ComplaintsforACE Rent A Car

• Initial Complaint

  11/08/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I returned a car to ACE Rental, and it had a small (approximately 2 cm) crack in the windshield that they claim happened during my rental period. I can't confirm or deny that, because of the condition of the car when I picked it up (at night, in the dark, by the open area of a parking garage, with dead insect stains on the windshield). Regardless, when they sent me the collections claim, through a third party claims/collections agency, they charged exorbitant fees for administration, loss of use (several days), and removed/replaced parts that were not impacted by the damage (e.g., windshield wiper motors, the front gutter of the windshield, etc.). My insurance company told me this seems to be common practice by the company and is integral to their business model (fraudulent claims to offset inexpensive rental costs), and in fact my own research into the area showed that a windshield replacement of the same make/model/year of the car would be done on the same day for between $200 and $500. This seems like a total scam to me, and I want to safeguard other travelers from similar issues.

  

  Business response

  11/11/2024

  Hi ********, 

  When it comes to disputing or removing damage charge claims, you will need to contact our partner ************* Claims by phone at ************ or by email at ****************************************************. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to us by email at ************************************* or by phone at ************ and we'd be more than happy to assist you. 

  Customer response

  11/11/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined the response would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below. 
  
  While their response indicates that I should contact the third party associated with pursuing the claim, the fact is that the rental agreement was with ACE, and therefore this complaint is with ACE. They will need to address the discrepancy in their appraisals and work done, or have their third party address them, in this space. I am not pursuing a BBB complaint with the third party to the agreement, just as I would not complain about a collections company for a fake charge, but instead address it with the primary company from which the charge was incurred. In other words, they are attempting to make a fraudulent claim and then relying on their claims subcontractor to remove their liability. It does not, however, remove their liability; they could just as easily say that i need to file a BBB complaint with their administrative assistant or the front desk personnel who rented me the car. 

  Regards,
  
  ******** *********

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  11/07/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I could give a lower review I would, but I will be taking this issue to the BBB. Furthermore, they have the worst customer service in *******. To start off I went over my vehicle agreement by not even a full day, my vehicle was due back at 9:58pm Tuesday night and I returned by Wednesday at 5:55pm. I was quoted over the phone for me having the vehicle until that point would be $55.50, when I made it to ACE rental car at ATL airport I was then told I owed them ****** where did the price change come into play? Also they kept my $300 deposit after I refused to pay the ****** because it was incorrect. They also placed a repossession charge on my bill to say they had a reason to keep my deposit when I in fact returned the vehicle myself. I will not be calling customer service, I will be getting my money back and we can for sure go to court since thats the way you would like to conduct business.

  

  Business response

  11/08/2024

  Hi Chelsea, 
  After looking further into your reservation, I can see that you did contact the location to inform them that you would like to extend the vehicle but wanted to use a different card. The agent informed you that they could not do that on the phone and strongly advised you that you would need to come back to the locations. You stated that you will need to contact your bank to see if you have funds on the card that was originally used and will call the location back afterward. It looks like you never called the location back and the location tried to reach you, but it went straight to voicemail. The agent tried to charge your card ***** for the extension, but your card was declined. The location did send out a repossesion email to your email address and it shows you. Then, you called them back and the agent informed you that you were supposed to drop off the vehicle the day before since the extension was not confirmed. You informed the agent that you would be returning the vehicle at 7 PM and the agent informed you that you would need to drop it off immediately or the security department would be involved; you understood the. You agreed. That phone call happened at 1 PM. You did not return the vehicle until 5:54 PM and you refused to pay the overdue balance of the vehicle for extending it. I can see that you spoke to the location's manager regarding this matter and I can also see that the manager had stated that you were using vulgar language during your interaction when they were trying to provide assistance and inform you of the reason behind the charges. We will not be issuing any refund at this time.

  Customer response

  11/08/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined the response would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear .

