Thrifty Reviews 

Reserved a car for a wedding in Denver. Arrived to pick up the car and was told it wasn’t available, but rather than wait, would we want a Yukon Denali for $75.00 more? Said no. Then asked if we wanted a Jeep Grand Wagoneer for $100.00 more?said no again and was offered a minivan! Started calling Enterprise so the girls behind the counter went in back and told us we would get a Volvo for the same price as the Pathfinder we reserved (same class vehicle mind you)!

Second and final bad experience with thrifty, will never go back!

(For William Diodonet (my husband))

I rarely leave negative reviews, but our experience with Thrifty Puerto Rico, Best Rate Cars and Truck Rentals in San Juan, PR is the local operator associated with Hertz, which owns Thrifty, has been one of the most frustrating customer service experiences we have had. I waited this long to write this review in the hopes that this issue would’ve been resolved to my satisfaction, and because I did not want my frustration to come through this review.

We rented a vehicle from June 16 through June 30, 2026 in San Juan. We documented the vehicle at drop-off which was at Merceditas Airport, Ponce PR and were told to just leave the keys in the Dropbox, so obviously, no one came out to inspect the vehicle with us, but we did document the drop-off. We were not billed until July 28, nearly a month after returning the vehicle, and when the charge was finally processed, our bill had increased by an additional $500 for alleged tire damage.

When I contacted Thrifty, I was initially told a tire had been completely flat. However, the representatives I spoke with could not tell me which tire was allegedly damaged or provide documentation supporting the charge. I submitted a dispute and spent weeks contacting multiple people, repeatedly explaining the situation, and requesting basic information and evidence.

Thrifty eventually refunded $320.48 but continues to hold us responsible for the remaining $179.52. The photographs and invoice provided to us do not, in our opinion, establish that the alleged damage occurred while the vehicle was in our possession, and we continue to dispute the charge. Photos did not show the tires on the vehicle but rather on the floor at the repair shop. They claim one tire presented a sidewall bulge and required replacement and a second tire contained a screw and required repair. Again, no prove/documentation has been provided to me even after repeated requests. From a flat tire at drop-off to a screw and a bulge. My date, location and time stamped video shows that when I left the vehicle there was no flat tire.

Another concern is the effect experiences like this can have on the reputation of the Hertz family of brands. I understand that local locations may have their own management or business arrangements, but customers rent under the Thrifty name and reasonably associate their experience with the broader Hertz family of brands. From a customer’s perspective, the internal business arrangement should not matter. Experiences like this can damage customer confidence and make people think twice before choosing Thrifty or any Hertz family brand.

My advice: photograph and video the entire vehicle at both pickup and drop-off, keep all correspondence, and carefully monitor your credit card for charges appearing after your rental ends.

Also beware, the price quoted to you at the time of reservation will almost double when you arrive for pickup, but that’s another review.

We will continue to pursue the remaining disputed charge through the appropriate channels.

We had an excellent experience with Thrifty at Boston Airport. We rented a car for 8 days for our trip through Boston, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, and everything went very smoothly.

The rental process was easy, the car was in good condition, and we had no issues throughout our trip. We also opted for the toll service, which made driving around the different areas much easier and more convenient.

I would especially like to recognize Jean Abelard for his outstanding service during the return process. Jean was extremely friendly, professional, and helpful. After we returned the car, he personally made sure to take us to the terminal where our flight was departing from. This was incredibly helpful, especially since we had luggage and were getting ready to catch our flight.

Jean went above and beyond to make sure we had a smooth and stress-free departure. His kindness, professionalism, and willingness to help really made a difference in our experience.

Thank you very much to Jean Abelard and the entire Thrifty Boston Airport team for the excellent service. We would definitely rent from Thrifty again on our next trip to the United States!

Rented a vehicle from Thrifty that already had road paint splashes all over the body from a previous user upon reception, and upon driving it, I discovered a critical, dangerous mechanical defect: the brakes were completely destroyed, producing a loud metal-on-metal grinding noise with heavily scored rotors.

