Payless Car Rental

Unilocal really needs a negative star option.
DO NOT RENT FROM THIS COMPANY — THEY HATE PROVIDING CUSTOMER SERVICE, THEY SCAM AND THE CARS ARE FILTHY!
I have done bids through Priceline for years. I usually end up at Alamo or one of the better car rental companies. This time however I ended up with Payless, which now has me rethinking bids.
When we arrived at the counter there were five people ahead of us. One couple at the counter being helped (they were having a credit card issue). A guy that was finishing up, a woman who was having a reservation issue and another man who was directly in front of us. After standing in line for 52 minutes it appeared that we would be next. When the next agent became free we were informed that she would be «back to deal with us» in a few minutes. Um ok, how about you need to step away for a few minutes. She never came back to «deal with us». About 20 minutes later another agent (the one «dealing with» the woman with the reservation issue) greeted us with a smile and got us started. She apologized for the wait and managed to get us through everything rather quickly! I was informed that we would get a discount for adding another driver since we had to wait so I did it. (However, later I found out that we did not get a discount — a little shady!).
When we got to the garage to get our car, the two girls in the garage office were friendly and polite. However, I found it odd that this company does not automatically give you a sheet to mark any issues with the vehicle. Another shady practice. Our car (a Toyota Corolla) was by far the WORST rental that I have ever had! The trunk was dented and scratched up all over, there was rust all along the bottom of much of the vehicle and half of the floor mats were missing (seriously you can’t replace car mats Payless?). We went back in and had to request a sheet to mark these issues on. (Renters BEWARE I feel like they try to scam you into potentially paying for repairs that you have not caused!). We finally hit the road almost an hour and forty-​five minutes after arriving at the counter and that is when I noticed the trash in the car! In the middle compartment were half empty water bottles and wrappers. More trash was jammed into the door on the passenger side. Apparently they do not clean out the vehicles when renters bring them back — SO DISGUSTING!
I would recommend to anyone that THEY AVOID RENTING FROM THIS COMPANY. My car rental for four days was originally $ 61.96. By the time they were done with all of their «fees» and the scam of a «discounted additional driver» I ended up paying $ 171.55 for really crappy service and a FILTHY car. The irony is in the name–

What a joke. Amongst the well known National brands at the airport car rental facility sits a small & lonesome Payless car rental. No thrills, I assumed this would be an easy transaction. Not so much. I booked using Priceline at a wonderful rate. Upon arrival I was asked to provide a gas or electric bill to prove my home address. I joked with the staff that I typically don’t carry an electric bill with me, but I could pull one up online. Next, they shared with me they did not have a partnership with my insurance carrier: progressive & I would have to pay an additional fee for insurance. I politely canceled my reservation & went to Alamo for a zero hassle, free upgrade & self service at a kiosk. Skip this low budget disaster. They were quick to tell me they are owned by Avis & I shared with them that I rent from Avis often & I have never had to provide an electric bill and pay for insurance. The staff also tried to advise me what Priceline was. Thanks Captain Obvious!

Should have checked these reviews before I rented from them. They good news is that they are cheap. The bad news is that they have 1 agent at the Atlanta Airport, one of the busiest airports in the nation. Can take up to an hour or more to get your car. I just cancelled 3 future reservations with them. Do yourself a favor, pay a few dollars more and rent somewhere else. The Enterprise desk has 4 agents working and no line. In fact, none of the other car rental desks have a line.

Booked through Expedia and had a reservation during a peak time as well. Went to the desk, ran several of my cards and would not accept any of them, pawned me off to their neighbor and said we can’t run any of your cards for another 24 hours! Called Expedia, complained and got another car rental in which I had to wait another three (3) hours through Sixt Car Rental, in which my first card they (Payless) ran worked?! Happened to walk by their lot and they didn’t have almost any cars at all. DO NOT RENT THROUGH EXPEDIA!!! THEY WILL TURN YOU AWAY!!!