  I will be reaching out to my lawyer at this time, I have attached the two receipts with the majority of charges from the rental company. I spoke with ******* whom at that time had a horrible attitude and I only matched the responses I was given. I spoke with customer service at ******* not 1pm after multiple text messages were sent out as well. I also was told by your customer service that I would not be charged a repossession fee due to me communicating with them and letting them know that the vehicle could not be returned until a certain time. You are trying to justify charges that will not stand after reviewing your other 388 complaints. You are refusing to refund money that does not rightfully belong to you. My language did not become vulgar until ******* refused to understand that you guys are completely in the wrong. At this time I have attached the huge amount difference in the photos attachments and if necessary I can attach my phone records which you guys again lied and said you contacted me on multiple accounts when I spoke with all of you on each account. I asked about a different card to take care of the ***** not ****** plus ****** when I was the one whom returned the vehicle.  

  
  Regards,
  
  ******* ******

  
  

  

  Business response

  11/11/2024

  Hi Chelsea, 

  Since you have brought up that you will be taking legal action against this matter, we cannot offer any assistance at this time. 

  

  Business response

  11/11/2024

  Dear BBB, 

  We would like to request for you to close this case since the customer brought up taking legal action against this matter when we have explained to her what occurred during her reservation and the notes left from the staff that had to provide her service. She was very disrespectful and used vulgar language; she has been placed on the Do Not Rent List. 

• Initial Complaint

  11/05/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I was quoted $101.78 to rent a car. When I went to the location, the representative said "standard options, right?". The representative dis not verbalize that standard options was coverage I didn't need, such as insurance and tolls. I was charged $339.75. I believe this practice of adding services to the contract with no verbalization is deceptive. I am requesting a refund of $237.97 for services I did not use or want. Thank you.

  

  Business response

  11/07/2024

  Hi ******, 
  It does state in our terms and conditions that customers must have full coverage insurance (Collision and Liability) to rent our vehicles. It looks like, on November 3rd, your husband called in on your behalf stating that it was a "miscommunication error" and that he instructed you to decline coverage. You did sign the rental agreement agreeing to all the charges (attached), at this time we cannot refund you for the insurance that was charged to your reservation. When it comes to the toll pass, we can verify that you did not go through any tolls during your trip and have refunded you ***** back on your card ending in 8388. I have attached the refund receipt as confirmation, and it should arrive back at your account in 7-14 business days. If you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to reach us by email at ************************************* or by phone at ************ and we'd be more than happy to assist you. 

  Customer response

  11/07/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined the response would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below. 
  
  I am not satisfied with this resolution because at no time was I asked for a copy of my insurance policy information. I assumed that my husband provided it at the time of the booking. I found out after the fact that he wasn't asked to provide it either, so we were charged for insurance coverage for coverage we already have.  The agent who issued me the vehicle should have asked me for the insurance information. The clerk should have explained things thoroughly to me instead of saying "sign here and then here and here" and then handed me the keys.  While refunding $56 is great, it doesn't excuse that I was charged $150 more than what I was told at the time of reservation. I should have been asked for my insurance information prior to giving me the keys to the vehicle!

  Again, I reiterate that nothing was explained to me other than of the $339 charged, $200 would be refunded to me, which proved to be untrue. **************** has told me 3 times that there isn't anything that they can do, and that is unacceptable. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ****** *************

  
  

  

  Business response

  11/08/2024

  Hi ******, 

  At this time, we cannot offer any refund. It does state in our terms and conditions that customers must have full coverage insurance to rent our vehicles and if they plan on using their own personal coverage then you will need to provide supporting documents at the time of pick up. 

  

  Business response

  11/08/2024

  Dear BBB, 

  We formally request for you to close this case since the customer did not provide any supporting documents stating they had full coverage insurance to cover their rental vehicle. This customer is making assumptions based on what they believed their husband did when booking the vehicle, but customers are never given the option "decline coverage" online. Thank you for your assistance and have a good rest of your day. 

  Customer response

  11/12/2024

  I have attached my insurance document which the company never asked for or considered during the rental process or during my attempt to informally resolve this matter. Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  11/04/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I reserved a car 9/11 and brought it back 9/13. They charged me a security deposit of $250. As of today 10/11 I still have not received the security deposit credited back to my credit card. Ive called them twice and was told up to 14 business days. I still have not received it back.

  

  Business response

  11/04/2024

  Hi ******, 
  If you could please email us at ************************************* with your confirmation number (3 letters followed by 8 digits) or the location you rented from and the name under the reservation, we would be more than happy to take a further look into your deposit status and answer any questions you may have. 

