Economy Rent a Car Reviews 

SCAM!!!!Beware of this place, originally my rental was priced at $143.00. Upon checking in at the front desk there was an additional $150.00 added for tolls. When it came to the insurance, I stated I was going to use my insurance policy (NJ) due to the fact I have full coverage. Upon doing so, the customer service rep (btw who was extremely rude), stated my full coverage policy didn’t include “Loss of Use” insurance, and stated I should contact my insurance provider to see if they can add that specific insurance. I then contacted my insurance company who I placed on speaker, advised the Economy Rent a Car service rep, the insurance did not apply or exist in the state of NJ, and that it is included in the FULL COVERAGE policy I have.

The service rep then stated in order to rent the vehicle, it would be an additional $350.00 dollars, which is the cost of their insurance plan. So the grand total would have exceeded close to $650.00 dollars, and just for reference when I booked the rental car, it was $143.00 dollars through Expedia.

I then questioned the customer service rep stating, “What do you do when you have renters specifically possessing a NJ license and NJ Insurance Policy”. The customer service rep replied, “Then they would have to pay the insurance fee”…… So to anyone who sees this, especially if your visiting from New Jersey or any other state that doesn’t have “Loss of Use” coverage specifically listed, even though you have Full Coverage, you while be forced to pay the additional $250.00-350.00 dollar insurance fee. Again, they hook and reel you in with the initial price/cost, due to its affordability which is designed to make you feel and think you have an amazing deal. However, you’ll be completely disappointed when you arrive at the front desk, and they try to SHAFT YOU WITH NO VASELINE with the additional costs, leaving you standing there confused cause they just hit you over the head with all the secret add ons.

After all that was said and done, I asked the service rep I wanted to cancel the rental, to which she stated I had to contact Expedia to cancel it. I contacted Expedia who stated due to the circumstances, they were not able to cancel it on their end, and transferred me back to Economy. I went back and forth approximately 3 times, just to find out that since we didn’t pre-pay for the vehicle there was no charge for cancellation, but the customer service rep at the desk was too preoccupied playing on her I Phone, to tell us. She also didn’t have a care in the world about helping the customers.

BTW, they close at 10pm, so if you have a late arriving flight, you might want to rent from an another company specifically located within the airport, so you don’t get stranded without a vehicle at night. Also, you will not be notified they close at 10pm, if you book with a 3rd party vendor aka Expedia, Priceline, Kayak, GOVX etc.

The experience was so bad, I decided to pay a little extra, and book a rental vehicle with a big box company instead just to avoid the headache.

Stay away, and don’t get scammed, don’t waste your time, energy, and money, and just pay a tad bit more with a major company like Budget, Hertz, Avis, etc…..which are all located within the MIA car rental station connected to the airport, and to which I had previously had great experiences with, with a streamlined, no nonsense, and surprise costs.

This company really needs to revamp its policies, and to retrain its customer service representatives. All in all this place is complete GARBAGE, so again I know I said it a million times but STAY AWAY!!!!! Don’t let the positive reviews fool you cause they are probably fake, because it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that you’re being screwed. All they want to do is upsell you, and they probably call you an idiot because you fell for their scheme.

I would give this place - Negative stars if I could, 1 star in my opinion was way too generous.

Last but not least, before you decide to rent or while your walking into the office, go listen to Ice Cube’s song “NO VASELINE” so you have an idea what your about to get yourself into.

I had a very poor experience with this car rental company (also known as JET Car Rental). I booked through Expedia, where the listing showed Ford Explorer or similar for a total of $41, which seemed like a great deal. Unfortunately, it turned out to be extremely misleading.
Here are the issues I faced:

1) Unhelpful and rude customer service:
When my stay in Mississauga was extended by one day, I called to ask about extending the rental or adding one more day. The lady on the phone did not even listen to my request and immediately said they cannot help with Expedia bookings. A reasonable customer service agent would at least explain alternatives or options.

2)Very poor pickup and drop-off experience:
Pickup was supposed to be from the airport departure gate since their location is about 3 km away. It took 1.5 hours and three follow-up calls before I was picked up. For drop-off, no shuttle was provided, and I had to pay for an Uber myself to return to the airport.

