Atwest Rent A Car

I was very wary of using Atwest based on the reviews but they were nearly half the price of even the discount rental places like Advantage. I made my reservations online, which was quite simple. I called them the day before and they said just give a call when I arrive at airport for pick up. Pick up was not an issue and they came promptly. Daily operations are run by one guy so my pick up man was also the check in guy. My car was a fairly new Ford Fit in great condition. Even though I said I would drop the car off the following day, I called asking if I could drop it off the next day due to traffic concerns and they told me it wasn’t a problem since I already paid for 2 days which to them is a straight 48hrs. I didn’t need airport drop off but they did offer that as well. Overall I’m extremely happy and while it’s a thin operation everything went very smoothly with minimal wait.

Avoid this place.
I reserved a car (a Lincoln Towncar for 1 week for $ 265 total) 2 months before my New Years vacation. 1 ½ weeks before my reservation, I get an email saying that they are overbooked and some of they’re cars are broken down and at the mechanics so they would have to cancel my reservation. WHAT?! Now I’m scrambling to find another car for about the same rate as the one that I had reserved. That’s what I think actually happened. They realized that they underpriced my rental and got a better rate from someone else. I should have know that with all the one star reviews on this place that I should have stayed away. Never again.

Well I should have read all the awful reviews before stepping foot into Atwest LA office. I had the most awful experience with this same single representative ‘Joe or Joseph’ mentioned here on Unilocal.He was rude, short, hurried me out the door, and when the car started having problems he refused to help. There are dings and scratches all over the car, a giant gaping hole in the driver side airbag, the bumper looks like its about to fall off, the most horrible musty, dirty smell inside, the dashboard and car is absolutely filthy (they must never clean these cars!) I called him 20 minutes after I drove away because the car did not seem to drive right and I was renting for an extended period of time so I did not want problems while on the road, Joe was extremely irate and said I could not get a better car because I was only paying 300+ (27 day rent) for my rental and what did I expect from such little money!!! Wow.
Then he says if I return right now it will be a full day charge of 89 dollars, even though it was exactly 20 minutes after I left. Their rates are 10 – 20 online so I asked why it was so much (89?) and he basically hung up on me. I have called the toll free number and San Diego offices and yet this same person keeps answering the phone. Is anyone in San Diego? I have no idea because I have not been able to talk to another single person with this company. I have emailed as well, no response.
If you have no problems and are desperate, then you might get away with a decent experience but if you have ANY problems you will be met with this horrible Joe representative. He has insulted me, hung up several times, and most recently when I asked him to have this elusive manager ‘John’ call me back he straight up threatened me. Save your time and money, go to
for great deals from other places. Nu
right across the street has $ 10 a day deals if you book online, that is exactly where I’m going when I drop this crappy car off and you best believe I am disputing whatever charge Joe tries to charge me for less than a day rental on credit card.
Note: @atwest this awful representative Joe is single handedly bringing your company down, I don’t know if he is friends with the owners or what but since all these Unilocalers are mentioning the same it’s obvious he has NO place in dealing with the public or customer service.

While the car I received was ok, the rental office was difficult to locate, the office was a joke, the sole employ wasn’t very friendly, and they charged me for a full extra day because I was a little late returning it. At least I got my entire deposit back.

Do not! I repeat DO NOT go here to rent a car! My two friends and I rented a car to go down to San Diego for the night, and upon arrival our tire went completely flat and when we called their «after hours» hotline for emergencies no one answered. We were stranded in San Diego for the night, having to sleep in our car until we could get a hold of someone who answered.