When I contacted customer service from Jasper for assistance, the experience was an absolute joke. The agent refused to identify themselves, offered zero local replacement options, and had the audacity to propose towing the unsafe vehicle all the way to Edmonton—over 3.5 hours away in the complete opposite direction—while leaving me stranded in the Rockies.

Because of their total failure to provide proper roadside assistance or a safe solution, I was forced to drive the vehicle back to Calgary under extreme duress. Thrifty handed over a dangerously unroadworthy car, refused to take responsibility, and showed complete disregard for customer safety.

Avoid this company at all costs if you value your safety and your money. I am disputing the entire charge through my bank for non-performance and breach of contract.

I picked up my rental car on Monday August 31, 2026 at Hobby Airport in Houston TX and received some of the best customer service from Tamica and Ken. Ken started assisting me with my car rental, he was very friendly and polite. He was having a slight issue with seeing his screen he shared with me that his dog ate his glasses. My reservation was for a full size car but when I received the car, it was an SUV. When I came back in, Ken was assisting another customer. Tamica aka Smooth as Silk assisted me, I advised her what happened, she apologized and advised me at the moment there wasn’t any Full size cars available, but offered me to wait. As I was waiting i observed how she was assisting other customers her upselling was so smooth once she was done, I asked for the manager. I advised Mr. Steve on what an excellent job both Smooth as Silk Tamica and Ken was doing! I will definitely rent from Thrifty again as long as Tamica and Ken is employed there.

They charge extra on airport.

I made an online reservation on DoyouSpain for 425Euro for a Thrifty rental car, full/full gas, and incl top insurance for 11 days to avoid arguing about insurance on arrival.
Then i was charged 490Euro from my card. I figured it was airport tax or something.

When we arrived at the airport, the smiling helpful receptionist had me sign a pair of papers, whilst i asked questions about the prices on this contract, and she explained (in spanglish) different possible charges that i would be charged if the car lacked gas and so on. No worries i thought, because i prepaid for the car, gas and insurance, and intended to return the car full.
Note that the car was delivered as promised, clean and nice, no issues. Almost brand new too.
Upon departure i left the car with a full tank of gas, as i signed for, and returned the key.
Some days after returning home, i was charged 338Euro extra, ant it was NOT gas charge. it was for 11 days all inclusive something.
I really do not understand this, and thrifty responds to my complaint with a long and confusing reply about a broker, and they say i signed for this when i picked up the car.

So i booked online for 425Euro, and ended up paying 830Euro - That is significantly more!

Stay clear, totally confusing, and an expensive trap.
The receipt looks like it is from a 1989's fax machine, and impossible to understand what you are signing - be aware.

Never again! Alamo is way better!

Through Expedia, I made a reservation for a 19 day rental at Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris, France. When we arrived, it was VERY busy, with the buzz being that no cars were available for walk-ups. When we got to the front of the line, the agent would not accept my drivers' license as it had been renewed in the last year. He claimed I could not establish one year's driving experience. I am a 57 year old driver, with full commercial and motorcycle endorsements--something that is impossible to achieve in less than one year.
There was NOTHING that would sway him. All efforts to get further help, within Thrifty and through Expedia were USELESS.

We lost the car, which we had booked at a good rate (for us), while there were people clamoring to get cars at any price. HMMMM.... I wonder what ended up happening to the car Thrifty would not give me.... From my perspective, Thrifty decided not to give me the car because they were in the position to charge much more to customers arriving at the counter, who had not made reservations.

This ridiculous episode cost us several hours of our holiday, and made getting to our rebooked destination difficult. We only got there because Europecar did not have ANY issue with my drivers' license, and rented to me (predictably) at a higher rate than we had secured at Thrifty.

Dear Thrifty: You know how to take the reservation. You just don't know how to keep the reservation. And that's really the important part of the reservation, the keeping. Anybody can just take them....

A particular should out to the agent I dealt with. His attitude was as dismissive as can be. Terrible attitude and a very poor face of the company.