I made my reservation through Priceline, at the time I was having trouble with the pickup time as the scroll wouldn’t activate so I left it as is which was noon. I contacted Priceline and was told they had contacted Payless regarding the correction.
When I arrived at 1030AM I was told by the girl at the counter that I was early and they didn’t have a car and if I needed a car right away it would be a $ 100 upgrade. I explained the web issue and got shrugged shoulders. I realized that all the companies in the rental row were packed and I had a meeting to get to so my options were limited.
When I finally found the upgraded car I opened the door and the odor almost gagged me. They had overly sprayed the car with something between stale beer and rotten cherries. The seats and floor were filthy, and the interior windshield was splattered with some sort of white greasy cleaner from the driver’s side to passenger. I took photos as I wanted someone to see the condition of this «upgrade»! I had to drive with the windows open every day to avoid feeling queasy from the odor and had to put hotel towels down on the seats because the filth was coming off on my clothing.
On my return I went early so that I could meet with someone regarding this disaster. After waiting in line for 20 minutes (there were 3 at the desk but none had any urgency about helping their customers), I got to the desk and said I needed to speak to the manager. I was then told to wait, again. After another 20 minutes the woman next to the first clerk called me over and I realized she was the manager. I explained the issue with the web site and showed her the photos of the car and without any further comment or apology she said she refunded the upgrade cost of $ 100. She said she had to email me the receipt for some reason. When I arrived home and read the receipt she only deducted $ 48 dollars. In addition, I was sent an e-​survey which I responded appropriately and, to date, I haven’t heard a single work from the company. I also found out it is a division of AVIS, really, not what I would expect from them!
NEVER USE PAYLESS OR AVIS FOR THAT MATTER!

Because of the good rate I decided to try Payless instead of Avis preferred. So many of the reviews on here are negative I just wanted to make sure for myself. Here is my story.
Rate was about 45% of the Avis rate which is why I tried this. From the moment I reached the counter it was about 25 minutes before I had my contract and was leaving to go pick up my car. There was a slight attempt to get me to upgrade to the next level of car. There was no attempt to sell me insurance, GPS, or other upgrades. The clerk had a little trouble reading the reservation so he needed a little help from a coworker. Picking up the car from the rental car lot was fast and hassle free. My vehicle has 38,000 miles on it and smelled a little funny on the inside like they were trying to cover up smoke. All the windows were open so I’m guessing they were trying to air the car out. The passenger’s seat has some stains on it. The vehicle was vacuumed and the outside was clean. The car drove fine and had bluetooth.
Return was handled accurately and by friendly staff. They cannot print receipt at counter so you must walk to a booth about 40 feet away. Printer was a dot matrix printer.

We made a reservation online for a compact car, at a great rate. Four day rental, total costs about $ 91.
Pick up was on a Thurs, early afternoon, and drop off on the following Mon, early afternoon. So we didn’t experience any problems with no one being at the rental desk or the key pick up/​drop off station.
We used a credit card to make the reservation and presented the same credit card at the rental desk. My guess is this makes a huge difference. There was no requirement to present utility bill or anything else. There was also no requirement to purchase any insurance, roadside assistance, etc. The rental agent did the usual thing where they ask «what type of coverage are you selecting today?» But I think they do that at every rental agency. I said «decline all» and the agent didn’t fight me, just asked for the name of my insurance.
The agent gave us a SUV, unprompted. I don’t know why, it appeared they had compact cars available when we left. But the car was very nice! 2015 Kia Sportage, with about 40k miles. It got great mileage over the four days we used it (we put on a decent amount of miles). We were very pleased with the vehicle.
There were no problems with the actual pick up or drop off of the car. Both were very easy and quick.
This brings me to the only complaint: the line at the rental desk. We stood in line for over an hour waiting to talk to a rental agent. There were at least 40 people in line, the whole time we were there. Initially there was only one agent, but by the time we got to the front of the line there were three.
We both concluded that we would’ve gladly paid another $ 10/​day to avoid the line. The line was comical, really. Because there was an entire floor of open desks, with agents available, while 40+ people stood in line. Not worth the wait to save $ 30, in my opinion.
Which is too bad, because otherwise we had a great experience. Reading the Unilocal reviews (while standing in line, doh!) we were prepared for the worst. But the experience was actually very good (minus the long wait).

