r/nationalCarRental

After years of renting cars, I've noticed that everyone seems to have their own pickup routine.

Some people immediately check for scratches and take photos, while others seem interested in how rental companies keep track of vehicle condition through systems such as fleetomni. Others are more focused on tire condition, fuel level, or making sure their phone connects to the infotainment system before leaving the lot.

What's interesting is that a lot of these habits seem to come from one bad experience somewhere in the past.

For me, the order of things I check has changed quite a bit over time. What I cared about on my first few rentals isn't necessarily what I pay attention to now.

I'm curious what experienced renters here consider the most important thing to verify before driving away.

Is there anything you always check, no matter how short the rental is?

And have you ever caught a problem during pickup that saved you a headache later on?

Does John Wayne airport not have an Emerald Isle???? I was told it had one when but I went to book a car through the national app I don’t see Emerald Isle available as an option

Today I went to pick up my rental car and had an issue because my ticket at another airport never got closed out even though the vehicle was checked in less than 72 hours ago. The facility would not call corporate they would not attempt to reach their supervisor, the regional manager, or even attempt to call the other airport or even corporate and verify my vehicle had been checked in just the ticket now closed out. I have never witnessed such lazy staff and such nasty staff in my entire life anywhere they wanted to go back and serve their phones instead of picking up the phone and making a phone call. I have been working since I was 15 years old and I am now in my 40s and I have never ever ever treated anyone the way I was treated today even when I made five dollars an hour do not rent from National or enterprise car rental. Save yourselves that headache they can’t get it together and to top it off if you have left something in one of their rental vehicles, you can’t get a hold of the location directly anyway yes I’m that customer that accidentally left something in a previous rental from a few weeks before. Thankfully, it was recovered, but the only way that you can put in for it is to use their online Lost and Found and then even then when they find it, there’s still no number or anyway you can communicate with them to verify that it is the correct item.

I've rented from Philly, ewr and now Denver and the shuttles never come. See plenty of hertz, sixt, and others but no national. They cut way back on them? Time for a change I guess. Hertz any better? They were down hill too for a while

I think I've read it correctly but I just wanted to double check ... I made a reservation for tomorrow but may not end up needing the vehicle. National do not charge a fee if you don't show up for your reservation, correct?

It is not prepaid. If I don't need it, I'll still cancel but it may be after the reserved time.

Just wanted to double check my research is correct and I won't be charged a cancellation/no show fee.

Booked a Luxury car at National LAX for pickup at 9pm on the Thursday before July 4th. Give it to me straight, what are the odds I will actually get a 3 series or A4? Am I right to be thinking along the lines of highly unlikely?