Thrifty has lost another customer. This episode is absolutely intolerable and having read some other reviews here, it seems my experience was not an "isolated incident."

Outrageous scam. The hire desk official at Malaga airport LIED when asked what a sum on my credit card was blocked out for. Turns out it was insurance supercover but she explicitly lied and said it was in case the car was returned without a full tank of fuel. I had alternative excess insurance in place so told her we didn't need Thrifty's own cover. I will be demanding a refund but would advise others to never use them in future.

DO NOT USE THESE SCAMMERS! Here is my experience from Malaga airport...
No one had made me aware of the extra insurance that has been added to my order when I collected the car. They have added it there without my permission as I had pre-paid for my booking at the time of making the reservation. No discussion had taken place about any extras and I did not give any permission to take any extra amount from my credit card other than blocking the funds for deposit. Yet, they have still taken the funds from my card for insurance that I had never taken!

The service was incredible good not only at the beginning of our journey but also at the end when we returned our car. Zaafar was very helpful and kind. Without hesitation for next time we will count on this Company again. Thanks a lot!

I had a car reserved at John Wayne airport. When I got there was told they out of vehicles and to come back 3 to 4 hrs later. I went to another vendor and rented a car. I would never recommend thrifty to anyone..

I had no idea Thrifty and Expedia had such a bad reputation until I came here to leave this review.

Booked a car rental in USA via Expedia, with Thrifty - "paid in full" receipt from Expedia was for $603. I don't think that money ever hit my credit card - it was just pending. But 3 other charges DID hit my credit card, between Expedia and Hertz, totally $855.

That's a 42% difference between what was agreed, and what was ultimately charged.

Expedia Customer support said "there are local mandatory charges which we don't know in advance" - and on close inspection of the small print (no one reads the small print!) this is stated - but a 42% difference? If it isn't illegal, it is certainly unethical.

Expedia agreed to query the excess charges with Thrifty, and Thrifty claimed that I changed the terms of my contract prior to collecting the car - which is 100% false.

Thrifty emailed me a few days before the collection date urging me to "check in online to avoid the lines" - which I did...but in reality it was just an opportunity for them to upsell me on every possible aspect (upgrade/pre-pay gas/toll pass/car seat...etc. etc. I declined the ALL).

At no point did I change my contract - yet somehow on the last screen of this tedious process I was met with a receipt - for a new total - which I never agreed to paying! When I queried it all with Thrifty desk collecting my car, they pointed me to Expedia saying it wasn't them (also trying to tell me the full insurance I paid Expedia for wasn't valid!)

I'll never use either of them again.

Very Disappointing Experience — Would Never Rent from Thrifty Again

My experience with Thrifty was absolutely terrible from beginning to end. The customer service was some of the worst I have ever experienced. The woman assisting me was extremely rude and unwelcoming. I felt like I was a burden simply because I was asking questions about my rental. Her answers were very sharp, and there was no courtesy, friendliness, or even a simple smile.

Unfortunately, the car itself was just as disappointing. It was dirty, had not been properly vacuumed, the seats were ripped, and there was no windshield washer fluid. These are basic things I would expect to be taken care of before handing a vehicle to a customer.

On top of all of that, the final pricing was completely different from what I had been quoted in my reservation, which made the experience even more frustrating.

Overall, this was an extremely poor experience. From the customer service to the condition of the vehicle and the unexpected pricing, everything was disappointing. I would never rent from Thrifty again, and I would absolutely not recommend Thrifty to anyone I know.

I am writing to formally complain about the unacceptable experience I had at your Logan International Airport (Boston) location on August 7, 2026, under Rental Record #830840651.
What should have been a simple vehicle pickup became a five-hour ordeal that ruined a significant portion of my family trip.

