Reputable big company

We had to wait quite a bit for the shuttle bus at LAX. Several AVIS and HERTZ shuttles came before one Dollar shuttle arrived. At the rental location, there were many people at Dollar, possibly because it was around noon, a peak time. We waited in line for nearly an hour. They did offer additional insurance, which is optional depending on your choice. Initially, we chose a Jeep Cherokee, but it struggled with uphill roads. Later, at the Dollar rental spot at San Francisco Airport, we switched to a GMC. Its performance was much better, although it consumed more fuel. The car exchange process was very convenient: just refuel, a quick inspection, and then you get a few cars to choose from, which was nice.

1. After landing, Dollar's airport shuttle was significantly less frequent than Hertz or Avis, leading to long wait times. 2. When I arrived at Dollar to pick up the car, the wait in line took two and a half hours. Dollar treats walk-in customers and reservation customers the same, making everyone wait in the same queue, which is very unfair. 3. The salesperson deliberately concealed charges. For example, they told us we could return the car with an empty gas tank, claiming it was a special offer, but they had already charged us for a full tank. After insisting, they finally refunded us, which was frustrating. Additionally, they tried to trick me into buying optional services like road safety, claiming it was a mandatory requirement in the US. If it hadn’t been for the specific warnings on Zu's rental order, we would have been scammed into purchasing these options. Thanks to Zu for the warnings. 4. When I realized we were charged for gas and road safety, I canceled them and asked the front desk about the pre-authorized credit card freeze. The staff was very arrogant and unwilling to explain. 5. When returning the car with a full tank of gas, the staff suddenly asked for a fuel receipt from the previous day, which we weren't told about at pickup. They deducted over 10 dollars without informing us; if I hadn’t checked the receipt carefully, I wouldn’t have known. When I questioned her, she refused to explain and directed me to the counter with a terrible attitude. Ultimately, Dollar took the money without any clear explanation. 6. We booked a Grand Cherokee, but upon arrival, we were told there were none available and had to choose from just three similarly categorized cars. Compared to the large parking lots of Hertz and Avis, Dollar's selection was very limited, and it was nearly impossible to get the reserved model. Conclusion: I will never choose Dollar's services again.

Generally satisfied

The additional insurance options were listed in English, making it difficult to choose, so I ended up buying all of them, which felt a bit costly.