To whom it may concern:
PLEASE believe, and beware of, the negative reviews.
I had a flight+car package deal set for the 2015 Christmas Holiday season (scheduled from Wednesday, December 23, 2015 til Monday, December 28, 2015).
Due to flight delays, I did not arrive to the car rental area until almost midnight Wednesday night.
During the entire travel time (before leaving and layovers) I tried to contact Payless, and the phone just continually rang and rang, to no avail.
When I arrived to pick up the car, a sign displaying «closed until 8 a.m.» was posted.
I stayed in a hotel for the night, and proceeded to call the following morning.
Me: «Hello. I had a delayed flight last night and was not able to pick up my reserved car, so I want to verify it’s still available.»
Reservation Specialist: «Yes, it’s here. You can come get it.»
I proceed to offer my name or reservation number, and the specialist said he needed neither one.
I prompted him at least two more times, seeing as how it was weird that the car was «just available» without him receiving any of my details.
He assured me it would be there, so I got a friend to make the 30 minute trek to the airport.
I spoke to someone at the Payless Car Rental counter just to be told my reservation was cancelled, the reservation specialist they have answering the phone has no idea what they’re doing and they should have made me a new reservation.
I proceeded to explain I was told to come down and it would be available… otherwise, I wouldn’t have driven 30 minutes just to be told my reservation was cancelled.
Somehow, after entering calculations for a rental one day short of the original agreement, the estimated $ 196 jumped to $ 306.
I was utterly disgusted, upset and beyond peeved at this point, and decided to drive another 30 minutes to an Enterprise renting cars for around $ 160 for the same time.
DO NOT USE PAYLESS!

The entire customer experience was fine to me and the car was ok (Ford Fiesta with 40k). However I’m not sure how they’re still in business with the disparity between online prices and final price. I prepaid and reserved a car at $ 133 after seeing $ 20 a day. Ok great, it’s around Christmas and this is a decent price considering. However my final bill ended up being $ 294. They basically added extra insurance I didn’t ask for. Lied about roadside assistance being included. So somehow I paid for a car in advance and ended up paying $ 160 extra. Absolutely ridiculous. I would have literally been better off ubering to and from the suburbs for 4 straight days. Didn’t contest it because it’s not worth my time but very shady business practices.
TL;DR expect $ 80 plus insurance, tax. End up with almost $ 300 bill.

This place is the worst! Please do not rent from them! You have to show proof of the address on your license by showing them a water bill or power bill. I asked them could I show them my lease to my apartment and they said no! You can’t opt out of the insurance even if your covered by your own insurance. If you do they want you to call your insurance company for verification. I have spent 1hr in the airport during the worst holiday! DONT DO IT!!!

The worst. First and last time using!!! When i arrived to pick up the car the counter person was very blas’e about helping the customer. SHe staed that they will put put a $ 200.00 hold my credit card for 24hrs. I asked when exactly. She looked at me like i was stupid and she replied again in 24hrs as if i was stupid. I wanted to kow if it was 24hrs from pick up or 24hrs after drop off. Instead of explaining that she puts on one of the YOU DUMB faces and turns to a co-​worker and talks about me as if i was not still standing there. She rummages through a box of keys (im thinking she is looking for the worst car to give me) and finally has me keys and fails to tell me where the car is parked. I walk to the garage and i have to press the alarm to find the car. I get to the car and its exactly what i thought. It was the smallest car with bad tires.
When i returned the car there was NO ONE there to receive the keys and the drop box was over flowing with keys. There were 8 cars parked in the return line and no one was checking them in.

I booked this through Hotwire. I see Priceline also allows booking for them. They should drop these guys ASAP. The normal terms that every other rental I’ve booked do not apply. I arrived at the desk with my license and a credit card, and was told that I needed to provide a utility bill for a local rental? What is this, some cash service for people with horrible credit? If an agency is going to ask for this sort of weird extra documentation, it would be nice to at least be alerted to it well in advance. I ended up booking Avis through Priceline for about %15 more money, which was well worth paying. Avoid, avoid, avoid.