• Initial Complaint

  11/02/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I am writing to formally report unethical business practices conducted by ACE Rent A Car, which I believe may be an ongoing issue affecting consumers. I recently encountered significant challenges with ACE Rent A Car, including unauthorized charges, obstructive customer service, and a concerning lack of accountability.Specifically, ACE Rent A Car applied two rental charges to my account, which I had explicitly denied. I documented this denial through a video recording of my interaction with their virtual agent, which confirms that these charges were unauthorized. After extensive effort on my part, including repeated attempts to reach their billing department, the company finally reversed these charges. However, this process required persistent follow-up, as calls to their billing phone number consistently directed me to a voicemail, with no subsequent follow-up or response. In fact, I was only able to resolve this issue after seeking out executive and media contacts to escalate my complaint.This incident raises concerns that ACE Rent A Car may be engaged in practices that disadvantage consumers by applying unauthorized charges and creating obstacles for consumers attempting to resolve billing issues. This could be a widespread issue affecting others who may lack the resources or time to pursue the issue as vigorously.I am bringing this to your attention as I believe this matter may warrant further investigation. It is important that consumers have access to fair, transparent, and accessible service, and I am hopeful that ACE Rent A Cars practices can be thoroughly reviewed to prevent similar incidents in the future.Thank you for your attention to this matter. Please feel free to reach out to me should you require any further details or documentation.Respectfully,C Attachment: Official Complaint to ACE Rent A Car

  Customer response

  11/06/2024

  Good afternoon: The business refunded the mischarges, but I am requesting a complete refund. The mischarges were declined. Therefore, the incident was unethical, illegal, and caused me to have to put several hundred dollars extra on my credit card because of their error. Thank you!

  

  Business response

  11/07/2024

  Hi *****,
  After looking further into your reservation, I can see that we have refunded you back the insurance that was charged to your reservation at the time of pick-up.  We have issued you a refund of ****** back on your card ending in 7318 on October 2nd. I have attached the refund receipt as confirmation and the final invoice that breaks down all the charges. I want to assure you that our main priority is to provide the best quality service to our customers and will be handling this accordingly. 

• Initial Complaint

  11/02/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I made a car rental reservation with ACE car rental for their ******* location for 5 days from 10/15/24-10/20/24. After picking up the veh within **************************************************** our minivan. I reached out to the company and was told we could keep the veh if we felt safe driving it or we could bring it back. So my husband made a U turn and went back to swop it out. We very disappointed because our family had been traveling since 3am and exhausted. The 2nd van drove fine but after having the veh for 2 days we discovered an infestation of roaches living in the veh under the floor boards. We immediately became concerned about possibly bringing any of them back home & called the company. The gentleman notated our reservation & told me to come back again to get a 3rd veh. Unfortunately we discovered the bugs ******* after leaving a restaurant from having breakfast and was about to head to animal kingdom at ******. I asked the gentleman if they could just bring out another veh since they were 20 mins away & it was gonna disrupt our plans/schedule. He said if they did that we would be charged a fee because we didnt take the towing package with our rental. I asked the *** what was the company going to do for us because of the problems we were having. he told me we would have to *** with the locations supervisor *****. He said that he wasnt available right now but we could expect a call from him within 24hrs. So my husband went back to swop out the minivan again and while he was there he say a gentlemen with a name tag on that said ***** but he was busy with a customer. So he waited and approached ***** to discuss the problems we were having. The *** told my husband that he wasnt the supervisor and that he needed to spk w/ a different *****, which we later found out was a lie. He was actually the right person and that he gave my husband the brush off. Needless to say we never recvd a call either.

  

  Business response

  11/04/2024

  Hi Torri, 
  Thank you for sharing the rental experience you had at our ******* location and having to switch out vehicles multiple times. After looking further into your reservation, I can see that the location did discount your original rate for your vehicle as a reimbursement for the experience you had. I have attached the final invoice that breaks down all the charges made as confirmation. If you would like to further discuss this matter, you can reach us by email at ************************************* or by phone at ************. 

  Customer response

  11/04/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined the response would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below. 
  When looking over the invoice they attached the only credit on they issued is for $37 which was due to them prorating the toll package because the governor had suspended toll charges due to the hurricane. Other than that I see no additional adjustments made to our rental. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ***** ******
  

  

  Business response

  11/07/2024

  Hi *****, 
  If you look at the final invoice attached, you can see that it states, "Credit to RATE Charge", it is not a refund of your toll pass. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us by email at ************************************* or by phone at ************ and we'd be more than happy to assist. 

