Payless Car Rental

Approval Rate: 40%

40%Approval ratio

Reviews 46

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  • by

    speirsy11

    Wed Aug 22 2012

    I have to say, I have never had such a negative experience dealing with a rental car company in my entire life. Specifically: 1. The "Toronto Airport" location is a misnomer. I'm ok with using off site rental locations but having to walk to a train station, take that train 3 stops to a parking lot, call from a phone located in that station and then wait 20 minutes for the shuttle to pick me up for the 10 minute drive to the office is outside of acceptable especially when travelling with family (more on that later). 2. "Luxury Car". I'm willing to let you get away with calling a Chrysler 300 a luxury car but a Ford Flex is NOT a luxury anything, anywhere in the developed world. It is a mediocre SUV that looks like a bread truck. Had I wanted an SUV of any kind I would have booked one; I wanted a car and was told that the only car I could have was a Ford Taurus (again, NOT a luxury car). 3. This is far and away the most important issue. Long commute and garbage vehicle aside when some... Read more

  • by

    leah_warren

    Thu May 26 2011

    Yrented a vehicle through Travelocity with Payless in Los Angeles on April 20, 2011. Shuttle bus at LAX gave us a ride to Payless office. We were pressured into paying for more insurance even though we were covered through our Platium Mastercard. We had an attendant check the car for dents and scratches; then we left on a 14 day road trip around California, Arizona and Nevada. We had travelled to Northern Arizona when to our amazement, the 2 front tires had wire exposed! Obviously, the tires were not inspected when we left Payless. We called customer service; we were asked to send photos- which we did, and waited all day for a replacement vehicle to arrive from Phoenix. Upon arrival at Payless counter, at the day of our departure, we wanted to meet with the manager to express our disgust at having a vehicle which endangered our lives, but the manager refused to see us. We were pressed for time and had to leave for LAX. What a disappointment! This was our first and last time to ren... Read more

  • by

    mstaud

    Wed Mar 09 2011

    If I could give this zero stars I would. I rented in tampa, fl and I got the worst customer service of my rental car experiences, not to mention the price was much higher than quoted. DO NOT RENT FROM PAYLESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • by

    somebodyshould_know

    Mon Feb 14 2011

    Where do I begin? We booked our reservation through Expedia, and I was more than happy with the rate I was given (around $80). We get to Las Vegas from my hometown of Mobile and are shuttled to the rental depot. Upon arriving there, a young lady is conversing with a man who was obviously from a foreign country, and they were having great difficulty understanding each other. The other gentlemen (and I am being EXTREMELY polite in calling them that) were laughing at the exchange. I remember thinking "is this not an international airport?" and "why is this funny?", and "don't you have some interpreter or service available for situations such as this?" Anyway, we sign our contract and are on our way. Oddly, I did not look at the contract amount until after I had signed it, and yes, I know better but was in a hurry to get to the wedding we were there to attend. By the time we got to the actual car pick-up area, I'd seen the contract amount; it was $300 - $220 more than the rate I ... Read more

  • by

    coalminecanari_e

    Tue Jan 04 2011

    I have rented at least 30 cars over the past 5 years and have always thought rental car companies were all the same--after all, they don't make the cars and usually have the same make/model vehicles on the lot. The only difference is price, right? Payless finally proved me wrong. The vehicle had more than 66K miles on it, very big scratches on the rear bumper and literaly a hole cut out in the upholstery of the roof to accomodate what looked like an after-market switch for the sunroof (I actually wish I could have taken a picture to show to my friends). But, I didn't really care. Even 90K miles wouldn't have phased me as long as the vehicle drove ok (which it did). I am writing this review for two reasons: 1) the extremely poor level of service I received while renting the vehicle and 2) the terrible and unclear rental policies Payless has. 1) After waiting for 15 minutes before a shuttle picked me up at the (Denver International) airport (as 2-3 shuttles from every other company p... Read more

