Complaint Review: 699 RentACar

Shocking & Disgusting

On August 14th 2018 I decided to rent a car. I've done it dozens of times. All, without exception, were pleasant experiences.

My unfortunate encounter with the 699RentaCar agency however, was easily the sleaziest, most unethical, shockingly stupid and discusting experience I've ever had.

I had a quick and dirty errand to run I did not want to use my car for. I went online found "cheapest rental car" made the reservation online, downloaded then printed the two-page confirmation receipt.

It outlined everything, with the total amount highlighted and explicitly stated: $48 (to include $19 dollars for basic liability). Great.

Until I went to pick up the car.

I grew up in S. Central LA, but this hood was, even for me, sketchy: bums and vagrants passed out on the sidewalk, 'whatchu need?' drug dealers aggressively approaching you in the middle of the day kind of sketchy.

I was told the tank was 7/8th full. All the car agencies do this. It's petty and unethical, I think. Why not just give you a full tank of gas?

Unlike every other agency I've ever dealt with however, when I got in the car the needle did not even go half way. But since I was already late, I let it go, intending to address the matter later. It was a sub-compact, I was driving less than twenty miles. No big deal.

I was halfway down the street when I noticed the "check engine" light was on. I was just glad I had AAA because at this point I had no real choice.

I return the car the next day with the tank just one tick shy of full. So you can imagine my surprise when the rude, poorly dressed, unpleasant looking woman I was turning the car over to accused me of not putting enough gas in the car.

'They're 'going to shaft you for that' she said. 'are you sure you don't want to go down the street and put more gas in?

She then started to actually raise her voice argumentatively, once again threatening me.

Since I'd just put twenty dollars in the car, that was not even a consideration.

When she continued to be argumentative and hostile, I simply left.

They had my credit card information on file. I could have left the key in the mail slot.

I'm still surprised at how shocked I was when learning they actually charged my Amex card for $117.00!

That's more than $70, for a subcompact car I drove less than 20 miles yet still put $20 in the tank.

This despite my having the print out outlining explicitly the exact amount it should have been.

I saw no sense in contacting them again, just disputed the charge with Amex. I will update this review with the final resolution.

More than anything however, I wanted to let people know what happened to me.

This is an awful company with cars that are at best mechanically suspicious. And they seem to have no qualms at all disrespecting, trying to intimidate, exploit or treating people badly.

I suspect they know from experience, this is the one and only time you will ever be there.

There are literally thousands of car rental agencies. NOBODY should be treated this way under any circumstances.

It's weird to have had such an ugly experience over a car rental.

Again, my life has probably been more interesting than most. But this is without question the sleaziest, most unethical, shockingly stupid and disgusting experience I've ever had.

Update: I of course disputed the additional $70 charge with Amex.

They falsely claimed not that I returned the car with an inadequate amount of gas in the tank, but that I'd returned it late.

Thankfully since I knew what sleazy pigs they were by then I snapped a pic on my smart phone of the clock in their office when I returned the car.

After presenting presenting this proof, Amex awarded me a full refund in its entirety.

AVOID THIS SLEAZY UNETHICAL AGENCY LIKE THE PLAGUE.