I’m a local ATL resident I hit a pot hole at the airport parking garage and came out to a flat tire and had to be towed. Went online and payless was half price from anyone else. Stand in line and hand him my credit card and ID and he asked for a utility bill. I laugh thinking it was a joke. He was totally serious they only rent to local atlanta residents with a utility bill LOLOL walked over to Dollar and just paid double and drove off
What a JOKE!!!

I’m going to start this review the way it ends: You’re better off walking to wherever you’re going than renting from Payless.
Here’s another for the «I should have checked Unilocal first» files…
The Mister and I were coming back from a long 2 weeks traversing Florida, then traveling around Colombia. That said, we were returning with an extra piece of luggage, plus our pup, who had stayed in Miami with family while we were out of the country. While we had Über-​ed on the way out, we figured a rental for a day would be about the same cost and allow us to finagle our belongings without feeling rushed. I hopped on Hotwire before leaving Barranquilla, and with no Hot Rates popping up, I sought out the cheapest option.
Payless was offering a base rate of $ 17 on either an Economy or Compact car. Add all the BS airport taxes and whatnot, and that gives you a total of $ 28.84. Since our one-​way Über had cost $ 27 two weeks prior, this all sounded just fine.
Two days later, we arrived at ATL. Choosing to divide and conquer, I was left with our pup to retrieve our luggage at the claim, while the Mister set off for Payless. Upon his arrival to the agency, an announcement was made that there would be an hour wait for cars. It was only because he was particularly friendly with one of the agents that he (a customer with a reservation, mind you) would be able to avoid the full hour wait.
But wait — this is where his luck would end.
I hear you asking, «Why?» Well, gentle Unilocaler, this is because the swindle has yet to be unleashed. You see, after his long wait in a line of impatient travelers (many of whom didn’t have reservations), and upon his finally reaching the rental desk, the Mister was informed that they «would not» rent him a car unless he purchased their Insurance and Roadside Assistance. Did it matter that our coverage would, indeed, cover our rental? No. How about the fact that we have AAA? Nope. So, essentially, they were holding our rental hostage for roughly $ 18.
This is the point where I’d like to remind you that our rental rate was $ 17.
THEY INSISTED THAT WE BASICALLY DOUBLE OUR RENTAL RATE, FORCING US TO PURCHASE WHAT IS NORMALLY OPTIONAL COVERAGE.
What’s worse is that we were exhausted from all the travel, and as much as it frustrated us, to pay this and just get the car truly was the path of least resistance.
But again, wait! More adventure incoming!
Once he got his paperwork and headed down to the kiosk to retrieve keys and finally get a car, he was informed that the car he’d been rented did not, in fact, exist. That’s right — the compact car for which he’d already grossly overpaid was not a thing.
After another 15 minutes of deliberation, the kiosk workers gave him an «upgrade» (well, how kind!), and sent him on his way.
So, let’s review:
— It took more than an hour to pick up a rental for which we HAD a reservation.
— We were forced into coverage that we didn’t need.
— The vehicle we reserved wasn’t even available.
You’re better off walking to wherever you’re going than renting from Payless.

Ummhmmmmummmhummmhmm… Is what I think I heard when I was greeted at the counter of Payless. It was really hard to tell as I had to lean over the counter to tell if what I thought I heard was actually coming out of this guys lips cuz they weren’t moving. I don’t think ventriloquism is a valuable trait for someone in customer service. It only got better from there as they tried to offer me a mid size Kia when I reserved a Jeep Grand Cherokee. When I refused he tried to cut a deal with the other rinky dink rental car place to borrow a full sized SUV who gave attitude to me and the Payless guy. This whole fiasco culminated with me walking over to Enterprise next door and getting a vastly better experience. All I can say is don’t do it. Payalittlemore!!! It will be totally worth it.