  • by

    seanjb

    Sun Jan 02 2011

    It's the the WORST car rental I've ever experienced in my life. The staff are rude. Their airport pickup is not guaranteed (only if they feel like it, or they may ask you to go figure out some other shuttle that goes to a hotel which is close to their location). They over charge as much as they can (insurance is required, and only MasterCard insurance is not enough for them, so they charge you insurance). for airport pick up they charge a fee in form of "their airport tax", that is separate than "airport fee and taxes". Full size, mid size, compact car is exactly the same: Toyota Corolla or similar. It works if you're looking for mis size or compact car, but if you want a full size car, good luck getting it from them (even though you reserve for full size), and good luck fitting 5 adult and 2 suitcases in corolla! I returned the car at 10AM (my drop off), they made me wait for the guy to get off the phone for 20MIN,20 min no kidding, and then there was an extra $17 charge for ext... Read more

  • by

    jackmehoffer

    Sat Jan 01 2011

    Please don't make the mistake that I made and use Payless Car Rental at the Orlando International Airport (MCO). This was the WORST car rental experience that I have every had. In searching for car rental rates for our trip to Orlando I saw a company called Payless, who we had never used, had the best rate. So I booked online, reserved the lowest priced car and we made our way to Florida. I called their local office before we left to find out about how they run their shuttles from the airport to their off-site location. I was told that they have shuttles coming through every 10-15 minutes, but we could also call when picking up our baggage. So that's what I did. We got our bags and I gave them a call. We then went outside and WAITED and watched all of the other big-name companies shuttles come and go several times with no sign of Payless in sight. I called a second time and then after a total of 45-50 minutes their shuttle finally came. So we get to their dirty office and stand i... Read more

  • by

    mary_erwin

    Thu Dec 23 2010

    1 stars (put your rating here! 1-5 This is the worst car company ever. I tried to rent a car at the Tampa location where I was told I needed to provide proof of a type of insurance coverage. While I tried to look at my policy on my mobile to see if I have the coverage the manager who was helping me was berating me telling me that it wasn't going to include it. I asked him to just give me a moment to check and he refused to stop harassing me stating that I was "telling him how to do his job" huh?! He continued lecturing me while his coworkers laughed and then told me me that they were refusing to rent to me. I still can't believe the level of unprofessionalism, although I can't say I should be surprised given the shoddy appearance of the offices and bad attitude of the employees. Payless may offer lower prices but I can see why. Do yourself a favor and pay the extra money to rent elsewhere. I left and went to another company at the airport that rented to me quickly and in a courteous ... Read more

  • by

    michael_richman

    Thu Dec 09 2010

    DO NOT RENT FROM PAYLESS -- especially in Orlando! I echo other people's negative reviews of Payless. My experience today in Orlando: 1) Payless is the ONLY rental car company for Orlando International Airport located offsite. All the rest are right there in the airport. 2) We waited 20 minutes for the shuttle after having a hard time finding out where to actually wait for the shuttle. I spoke to them 3 times trying to get clarification. 4 of the times I called, their line was busy. 3) Their location is a good 3 miles from the airport. 4) Their shuttle bus has no seat belts -- a concern for us with a 4-year-old. 5) Once at Payless, it seemed every customer at the counter was arguing with them about the insurance needed. They try to hard sell you and rip you off. 6) Their agreement has things like, "if the car is stolen or damaged, there is an automatic $350 charge and you pay the daily rental for repair or recovery until the car is brought back into service." 7) After completi... Read more

  • by

    dcgatorgal

    Sat Nov 27 2010

    Stay Away! Price is Too Good To Be True!! The price seemed too good to be true, I should have trusted my gut. I reserved a car with Payless in Tampa at the last minute, so I didn’t do my research on the company ahead of time. I’m writing this review because of the high pressure, scare tactics used by the staff and my suspicions of “fine print” scams that motivated me to walk out without the car. When I get to the counter at the off-site location a mile from the airport not indicated when I reserved, the guy seemed nice enough. He went through the company insurance options—seemed like the usual schtick that I always decline. He insisted that I needed it because my insurance company wouldn’t cover everything, specifically the rental cost while the car was being repaired if I was in an accident. He insisted that because Florida was a no fault state I need their insurance (I lived in Florida for 6 years…I know the deal.) We went back and forth and finally he gave in that I didn’t ... Read more

