Payless Car Rental Reviews 409

Total bait and switch. 5 weeks in advance I reserved (and prepaid) a "Nissan Maxima or equivalent" for a five day rental. The prepaid rate was 43/day plus all the BS tacked on fees. We arrive at the airport and I'm told "we don't have a Maxima available, I can offer you a Chevy Malibu." I said "do you think that's equivalent to a Maxima?" I said I needed 5 belts and a trunk big enough for 3 large suitcases. They tried to upsell me on a Chrysler mini van (63 per day extra!). I ended up paying 40/day extra for a TOTALLY beat to crap--I mean a real fright pig--Dodge Journey. These guys were literally laughing at me at the counter as I tried to argue. In the lot they were exceptionally rude. The car was an complete embarrassment that drove even worse than it looked. This rental cost me close to double the original booked price. Don't patronize these jerks, they're THE WORST company I've dealt with! I am a frequent renter in San Diego and I'll never go there again. I'd give zero stars if it was an option.

Worst car ever! We paid for a mid-size and got a subcompact 80,000 mile+ beater. I wonder if it is because we did not opt into the extra insurance, which we already have. Even the levers on the vent were missing and the hub caps were mismatched. We wondered if the car would break down before we returned it.

Scammers

There was no one to greet me in the middle of the night as I arrived at 2 30 AM, and when I called , they told me I don't have a reservation but they can offer me a car for rent "from their side"..
As I don't live in the city, I had to take an uber that costed me a lot.
After several calls the next day someone answered from a noisy location and I could hear the phone being passed around from. somewhere in traffic.

After checking again they said the car request went to a different city miles away, even tho it was clearly stated on my voucher Bucharest OTP.
Than they blamed Economy Bookings, the site I used, saying they sent the request to a different city because their OTP location was already closed for online reservations.

I figured they do this sneaky tricks in summer because it is busy season, and they hope to rent cars for higher prices causing stress to clients. Do Not Rent From Them.

After telling them I was offered a car the previous night even tho they told me I had no reservation, I was told in a rude manner that I either come and pick up the car at that time, and they will scratch one day as a form of refund or they will reject the request from Economy Bookings. Of course I refused.
This is the usual rude way of treating customers in Romania. I don’t take deals from scammers.

They should stop trying to play tricks on people, and send their staff to training or even primary school in order to teach them how to talk to a client, or teach them company policy, replace them or chose down in my opinion.

Avoid them at a huge distance
Payless now Pay more later
that's what the full name should be
They blocked 350 Euro from my card for made-up cases that had no basis in reality.
1. I asked three times by e-mail what does it mean if the interior is dirty? Ignorance without interpretation.
They charged 100 Euro only for crumbs on the floor and a napkin, which can be vacuumed in 5 seconds (photo attached).
Crumbs or sand do not permanently pollute the car and require specialized cleaning!!! Vacuuming and dusting is standard in every car rental company.
2. That's why they deliberately removed the car floor mats in every car so you couldn't shake it off yourself.
3. If you return the car during the hours when the office is closed and you do not have the opportunity to return and inspect the car with the employee, be aware that they will charge you for everything that will bring them additional income, preferably up to 500 Euro, because it is a pity that cannot be dealt with you can go to court in Slovak Republic.
4. But luckily I booked the car through Ryanair and abroad such matters are dealt with in the Small Court and I will not hesitate to sue them.
Documents and photos with date and time will have to be shown and compared with mine and the interpretation of the regulations regarding crumbs on the floor explained.
5. They show me photo evidence of the "damaged", but it was only a dirty alloy rim, which did not even come from the car I rented, and they charged me 250 Euro, as if its complete replacement was required (photo attached).
I sent 3 e-mails requesting to show information about the history of the photo, date, time and view of the entire car, not just the alloy rim - it was ignored. It's like writing to a wall. You won't get anything from them because they have fabricated evidence and interpretations.
The photo is a mistake or a deliberate scam, because I have my own, which does not match their photo. The screws and the Renault emblem are arranged completely differently.
6. The customer service level is terrible, I had to personally explain the matter, show photos, see their documentation from the protocol, I was chased away by the manager and treated very badly.
5. They won't pay you a taxi to get to the terminal because their base is outside the airport.
Only inconveniences and artificial problems. They don't even deserve 1 star.
Payless now Pay more later

