Payless Car Rental Anmeldelser 414

I rent a car for 18 days for a quoted amount of 590. I was charged 1175. The reason was that I picked up the car 2 hours later than the requested time at 9:00 pm instead of 7:00 pm. I returned the car at 5:00 am whereas I can keep it up to 7:00pm. They asked me if I took any pictures to prove that I returned at 5:00 am. What a lousy, dubious company and customer service. Don’t ever rent cars with them. Finally, I had to request AMEX for help!!!

I see a lot of negative reviews about this company, but I want to add my experience renting a car at Bratislava Airport. We used the car for five days during a long journey.

I was really impressed by the entire process, from collection to return, everything went smoothly with no issues at all.

The biggest highlight was the fantastic communication from an office staff member. He was incredibly helpful, answered every question I had, and was always informative and professional. This level of service really built my trust, and I felt completely confident that the car would be waiting for me as promised.

Highly recommend this (Bratislava) rental service!

Marcin

Hidden fees including local insurance, €60 for cleaning and withholding deposit for 28 days after return of the car.

Car was very old and poorly maintained, it smelt bad and had a slow puncture on one of the old and cracked tyres.

They changed drop off location without telling anyone.

If I could give zero stars, I would. Avoid!

This company will scam tourists... Plain and Simple. Take the negative reviews to heart, because they are all true. Please take the negative reviews to heart. Here are some points from my experience:
1) If you book online they will lie to you saying that can't accept protection policies booked through other agencies (Priceline for me), that you have to buy their protection plan (about 3x as much) and it is not optional. Their own corporate office debunked this.. the policy is optional and insurance purchased online can be honored
2) they will have hidden fees in their rental agreement that they don't explain are optional to get top dollar out of you (airport fees, roadside assistance etc)
3) maybe it was Giancarlo specifically, but they will not explain their damage protection is deductible based and in addition to paying the already outrageous daily price for their insurance you also have to pay into the deductible if something does happen (another car scuffs you in a parking lot etc) yeah that definitely wasn't explained, so they'll get you on that. Giancarlo purposely manipulated how he explains the policy, I can promise "deductible" was never once mentioned (but the bill afterwards will say it was)
4) This is the big one ..they'll try to "add" damages after you leave, after you signed off on the inspection, and they'll forge your electronic signature into a document you didn't sign. Happened to me. 13 minutes after I left the premises. Kinda hard to sign something when I'm not there. That's called Electronic Signature Fraud kids... That is a crime. I had one scuff pointed out to me in the very through inspection, and that was the only damage I was asked to sign off on. Imagine my surprise when I got an email 30 mins after I left with several photos of "damages" that they are trying to bill me $500 for, with an electronic signature to a statement that I accept all responsibility for damages after the inspection...."signed" 13 minutes after I had checked out and left the premises.

These guys are crooks.. Plain and simple. Scammers... Plain and simple. Please please please....book directly with a reputable company (Budget, Avis, etc) do not rent from these local con artists. They will see you as a tourist and try to scam everything they can out of you. Stay away from this place

Beware when you gave them your credit card. They will steel your money. Point blank

I rented a car from Payless Car Rentals in Denver Colorado in late October of 2025, I made sure to pay the $12 per day for insurance on said vehicle which I thought I was covered after somebody swiped the mirror off the driver side.
I got the letter showing that $644.11 was charged to my card on file and I called them and they told me that I did not take the insurance out on the car which I know I did because I have never rented a car without taking the insurance out on it. So now I get stuck with $644.11 along with the $36 I paid for the 3 days worth of insurance on the vehicle. I gave one star because that was the lowest I could give, I will never do business with Payless Car Rental ever again! I hope this helps other people who are considering renting from these jackasses!

On 4/4/26 (Easter weekend) the Payless desk was closed when I arrived at the Austin airport for car pickup at 11 am. It had a sign to go to the next desk, which had a sign to go to Avis, & that line was ONE HOUR LONG. When it was finally my turn & I asked why & they said they had staff shortages, & Avis owns Payless. So it appears they need to increase wages. But worse was when I returned the car with no time to fill it with gas, & I assumed they'd charge regular rates to fill it. Two weeks later when overcharged, the billing department said it was because they charge $9.99 per gallon! This rate had NEVER been communicated to me on the website, in the emailed reservation, or at the counter, so shame on AVIS! This rate should be communicated & transparent to all customers ahead of time. DO NOT RENT FROM PAYLESS or AVIS!