  • by

    jill_wible

    Tue Nov 09 2010

    0 stars I decided to look for an alternative in renting a car in Orlando. Rather than settling for the "higher priced" well known companies, I decided to give Payless a try. Frankly, I felt alittle smug in getting the so-called great deal I was quoted! I had found a place that would rent you a mid size car for over $100 less than what the other companies had quoted me. Was I wrong! We didn't save money, we ended up paying more. I have read through 25 reviews, and most of us had the same experience. And yes, because we refused to buy their insurance (I had called my insurance company before I left and found we were covered and did not need to purchase additional insurance) they were going to charge us an additional $17 a day or take $350 from our credit card to cover any "damage" we might do. Essentially it cost us an additional $350 because we could not get it back until the car was returned. We were horrified, how can that be legal??? We got a really poor car in that it was a Mi... Read more

  • by

    niina5e3

    Sun Oct 31 2010

    DO NOT rent a car from this company!!! They really are terrible. They are rude and just plain dumb!! We made a reservation online with our flight we were told one price and when we got there it was completely different. They also didn't have the car we reserved. I will NEVER use this place again!!!

  • by

    pedrohanson

    Wed Oct 27 2010

    At Payless you will Pay More! I reserved a car through Orbitz at Las Vegas Nevada. The original quote said it would cost $157, but when I picked up the car they demanded that I purchased insurance and it came to $300. I already have full coverage car insurance, and have rented cars many times without buying the car rental insurance. Payless, where you pay more, is special because their insurance covers non-availability in case there is an accident. THINK ABOUT IT: they usually have unrented cars waiting to use, but if the one you rent is damaged, you need to buy insurance that costs as much as renting the car itself because that particular car is unavailable. Total ripoff. So beware using Orbitz and renting a car from Payless. They quote one price, but then double the price when you get there. I should have been prepared for this tactic, but have had good experiences with many other car rental companies, so I never expected it in this day and age. Lesson learned: be prepared to shop a... Read more

  • by

    berto77419

    Wed Oct 27 2010

    THESE IDIOTS ARE CON-ARTISTS Stay away and dont rent here! You cannot reach them my phone, I tried to extend my reservation and I spent over 1-hour on my cell phone. They said we will call you back, what a joke, never called. Rep gave me a fake name. They pressure renters into taking insurance you dont need. They claim you must pay per day while vehicle is in for repair, up to 3-months. My insurance said not true, they have to prove they have no other cars for rent. This place is an independent. Go to the national car rental agencies, not this trash!!!

  • by

    lfetrow

    Tue Oct 19 2010

    DON'T RENT FROM THESE CREEPS!!!!!!!!!! In Tampa, FL Anyways!‎ I've rented from several different car companies and this is the worst experience with a car rental company I have ever had. They quote you one thing, then when you get there to pick your vehicle up the price amazingly goes up and we weren't the only people this has happened to we had 5 other couples on our shuttle bus back to the airport complain of the same thing of being quoted one price and being charged another. Then you call management and they come up with 101 excused why they will not refund your money. My advise don't go with this company, they are a bunch of scammers that will be out of business if they keep practicing business like this! They may quote you cheaper to get your business but add atleast $100 on to whatever they quote you because there are always some hidden fees they try to rape you with!

