Complaint Review: Advantage Rent-A-Car - Denver Colorado

I rented a vehicle from Advantage Rent-A-Car on December 5th, 2015, at the Denver International Airport location.  Prior, I had requested a compact car.  When I arrived around 11 PM, I was greeted by a Black, female employee.  Her demeanor was very rude, to say the least. 

Upon completion of the contractual paperwork, I was issued a car located in lot parking spot #315.  Although the vehicle was supposed to be a compact Hyundai, it was a mid-sized Chevrolet.  The gas tank was only ½ full.  When I went back inside and advised the female employee, she stated to me that I could either change vehicles or bring the car back with the gas gauge at ½.  I chose the latter.

When I attempted to leave the lot, the male lot attendant at the security gate would not allow me to leave since my contract stated a Hyundai, and not a Chevrolet.  I backed up the vehicle and proceeded into the office area.  When I walked into the office area, I requested to speak to the manager.  Upon hearing this, the female employee became very irate and began screaming and stated the manager was not there.  The office manager ran out of his office and to my location.

The office manager (a Hispanic male) offered to give me an upgrade due to the circumstances.  He advised me that he would give me a Chevrolet Suburban at the same agreed contractual price ($53.53).  He exited the office and drove the vehicle to the side of the office.  When he exited the vehicle, he stated to me that the tank was only ¾ full and that I needed to bring it back at ¾.

I, again, attempted to leave the lot and was met by the same male lot attendant.  I handed him my contract and vehicle checkout form.  I advised him that the tank was only ¾ full.  He looked at the gauge and circled the ¾ number on the form.  I signed the form and he handed me the yellow and pink copies.

On December 8th, 2015, at approximately 4 PM, I returned the vehicle to Advantage Rent-A-Car.  I was greeted by a female, Hispanic employee.  She used a hand-held scanner to check the vehicle back in.  She showed me a pop-up screen on the scanner which stated that I agreed to bring the vehicle back ½ filled with gasoline.  She advised me if that was correct, to press the “OK” button.  I advised her that the vehicle was actually just under ¾ full when I picked it up, and I returned it with just over ¾ full.  She looked at the gauge and acknowledged that what I had stated was true.  She said I would receive an email of the estimated charges of $53.53 in the near future.

While looking at my emails on December 9th, 2015, I viewed an email from Advantage stating they had charged me a total of $131.96.  Apparently, in addition to the $53.53, they charged me a refueling fee of $69.67.

I tried to contact the Advantage Rental Car office in Denver but all their voice message boxes were full.  I called several times but no one would pick up the phone.  I eventually contacted the national customer service line and was connected to Edgar Cruz.  He took my information and I emailed him the paper slip that stated the vehicle was 3/4 full.  Eventually, I received an email from Advantage stating they were going to credit back my credit card for the fueling fee.

In conclusion,  I would highly recommend you stay away from these a*s clowns.  Advantage may be a little cheaper than the bigger, rental car chains but the hassle is not worth the discount.  It is one of the most unprofessional companies I have ever encountered.  The only reason it is not getting a 1 star is because of the Denver manager and the assistance I received from Edgar Cruz.  If you have any question regarding the professionalism of this company, just take a look at the other reviews on Yelp.