Upon arrival, I waited approximately three hours in line before reaching the counter. After finally being assisted, I was directed to the garage where I waited an additional two hours before receiving a vehicle. During much of this time, customers were left waiting in temperatures approaching 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

This situation was especially difficult for me because I am a kidney transplant recipient. Standing and waiting for extended periods in extreme heat is not merely an inconvenience; it presents legitimate health concerns. No customer should be subjected to these conditions, especially someone with a medical history that makes heat exposure a serious issue.

To make matters worse, after enduring more than five hours of delays, I was eventually provided with the wrong vehicle, which added further frustration to an already unacceptable experience.
The most disappointing aspect of this experience is the time that can never be recovered. I traveled to spend time with my family, yet instead of enjoying the first day of my trip, I spent over five hours standing in lines and waiting in a hot parking garage for a rental car. That lost time is something no compensation can fully restore.

I find it difficult to understand how any company can believe that making customers wait five hours for a rental vehicle is acceptable under any circumstance. The combination of excessive delays, extreme heat, poor communication, and ultimately receiving the wrong vehicle reflects a complete failure of customer service and operational planning.
Accordingly, I am requesting a full refund of all charges associated with this rental.

I hope Thrifty chooses to resolve this matter promptly and professionally. However, if this issue is not addressed satisfactorily, I am prepared to pursue all available remedies, including filing complaints with consumer protection agencies, sharing my experience publicly, and seeking legal counsel regarding the circumstances of this incident.
I look forward to your prompt response.

I am extremely disappointed with my experience with Thrifty at Denver Airport. The car itself was good, but unfortunately the way the rental was handled and the charges applied completely overshadowed that.

At pickup, I was advised that using toll lanes would cost $14 per day. I was hiring the car for 18 days and explained that I expected to use toll lanes for only around two days. Despite this, I was sold the toll package for the entire 18-day rental at approximately $299. This was not made clear to me in a way that allowed me to make an informed decision, and I feel I was mis-sold this additional charge.

The fuel arrangements were also extremely confusing. The contract I signed stated that the car should be returned with a full tank. However, at Denver Airport I had already been charged for a full tank and was then told to return the car empty. Again, the information provided at different stages of the rental was contradictory.

I also paid for a second driver, but the charges and terms surrounding this were not clearly explained at pickup.

What made the experience even worse was the amount of time I then had to spend trying to resolve these issues. I spent over an hour on calls to customer service, including charges and extensive waiting, during the first two days of what was supposed to be a family holiday. Customer service initially appeared helpful and told me that the relevant charges would be credited when I returned the car. I was even given a reference number confirming this.

However, when I returned the car, the Denver Airport office apparently had no record of the conversation or reference number, and I was told that not all of the charges could be credited. I again tried to contact customer service from the airport, but once again the airport office did not answer.

It is incredibly frustrating to be told one thing by customer service, given a reference number as confirmation, and then find that this apparently means nothing when you return the vehicle.

The car itself was excellent, but that was down to the manufacturer rather than Thrifty.

Overall, I found the sales process at pickup to be unclear and the additional charges were not explained transparently. The result was that I spent a significant part of the first two days of my holiday trying to resolve rental charges instead of enjoying the trip.

I would strongly recommend checking every additional charge very carefully before signing anything with Thrifty. Based on my experience, I will never use Thrifty again and would not recommend them to others.

We were totally overcharged and did not get our deposit back.
Do not use this company!
I wish I would have read all of the negative reviews.

rented on 7/30 from PHX airport and returned to PHX airport 8/5 and have still yet to see an authorization released on credit card for $200 and it is 8/20 today??? I have made 3 calls to thrifty and have yet to fix so here we are.

The worst experience, Ive ever had with a rental company. Ordered a economy car they said they had to up grade me to a compact. They give me a kia soul with118,000 miles on it. Very dirty and runs like crap. I would of returned it but I was on a tight schedule. Needless to say they charged me an extra $200 for an "Upgrade" I called thrifty and emailed, received no satisfaction. I would never use this company ever again.

they stole my cpap machine at SLC airport
tried for three days to get someone on the phone only recourse was to file on line lost and found which i did 1 hour after returning vehicle
unreachable customer service after return