Caution-Enterprise Car rental, Big Island

[loosefeet]

A complaint, and caution for others. I have never had a problem w/ car rentals on the BI, but have not rented from Enterprise. We rented through CostCo, and I changed my reservation from a standard car to full size (at a significant cost increase) when all the family decided to come. I was given a Chyrsler 200, and told that was the only choice (a Ford Taurus was their example car). It is not a full size car! What a bait and switch! We squished into it for 10 days, but were not comfortable. Also, we discovered one of the tires was bad the morning we were returning to the airport-not sure how long we were traveling on a bad tire. For the price we paid, I was quite displeased. Yes, I called in a complaint.
My mother also rented an Enterprise car off site. They close at 12:00 noon on week-ends, no key drop off box-all a hassle. My advice-avoid Enterprise car rental on the BI.

 

[davidvel]

In my experience issues with enterprise like this are not limited to the BI.

 

[Ron98GT]

Hmm, you got me curious, since we'll be on the BI for 3 weeks in December. When I checked Costo, all of the FS cars were listed as either Ford Fusion or Altima, all of which are not FS in my book. So, I'd say the Chrysler 200 fits right in there with Fusions & Atimas.

Nest time, consider a STD SUV from Budget, which specializes in Fords, along with Avis the parent company. Budget lists the Ford Edge as the STD SUV, which has plenty of room. Last couple of trips, Budget gave me the Edge and didn't want to substitute anything different the day we arrived? I always get the STD SUV for the extra room: people, groceries, dive gear, etc. Last month, December, I had an Edge for 2 weeks on Maui and it only cost me $400 for the 2 weeks.

I rented from Enterprise in Hawaii a couple of years ago and never again.

 

[SmithOp]

unfortunately this is not isolated to Enterprise, my last two rentals with Hertz I got Hyundais. These cars have the hardest seats, my back is still aching. First was a mid size, I got the Elantra. Second one I bumped up to full size and got the Sonata model, horrible cheap plastic car with hard uncomfortable back seat, no way it fit 5 adults with luggage. Gone are the days I would get a nice big Ford crown vic as a full size, lol.


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[buzglyd]

I rented a car in Oct 2014 for my wedding. It was probably Avis or Budget. When i walked out to my car, I thought it was an employees car. It was dirty and dented and the interior wasn't clean.

We drove it to KL that evening because we didn't want the hassle after a long flight. The next day I drove back and they swapped me into a brand new Dodge Charger. That was really cool because my Best Man races for Dodge.

I think renting cars in a remote area is always a crapshoot because it's not like 18 wheelers pull up every day with new ones. And they don't get drop offs from other states either.

 

[Ken555]

Car selection complaints are most certainly not limited to just one company. When I was in the UK last year I had reserved a small Mercedes and was given a VW instead, and the company insisted (by email, afterward) that they were actually in the same category.

For grins, try finding the distinction between full and standard size that some offer. It's not as clear in practice as it is on their websites.


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[Luanne]

I think what rental car companies consider "full size" has shrunk over the years.

 

[TheTimeTraveler]

I always rent the least expensive car available. Many times I find the providers don't have any cheap "small" cars and automatically get bumped into a larger size. Many times I have been placed into full size at economy car size prices.




.

 

[1Kflyerguy]

I rented a car in Oct 2014 for my wedding. It was probably Avis or Budget. When i walked out to my car, I thought it was an employees car. It was dirty and dented and the interior wasn't clean.

I had a similar experience with hertz on Kauai last October. My car was so beat up i took pictures before leaving the lot. Did not want to be charged for the damage..

I had bad experience being charged for a scratch in Germany that i was not positive i had caused... now i am lot more cautious... .

 

[jmanrunner]

I haven't been to the Big Island since May-June 2014 but the Enterprise location at KOA did a decent job for us. They were a little disorganized but the Hyundai and Jeep we rented were in great condition.

There was some confusion over rental rates but showing my reservation, and it had confirmed rates listed on it, solved the problem. I can see how if someone did not have paperwork to back up their rate the rental agency would enforce a higher rate than you might have booked. I do not consider this to be isolated to Enterprise though as I get this all over the U.S. when renting cars. As with most travel advice, always come prepared.

