Payless Car Rental

I too have been a victim of Payless Car Rental. TL:DR after disputing bogus charges; the company now is charging me $450 because they "smell smoke". I initially booked a Camry, but the vehicle wasn't available, a minor inconvenience, but an understandable one. Uniquely however, Juan, a CSR for Payless Car Rental, didn't bother to ask me my choice for a similar replacement but rather gave me a Nissan Altima with bad breaks might I add. I didnt make a fuss over the Nissan because it was early in the morning; I was eager to hit the road; and because Juan spoke so swiftly and low. Upon returning the rental I inquired about final charges. A Young Lady CSR, very polite and professional, informed me of an $53 surcharge for an "additional driver". Shocked, I retorted I was the only person who drove the car. She replied, "well you initialed here". She was right. My eagerness to beat morning traffic, plus Juan's questionable tactic of whispering and swiftly going over the rental agreement, led me to sign off on charges I didn't need nor use. In my defense, I mentioned to the Young Lady, "Is it not company policy to at least get the drivers license of the second, additional driver?" She was vague in her response but reiterated that I signed the agreement. She wrote something down and told me to come back in the morning so I left the establishment. Fortunately, the following day when I contacted the 1-800 line the Rep there informed me of the final bill and no "additional driver" charges were present. I took that to mean that the Young Lady informed the team there of the confusion/ mishap and the bogus charges were removed w/o me having to come in. I should have went. Fast forward to now, I receive a letter in the mail stating the car has a "smoke smell" and I will be billed an additional $450. At first I thought this was retribution for disputing the charges and disrupting someone's commission (yeah the employees here receive commission, so its a money incentive and a personal motive to overcharge the customer) but from other shared experiences, I see some employees there take part in deceit and shady practices. Obviously, I will fight these charges to the bitter end. Even if it means legal action and/or contacting a state agency regarding underhanded business practices. "smoke smell'... Prior to this experience, I NEVER had an issue with Payless Car Rental or its affiliates, I have receipts to prove. So to be informed of this, so many days after the rental has been returned seems strange. Depending on how this is resolved will dictate my and everyone I know, future business with the company.
Mar 19th, 2024

I reserved a fuel-efficient car, but I was given a dirty car instead. The seat belt had some red sticky substance on it and there were stains on the seat. The car was not washed. I was charged over $100 for using only half of the gas tank. There was a long waiting line and there was only one check-in person available. Overall, I had a bad experience and I will definitely not use their service again.
Mar 8th, 2024

Rented car but never picked it up because of medical issue. Paid in advance, Payless statement is will not refund even for COVID. Priceline asked and Payless refused refund or discount, and received 5 day rental for free from me even with a medical issue.
Jan 26th, 2024

My kids car is better taken care of - They need to Clean & Maintain their fleet
Jan 18th, 2024

Charged me for an extra day, stating that I dropped rental off a day later than I actually did. Don't use key drop, make sure you get someone to sign off if dropping early!
Dec 22nd, 2023