  

  Business response

  11/07/2024

  Dear BBB, 

  We are requesting for you to close this case regarding the customer stating we did not provide her a discount for the vehicle. I have attached the final invoice that breaks down all the charges made to the reservation and as you can see, there was a  credit made from the Rate of Charge. Thank you for your time and I hope you have a lovely rest of your day.

• Initial Complaint

  10/31/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My wife and I book a car rental tru *********** the total price was $258 the insurance was included I had paid extra to have it included. I got the instruction to pick it up at ********* airport car lot. When we arrived the agent ***** assisted us in Spanish to finish the process she offered extra insurance we declined any other offers, but them she gave me paperwork to initial in English to receive the key to the vehicle and put a deposit on our card that sounded normal process . Upon returning my wife noticed that they were a extra charge of $139.52 when my wife called they are giving us the runaround about the charges then she called again and they mention its extra insurance fees that we declined at the time of pick up. Now they are say that he initials on the paper were extra things we signed up for my wife told the person Coby that assisted her over the phone that the agent **** *** him to sign documents. This is unethical business practice they are saying they have recoding which I would like to hear because we declined any other additional payment and its not what we agreed. The sad this is not the first time I see more complaints online for them unfortunately after this. The only reason he sign is because he was told it was a deposit not for any other reason. I think they definitely take advantage of the credit cards on file and that you live out of state and wont go back to complaint in person. I have included my booking information and the additional charges that I received after the car was returned.

  

  Business response

  11/05/2024

  Good Evening, 

  I would like to express our apologies for any miscommunication that occurred while you were being assisted at our ********* location on 10/25/24. 

  I would like to address all concerns by starting with the fact that this customer was presented with a summary of charges that gives an itemized breakdown of all charges before leaving the rental counter, and the customer initialed the acceptance of those charges both digitally on their rental agreement, and manually.  We do this and save the documents so there can be no misunderstanding as to what was purchased or agreed to. (please see attachments).

  Our basic package covers our rental vehicle only, and during the conversation the customer never mentioned that they had purchased online coverage through a 3rd party.  They also never requested to speak to a manager for clarification of any kind.  If the customer doesn't inform us of their purchase we have no way of knowing in our system as they purchased this product through a separate company so it's their responsibility to make us aware.   

  However, seeing the proof of that purchase (which again, was not presented at the time of rental) I'm happy to refund the basic package as they both cover the same thing and we don't believe in having our customers purchase the same product twice.  The refund for $139.51 has already been processed and will reflect in their **** in the next 7-10 business days. 

  Lastly the customer called our call center on 10/30 for the initial complaint, and called back on 10/31 then stating that the agent told them they couldn't get the keys unless they signed the paperwork which is factually incorrect as that never happened. 

  Hopefully that resolves all issues mentioned, and if not please feel free to reach out to our location.  

  Thank you. 

   

• Initial Complaint

  10/31/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I arrived in ******* and approached the rental counter. I travel a lot for my job. When I started the check in procedure the counter person asked me for my personal insurance declaration page. I have NEVER been asked for this before. She told me I could not have the rental unless I gave her this page or purchase the insurance. In the time since I researched this and found that the rental people get a commission and that this seems to be a scam particularly at ******* airport. In short I was forced and bullied into purchasing their insurance. As a middle aged white man I can't help to think it was racially motivated as the person next to me was never asked for anything and did not buy their insurance. Their response to my concern was horrible. They responded to me as "*******" and my name is *****. They told me I choose the insurance so they can't help me - I WAS BULLIED INTO CHOOSING THEIR INSURANCE!!! I don't like being taken advantage of. Please help!

  

  Business response

  11/04/2024

  Hi *******, 
  Ace Rent a Car has a general rule that customers may use their insurance at pickup. Still, they must provide supporting documents that state they have full coverage insurance and that it covers rental vehicles. Unfortunately, since you did not have any supporting documents at that time, the front desk agent must issue you with a charge for insurance through ACE to continue with your rental. If you would like to further discuss our policies, you can reach us by email at ************************************* or by phone at ************, and we'd be more than happy to assist you. 

  Customer response

  11/08/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined the response would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below. 
  