I rented a car from Payless at Bucharest Otopeni Airport on 2 April 2026, arriving late at night.
Upon pickup, I was given a very old car with significant existing damage and wear. More importantly, the staff member, Mr. Car Travler, refused to accept my valid physical Visa credit card (Bank Norwegian, issued in my name and valid until 2028). He claimed it was a “virtual/digital bank product” and therefore not accepted for the security deposit.
This restriction is not mentioned anywhere on Payless’s website. Their official Payment Information page clearly states they accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and other major cards, with no reference to excluding cards from online or Scandinavian banks:
“The following are accepted forms of payment: Visa, MasterCard, American Express...”
paylesscar.com /en/customer-service/faq/global/requirements-for-renting
Because it was the middle of the night and we had no other options, I was pressured into purchasing a very expensive insurance policy that cost approximately four times the original rental price. I signed the contract under clear duress.
I later contacted Payless Romania to request a refund of the forced insurance, but they refused, stating the contract was signed and the insurance is non-refundable.
This whole experience was highly disappointing and felt unfair. The combination of an old, damaged vehicle, an undisclosed card policy, and aggressive upselling of expensive insurance left a very bad impression.
I would not recommend Payless Romania to anyone.

Moi ma meilleure amie nous sommes partis en Croatie pour 3 jours donc nous avons loué la voiture à partir du soir du premier jour nous étions très choqué de l'accueil horrible, ils ont même pas voulu faire le constat avant de prendre la voiture.
ce qui est normal de faire mais avant de prendre la voiture ,puis part la suit ils nous ont compliqué il nous a dit que l'assurance que nous avons pris via booking ne fonctionne pas.
Nous avons dû prendre une assurance en plus donc encore des frais d'avantage qui était de 184 euros et nous disait que cette assurance prend tout en charge,
au lieu de 38 € du coup nous avons annulé rapidement l'assurance sur Booking de 38 € plus au retour de la remise des clés et de la voiture ils ont voulu nous facturer 260 € car ils nous ont dit qu'on a eu des amendes de stationnement non mais sérieux des amendes de stationnement à 260 € en sachant que nous avons stationné une journée et qu'on Croatie une journée la police eux-mêmes on dit selon les endroits où vous stationner et là où j'étais c'était très euro 13,90 et lorsque je vais recevoir l'amende ce sera 13,90 plus un frais de 7 € nous nous sommes tellement pris la tête avec ces gens-là que en finalité nous avons payé 76 € au lieu de 260 €. Mais comme j'ai payé avec ma carte bancaire j'ai peur que par la suite et puisse encore me prélever de l'argent pour autre chose.
j'ai bien demandé un papier qui justifie que la voiture a été rendu en bon état et que nous devons plus rien payer ils nous ont donné un papier mais je ne sais même pas si ce papier justifie réellement cela car comme tout le monde le dit ils nous font signé sur leur tablette rapidement il ne veut même pas qu'on puisse prendre le temps de lire en plus la barrière de la langue n'est même pas car ils veulent tellement nous arnaquer, j'ai jamais vu ça de ma vie je ne comprends pas pourquoi ces personnes sont pas dénoncées et pourquoi la police ne fait pas quelque chose il y a tellement de plaintes de la part des clients et ce sont des personnes qui se font avoir lorsqu'une ne consulte pas les avis avant si j'aurais consulté les avis avant j'aurais jamais loué de voiture j'aurais préféré galérer c'est vraiment triste. Même donner un étoile j'ai pas envie si je pouvais les poursuivre en justice je le ferai mais je ferai tout mon nécessaire pour dénoncer .

TLDR this company may not provide you a receipt for your rental, so do not rent through them if traveling for business or on government orders as you will not be able to file for reimbursement.

I was forced to book through payless a few weeks ago as they offered the lowest price for a government rate. After completing my rental and returning the car, I was not given any receipt. After seeing that I didn't get an emailed receipt either, I submitted a request online and called the company. They customer service rep told me that he sent the receipt and I should receive it in 30 minutes. I did not. After a full week of calling customer service multiple times and leaving support requests online, I still have not received the receipt. I even gave them three different email addresses to use. They finally responded to my initial customer service request left on their website only to say that I should have received the receipt by email (I still have not).

The last time I called customer service they told me that if I cared so much I should have driven 3 hours to the nearest Payless counter to request a receipt there.

Unbelievable incompetent, and belligerent customer service that gaslights their customers instead of helping them.

Zero concern for customers. Manager just did nothing while the line was 2 hours long. This is on Kauai. They know the airport schedule. No excuse for no staff. Couple people had some kind of reservation issue and the manager should have stepped up. Instead he just let the time drag on. 30 minutes while people are waiting 2 hours. Do not rent from these guys

Through Expedia I rented a car to be picked up at the San Diego car rental building. I paid in-full in advance.

