From LA to Yellowstone

Acceptable

Reputable big company

1. After landing, Dollar's airport shuttle was significantly less frequent than Hertz or Avis, leading to long wait times. 2. When I arrived at Dollar to pick up the car, the wait in line took two and a half hours. Dollar treats walk-in customers and reservation customers the same, making everyone wait in the same queue, which is very unfair. 3. The salesperson deliberately concealed charges. For example, they told us we could return the car with an empty gas tank, claiming it was a special offer, but they had already charged us for a full tank. After insisting, they finally refunded us, which was frustrating. Additionally, they tried to trick me into buying optional services like road safety, claiming it was a mandatory requirement in the US. If it hadn’t been for the specific warnings on Zu's rental order, we would have been scammed into purchasing these options. Thanks to Zu for the warnings. 4. When I realized we were charged for gas and road safety, I canceled them and asked the front desk about the pre-authorized credit card freeze. The staff was very arrogant and unwilling to explain. 5. When returning the car with a full tank of gas, the staff suddenly asked for a fuel receipt from the previous day, which we weren't told about at pickup. They deducted over 10 dollars without informing us; if I hadn’t checked the receipt carefully, I wouldn’t have known. When I questioned her, she refused to explain and directed me to the counter with a terrible attitude. Ultimately, Dollar took the money without any clear explanation. 6. We booked a Grand Cherokee, but upon arrival, we were told there were none available and had to choose from just three similarly categorized cars. Compared to the large parking lots of Hertz and Avis, Dollar's selection was very limited, and it was nearly impossible to get the reserved model. Conclusion: I will never choose Dollar's services again.

Very satisfied. The Los Angeles Airport location did not aggressively push add-ons. There were many customers, so I waited in line for over 20 minutes. They only required a domestic driver's license and didn’t even check the translation. I rented a FORD ESCAPE, but similar vehicles including JEEP had mileages around 50,000-60,000 miles, so I chose one with just over 40,000 miles. The car was in great condition, except for a low tire pressure alert mid-trip. I called DOLLAR once, and they said I could exchange the car, but only at a store location. The low tire pressure might be due to the system being too sensitive, so I continued driving it as is. Note that at Washington Airport, DOLLAR requires notarized documents to rent a car.

Overall, it's pretty good. In the morning, there are quite a few cars available, offering lots of choices. However, most have over 40,000 miles on them. Switching cars midway is convenient, although you might need to wait if there are no cars available. Aside from that, I'm satisfied!