This is hands down the worst experience I have ever had with a car rental company. When we picked up the car the first thing we noticed was how dirty the outside of the vehicle was. As we were driving on the highway and the sun shined on the mirrors, I was instantly blinded. I could not see out of any window or mirror. They look like they were all wiped with dirty oiled rags. Once we were out of the vehicle and did a more thorough look at the car we noticed it looked like someone had gotten sick out of the back window. The second thing we noticed was the pungent smell of cigarette smoke. ] & proceeded to tell me I needed to go to a location 4+ hours away.I tried calling multiple times throughout this entire process to get resolved.i finally spoke to a manager that said I could call the roadside number & they would bring a vehicle to me.I called roadside they stated it's up to the roadside people if they want to take the time & do the switch, however, I would be charged for it.this is very concerning to me that companies like this still exist today, especially when it was offered through perks at work.Ended up calling co 9Xs on vacation & have yet to get a resolution. Have photos to support

Rented from Payless through my Delta app thinking it would be a seamless transaction. Never again. Payless is poorly managed, makes it hard to get to customer service, and when they say the problem is resolved, you find out days later that it really wasn’t. I had a one day meeting in Brooklyn. Landed at 8 am, rented a Tesla but picked up another electric car because they didn’t have any Teslas. Fine. Received a receipt of “expected charges for my 14 hour rental and I was on my way. Returned to JFK at 6 pm and was told to leave the car with the keys inside behind a line of other Payless cars being returned. I even cleaned out my car! Boarded my flight at 7:30 pm. 3 days later received a receipt showing I had added 2 additional days and therefore my $78 one day rental was now $250 three day rental. Two phone calls and emails to customer service showing I had boarded my flight (I had to send proof from my Delta miles page to show I actually took the return flight instead of staying in Brooklyn driving around the electric car for 2 extra days). After all this and one week later I get an “Updated Receipt” with the 2 extra days still showing and the $250 on the final total. So that means another call to Payless tomorrow to try to get the fixed. Warning. Stay Away!!! I’ll return to Sixt for all my rental needs.

I was charged a cleaning fee, and I have pictures of the inside of the car showing there was no excessive dirt inside it. We actually cleaned a door full of candy wrappers out when we received the van since it had not been cleaned prior to us receiving the car. While in Denver, it snowed around 12 inches, so we were not hiking on any trails or outdoor activities due to the weather. I've spoken with a customer service rep and she was going to send me pictures of the dirt inside but failed to send them. Payless did send over an email and when speaking with them they told me I needed to call the phone number listed in the email which there isn't one and then was told I needed to speak with "Nora Henry- Payless Operations Team" but no one could provide me with an extension number for her. They did, however, charge my credit card for $250.00!! Please contact me about this matter

Terrible service
Used the Dublin branch.
Unexpected bill for fuel tank not being full. No mention at the time of handing the car back (& it had been filled to max just round the corner).
Customer service repeatedly ask for same info over & over again (despite having it all on their system already) - clearly a delay tactic. Then ultimately parrot back to you what you’ve already told them & do nothing.
Awful customer service. Would not use again or recommend.

They tried to scam us at Podgorica airport. We booked online but when we wanted to pick up the car they tried to charge us 400€ as deposit of which we were supposed to only get 200€ back. Upon complain they just started ranting about the minimum wage difference between Montenegro and European countries. Don’t recommend!

very bad experience at payless san diego charging extra 200$ for employee false information never trust them worst car rent experience ever

HORRIBLE!!! I rented from Payless at Orlando Airport and it smelled like Marijuana BAD! Even the attendant helping us load the baggage was horrified!!! We mentioned it as we left and yes we shouldn't of left BUT we were on a tight schedule and had to be 2 hours away for the week we were in Florida. My 2nd contact with Payless was when I called after we reached our destination, again to complain about the smell of the vehicle. I requested a location close by to exchange, I was told there was nothing I had to drive back 2 hours to return. Again, we were on a work schedule that didn't allow a drive back. I was informed to make a complaint on the payless customer portal. I did that and explained the smell and even the note that showed a person said it was good to go!!! Obviously they are marijuana dealers because it was VERY STRONG there is no way it was clean! I never got a response from my online complaint. I return the vehicle after 7 days and it STILL SMELLS!! I inform the person when we return it and even go to the customer service desk. They basically say in their unprofessional tone, we drove off the lot so we assumed the smell!!! Today I get a letter in the mail stating that I am being charged $250 for cleaning due to the SMELL!!!!! OMG REALLY!!! What is wrong with you people? I should be getting a letter stating we are getting a complimentary 7 day rental!!! THIS IS HORRIBLE SERVICE!!!

This company and its workers are horrible! After waiting in line for 2 hours to get a car, I was told it would be pulled up front. The car never came! I went back into the place to see what was going on and they were unhelpful, rude. They finally told me to go get a car in a certain slot in the parking lot with no direction to the whereabouts of this car! It was pouring rain! And the lot is very large. This was in the west palm beach Florida location. If u book online for a certain amount plan on that price doubling when u go to check in!