3) Massive price increase and hidden charges:
The final charge went up to $268, compared to the originally advertised $41. This is extremely deceptive. While I was there, I noticed other customers arguing with staff over similar unexpected charges.

4) Wrong vehicle provided:
Instead of a Ford Explorer or similar, I was given a Nissan Sentra (manual transmission). After protesting, they agreed to provide a Hyundai Kona, but only if I waited another 3 hours or came back later to pick it up.

5) Unauthorized toll charge:
For $5 in toll charges, they charged my credit card $74.67 without my consent, which is unacceptable.

Overall:
This company is very difficult to deal with, has numerous hidden charges, misleading pricing, poor customer service, and unprofessional operations. Booking with them will likely lead to frustration and regret. I strongly recommend staying away.
Expedia Booking Reference: PEXPA130630E

A pity that we didn’t read the reviews before renting with Economy rent a car.
By mistake ( a ten minute drive from Orlando International) we landed up at their counter.
When we were asked by a very pleasant guy named Jamie, what were the terms that we were offered for a big car from December 14-19 from the other rental company that we had originally booked with through Booking, we said $250.
He offered us the same size car for $290. Since we were exhausted after arriving from New York, we agreed despite the $40 difference.
We also asked for a 18:30 return since our flight was scheduled for 21:00 back to New York.
He agreed.
Our return flight was delayed by an hour and we returned the car an hour and a half late.
For this one and a half hour, we were charged $250!!!!
We asked the person at the return to please call the manager.
He called someone called Ramirez who refused to give us or even accept a partial amount of the fine for the one and a half hour delay.
I wrote to Customer Service and they also refused to refund me the $250 minus a one and a half hour penalty, (perhaps considering a $20 fine would also be acceptable .)
I had no choice but to pay because otherwise we would have missed our flight to New York.
In any case, keep away from this company Economy Rent a Car!
They are extremely corrupt !!!

NEVER RENT FROM THEM! It is a terrible experience. Stick with a reputable rental company. Not only do they take over 2 hours to rent a car and the customer service is awful. They DO NOT take third party rental coverage and make you take theirs. Not only do they charge you 2k as a hold on your card they overcharge and still waiting 17 calls later for the refund back. NEVER AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! RUN- Pay more somewhere else! CREDIT CARD DISPUTE IN MOTION

Economy Rent a Car is a scam. They force you to buy their insurance at triple the insurance rates even when you show them you have a prepaid insurance policy on Expedia. Beware!

I contacted Economy Rent a Car before booking because I wanted to review the rental agreement. Many optional services are described as valid only “as long as the renter complies with the rental agreement,” yet the agreement itself is not available on the website.

When I emailed customer support asking where I could find the rental agreement, I was told to provide a confirmation number. I explained that I didn’t have one yet because I wanted to understand the terms before paying. Despite this, they did not provide the rental agreement or answer the question.

This creates a frustrating and concerning situation: customers are expected to agree to terms they are not allowed to read in advance. Transparency around contracts is a basic requirement for trust, especially in car rentals where disputes are common.

Based on this interaction, I chose not to proceed with the booking. I would advise others to be cautious and ensure they fully understand all terms before committing.

This company is a complete scam operation. The first red flag is the fact that their rental location in San Diego is half mile away from all the main car rental terminal. This isolates their customers from switching to another rental agency when things go awry. When I arrived there was a long line of customers and only one agent at the counter. Hidden in the fine print of the Expedia website Economy states that your reservation is cancelled within a two hour window. By having one agent and many customers in line caused everyone to miss their two hour window. All of us had our reservations cancelled and they keep your full payment! I kid you not, there were five parties including me who had our reservations cancelled and our credit cards charged. I disputed this charge with Visa but they sided with Economy and refused to give me a refund. Stay away from renting from this company!! They will defraud you.

So we rented a vehicle from the Orlando location and go through the process and they requested a $1000 deposit, which is absurd. Then it was of you don't want to leave a deposit, then it'll be (i think it was) $197.00 and they keep that. First red flag... Then we were told to get the sun pass and put out POV plate on it if we didn't want to be charged the $20 per toll charge of we happened to go through a toll. So we did get the Sun Pass and spoke to an agent and she told us it was illegal to get a pass with a different plate when the rental already had a toll account, but we did it anyhow. We returned the vehicle and explained to the young lady what transpired and she told us that it would still be a 50/50 chance that the rental company would still charge us for the $20 toll fees. Needless to say they have charged my card $60 as of today. Do not rent from this company, they will find any way to rip you off.

