront exactly what they’re paying for and what they’re getting,” he said. “Take the guesswork out of it.”
Until that happens, we may be stuck in this cycle of mutual conflict. Customers will continue to fight back with dirty returns, unused reservations, hostile reviews, and more. Companies will respond with stricter policies and higher fees. And the rest of us will continue to take photos of rental cars like crime scene investigators.
christopher elliott I’m an author, consumer advocate, and journalist. he founded Elliot Advocacy, A non-profit organization that helps solve consumer problems. he publishes Elliot Confidentialtravel newsletter, Elliott Reporta news site about customer service. If you need help with a consumer issue, you can: Contact him here Or email chris@elliott.org.