  • by

    gtrider

    Wed Sep 22 2010

    AVOID THIS COMPANY! My wife and I recently rented a car from these scoundrels in Orlando, FL. We reserved a Taurus, or similar full sized car, and received a Mitsubishi Galant instead. I asked why I couldn’t have the Taurus that was booked and advertised and was told, “We don’t have a Taurus in our fleet.” There is no way any sane person would consider a Galant a full size car comparable to a Taurus! The Galant was ridden with scratches, dings and interior stains. The front end was out of alignment and pulled to the left the entire time we had the car. The car was by no means new and already had 45,000 miles on it. Upon returning the car in Orlando, I wanted to pay cash and NOT charge my card for the rental. The clerk demanded exact change claiming that he didn’t have “access” to make change. I paid in cash and went outside and waited for the shuttle to the airport. Reviewing the receipt I was given showed I paid with MY CREDIT CARD. Daring to miss the next shuttle, I marche... Read more

  • by

    pippi4

    Fri Aug 20 2010

    I Am truely amazed at reading all of these reviews. You all said you booked with this company because they were the "cheapest". You get what you pay for. The car smelled like cigarettes, had scratches on it dents, etc. WHAT IN GODS NAME DO YOU EXPECT? People smoke in cars, you cant expect the rental company to accompany everyone on their trips to ensure they dont smoke or scratch up the car. C'mon people. Be happy you have a car/ride in the first place. I work in the travel business and you people loooove to complain. The biggest complainers always seem to be the people with the most money, but want to spend the least amount of money possible.A car is a car is a car. Im sure all the people who wrote the novel "horror stories" do nothing but complain and bitch in their everyday lives. I really feel bad for you people. F'in sickening if you ask me. There is world poverty, terrorism, wars, children with cancer and this, THIS is what worries you all. GOOOOOD Luck with life you miserable co... Read more

  • by

    jorgemarlene

    Tue Aug 17 2010

    I will never rent a rental car from this company in my lifetime. I rented a car from Payless Rent a car of Toronto, Canada on July 24, 2010. I purchased the rental from Expedia. Com. The personal at the Toronto office was disorganized and it seemed like they were trying to rush me on inspecting the car and to sign the inspection sheet. The car had almost 78,000 kilometers (50,000 miles) and only a 1/8 of a tank so the first thing I needed to purchase gas at the nearest gas station to make my trip to the Hotel. When my wife and I went from Toronto to Montreal I had plans to stop by in Ottawa, but I could not do it, due that the rear passenger tire blew-up because it was damaged. I could not remove the tire. I had to call the service road because the company did not help me with this. My wife and I had to walk more than a mile looking for help and when the service road came to help me he could not remove the tire either. We had to take a tow with the service road going to Canadian Tire ... Read more

  • by

    swand52

    Mon Aug 16 2010

    I will never rent a rental car from this company in my lifetime. The personal at the Toronto office was disorganized and it took forever to get the paper work done and it seemed like they were trying to rush me on inspecting the car and had me and my wife to look for big dents or scratches and when I was going to look a the front end of the car the agent rushed us to sign the inspection sheet. This agency never went over the car it was a mess. Trash in it/the windows dirty and like other care rental companies the car is inspected and the renter is thoroughly taken over the car and shown if there is any damages/then you sign the insperction sheet. This agency does nothing of this sort. The paperwork is misleading/like signing your life away for s simple car rental. Then to make matters worse the car was so tightly parked it was hard to get it onto the parking lot to exit the rental area. The car had only a 1/4 of a tank so the first thing I needed to purchase gas to make my trip to Ni... Read more

  • by

    smooth8x

    Mon Jul 26 2010

    I rented a car from Payless Rent a car of Toronto, Canada on July 14, 2010. I purchased the rental from Expedia.com. When I arrived at Payless Rent a car all the prices did not match with the prices I was given. I was supposed to pay $769.84 for 8 days of a Luxury rental. They authorized my card for $1200 (700 on another card) saying that there are extra fees. I wanted to leave but they wouldn’t give my card back. My wife and kids were very upset and it basically ruined our whole trip. The Payless website had a picture of a BMW. They had no luxury vehicles and wanted even more money for an SUV. I returned the car after two days and was still charged $378 for the two days. They claim there is a 33% tax. and extra taxes for having a good location. The location was represented to be at the airport, but it was actually 10 minutes away and we had to take a bus and a taxi they sent with the kids and all our luggage. I went online to find reviews from other customers. I have included revie... Read more