HORRIBLE.
I arrived at LAX on 7÷10÷15. Joseph (he says his name was) was working that day and was unbelievably rude and unnecessarily aggressive. He was yelling at me within the first 10 minutes. They has said they had a shuttle when I booked a car, they don’t. ONE person runs the office AND does airport pick-​ups, so he just gets to the airport pick-​ups when it is convenient. AND, does so in a regular, unmarked car, no ID. So, as a single woman, that was not acceptable for me. The guy’s response was, «So don’t come here then! I don’t care!» !! I asked to speak to a manager but the guy said he was busy and would be busy «all afternoon». I took a taxi to their office, faster and safer than waiting for this jerk to find time to pick me up. The office is a dingy, disorganized, dump (see pics), the guy who worked there was a first class A-​hole, and the car was gross inside (lots of big stains on all the seats, which I forgot to take pics of). When we did the walk-​around for damage, the guy got pissed at me for asking him to note down the big things, asking me in a yelling voice what my «problem was» about five times. What a nightmare!
I should have read the reviews before booking, it was cheap, but not worth the wasted time and horrible treatment.
That said, returning my car a different person was working (a guy from El Salvador) and he was super nice.

Worst place ever. Got to LAX at 9 the car guy said it would be here in 15 minuets. We waited till 10:11 when the car finally came… The cars are filthy was promises a 2014 camera got a old run down 2010. The person at the front desk who name was «joe» or whatever was a dick. When we called to ask where our car was he had attitude. If I were you, never come here it’s negative five stars.

I would believe every horror story I have read here. I have no idea how we ended up at this place, but there is no way in hell I would ever go back. This is a bizarre business, and I would recommend them to no one.

If you are under 21 looking for a car to rent in Californina, keep reading! (Long and detailed)
I’m 18 years old and went on a senior trip to the LA/​Anaheim area with 3 friends. Looking at the reviews people have posted here, we were pretty skeptical. Some reviews make this company seem awful, having terrible service, disgusting vehicles and basically had us hoping the whole thing wasn’t a scam. However, this is the only rental car place that will rent under 21 without a credit card in LA. Because of the reviews, we decided we would move forward but expect a less than satisfying experience.
When we arrived at LAX, we called and they said they would be there in 15 minutes depending on traffic to pick us up. While waiting outside, we realized we had no idea how we would identify the car, so we called them back and asked, and they said there would be no logo on the car but gave a description of what it would look like. They shuttle to and from the office with their own fleet they rent out. We had failed to mention that there were 4 of us needing to be picked up so they went back to grab a bigger vehicle and arrived after a total time of about 45 minutes (traffic was also heavy). Had we not read the reviews ahead of time and expected this, we would have been very upset. But we decided to have as much patience as we could given the circumstances and it wasn’t bad! We were picked up by Anthony. He could carry on conversation and he was helpful loading and unloading our luggage. When we arrived, all the policies were the same as they were on the website. (The website is also very clear on policies and made it easy to prepare). Carlos was at the front desk and checked us in to our compact car reservation. He was very kind and responsive, and the office was in nice shape with tourist pamphlets, cold water and seating for customers. We received our car and to our pleasant surprise it was a Nissan Sentra, probably a relatively recent model. The inside was not as nice as a new car and there were minor spots that were dirty but it was nothing bad and we were glad we weren’t going to have to drive around in a 1998 coupe. Anthony recorded where any small scratches were on the car as well as the mileage and gas tank level for our records and gave us a copy. The car drove nicely and we were on our way for $ 450 and a $ 350 deposit which is being fully refunded. (I would also add that getting CDW&Liability is a smart choice — this way any scratches you may cause will be of no cost to you at all)
When returning the vehicle, the staff member was the only one in office and he checked us in with no problems on the vehicle and he brought us to the airport. He was not the most friendly and approachable person, but we also expected that having read the reviews. The process was quick.
Overall, if you are under 21 and the sort of person or group that will simply be thankful for a company that will rent to younger people, this is a good company to go with. Just remember to go into it with patience and expecting very minor problems if any. After going through with all this, I have to question whether some of these nasty reviews are the fault of the company or just customers who don’t have patience and are expecting a perfect 5 star experience from a small business with (frankly unjust) poor reviews. It could have been avoided by reading the reviews ahead of time and really evaluating whether or not this company will be tolerable. For us, we would hands down rent here again!