We showed up to get the car and they're closed. The airport was still open and thousand more people were landing. I heard over the transportation bus radio that they had three more busloads of people on the way and many more flights were due to land. A number of people were standing around all having the same experience. They paid but no car, leaving many people in desperate circumstances. so we uber to the hotel and back the next morning. Turns out they have no cars. They won't even attempt find me one or give me a refund and essentially told me to F***-off.

Eventually, I found a car rental place off the premises for double the price and got an old beat up car to use.

They told me to take it up with Expedia. Expedia uses only AI for customer interaction and it does not recognize the word "refund". That's makes them worthless to me.

Fortunately, I call my Discover card and got a human. This young woman was sympathetic and efficient in dealing with this issue. Kudos to Discover

One person working on Sunday one of the busiest days! 25 minutes per rental contract which means I waited 1.5 hours to get a mediocre cheap car. Never again!!!

One of the most unprofessional car rental experiences I’ve ever had. This company lures customers in with cheap prices, but then hits you with outrageous charges afterward.
I rented a car on February 27 with a return date of March 1. I returned the vehicle early on March 1 as agreed. However, when I checked my credit card statement, I saw a charge of over $600 claiming I didn’t return the car until March 3 and that I was six hours late.
I’m trying to figure out how I could possibly be in Texas and Georgia at the same time. I returned the car as scheduled and had already flown back to Texas.
To make matters worse, they also charged me for refueling the vehicle even though I filled the tank the night before returning it. The gas station was less than 10 miles from the airport where the car was returned.
I have reached out to the company for help and have received very little assistance. The only response I received was from someone named Tony, and the issue still hasn’t been resolved.
This has been one of the worst rental experiences I’ve ever had. I would strongly advise others to carefully review their charges and documentation if renting from this company.

Mir wurde bei der Abholung im Flughafen von Banja Luka (Bosnien) mitgeteilt, dass ich 300 Euro Kaution zahlen muss. Mir wurde aber eine zusätzliche Versicherung im Vertrag untergejubelt (Premium cover insurance promo). Das Geld habe ich nie wieder gesehen. Versuchte es über AVIS Kundenservice (Payless gehört zu AVIS). Wurde zweimal an andere Stelle verwiesen. Die letzte E-Mail Adresse hat es dann nicht gegeben.

Avoid Payless Car Rental at all costs.

I had a very disappointing experience at Dubrovnik Airport and would strongly advise others to be extremely cautious.

Despite providing proof that I already had separate insurance coverage through Zurich (arranged via Booking), I was charged for additional insurance. The process felt rushed and unclear, and I later realised I had effectively been sold duplicate cover.

My advice:
Do not sign anything until they print every document in full. Take your time. Read every line carefully. Question everything. Do not feel pressured at the desk.

In my experience, the process relied heavily on upselling and lack of clarity. It left me feeling misled and frustrated.

This was a first-hand experience and, unfortunately, I will not be using them again.

If you’re considering this company, I would recommend going with a more established and transparent rental provider to avoid unnecessary stress at the start of your trip.

Never again.

Pongo un uno porque es imposible poner un cero.
Te obligan a contratar seguros después de ya haber cogido el coche, no te responden las llamadas, las personas que trabajan ahí son unas completas incompetentes y desagradables, TE CUELGAN SIN DARTE UNA SOLUCIÓN.
UNA AUTÉNTICA VERGÜENZA

This was plainly a straight up scam.
The location for pickup was different than ALL the other pickup services at the airport. We unfortunately forgot this after traveling
(which I think is understandable). We texted and called them several times at 2 or 3 diff. numbers but there was no response. The only message we got was to say that our car would be ready in TWO HOURS and we received that AFTER we left the place for another agency.
When we finally figured out their address (which was wrong) and got a taxi there (and got ripped off on that ride!) they made us wait and wait and wait for no apparent reason only to tell us that the insurance would be an extra 1200USD!!!!!! I selected the insurance when I made the reservation and showed them that PLUS my personal insurance but nope! THANKFULLY there was a guy from another independent Mexican agency (Esteban at ETC Car rental- USE HIM- great guy!) who helped us out and gave us a great deal! And then I rerented a car from
him because I elected to stay longer. So, your little scamming girl running that agency COST YOU TWO RENTALS TOTALING OVER 1800USD.... Needless to say, that WAS NOT the way to welcome one to Mexico and I was UTTERLY LIVID!
TAKE YOUR NAME OFF OF THEIR AGENCY as I am about to TEAR THEM UP ON EVERY SINGLE RATING MECHANISM I CAN FIND.

Double charged on taxes and fees from a Priceline rental completely prepaid.

Die haben mir Kaution für das Auto auch nach einem Monat nicht zurück überwiesen. Total unseriös und sehr ärgerlich. Außerdem sind auch nicht erreichbar oder wollen die mit Kunden nicht kontaktieren. Man sollte die vor Gericht stellen