National Nightmare

[Chloesmom]

We just returned from 10 days at Dw. We rented a mini van from national. When we arrived at the counter 2 hispanic women were working and niether could care less. When we refused the additional insurance ( our insurance covers it...even loss of use) they began to mock us in spanish.I do not speak spanish but was still well aware that we were being mocked. So...we get our Chevy Venture. All is fine and we drive to the Contemporary. That night we decide to go to the grocery. When we start our van the check oil light comes on...our van had no oil. We call and were told to bring it back to the airport. No..not gonna do it. There was no way I was getting stuck in a van with a blown engine. So, the next morning ( after waking up at 6 to get this straightened out) we take it to the care care center National. We get another Chevey Venure and off we go to MGM. Later that day while loading our van with our purchases I notice our plates expired 5 months ago!!!! We take it back and they agree we should not be driving it. So...they try to give us the same Venture with no oil back after they swear it is not the same one and that one is in the back waiting for service. " No ma'am..this is not the same one. I WOULD NEVER do that" It was the same plate, same mileage, and same nasty old milk spill festering on the dash. So...after yelling at "Zak" about our approaching California Grill PS we get a new ( 1000 miles) Dodge Caravan. Oh, and I forgot the first van was given to us 1/8 of a tank low on gas but we were expected to return it full. The next one was also given to us short, and the third one was also. I think it is a gas scam...somehow. Our compensation for 2 extra trips during our vacation? $16 dollars.
We have used this national before and were always pleased. I can give a company one mistake...but 3 in 24 hours? Watch out for them if you use them.

 

[safetymom]

The last time we rented from National we had a car that the check engine light kept coming on. That was the last time we rented from them. It is not my job to make sure that all the fluids were taking care of.

We now rent from Hertz with no problems at all. I wasn't on the bus for a minute before we pulled out. I was driving out of the lot in 5 mins.

 

[Darian]

we rented from national last year... boy what a mistake. We picked up the car at WDW and drove to a friend's down in Ft. Lauderdale. We got stranded in the car... electrical system dead. (turned out a battery cable had fallen off...) and we were stuck in the heat. We had a plane to catch that afternoon and fortunately we had given ourselves 4 extra hours to do some sight seeing because we needed that time to get the stupid car fixed. national just passed us around on the phone from one call center to the other trying to play "pin the blame on the donkey." Meanwhile, I'm getting close to a heart attack... with my heart disease I don't do extended heat very well. DW got on the phone to National and kicked some serious hiney. Very soon after she explained what she was gonna do to the company if I had a heart attack, the "unbreakable rules" got broken and a service truck came and they came out and fixed the car.

The attitude we ran into all through the rental experience (not just after the breakdown) was just unbelieveable. The year before they weren't like that. What has happened to them?

Darian

 

[loveswdw]

Maybe its because they've joined (or bought) Alamo! We had horrible problems w/Alamo! So, when I found out that National and Alamo are pretty much the same-- well, that knocked National off our "rent from" list!

We've used Dollar in MCO each time and only once was the experience so-so. Also used Avis here in Louisville and they were outstanding too!

loveswdw

 

[safetymom]

Our National problems were before they joined with Alamo. When I hear stories of how long it took to return the car I just laugh because when I rent at Hertz and return the car I am back at the airport in less than 10 mins.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by loveswdw
Maybe its because they've joined (or bought) Alamo! We had horrible problems w/Alamo! So, when I found out that National and Alamo are pretty much the same-- well, that knocked National off our "rent from" list!

We've used Dollar in MCO each time and only once was the experience so-so. Also used Avis here in Louisville and they were outstanding too!

loveswdw

National did not join or buy Alamo, they have been owned by the same parent company for years and have been "sister" companies all along. They share space at MCO, they do not share cars or reservation systems. They do, however, share personell in the garage. You will see attendants with Alamo/National on their shirts.


There is good and bad in every company and one person's horror story or even one bad experience with them is not going to make me not use them, with the exception of Hertz which I would not use even if it were free.

 

[erikthewise]

Just in case someone thinks renting from a "major" protects you from harm...

I once rented a car from Hertz in San Diego. After driving it for a couple days, I got ticketed -- for having no license plates! I looked and sure enough they weren't there! I'm morally certain they were not stolen, but were simply never there. I would have loved to have had expired plates!

Not only that, Hertz had the nerve to give the police my home address, as if I were the one responsible for it not having plates! The city sent me a nice letter threatening "appropriate legal action" if I didn't pay up. Of course since the amount in question was only $50, the appropriate legal action was none at all; I didn't pay. But then, I've never gone back to San Diego either, so maybe I'm still hot...

 

[safetymom]

I have gotten much better at walking around the car to make sure every is OK on the car.

I once went to VT and rented a car through a national chain. But it was a local franchise. The guy from the garage brought the car to the tiny airport. I took pictures of the car because the tires were almost bald and the car had 50000 miles on it.

 

[nuke]

They share space at MCO, they do not share cars or reservation systems.

They do share cars. We picked up a car last week from the Emerald Aisle and it was marked Alamo rent a car on the door.