  • by

    consumersooz

    Thu Jul 22 2010

    One star is generous, if I could give it negative one I would. I think I dodged a bullet here--got into SFO with my two young kids and lots of luggage. If you know SFO, you know that to rent a car you have to take AirTran out of the terminal to the rental car building, a haul in itself. THEN for Payless, since it's offsite, you have to wait for a shuttle. When I finally got to the Payless site, I was told that without a major credit card, I would have to pay an additional $20 a day "high risk" fee, which was then spontaneously amended to $10, then I was told to pay in cash up front, so I used the atm.....Then I was told my debit card needed to be used anyway, to put a $400 hold on the car that would be released 5-7 days after I returned it. Suddenly I'm making a $750 commitment to rent a car that was supposed to cost $230??? To say that the staff was rude is an understatement. When I explained to them that I had just rented a car with Alamo in San Diego using my debit card, no ... Read more

  • by

    sandbad

    Sun Jul 11 2010

    WARNING FOR CHEATERS!!!!!!!!!!!! Do NOT use this company in Cancun EVER!!!!!!! We called "payless" this summer June 2010 and booked a 2009 Jeep Wangler 4 doors with a girl called "Itzel". When we arrived they said that the car was not available and it would take 2-3 days before we get the car. Since we had only 4 days in Cancun so we had to take another car than the Jeep. They offered us another Jeep (perhaps from second world war) which looked so terrible and we felt so cheated by Payless. When we refused the car they offered us a Chevrolet Traker 2007 for the same price as Jeep Wrangler 2009!!!!!!! From the very first moment the display turned light for "Service very soon" in the car. We didn´t know how much speed we had during the journey because the display stopped working and there were almost nothing left of the breaks because every time we try to break so whole the car started to shake. When we returned the car and told them about the problems no one said anything, not a singl... Read more

  • by

    fedup2

    Thu Jul 08 2010

    I just want to know who is Douglas Garcia??? Because he is the ONLY one on this whole page of reviews that has given Payless a "Great" review! I really wish I would have read these prior to my experience as well. Seems like we all had pretty much the same experience. Rude customer service, trying to overcharge, hidden fees, not helpful, dirty, smelly, and dented and/or scratched up vehicles! It was horrible! I will NEVER go through them again. Our flight was delayed and we didn't reach our destination (Orlando, Fl) until about 11pm. After we waited for the shuttle for a half hour, we finally arrived at Payless. We were a large group renting a van, including 5 children. If it had not been 1am and we were not so tired and knew where we were.....I would have just left walking with all our luggage somewhere else! That's how bad it was! Lesson learned though. NEVER AGAIN WILL I RENT THRU PAYLESS!!

  • by

    dlmbw008

    Wed Jun 09 2010

    All I can say is wow. The price was great. Untill I checked in the added 40.00 to the price and said that it was just an estimate they quated me before. I got into the car that had almost 90,000 miles on it. It was gross inside very dirty and smelled like smoke. The car didnt start and the check engine light was on. They told me all the cars had check engine light on them, because the service the cars right there. Then they said the had a bigger car that didnt have the light on and wanted to charge me another 20.00 a day. I refused had them credit me my money back and went to budget. Please dont rent there it is a horriable place.