 

[n777lt]

"Full size" is no longer "full size". Within the past 18 months most of the US car rental agencies have changed their class definitions and downsized what's available as "full size" - I believe even regular Impalas are now considered bigger than full size by Avis and Hertz. And of course, the ranking varies from company to company. Caveat emptor! Check the websites carefully if car size matters to you - the sample car for a class will give you an idea of what to expect.

 

[BocaBoy]

"Full size" is no longer "full size". Within the past 18 months most of the US car rental agencies have changed their class definitions and downsized what's available as "full size" - I believe even regular Impalas are now considered bigger than full size by Avis and Hertz. And of course, the ranking varies from company to company. Caveat emptor! Check the websites carefully if car size matters to you - the sample car for a class will give you an idea of what to expect.

Even decades ago "full-size" in the rental market was only a mid-size like a Taurus. Implying that their cars are bigger than they actually are is a time-honored tradition in the rental car industry.

As for Enterprise, I would NEVER rent from them....they are infamous for running their damage claim operation as a profit center, with lots of bogus damage claims. I read about them all the time.

 

[Kauai Kid]

I rented a Midsized from Budget on Kauai and got a Chevy Impala. Visibility was so bad I returned it in 2 days, and got a small Ford SUV for $5 more per day.

Well worth the added expense.

Sterling

 

[Deb from NC]

We just got back from the Big Island....we also rented a full sized car through Costco but it was with Alamo. We got a Chevy Malibu, which was smaller than the Impalas that used to be considered full size! But it was a nice car and in very good condition, so we were happy with it....

 

[linsj]

I always rent from National. Pay for an intermediate and get a small SUV for no extra cost. Joining its free Emerald Club gives this benefit. The friend who was with me on the Big Island last September was impressed. Customer service was great.

 

[Marathoner]

I'm surprised at some of the hostility at Enterprise. They do have their own way of doing things but so does Southwest, Apple, and a number of other companies.

This AMA gives some interesting insight into operations at Enterprise:
https://www.reddit.com/comments/11ikir/iama_former_enterprise_rentacar_branch_manager/

 

[BocaBoy]

I'm surprised at some of the hostility at Enterprise. They do have their own way of doing things but so does Southwest, Apple, and a number of other companies.[/url]

Their own way of doing things is fine. A business model that apparently includes frequent bogus damage claims is not. Simple as that.

 

[DaveNV]

A complaint, and caution for others. I have never had a problem w/ car rentals on the BI, but have not rented from Enterprise. We rented through CostCo, and I changed my reservation from a standard car to full size (at a significant cost increase) when all the family decided to come. I was given a Chyrsler 200, and told that was the only choice (a Ford Taurus was their example car). It is not a full size car! What a bait and switch! We squished into it for 10 days, but were not comfortable. Also, we discovered one of the tires was bad the morning we were returning to the airport-not sure how long we were traveling on a bad tire. For the price we paid, I was quite displeased. Yes, I called in a complaint.

Did you call Costco and complain to them? They make a lot of money on car rentals, and pride themselves on customer service and satisfaction. If you are dissatisfied with your experience, rather than complaining here (other than for moral support) call and speak with Costco. They will very likely give you some sort of credit or discount or cash card for your trouble. You pay for your Costco membership, and they count on your satisfaction. Some kind of compensation may take the sting out of the experience for you.

Although I have to question, if it was THAT bad, why did you put up with it for TEN days? I'd have been back the next day demanding a different/better car. I once pitched a fit at San Francisco Airport when the mid-size I reserved was not available, and they wanted me to wait until something was turned in. I said I was not willing to wait, and they needed to step up and make things right. They put four of us into a brand new Cadillac SUV. It was great. This was with Alamo.

Good luck!

Dave

 

[T-Dot-Traveller]

Enterprise - has worked well for me (almost) always

Their own way of doing things is fine. A business model that apparently includes frequent bogus damage claims is not. Simple as that.

Over the years I have used Enterprise probably 40 times and I have always (**) found them great. Most of these rentals were in Canada and local - but also Buffalo NY and Phoenix ( one airport / one off airport (cheaper) .
Enterprise seems to empower their store / branch manager with a lot of flexibility / power and this could be "the source " of both loyalty and issues .