 

[Lewisc]

I always check the trunk for jack and spare. I don't want to be charged if they're missing and if I get a flat I want to make sure I have a spare (even if I elect not to change the tire myself).

 

[mazzarafe]

We have rented from National our last 2 trips and I love the convenience of the aisle service. DH is not one to wait in lines.

Our last trip we had a Intrepid which had loads of trunk space and was a decent ride. Midway thru our trip was when we had an "accident." We had just come from Fantasmic and when we got to the car DH could not open the passenger door! The car next to us was gone as much of the lot at that time and we were now getting a thunderstorm. So with the 2 kids in the backseat and me, DH, and MGM security are outside standing in the lot as I'm on one of the guards cell phone talking to National. Gave me the option of going back to the airport(yeah want to waiste up to 2 hours of my 5 day stay and pay FL more in tolls) to replace the car or go to the Car Care Center and downgrade to something smaller. They never even offered to get a full size there for us in the morning. And we had nothing to do with what happened to our car. I was parked fine in between the lines with room to spare.

So with only 1-1/2 days left we decided to keep the car and my DH slide across the seat to get in and out. Thank goodness it was not bucket seats, that would have never flown.

 

[Darian]

mazzarafe - oh y eah that legendary National service strikes again!

Darian

 

[SAWYERMAW1]

We rented from National on our 5/7-7/12/03 trip to WDW. Had a horrible experience and will NEVER use National again. I urge any of you reading this to use another rental company. I received a check in the mail for $37 from National as an apology. It's hard to put a dollor amount on the first evening of your vacation totally messed up. $37 did not get it!!

 

[deena]

My family also had a really bad experience with National when we had rental reservations from them awhile back at MCO. However, I hope there are some others out there who have had better luck than us. But with what we went through, I decided to definitely save myself some more possible aggravation the last time while not wanting to take any more chances and went with Dollar instead which was a huge improvement.

 

[dvc guy]

National has lower rates than HERTZ , and there is a reason, they are not as good.

2 years ago we flew into FLL on the thursday before the Presidents week at 11 PM. I am an Emerald member and went over to the full size lane to get a car......not a single car. The line inside the office is at least 15 people deep, I went to the front of line and asked where are the full size cars. answer we don't have anymore take what ever you want, which was 3 minivans and a couple of subcompact cars.

What did they plan on giving the 15 people in line? Service in MCO is usually slow and the cars are generally beat up and high mileage. The last few times I bit the bullet and pay more for Hertz, not perfect but much better than anyone else.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by nuke
They do share cars. We picked up a car last week from the Emerald Aisle and it was marked Alamo rent a car on the door.

I will revise, as a rule, they do not share cars. They have separate areas and they are marked. Perhaps this car was there by accident or necessity.

 

[DebbieB]

When I rented last week, I did not notice separate areas in the garage, all the signs said Alamo/National. I did notice when we returned that there was a National return & a Alamo return, 2 rows next to each other. The National return was blocked off, so I went into Alamo. The attendant asked me if I was National or Alamo.

I have always used National and have had only a couple of small problems. One time a tail light was broken that I didn't notice until we got to WDW. I called them right away & told them. I did have to fill out a report on the return but they never came back to me. Another time my bill was a little high. Then there have been times where my bill has been lower (no complaints there!). Last week my total was only $110 instead of $122 quoted.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

When I rented last week, I did not notice separate areas in the garage, all the signs said Alamo/National. I did notice when we returned that there was a National return & a Alamo return, 2 rows next to each other. The National return was blocked off, so I went into Alamo. The attendant asked me if I was National or Alamo.

Yes, all the signage and attendants shirts say Alamo/National, however, the cars are usually parked in a different area from each other. IE: Full size for National is different than the full sized area for Alamo. Alamo does not use the EA either.

 

[Tigger22]

We had problems renting from National in March 2002 - the woman at the counter was a royal pain. We had made our reservation - and then joined EA solely because I didn't want to have to pay for DH to drive the car (rented in my name). We had called and checked more than once that this was okay. She started off by telling us this was not the case, and I had to pay for the extra driver - which for 11 days, I was not going to do. So, instead of me asking to see the supervisor - I just took her word for it and drove the car for the first two days. I was a wreck - I much prefer my husband to drive when I'm not sure where I am (we were traveling around FL before ending at WDW). We then called the company again, who assured us we were okay - and then we called National at the airport, talked to a supervisor to confirm again. I'm the kind of person who thinks "If I let DH drive, they'll find out" or something.
Anyway - this woman was combative from the start and really just started our trip off on a bad foot. We went with Avis this time, and had no problems.

I suppose that you can have good or bad experiences with all of the car rental places - we've stood in line at the old offsite Alamo for 2+ hours, and then we've walked in and out without a problem. Just like anything, you remember your experience and make your choices by that.

Tigger22

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Tigger,
Perhaps you should have directed the combative woman to their website under Emerald Club!!!! This is really no different from anywhere else where staff is not properly trained. Disney is famous for that.