  • by

    lsufan

    Wed Jun 02 2010

    Traveled to Denver CO June 26 210 . I had a rate of $ 117 for a compact care Ford Fusion . After arriving at the Payless Office. I was hussled to upgrade to a nice care for $ 19 per day plus Toll road fees of $ 25 ( you can drive around the toll with out any problems) $ 49.00 prepaid gas. I told the agent I just wanted the car that I booked . So it turned out they did not have the Compact car on the lot so she had to give me the larger car. I did pay for the insurance at $ 20 per day. Even though my insurance follows me , if you have an accident they will charge your credit card for the deductable. I think Payless knows you are tired from traveling and at that point you dont care so you add all the crap to your contract and that how they make thier money. I felt like I was in the "Box" at a care dealers show room . I will never deal with payless and I plan to tell as many people as possible about them. I wish I had read the review before booking . Baton Rouge.LA

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    kpg305

    Wed May 26 2010

    Lets start off by saying if you want to enjoy your vacation or busniess trip save your self the headace of not renting a car from paypless. i booked on line may 10, 2010 for my trip to Montreal canada. The prices they had stated online for my 6 day vaction was $185.00 which was the best rate at the time. i normally rent with enterprise and they are the best in my opinion but i was on a budget this trip so i settled for these goons. I get to the airport the shuttle pickes me up takes me to the hotel the guy behine the counter is a complete d**k. he starts the paper work and i had a question about the snow tire fee that they added on to the rate i was quoted. I didnt see the need to pay for snow tires in the summer 2 I've traveled all over the US and Canada in the winter and i have never been charged for snow tires. the clerk said its a standard fee weather its winter or summer because they have to change the tires in the summer to summer tires.( ? ) Thats what i said. so after arguing w... Read more

  • by

    aliakbaraidid

    Tue May 25 2010

    Deceitful, Cheat, Scam Business is what I would say, and they even have the audacity to call themselves “Payless”. I googled “cheap car rental” and found Payless throught CarRentals.com. They quoted me an “estimated charges” of 51 dollars for a two day rent which I would have to pay online if I wanted to reserve the cars. So I entered my bank account information and reserved one of their compact Ford cars. The next day when I arrived at their counter, the “estimated charge” that they had quoted me and upon which I made my reservation bubbled to 71 dollars (excluding insurance). At this point I couldn’t do anything (i.e. cancel) because I had already made an online reservation…… meaning that if I canceled, they’d charge me a fee which to their policy is equal to one days rent of their total final price (adds up to 35 dollars). So know, what I don’t understand is: 1. How can an “estimated charges” be so way off from the final cost at the counter. Is it just so rocket science that it i... Read more

  • by

    mflyer

    Mon May 10 2010

    Payless Car Rental basically advertises low low prices to get you in the door and then resorts to any trick/fraud/lie to charge you more money. I did a 4 day rental from the San Diego Airport. They tried to sell me on upgrades, insruance and everything else that I declined. Once they realized they cannot get me to agree to pay more for stuff I did not want, they added a surcharge on my bill called RSA for $5/day. When I asked what this is? The agent right out lied and said it is an airport tax. I later found this is Road Side Assitance that they are charging for! I plan to dispute this with the credit card company and file a complaint with BBB. This car company should not be in business. Their cars are terrible and unsafe, their staff is dis-honest.

  • by

    paulallen

    Thu May 06 2010

    Pay More is what they should call it. I've used them twice, both times in San Diego. I reserved the car online, where they seem to have a system that automatically underbids all the other rental cars by a small amount. The first time they gave me a car with a big crack in the windshield. When I asked for another car, they gave a beat up car that could barely get into gear. They also raised the price a bit because it was an "upgrade", which I didn't notice at first. I figured the first experience could have been a fluke, and it was a cheap car so I tried them again. This time they had a new policy where I had to have proof of insurance in order to decline theirs. This, and another significant charge which wasn't on the original reservation DOUBLED the price. As prices are usually quite higher if you reserve a car the same day you need it, I figured I was stuck. Another complaint is that all their cars have been sprayed with a car "freshener" that has a nasty chemical smel... Read more

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    jmlewis

    Tue May 04 2010

    Can not say enough bad things about this car rental company, to echo others' experiences reported here. It took TWO HOURS to get to their "desk" near Oakland airport (we could have walked it in 15 minutes). We had to take a shuttle to the normal car rental lot, and then call Payless from there to pick us up and take us to their "desk." Their "phone wasn't working" and so they never came to get us. Once we arrived at their filthy office in a flea-bitten hotel, they gave us a filthy car with lots of body damage, that then turned out to be unsafe. Once we got above 45 mph the steering wheel shook so violently that I could not drive properly. We returned to the car to the agency but when we called them to say that we'd be returning the car and expected a full refund they said that if the car wasn't back within 5 minutes we'd be charged for a full day. This agency should be reported to the authorities for putting customers at mortal risk.