This is a VERY DISHONEST company. If you rent from them because of their title “Payless”, you have been fooled and deserve it. It should be called “pay more” because they are in business to steal your money and don’t need a gun to do so. We rented a super small size car at San Diego airport on October 6, 2023. The contract had all the fees entered and proper boxes checked. Their TRICK is outright theft. Looking at the preprinted contract you initial and decline “rental liability” and “supplemental liability “. Then, here is the scam, right above all that, “CDW” collision damage waiver, by initialing you are accepting this bogus insurance. So you initial it as declining below, then initial as “accepting” above. Righteous scumbags.
After agreeing to pay $405.33, upon return the new charge was $873.52. Yeah, double because you initial that you wanted this CDW. I have dealt with cons all my life and Payless car rental is #1. I threatened bodily harm if my money was not returned within 48 hours and lo and behold— Payless decided spending 5 hours at the emergency room was not worth $400.00. Can you imagine 4 days rental of a mini size car was $800.00.
Here is your remedy. Call your bank, tell them it’s an unauthorized charge, your bank will close that debt / credit card immediately, Payless gets nothing and you’ll get a new card within 5 days. You got them by the “cajoles”. Then Payless will call you and apologize for the “accounting error by a new employee” and charge you the proper amount. You tell them to shove it where the sun does not shine.
Bottom line: DON’T EVER RENT FROM PAYLESS CAR RENTAL. GIVE THEM CASH FOR YOUR INITIAL RENTAL WITH A CC FOR INCIDENTALS SO YOU DON’T GET SCREWED. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING.

I rent a car from Payless through Expedia for $120 for two days. When I went to the counter to get the car they gave me another contract and another with different price than the reservation. The agent was not helpful and he was just trying to complete the process quickly without paying attention to my concerns about the costs. When I returned the car, they emailed me a bill of 370$ with too many detailed expenses that I never were aware of them. Also, I filled up the tank when I returned the car, but they charged me for the gas too. I would say never rent a car from this company because I consider this as a cheating/fraud and just stealing people's money in a gentle and formal manner. I am totally disappointed about this rental company and would never recommend it to customers like me especially who are travelling internationally.

Absolutely horrible experience! Don’t rent a car from this company in Bratislava. They will steal your money we have been scammed €900 for a small scratch on a rim which we did not do since the van was full of damages
Payless….more like you pay more since they do not offer you insurance claiming they do not offer such a service and then they charge you for damages that were already their ! And when sending them proof that these scratches were already their showing the time they kept saying that photos could be edited and said that were not taken in their parking lot, eventhough the photos we took were clear that it was the same parking lot! Their excuse was that the time of the photos were 20 minutes apart! The reason that the photos were 20 minutes apart was because we had a problem to move the seats and when we asked their staff to assist he just told us to check on youtube!! Please note that the same person that assisted us told us we had nothing to worry about because the van was full of scratches and then for a small scratch on the rim that was already their they charged us 900 euros! Do not use payless because they just steal your money!

Payless car rental in Bratislava….more like you pay more since they do not offer you insurance claiming they do not offer such a service and then they charge you for damages that were already their ! And when sending them proof that these scratches were already their showing the time they kept saying that photos could be edited and said that were not taken in their parking lot, eventhough the photos we took were clear that it was the same parking lot! Their excuse was that the time of the photos were 20 minutes apart! The reason that the photos were 20 minutes apart was because we had a problem to move the seats and when we asked their staff to assist he just told us to check on youtube!! Please note that the same person that assisted us told us we had nothing to worry about because the van was full of scratches and then for a small scratch on the rim that was already their they charged us 900 euros! Do not use payless because they just steal your money!

Ripoff at San Diego CA airport where m y Premier card insurance was refuse and I was charged 350$ for a weeks insurance.

WARNING!!! SCAM !!! RUN AWAY!!!
Payless / Avis car rental company uses abusive practices to steal your deposit and more.

Prices are low to trap you!!!
You will never get your deposit back 900€ + additionnal 100€, for completely ridiculous reasons (rain water stains, micro scratches on rims and bumpers, etc).
Payless / Avis = Worst car rental company in the world
=> SCAM

Rent elsewhere but never ever in this company!

Very disappointed by the whole experience. I arrived at the airport and called right away to collect the car - they left me there waiting for 50 mins. Then they made me aware that I have to drop the car off to a different location and get a taxi back to the airport- no reimbursement whatsoever…
After I returned the car they blamed me that I scratched the car - I 100% didn’t scratch it, however they charged me 150€ for it…
Absolutely ridiculous and never again!!!!

About a week after returning the rental car I received a letter from Payless stating that my credit card would be charged $450.00 because of the presence of a smoke smell. I do not smoke! This is not legitimate and I wonder how many other people have been hit with this scam.