Advantage Auto Rental, Oakland, CA
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Advantage Auto Rental, Oakland, CA
It was my misfortune to have made reservations to rent a mid-sized car from this group, starting on Tuesday, July 30, 2013. When I arrived, mid-afternoon, there were no vehicles available and my name was added to a list of patrons waiting for one. I was particularly concerned because I had a destination several hours away that I wished to reach before sunset. More than an hour later, my name came up and I got whatever car was turned in at that moment. It happened to be a full-sized Nissan and I was promised that I would get it at the price of the mid-sized, plus an additional discount. I made it to my destination, right at 8 p.m., sunset. What I am complaining about is the bare bones operation of Advantage Auto Rental, which I learned from several sources, frequently does not have vehicles available for clients when they arrive and the haphazard management style in which numerous personnel wander in and out, clueless of company policy and procedure. Men and women personnel had to call some superior office to get instructions on how to handle my case (mid-size to full-sized); they didn't get the answers and told me that it would be settled when I returned. When I returned, there was more confusion, but finally I was charged for the cost of the mid-sized car, no additional discount. I was just glad to get out of there. I want to commend one employee, however. That is Rose. She did not have all the answers, but she was helpful and pleasant. ZZ
#2
Join Date: May 2003
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That is why I much prefer going with the major car rental companies. Not to say it can't help with one of them, but they usually have a much bigger fleet to work with at nearby locations. Sometimes price alone isn't the sole factor.
http://www.pissedconsumer.com/review...ar-rental.html
http://www.pissedconsumer.com/review...ar-rental.html
#3
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I wish I had known of this Web site before I made arrangements for auto rental. I have told only part of the story of my dealings with Advantage, so, now, I am even more fearful than before of the final outcome of an incident that occurred in the pitch black at Sequoia NP. Mistaking a paved walkway for the paved road leading to the guest quarters at Wuksachi Lodge, I scraped the the skirt under the left front bumper on a gravel dip just in front of the walkway. Employees at Advantage jumped all over me (figuratively speaking) when I returned the car, talked seriously about the damage I had done, and made me fill out an insurance form. I hate to think what is coming next. ZZ
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Sorry to hear about your experience. I had a couple of rentals from Advantage out of Albuquerque that were totally satisfactory. I usually use Hertz, though, because with my small business discount the price generally is very competitive.
#5
They've gone through a lot of ownership changes...I rented from them last year when they were owned by Hertz and everything went pretty smoothly.
The overbooking can happen with any car company however. I remember the Hertz nightmare stories after Hurricane Sandy when lots of people were returning their cars a week late.
The overbooking can happen with any car company however. I remember the Hertz nightmare stories after Hurricane Sandy when lots of people were returning their cars a week late.