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    eileendc

    Tue Apr 27 2010

    This is a classic case of bait and switch. The car was fine, but once you're at the office, which in Orlando was miles from the airport and other car rental companies, the sales people try to strong arm you into buying the extra insurance. If you don't sign up for the extra insurance they make you sign a form that states if you are in an accident: 1. In addition to the cost of repairs you are also responsible for you are also responsible for the decrease in fair market value to the car since it has been in an accident; and 2. You are responsible for paying rental fees for each day the car is out of commission getting repaired. The van drivers were rude. AVOID THIS COMPANY AT ALL COSTS.

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    kalia2

    Thu Apr 15 2010

    I made a reservation through Orbitz for a midsized vehicle (Nissan Sentra or similar - confirmation no. 7836410). The total car rental estimate was $125.81 for the five day period which I thought was an extremely good rate. When I arrived to pick up the vehicle the rental agent asked us questions about our destination and when I informed him that we would be traveling to San Francisco he suggested that we upgrade the vehicle to a Toyota Camry and strongly recommended we take the insurance which he said would cover what our personal car insurance wouldn't. I normally do not purchase any insurance because my insurance agent advised against it. However, because we were traveling a great distance we did as he suggested and our rental cost went from $125.81 to $426.52. We were given a Toyota Camry. After, a few errands in Las Vegas we began our trip to San Francisco. When we left the city and began heading towards California we noticed that when traveling at speeds over 50 miles an... Read more

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    thaven

    Mon Apr 05 2010

    DO NOT EVER USE THIS RENTAL COMPANY!!! Went to Phoenix in early March. Payless had the best prices for the airport, and at the time of booking were the only rental company that had a car available, come to find out, that was not the case when we got there...and probably should have gone with another group, but they were going to charge us for canceling the day of pickup!! They had a $250 ($350 if you sued a debit card) deposit in addition to the vehicle rental...in case you didn't bring the car back...not likely seeing the condition of the car. My wife made the reservation, but because I was going to be driving, they wouldn't use her credit card to pay for the rental...RME clerks at the counter were rude to put it politely!! Ended up talking to the manager...they really tried to sell up the fuel package...claiming it was cheaper through them than outside...not true by the way. they charge you for a full tank, regardless of how much fuel you use...What a gimmick!! The garage where the ... Read more

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    mnphotos

    Tue Mar 16 2010

    I so wish I had seen this website before we rented from this company in San Diego. Not only was the car a wreck (it shimmied at high speed and the brakes squeaked), but they are blaming us for some glass damage that was there when we rented the car! I know, I was gullible and believed the counter attendant when he said that the car was inspected and had only two small dings on the fender, but as we were driving off the lot, we noticed two dings in the windshield glass. Due to our schedule, we did not get to go back to the company immediately and report the damage. I called them a couple days later, and then when I returned the car they started an 'accident' report to blame me for damage that was there all along. They pointed to the form I initialed that there was only bumper damage, but they would not believe me that the windshield cracks were there before. I think that this is a total scam - they sweet talk you, they don't report damage, and then get their customers to pay for r... Read more

