Rogue franchisees, man. The corporate HQ can't control them. It's an issue with all car rental firms but with Thrifty (and Dollar) it's extreme. Corporate promos, campaigns, price quotes, etc. are meaningless if the local franchisee ignores them. I never rent from Thrifty anymore. When you chase the absolute cheapest rate, you get what you pay for, and sometimes with these guys a lot less.