I recently rented from NU Car Rental in Phoenix after booking a prepaid “mystery car” through Priceline. At the counter, I was told the vehicle assigned (a van) would be a “gas guzzler,” and I was offered a smaller SUV for $29/day.
What was not clearly explained was that this $29/day was in addition to the prepaid rate I had already paid through Priceline. I believed it was a substitute rate, not an added daily charge.
Only after returning from vacation did I realize I had effectively doubled my daily rental cost. While the paperwork did show the total, the way the pricing was presented at the counter was unclear and sales-driven rather than transparent.
I am not disputing that I signed the agreement. My concern is with how the pricing was explained. International travellers in particular should be very cautious about agreeing to any changes at the counter and confirm whether new rates are replacements or additional charges.
I contacted NU Car Rentals promptly and was told they reviewed my situation with a corporate manager and a local manager, which determined I knowingly paid double the price for a smaller less-expensive vehicle. When I called Priceline, they said there was nothing they could do either. Clearly both organizations care little about quality customer service and more about coercively bilking their customers.
With this expensive experience, I will definitely default to making zero changes at the counter in the future. And will never use NU Car Rentals again and will definitely be steering everyone I come into contact away from them.
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NÜ Car Rental offers discount rental cars in over 29 countries including Europe, Central and South America, The Caribbean, Australia and New Zealand. NÜ Car Hire has the great rates, exclusive discounts and cheap deals