We booked two vehicles through booking.com we were travelling from Canada and have ALWAYS been allowed to use our own liability insurance from our own insurance agency. The company made changes to their website after our booking which disallowed the use of this insurance. No manager to speak to, either take the cars and pay almost the cost of the rental in their insurance premium or walk away and pay a fee for cancelling the booking. Absolute scam. Do not rent from this company.

I booked an economy car from this company via Expedia because they advertised $24 daily rate at LAX location. Their shuttle service was terrible. They piggy back off LAX parking shuttle and they have separate shuttle bus at airport parking lot and NOT at the airport. In the past. I have always used my personal insurance for car rentals, even if I have liability coverage only or I can use my AAA credit card. They insisted that I provide proof of comprehensive coverage or I must buy insurance from them for $30 a day, which is more than the cost of the rental! Don't fall for their scam. The big car rental chains will honor your liability insurance. Luckily for me, Sukura rent a car was less than a block away and they honor my personal liability insurance. Don't do business with bait and switch companies and avoid their scams.

Did not rent from these guys - worst car rental experience I have had in over 62 years on this planet! Luckily, booked through Priceline and Priceline refunded all my money but the time I spent with these guys was unbelievable. Never again!

Update: Got a silly response from them, "Are you sure you booked through EconomyCars.com"!

If one simply reads the above, you can see that it was booked through Priceline as I stated. Here is what happened:

1) Economy Car will not honor the deal through Priceline
2) I had to show proof of insurance when I arrived
3) I had to authorize $1000 security deposit
4) They wanted to charge me another $5 per day for some reason
5) I had already purchased collision coverage through Priceline
6) After I got someone on the line at State Farm, the EconomyCar guy confirmed my insurance on my personal cars
7) Nothing in Priceline terms and conditions, made mention of any of the above but the counter person insisted it did
8) I told Priceline not to put these guys in front of us customers

After wasting a good hour with these guys, took their shuttle back to terminal and within 15mins, I was in a rental car with a competitor and it was returned in perfect condition yesterday. No issues at all.

This place is a scam by any other name. Like I said already, never again!

Another scam car rental company. Booked through Booking at quoted price that was supposed to include all taxes, fees and charges. The reviews on Booking were good.

Upon arrival I was hit with triple of that because of “insurance convenience fee”, mandatory toll pass and who knows what else …

Booking was of no help.

There were three other customers in the same situation there. We all left the place without cars.

Avoid at all cost.

If I could rate as 0, I would for location at Miami Int airport. I reserved a Full size SUV, "Ford expedition or similar" but given a Pathfinder, which Nissan describes as mid-size. Rental was to transport people, pets, kennels, and luggage for an international move. Because of timing for different flight times, we needed to reduce # of trips to the airport. Due to Economy, this was incredibly stressful. Economy refused to honor the contract and claimed the car was full-size. Then offered a minivan if I paid more - nearly triple the rental price initially. Customer service message with supervisors on their own system, so customers cannot speak with Manager who can make decisions/solve problems. Car quality average - broken mirror control. Worn, but ok. I would not use Economy ever again, regardless of price. Their practices feel scammy - mandatory increased fees for tolls even if you have your own pass, and higher insurance requirements that my personal insurance has always covered with other legitimate car rental facilities. I booked this through Priceline. I don't trust that process anymore either. After this experience, I will only rent directly from a major company in the future. The "deal" isn't as good as it seems. Shame on me.

Awful experience. This is a rip off company - do not use them. I rented a car at a major US city and had come from abroad. When I arrived at the office, the team said they were a small family firm and I needed personal car insurance - this isn't normal for international car bookings as they're usually trying to upsell insurance. I checked their T&Cs and those said that primary insurance would be offered for international renters. They did not offer me any insurance and I had to leave without a car. I contacted Expedia (who I booked through), Affordable Cars (their small partner) and Economy Rent a Car and no-one would give me a full refund. I ended up making a charge-back via AMEX. Totally corrupt.