Worst car rental company ever! The man took forever to pick us up from the airport. He claimed that the person picking us up got into a car accident which was a complete lie! He took over an hour to say he was on his way which was a LIE! We had to call über.
Two days later we told him we needed a ride to the airport and that we had to check in within the next hour. He didn’t care, he was helping customers left and right, why would only ONE PERSON work in that place? WHY??? He claimed the other workers called in sick, LIE once again. Never again will I rent their filthy dirty cars. The price is not worth their terrible service. Oh and he also gave us the wrong address, we ended up in Compton, I guess we had to see the NWA’s hood before getting the car.
Last thing, he was trying to charge me $ 12 for supposedly not leaving the gas line at half way because apparently they are too lazy to fill up the gas tank. I showed him again and he said fine. After dropping me off at the airport 10 minutes before my flight departed which I ended up missing thanks to them, he had the audacity to stand there expecting a tip for the terrible service I serviced. Worst experience ever!

TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE!
When we arrived there was nobody at the office. There is only one person for pickups and dropoffs. They did have the class of car that we booked, so they «upgraded» us. We had a one day rental, and he breezed through the «inspection» and did not write down areas that we noted were damaged. When we returned the car the next day after no incidents, he said that we had broken the bumper! He started noting damage on the underside of the car and tried to make us call and file a claim with our insurance company! Whatever you do, if this happens to you, DO NOT FILE A CLAIM!
They charge $ 250 at the time of rental, so we will see how it goes getting that back! DO NOT RENT FROM THIS PLACE. The cheaper rate is not worth the huge bill they will try to stick you with at the end!

I’m under 21 and it is very hard finding a car rental company that allows me to rent. But atwest allows it for an extra of $ 15 charge/​day. It was not hard finding the location as i googled it beforehand. It’s near LAX and Hilton. We arrived but the doors are locked, so we called the number pasted on the door but we didn’t wait long. we booked a compact car, but ended up getting toyota corolla without any extra fees. Less than 30 minutes waiting to get the car. You get 300 miles per day, 1200 miles per week. You get the car with a full tank of gas and you return it in the same way. i don’t really understand why people are so angry with the company. Do your research first, there will be extra charges for taking/​returning outside of their operating hours.
Hope this helps :)

The worst place ever do not rent from here!!! There website gave me the wrong address and I ended up with a large taxi bill and in a very bad part of town. Luckily my taxi can driver was awesome and gave me a discount. Then when calling to get the correct address I was basically yelled at and talked to the rudest person ever. I finally arrived and the doors were locked? I had to call and wait for them to come open the doors. The place is old and gross and the man running it is just awful. I opted to pay the $ 25 cancellation fee and walked to budget car rental. Run away from this place!

Not only is Atwest by far the WORST rental car company I have ever come across, but also the worst consumer experience I have ever had. NEVER RENT FROM ATWEST. This company is awful, and quite honestly, seems like some sort of shady operation.
My husband and I flew all the way across the country to LAX. After a 6-​hour flight, we were waiting on the curb outside the airport, when we called Atwest to be picked up. The man on the phone sounded like he just woke up and didn’t know what was going on. Immediately, he told us that they didn’t have any cars available — ZERO. It took a lot of arguing to even get him to look up our reservation, which he claimed he couldn’t find, despite the fact we booked it almost two months prior. Finally, he admitted to seeing our reservation, but reiterated that there were no cars available, and was willing to do nothing about it. My husband and I were stuck at LAX, during the peak of holiday travel, scramming to find a rental car with another company. It was an entire day before we were able to get a car, and of course, we were left paying the highest rates, due to the last-​minute booking.
SAVE YOURSELF THE STRESS AND NEVER USE ATWEST. I cannot believe this company is still in existence.

This is a standard «you pay for what you get”-experience. Has anyone ever flown Spirit Airlines? You pay like half the price for the plane ride, but it winds up being a pretty bad overall experience. Same thing. It’s like, «What did you expect??»
I won’t rent from this company again. Sure, I’ll save money if I do, but doing so comes with major frustration and that’s just not worth it to me.

