CAR RENTAL REVIEWS ON THRIFTY IN HAWAII - HAWAII ISLAND

Satisfied.

Good service

Efficient and quick, simple pick-up and return procedures.

The minibus driver was very helpful, assisting with lifting luggage onto the minibus. The Thrifty shuttle bus was easy to locate after arriving at the airport. The staff at the pickup counter were also very nice. When asked what type of fuel to use, they said regular, and specifically mentioned 87 after confirming with a colleague. Communication was smooth overall.

1. I reserved a Wrangler, but when I arrived at the rental location, they told me there were no cars available. I had to drive all the way from Hilo to Kona Airport on the third day to return the car, which was very inconvenient. 2. Even though I returned the car with a full tank of gas, I was charged for fuel and had to call afterward to dispute the charge.

This was my first time renting from the Thrifty brand, and the service was terrible. The in-car system had no navigation and couldn't even connect to CarPlay. When I encountered problems, they refused to help. There was no delay in picking up the car, but I was given a Mazda CX-5 instead of the Jeep Compass I had reserved, which is not equivalent in class. The staff kept trying to upsell me to a four-wheel drive, which I didn't need since I wasn’t going to any observatories. When paying the deposit and signing the contract, they did not mention the vehicle model mismatch. It was only after I signed that they told me it wasn’t the Jeep but a Mazda. Their attitude was rude, saying I wouldn’t get a car at all if I didn’t take it. I feel this is a common tactic to not provide reserved vehicles and upsell upgrades. On the Big Island of Hawaii, I would not recommend trying smaller rental car brands; their service is rude and unreasonable. I also contacted the booking platform, but they were unhelpful and evasive, claiming they would assist in pursuing a refund for the price difference but never responded. Two days later, they informed me I could go to the original pickup location to exchange for a Compass, which would take 6 hours round trip. Considering the value of vacation time and the additional fuel cost with no reimbursement, I decided not to go. This complaint was eventually left unresolved. I’ve used Zuzuche many times for overseas rentals before, but this experience was extremely disappointing.

They initially provided a pickup truck, but after repeated requests, they finally exchanged it for the Wrangler I originally booked.

Not bad.

Very satisfied

The company defrauds customers by secretly including insurance charges in the contract after we explicitly refused to purchase it. They claimed it was a deposit but actually charged for insurance. Additionally, they overcharged us for fuel. The staff deceived us to meet personal performance goals, deducting fees despite our clear refusal of additional insurance. We returned the car with a full tank of gas, yet they charged us $65 for fuel. Such behavior is extremely unethical. I strongly do not recommend Thrifty; they have zero integrity.

Convenient and fast.

Extremely satisfied

Very satisfied, quick and convenient.

The process is simple and very convenient. Just present your driver's license, translation document, and credit card. After the deposit is charged, they give you the key and provide details about the specific parking spot behind the service counter to pick up the car.

I initially thought there would be extra charges for the upgrade, but after contacting customer service, I found out no additional fees were charged.

Specifically rented a Jeep Wrangler for stargazing at the Mauna Kea Observatory on the Big Island, but when I arrived to pick it up, I was told that all their Wranglers had been recalled and there were none available. After insisting that I simply needed a vehicle capable of reaching the observatory, they initially gave me a Dodge SUV and asked me to come back before heading to the observatory to swap for a more suitable vehicle. Upon issuing the rental contract, they charged a $200 deposit along with an additional fuel service fee, which they said would be fully refunded if I returned the car with a full tank. Two days later, when I went to swap vehicles, there still weren’t any Wranglers. Instead, they gave me a Ford pickup truck, which came with an uncovered truck bed and no straps for securing luggage, causing my luggage to get wet. Thankfully, I brought my own straps, so the luggage didn’t slide around in the truck bed. During the handover of the truck, I asked a technician how to switch between 4H and 4L gears but was asked for a tip in return. The service at the rental company was average, but the pickup and return processes were efficient and didn’t waste any time. Although I returned the car with a full tank on both occasions, the company still deducted the fuel service fee from my deposit without notifying me. They even charged 10% more than the original fuel service fee indicated on the contract. Fortunately, I kept the receipts from both fuel refills and photos of the fuel gauge at the time of vehicle handover. After returning home, I filed a complaint via the rental platform, and the deducted fees were refunded. Considering the efficiency of their processes for picking up, swapping, and returning vehicles, as well as the successful refund of the fuel fee, I decided not to give a negative review.

I specifically rented a Jeep Wrangler for stargazing at the Mauna Kea Observatories, but when I arrived at the rental location, they informed me that their Wranglers had been massively recalled and none were available. After insisting that I needed a vehicle capable of reaching the observatories, they initially provided me with a Dodge SUV and instructed me to exchange it for another vehicle before heading to the observatories. At the time of pickup, apart from the $200 deposit, they added a fuel service charge as a refundable deposit, promising a full refund if the car was returned with a full tank. Two days later, I went back to exchange the vehicle, but they still didn’t have a Wrangler and gave me a Ford pickup truck instead. Unfortunately, the truck bed had no cover or cargo straps, so my luggage got wet. Luckily, I had brought my own straps to secure the luggage and keep it in place. During the handoff, I asked the staff how to switch between 4H and 4L on the truck, but they asked for a tip in return for the explanation. The rental company's service was average, but the pickup and return process was efficient and didn’t waste my time. Despite returning the car with a full tank both times, the company still deducted the fuel service charge without notifying me, and the amount they deducted was 10% higher than the initial deposit. Fortunately, I had kept the fuel receipts and photos showing the fuel level at the time of return. After returning home, the rental platform resolved the issue and refunded the amount. Considering their efficient handling of pickup, exchange, and return, as well as the fact that they eventually refunded the fuel service charge, I decided not to leave a negative review.

Overall, the service was quite satisfactory.

Quick process without upselling, good vehicle condition, 10 minutes for pickup, 1 minute for drop-off.

Renting a car was very convenient and efficient.