Unsafe vehicles and no response

I’ve rented from Economy since ~1990. On my Aug 2025 rental (Reservation #PWEBE12FF356, SJO), I was issued two defective cars:
• Hyundai Elantra — high beams inoperative; low beams aimed extremely low (unsafe at night in the mountains).
• My Replacement Car: Nissan Versa — HVAC stuck on max cold or max heat causing windshield fogging; low beams very short range; only one high beam worked.
A WhatsApp quote was ≈$200 higher than Economy’s own website. I reported all of this on Aug 27, 2025 to customercare (had to remove the email)
and was promised a response in 1–3 business days; no response arrived. Requested fair compensation; none offered. Posting to warn others.

I rented a car from Economy Rent a Car in San Jose, Costa Rica. While driving on the highway, the front driver-side windshield wiper suddenly broke off during a rainstorm. This was a serious safety risk in a country where heavy rain is common.

Following the rental company’s written instructions, I bought a replacement wiper at a gas station, installed it and kept the receipt. I had purchased the highest level of insurance, and the local office told me to request a reimbursement directly with their corporate CS.
On August 22, 2025, Customer Care acknowledged my case and said they would respond in 1–3 business days. As of September 19, 2025, I have received no further reply.

The car itself was functional after my repair, but the lack of proper inspection, combined with the poor customer support and failure to deliver on their promised timeline, left me disappointed.

Reserved a rental from Economy rent a car at Winnipeg Airport. They do not take American Express and will not compromise using a spouses credit card if the license and credit card do not match even if you are married to the person. They will also charge per day for a second person driving the vehicle. The girl at the front desk was not helpful or offering solutions while we sat there trying to find a way not be stranded in Winnipeg. Boo on you Economy rent a car

The shuttle driver located easily from the airport. It was a quick drive over. Our checking prices was fast and the car was clean and in good condition. I was unhappy with the Hidden fees. It would be so much better for all the rental companies to have a one set price which includes the mandatory insurance and other fee. It would help if it she all more transparent. That way they'd morning to get mad about because you already know the cost and can take it or leave it. The return was easy and fast. The staff were friendly. We paid $392 for the week for an all wheel drive Hyundai. I thought it was going to be half that.

Here are the facts. The facility in Orlando was very clean. The daily rental rates are very affordable. However, be sure to read the renter's policies because there are additional fees that you need to be aware of prior to renting and arrival. 1) There is a $1,000 incidental hold required. If you do not have the ability to place a $1,000 hold on your credit card or debit card, they provide additional options. 2) The additional option is to be charged an additional non-refundable daily rate of $20 for incidentals. 3) If you intend to use your own car insurance, there is an additional non-refundable fee of at least $20 for them to process paperwork in the event you have an accident. 4) Before signing your paperwork, be sure to read through everything. There were multiple mistakes in my paper work (the wrong email address, address, etc.). 5) Be sure to take interior and exterior pictures of your vehicle prior to driving off the lot and when returning to the lot. The team provides you with paperwork that details the damages already notated, but there may be some that they've missed. Give yourself at least 30 minutes to wait for the return shuttle to the airport.

Scam and liars. The representative's name who processed the rent is Hose Morreles. They operate under different names (Economy, Priceless). Told me I HAVE to have Rental loss of use insurance as it was not in my own car insurance or they would not let me rent a car. However, it WAS NOT a requirement in the their description of rental conditions. Yes, I could have turned around and leave but I was traveling for almost 12 hours internationally, was still weak after recovering from covid and my kids were with me so to go look for another rental was not really an option. Not even to mention that in the rental contract there is not such an option and what they charged me extra 15.00 USD per day is PDW PARTIAL DAMAGE which has NOTHING to do with Rental Loss of use!!! And another thing: I picked up the car at 6:30 pm (was supposed to 4:45 pm but plane was late) and asked to have the car returned at 6 pm. Hose said it is ok BUT! Thank God I looked at the contract the morning of the return (they do not give the contract to you but email) and it is said to return at 4:45 pm. I was planning to return as it was promised to me by Hose at 6pm... Imagine how much they would charge for the "late" return. I am planning to report this company and specificly Hose Morrales (if he gave me his real name which I am not sure) to the Florida Attorney General's Office via their website, MyFloridaLegal.com, or by calling 1-866-9-NO-SCAM. To the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) at BBB.org. If you were scammed by this or any other car rental you can take an action to report them!!!