Overall convenient, but not many rental points in the city

Quick queue

The United States is indeed a country on wheels. Once you get off the plane, there are no taxis or subways; you basically head straight to the car rental companies. However, compared to my car rental experience in Europe, there are too many extra charges. Initially, I had already spent over 5700 RMB when booking from China, which claimed to include all rental fees, taxes, insurance, and additional drivers. But upon picking up and returning the car, I was charged an additional $344 for alleged various airport taxes and insurance. Additionally, despite returning the car with a full tank of gas, I was still charged around $60 for a full tank, even though locally filling up a tank does not cost that much. Returning the car two hours late incurred an extra day's rental fee plus tax. Moreover, they refused to refund me, citing that I was over two hours late. Well, if you don't have ample free time, I suggest you don't choose Alamo and try other options!

Self-service machine, quite fast

This car rental experience in Oakland was very unpleasant. First, my driver's license was questioned. They didn't accept electronic versions of translated documents (only printed ones were allowed), and the rental office couldn't assist with printing. They didn't accept my explanations or make any exceptions. It wasn't until an hour later that a Chinese staff member at the counter showed sympathy and understanding, and I was able to complete the process. During this time, other staff mentioned that many European and American customers don't provide a driver's license at all and can pick up the car without issue, which clearly shows a bias and discrimination against Chinese people. Additionally, there was no gas station near the rental site, the nearest one was a mile away, which was inconvenient.

We chose a service at the store that allows returning the car without a full tank, which saves time. However, we found out that the remaining fuel is non-refundable. We can accept this, but it would be better if it was mentioned online.