(**) I did have a one day rental where I called to say I was stuck in traffic and would it be ok to drop off after hours and settle the bill the next morning . I was told " no problem " and did not get a name and did not worry as my past experience was how flexible they were . When I went to settle the bill the charge was for 2 days and I explained and got given to the branch manager . He was such an A **hole that I PAID THE $30 and DID NOT RENT FROM ANY Enterprise
location for about 2 years . I think the mgr. was the kind who thought bumping his branches profit margin was number one . He basically told me <you have never rented from my branch before so "who cares" > His greed overruled all their corporate advertising and use loyalty .
It also seems that sometimes - each branch is very concerned about " their "
cars and less so about " float " cars .

When renting from them it is important to find out hours and drop off times
as they vary and not all locations are open Sat afternoon or Sundays .
You can save money if you go " off airport " but you want to make sure the branch is open when you drop off so that the walk around inspection meets your expectations and there are no billing surprises .

 

[gmarine]

I've used Enterprise several times. Never had a problem with them or any other car rental agency that I've used. Enterprise is usually one of the highest rated car rental companies in customer satisfaction.

Unfortunately I think all car rental companies have similar cars in each category and there is little difference between standard and full size. I'm surprised there was a significant price difference between standard and full size. Usually those two categories are within a few dollars per day of each other because they are pretty much the same size car.

Moving up in category doesnt always provide a larger car. Much if the time it provides a car perceived as nicer by brand but not larger in passenger capacity or interior space. For example, intermediate, standard, full size are all 5 passenger vehicles with not that much interior difference moving from one category to the next. Generally these categories are very close in price for that reason.

In the future I'd look at the passenger capacity of the car category if youre looking for more room.

 

[BocaBoy]

The issue with Enterprise isn't billing or general customer service, it is their widespread reputation for bogus damage claims. If you are one who wants to pay for the high priced insurance, no problem. But if not, the risk of a frauduent damage claim is way too much for me to take.

 

[gmarine]

The issue with Enterprise isn't billing or general customer service, it is their widespread reputation for bogus damage claims. If you are one who wants to pay for the high priced insurance, no problem. But if not, the risk of a frauduent damage claim is way too much for me to take.

All car rental companies have complaints but I've never heard of Enterprise having a bad reputation. Enterprise is generally regarded among the best in the industry for customer satisfaction.

Can you direct me to where you saw the info about Enterprise having a widespread reputation for bogus damage claims ? I rent from Enterprise often and I'm curious about this.

 

[lizap]

We use Budget and rarely get a Ford edge, although I always request one upon arrival.

Hmm, you got me curious, since we'll be on the BI for 3 weeks in December. When I checked Costo, all of the FS cars were listed as either Ford Fusion or Altima, all of which are not FS in my book. So, I'd say the Chrysler 200 fits right in there with Fusions & Atimas.

Nest time, consider a STD SUV from Budget, which specializes in Fords, along with Avis the parent company. Budget lists the Ford Edge as the STD SUV, which has plenty of room. Last couple of trips, Budget gave me the Edge and didn't want to substitute anything different the day we arrived? I always get the STD SUV for the extra room: people, groceries, dive gear, etc. Last month, December, I had an Edge for 2 weeks on Maui and it only cost me $400 for the 2 weeks.

I rented from Enterprise in Hawaii a couple of years ago and never again.

 

[lizap]

Have also had problems with Enterprise's customer service. They tend to hire a lot of young people right out of college..

I've used Enterprise several times. Never had a problem with them or any other car rental agency that I've used. Enterprise is usually one of the highest rated car rental companies in customer satisfaction.

Unfortunately I think all car rental companies have similar cars in each category and there is little difference between standard and full size. I'm surprised there was a significant price difference between standard and full size. Usually those two categories are within a few dollars per day of each other because they are pretty much the same size car.

Moving up in category doesnt always provide a larger car. Much if the time it provides a car perceived as nicer by brand but not larger in passenger capacity or interior space. For example, intermediate, standard, full size are all 5 passenger vehicles with not that much interior difference moving from one category to the next. Generally these categories are very close in price for that reason.

In the future I'd look at the passenger capacity of the car category if youre looking for more room.

 

[Luanne]

Have also had problems with Enterprise's customer service. They tend to hire a lot of young people right out of college..

Good for them. It's nice to know someone is hiring those college graduates. In fact my sil and bil suggested to one of my daughters that she look into Enterprise. They had rented from them and were impressed with what one of the employees had told them about their employment program.