I feel that many of the reviews on Unilocal are a little unfair. We rented a Miata for a week from Atwest last week and had a great time. You cannot book a car for 50−70% less then the national brands and expect it to be the same experience, it doesnt work that way. To use a company like this you need to be flexible and willing to roll the dice a little. If thats not you, take the (mostly) sure thing and pay the $ 850/​wk for the Mustang Convertible from Hertz and not the $ 220/​wk I paid for the Miata.
Heres their Cons:
— hard to find at back of Hilton airport hotel, we stayed down the street the night we came in and walked there (or take the Hilton shuttle and walk around back of building)
— car is not new, mine was about 2008 with 85K miles, had some small aesthetic problems but ran well for 1200 miles
— desk clerk was not that friendly and they run a skeleton crew so they dont work fast although we were in and out in 10 minutes
— car is not detailed each time… saves them and you $
— I got the feeling if I had a problem with the car it may of been painful to fix/​replace
— they have limited hours… again saves $
Simple economics… because of the above reasons and their business model they have lower demand for their cars and fetch a much lower price then Hertz, National etc. Again you have to be flexible and a little bit of a risk taker to use a cut rate place like this. Be flexible, call ahead 24 – 48 hours out, video the car before you take it, etc. Unflexible consumers and those needing to be pampered should stay away.

So reading the reviews what I gather is it’s a bait and switch operation. They make their money charging you for damages that was already done before you rent. You return it and they get aggressive and crazy then charge your credit card for damages already there — and they make money!!! Pretty shady.
My friend from Germany just tried to return her filthy broken down car and John the Manager was aggressive! Cussing at her. I called to try and rescue her over the phone and the girl that answered said my «manager was aggressive with her» There are better ways to handle people.
So sad, She had such a wonderful time here– everyone was so kind, what a horrible way to end her trip and what a horrid representation of our fine citizens.
DON’T rent from them!!!

No frilles rent a car.
Cons–
–The reservation I had was for a compact toyota Yaris. I received a Toyota Sienna (family sized van) and was told that the Yaris was involved in an accident and that Sienna was all they had.
–Office not at LAX and we had a hard time finding it. Research where it is before you land.
–Took ~45 minutes to get car once we got to the office. 15 minutes waiting outside for the attendant and ~30 minutes to get the car.
–Toyota had 135k miles and a very squishy suspension.
–Pros–
–Rents to under 25 no problem.
–Cheap rates
–Car worked and we were not charged any extra fees.
Be aware–
–you only get 300 miles a day
–the guy before me returning his rent a car had an extra charge that he was clearly upset about.
–Ensure ample time to pickup and drop off car as only 1 person works at a time.
–attendants were nice. Not Ritz Carlton quality but I have no complainants.

If I could give less than one star I would. Worst and most shocking experience I’ve ever had with a rental car place. A man was waiting an hour for the only person who was working that day to arrive just before us. The man working said there is only one person ever working at a time to check people in, out, and pick up from airport. Service was bad. The car we got was very old and filthy. Stains covered the seats, dents on the exterior, and there was general filth everywhere. I thought it must have been a mistake. My friend and I were also having some sort of allergic reaction inside the vehicle. Every time we got in we started sneezing and getting congested. The second gentleman helping us when we left was so rude and a scary driver. This is a terrible and unprofessional place. Please save yourself the hassle.

It’s set up to fail. Carlos checked us in and out. He was working alone today… I overheard that he wasn’t even scheduled but came in for a sick co-​worker. So though I do feel bad about doing this, this review is not going to make his rough day any better.
First, the pick up. It could’ve been worse, but the unmarked car that we had to locate at the departure area threw us off a bit. The wait was about 20min. (Quoted to be 10min). I wasn’t bothered too much by this, but when the car they gave us would not start, I found that annoying. We were only in LA for a long layover, so we really wanted to get on our way.
The return was worse. We were waiting for Carlos to finish up with a group of French tourists. This was complicated by the fact that he had to keep calling his boss for confirmation of discounts and whatever else. Also, another customer was calling in and was really slow on the uptake and had to have everything repeated to him multiple times. It was all taking so long that I had to go up to tell him that I now had only about half an hour before my flight departed. What was truly frustrating was that in the end, the French girls were only going around asking for quotes and did not even book. Carlos should not have been working alone (also I failed to mention that each time he stepped out, for instance to check on a car, he had to lock up the office). The office is run very inefficiently.
We caught our flight fine, but this is the second poor experience with Atwest, and I will not be booking with them again.