NCLSEA123

Hi Everyone,

I've had a few recent rentals at one location where I've experienced "inconsistent" operating practices and an "abnormal" renting experience compared to most other National locations. I'm just curious if there are other locations out there where non-standard rental practices are occurring and how or if you provided feedback on them.

At the Peachtree Corners, GA location as an Executive Elite member, I encountered the following items inconsistent with my experience with the National brand. I have not had these experiences at any other National location.

- I was asked to pull up a utility bill on my phone to prove my identity since I had an out-of-state drivers license.

- A sign on the counter indicated that upgrades for Executive members were $25 a day, while upgrades for Executive Elite members were $15 a day. When renting here, I usually don't receive an upgrade unless they need to one-way a car class that doesn't belong out of the station.

- They charged me a $250 deposit, with a line item labeled "other charge" at the time of rental. To top it off, this line item was taxable, raising my estimated rental charges by over $270. They indicated that the charge would be removed upon my rental's return, and that this practice had been standard at their location since May 2018. (As a side note, I had another rental there last month and was not charged this). I asked the agent to hand write that the charge was refundable on the contract, which she agreed to do begrudgingly, and sure enough, I had to get the manager involved at the return station at TYS, and they had no idea why a deposit would be done this way.

- I was made to initial and sign the rental agreement, when normally it's just grab the agreement and go as an Executive Elite/Emerald Club member.

- We did the full "walk-around" and I had to sign a separate slip with an agent indicating that I agreed with the condition of the car.

Overall this experience felt very neighborhood location "Enterprise-ish," and I suspect that the management team, including regional management has very little operating experience with the National brand, and is forcing Enterprise operating practices for the area into the National operation. While I certainly understand that additional risk management steps may need to be undertaken in certain areas, I don't believe that Executives or Executive Elites renting multiple times of year pose the same risk as someone renting a car once or twice a year.

I did provide feedback to the location manager and area manager via email, however they seemed disinterested and essentially said, "this is how we do things because we're different."

What other inconsistent or unusual things have you guys experienced?

kxc262

BOS downtown asked me to show a return airline ticket if I have multiple rentals out at a time. Not sure why because my other rental was back in CA...happened on multiple occasions.

bocastephen

Have you contacted National customer service to file a complaint?

eric_o

I normally rent at US airport locations with an aisle, so it's always grab and go, but I rented at the airport at Montego Bay Jamaica last week, and they followed the process you describe, except pulling up the utility bill. No upgrade, deposit required, initial and sign, walk around, etc.

AutoSlash

Many locations outside the US are franchises, so they are National in name only.

NCLSEA123

I sent an email directly to the station manager and regional. Complaints filed through customer care go straight to them anyway...

SinglePapa2

SAV (I think Aisle location) re-opens in the morning after midnite closing. I pull up to National booth to tell them that I'll be keeping this car (as it was due from one-way at the opening hour, and same class due out on one-way). She tell me that I first must drive thru Returns, then drive back to her WHEN her booth is officially open. I don't understand why, but OK I drive thru Returns and come back to her with receipt. She insists I must wait for opening time, and must position the car literally 6 feet from current spot (to the spot on the other side of her booth). But because cars don't hop, I'd need to drive around a huge circle; while where I'm now, I can drive out airport exit. I say "if you just punch me out right now, I certainly am not blocking anyone - and ready to exit!". Instead of checking out (takes no more than a few minutes, my engine is never even turned off), she calls airport security to make me move!!!
As you see, by coincidence this is another GA location - and this one is inside airport, charging airport fees...

m907

1. The return agents have to close out the first contract before they can start the second one.

2. The computer probably doesn't let her in the system until official opening time.

3. She can only lower the gate for the booth that she's in.

Sounds like she was rude and could have explained this to you, but I don't see anything abnormal here.

SinglePapa2

Except 2. was a wrong guess; National manager walked over from the terminal, and was able to punch me out before opening time. He then left to Alamo, and I noticed some errors in agreement. But again, she wouldn't know/want to deal with it.

I think this may have to do with (what NCLSEA123 mentioned in Enterprise thread: that) a one-way gets processed in ECARS. So she might not have been proficient. I also received 0 credit, and it's been a month since I'd returned at my neighborhood's

NCLSEA123

A one-way for Enterprise gets processed in ECARS only for rentals originating or ending at a neighborhood location. All National rentals are processed in Odyssey, round-trip and one-way, including at the few National neighborhood locations that exist. .

SinglePapa2

"one exception is when renting from an Enterprise airport location and returning to a neighborhood location, since they'll use ECARS for those."

I thought that (while Odyssey might have not been opened for the day yet), the manager might have punched me out on ECARS - impossible? I know that SAV is a strange location for National (reviews were saying it's run like Alamo LOL). It so happens that my return next day was to my neighborhood National/Enterprise, and I got 0 credit. Now, to I came to SAV from DAB (where I didn't pay for rental either), and I did get 1 credit for return at SAV. But I'm guessing if I call about the missing credit (from SAV), operator will just tell me 0 credit for "unpaid" rental

Auto Enthusiast

Back to back rentals do not earn credit.

SinglePapa2

Good to know. Thank god they all earn 1-2-F opportunities, even the unpaid ones (which only doesn't earn the base300)

p.s. I wonder what's the minimum spacing required

kxc262

If the location is the same, pick up dates just need to be on different days. You can return at 11:59pm and start the new contract at 12:01am and will earn credit.

NCLSEA123

You can also do one contract SAV-DAB, then DAB-SAV. If you really wanted to, you could also do continuous roundtrips alternating between National and Enterprise at the same airport location. If it's a small airport and you reserve/drive the same class, Enterprise might let you keep it, especially if the agent working the counter for National/Enterprise/Alamo is the same.