Absolutely the most HORRIBLE customer service EVER! I know. my bad, but I left a pair of expensive sunglasses in my rental car, and called IMMEDIATELY upon realizing it. I knew EXACTLY where they were in the vehicle… This was within HOURS of returning the car. I am sure that car didn’t get re-​rented within an hour or two of return. First off NO ONE ANSWERS THEIR PHONES… tried and tried to have someone locate the car and glasses. but forget it. They say Leave a voice mail and NO ONE CALLS YOU BACK. Time was of the essence here, and If my flight wasn’t about to leave, I could have gone back and retrieved them myself! When they did FINALLY answer they claimed «no one is in „lost and found“, We have a convention in town and have no time to check»…I called for DAYS to reach someone. I wrote their customer service who replied «We are not responsible for items left behind» …no sympathy or concern at all. actually, quite snide in their reply. The point being was I KNOW I was at fault… but had they been on top of things with customer service. I would have retreived my item.
I KNOW whomever cleaned that car in ATL airport. is now wearing my sunglasses… AND
I also know if they had ANSWERED the phone in a timely fashion and immediately LOOKED when I called… I’d be the one still be wearing them.
oh, and sidebar. they DID try to charge me about $ 70 more for my rental when I dropped it off, but I managed to get them to remove that overage… as I was supposed to have been PREPAID at a set price…
RENTERS BEWARE!!!
Don’t EVER rent a car from PAYLESS CAR RENTAL!!! When you PAYLESS you GET LESS…

Bait and switch. I made an online reservation for $ 19.00 a day. When I got to counter, was given a price of $ 240.00 a day. They claimed a «glitch». BBB here I come.

Awful experience. Truly awful. I won’t bore with details but I’m pretty sure NO car companies around accept debit anymore for rentals. I understand about the security deposit, but it’s outrageous to have to nickel and dime for every little thing and come up to a ridiculously expensive «cheap rental».
On top of this, many companies won’t rent to you if you’re a state local, as I am. I have my travel itinerary, a recent paystub and even my passport. Renting a car shouldn’t be as difficult as renting an apartment.
Why again is it necessary to talk to my issuance company also?
All of this from a lady who didn’t care one bit at all if I got a rental car to go home after my long morning at the airport. No help, no advice.
Customer service: ¹⁄₁₀
To summarize: I canceled my booking and walked away from the counter to go use another agency.

If I could Rate as Zero stars, I would. The service getting the rental car was incredibly slow. Then upon finally getting into line I was helped by a woman named Constance… She was nice… However had a cough that was a screaming Ebola or Black Plague… then her countenance changed upon asking me basic questions; to a very bitter lady.
I said I had my own insurance and I would fill the car up with fuel myself. I always ask when renting a car, «if you would like to upgrade me for free I won’t complain» so she said she upgraded me. Which i was grateful for. She didn’t however mention she charged me. Evidently she must get commission or something for an upgrade. But that’s not the best part the best part is– they put me in a chevy Cruze, Not an upgraded car by any means. They Cruze they originally put me in smelt like a Vegas hotel w smoke and death. I asked to have another car. They said the only car they have is another Cruze, not leather nor anything special.
My bill upon making the reservation was 288.43
I called and extended my rental by three days. I was told it would be an extra 100.00
Upon return my bill was 574.00
Constance couldn’t type one thing in her computer without asking for help. She said she told me there was an upgrade fee upon check in… I said «No– you’re mistaken» she said no, that she had been doing her job 25 years. And doesn’t make mistakes (Evidently 25 years doing a job doesn’t get you a manager position) I kept my thoughts to myself but did say, «you were pretty sick when I rented the car.» She then ignored me and pointed with her Dracula nails and asked for the next customer.
The manager printed me my final bill.
They credited me 20.00; I don’t know how or why that was put into the formula. But wow.
I will never use PAYLESS CAR RENTAL AGAIN

Maybe i’m used to mediocrity and I just don’t know what it’s like to rent at «fancier» places. I’ve used Payless Car Rental 2−3x while visiting Atlanta. I’ve never had any issues.
They have the lowest rates consistently and i’m sure the adage is true, you get what you pay for. So i’m not exactly surprsied, when people have more customer service issues than the other major car rental companies.
Again, usually i’m traveling on a budget and i’m usually reserving a compact car. I’ve had no car availability issues. On one horrific trip to Atlanta, my rental car got broken into, car window smashed and briefcase stolen. Police report in hand, I returned to the airport and they exchanged my Kia Optima for a Mazda SUV without too much of a hassle or questions asked.
From a value standpoint, I don’t think it gets much better.