  When I rented there three weeks earlier from this location they merely asked for my insurance company name. No other rental car company has ever asked me for the declaration page of my policy and your rental documents never advised I needed to present it. I dont know anyone who carries around declaration page of their insurance. I carry a picture of my insurance card, but told that wasnt sufficient. I can read between the lines here and am sure you wont help. Ill just go back to Enterprise or anyone else other than Ace. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ******* *******
  

  

  Business response

  11/11/2024

  Hi *******, 
  I understand but, it does state in our terms and conditions that customers must provide supporting documents that state you have full coverage insurance. With a declaration page, it will provide the proper information the first desk agent will need to know before handing you a vehicle because having insurance is mandatory. Thank you for your understanding and if you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to reach us by email at ************************************* or by phone at ************, and we'd be more than happy to assist you. 

  

  Business response

  11/11/2024

  Dear BBB, 

  We formally request for you to close this case since the customer did not read our terms and conditions and stated they did not provide any supporting documents at the time of pick up. Thank you for your understanding and I hope you have a good rest of your day.

• Initial Complaint

  10/30/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Upon arrival i provided a credit card with ldw insurance as part of my card benefits. The attendant hardly understood English. She told me i would still need to purchase additional insurance. My rental was to be charged using the credit card and the extra, unnecessary insurance, was to be paid using my personal bank card. She put the entire rental on one card and since there was damage to the vehicle, and she didn't charge each card separately, i an without benefits. This is a language barrier and fraud on their part for improperly charging cards

  

  Business response

  10/31/2024

  Hi ********, 

  In our terms and conditions, customers must have full coverage insurance (collision and liability) to rent our vehicles. After looking further into your reservation, I can see that you were only charged for liability meaning that the collision coverage that your credit card covers. Credit Cards can only cover collision and not liability, I have attached the final invoice that breaks down all the charges made to your reservation. If you have any questions or concerns, you can reach us by email at ************************************* or by phone at ************ and we'd be more than happy to assist you. 

• Initial Complaint

  10/25/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I reserved a car through expedia with ACE car rental at LAX. I reserved the following:Expedia Itinerary # ************** Special Dealers Choice or similar 5 passengers When I arrived at ACE I was told that they would only offer me a large passenger van (not a minivan, but a large van), that would transport 8-15 people. I was told to get a regular passenger vehicle (as I had reserved) that it would cost more money per day. I asked several times if this was accurate because it was not what I reserved. I was told several times that this was my only option (or I could drive the passenger van that was comparable to the airport shuttle that I had just rode in). I was also told that the passenger van would use so much gas that it would be more expensive, so that I should just rent the higher priced car. I eventually agreed to rent the car, as a passenger van was an absurd option for me as a single person. When I returned the car at *** a few days later, other customers had the same story. However, one of them spoke to the manager and was not made to pay extra for a regular passenger car. I was manipulated and lied to. I was tricked into an "upgrade" that was not necessary because I would have driven any normal vehicle that was made for a 1- to 5 person rental. Therefore I am requesting a refund of the extra I was charged, which is $****** . rental from expedia quoted: ****** paid: ****** difference: ****** ACE RENT A CAR - ***************, ** ************ RA# :LAX-227041

  

  Business response

  10/28/2024

  Hi *****, 
  The price you see online is for the vehicle itself, it does not include additional add-ons like the refundable security deposit and extra add-ons like insurance (if needed), tolls pass, prepaid fuel, etc. I have attached the final invoice that breaks down all the charges made to the reservation. When reserving a dealer's choice, that means you are paying a discounted rate but taking away your option to choose what type of vehicle you are driving. If you would like to further discuss our policies, you can each us by email at ************************************* or by phone at ************. 

  Customer response

  10/30/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined the response would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below. 

   I am not disputing any "add-ons" they mentioned "like the refundable security deposit, insurance, tolls pass,prepaid fuel, etc). The reservation I made was for dealers choice of  5 PASSENGER VEHICLE. I verified with expedia that that is my reservation, which was in the original attachments I sent. The dealers choices does not include transport vehicles that are more akin to commercial vehicles. I already tried talking to ace customer support and they said they cannot help me. There is no way that a 15 person transport van is within what I reserved as a "5 passenger dealers choice vehicle".  Their response did not even address my issue; it was filled with irrelevant information. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ***** *****

  
  

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