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    paylesssd18631_a

    Wed Sep 16 2009

    Sorry folks, this would have been posted as a comment, however we are not allotted enough characters to properly reply. Unfortunately, I am just getting wind of this review, one year late. However, here at Payless San Diego, our customer image is very important to us and we value all of our online reviews because of this. Please allow me to explain the procedure for leaving a vehicle at the airport. I mean, actually at the airport, in valet, or curbside, or in the parking lot. The airport authority considers this a liability hazard, which is the reason for the high rates. You really cannot do that. If the airport has any suspicions about the vehicle, they have every reason to dispose of the vehicle as they see fit. After all, how do they know that the vehicle does not have an explosive device attached? Because of the nature of the industry, as tensions are already high, the airports do not just allow a vehicle to stay at the airport. It is for this reason we do not allow the vehicle... Read more

  • by

    citysearchuser_1bb147

    Mon Mar 23 2009

    I came to San Diego in January to finish graduate school. I found out early in my stay with another car rental agency that I you can only re...

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    citysearchuser_192dce12263794_27

    Sun Mar 15 2009

    I rented a car from this company by booking online with Southwest Airlines. I was in San Diego for my son's graduation from bootcamp and my ...

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    1guest16d91e

    Sun Jan 04 2009

    Go Ducks!!! I was in town to witness the beating Okalahoma State recieved from the Oregon Ducks. I went with Payless Car Rental b/c of their low rates. I am impressed by the professionalism of their staff. If your thinking of renting a car and your good for a great deal go with these guys.

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    citysearchuser_1c4eb5

    Fri Jan 02 2009

    January 3, 2009:Beware when renting from this company! This was my first and last time using PAYLESS. Here are a few reasons why:1. I booked...

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    citysearchuser_1507d2

    Sun Dec 14 2008

    No airport shuttle early in the morning, so I had to walk to Enterprise a half mile away with my luggage. Would have been nice to know when...

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    citysearchuser_15cace76200102_1

    Sun Sep 14 2008

    There are plenty of other car rental places in San Diego worth considering. Had a terrible experience with Payless, they overcharged me on t...

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    citysearchuser_127eaf

    Sun May 18 2008

    Note this review is for the Payless Car Rental on 3345 Kettner. The only Payless location in San Diego. We rented during the weekend of 5/1...

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    natekhouli1ae8_d6

    Tue May 13 2008

    Our location here at Payless San Diego is extremely consistent when it comes to delivering our customers to the airport Corey, we have a close to flawless early open record. I am personally familiar with this case, for I was the one that dealt with it first hand, and spoke with you on the phone numerous times. Out of the 2000 rentals I have per month, 200 of them arrive before 6:00AM pst, ( the time we open ), not one in the past 300 days ( since this location opened ) has ever been informed to leave it at the San Diego airport terminal Valet. To state that you called the location multiple times and had no answer until 6:15 is a complete fabrication, only because I remember answering your call once at 6:00AM sharp, which is also confessed by you in your e-mail sent to corp. A review should be honest, the first time I heard of your situation ( 6:00AM ) you told me that your flight was leaving in 10 minutes, after telling me that my company must retrieve the car, pay for the valet, and p... Read more

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    travelguy1231e_b10e

    Tue May 13 2008

    Worst experience I have ever had with a car rental company. Had an early morning flight (6:40 AM...the place was not open when I tried to drop off the car and no shuttle available. (About two miles from the airport) Corporate customer service told me to park it at the airport and call the office when they opened...at 6:00AM. No answer until 6:15 Company charged me an additional $180.00 to get the car from the airport saying I should have known to make my own arrangements for transportation to the airport in the morning. (Honestly, has ANYONE ever had to do this??) The Manager at this particular Payless flately refused to help or consider any options. All I can say is to simply avoid these guys...they WILL take your money.

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    citysearchuser_1778ba

    Mon May 12 2008

    Worst experience I have ever had with a car rental company. Had an early morning flight...the place was not open when I tried to drop off th...

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    citysearchuser_1b9ce7

    Wed Oct 05 2005

    I WENT HERE TO RENT A CAR WHILE MY CAR WAS AT THE DEALER GETTING SERVICE. THE GUYS WERE VERY COOL AND RENTED ME A CAR FOR 1/2 A DAY FOR LIKE...