Advantage Rent A Car

This is absolutely the worst car rental experience we have ever had. At the start, they did not have the car type that we reserved (an all wheel drive), they were incredibly rude and highly unaccommodating. After much hassle and a long wait (30 minutes), we got the car. When we returned the car they nit-​picked on all sorts of damage issues, none of which we made. They told us we would have to pay for damages. This hassle took 29 minutes: Then, we go outside expecting the shuttle to be there and ready to take us to airport and the shuttle was gone. The driver took another 25 minutes to arrive. They told us he left to get gas. We were late for our flight. We were so upset and will absolutely never do business with them again.

Worst rental experience ever! This off airport company seems to have no preparation for people who already have a reservation. After a bumpy shock-​free ride to the lot, they took over an hour to check out with six renters. Complete chaos at the lot! The amount of information they seemed to need at the checkout counter would imply they had no information from the original reservation.
When I returned the vehicle, the attendant immediately pointed to a rock chip in the windshield, as if she knew exactly where it was. I assure you, in the minimal driving I did, I encountered no flying debris. Then she wanted me to fill out another two page «damage» form.
These people are crooks! I travel every week for work and thought I’d try this cut-​rate company out.
Lesson learned! Never again!

They ask you if you want them to fill your tank for just $ 1.59 a gallon. I think, awesome, that will save me some time. what they didn’t tell me, and didn’t give me any paperwork on was that they charge you for a full tank, not the used gas. This place is shady, it isn’t worth the couple bucks a day to work with a creepy place like this.

Be sure to read through here for the highlights, because if you’re informed, you’ll be able to make a good decision about whether or not this place is a good fit for you. I’ve rented from them a few times, in a few different locations, and never had a problem. But tread carefully.
OFF AIRPORT
It’s a discount rental place, and as is often (but not always) the M.O. for Advantage, their SLC location is not located in the terminal. Rather, it’s a short jaunt away and they have a shuttle bus that runs every 15 mins or so, at least during the day. Do your homework and verify when the shuttle runs, and what hours they are open. Others report they close overnight, so you could be high & dry if your flight arrives late or is delayed.
CAR QUALITY
It’s a crapshoot. They tend to have a little older of cars (20K + miles) but that’s not always the case. The last car I had was brand spankin’ new, still had its temporary license plate, and was in pretty slick condition. We were still in the trial period of satellite radio so I had lots and lots of listening options (yay!) but they typically go with base models. My last car had no cruise control (wha???) and since they can’t guarantee any specific model of car, you can try to verify the amenities you want, but you’re really at the mercy of what’s in stock.
PAYMENT POLICY
All kinds of hoops with optional insurance and gasoline options, but note that they also have a policy of placing a $ 200 hold on your credit/​debit card and only release it once you’re back safe and sound. I’ve never had a problem with that, but if it makes you uncomfortable, maybe there’s a better company for you.
LOCAL RENTERS
Since this location is my local one, and I was renting a car here, I had to provide proof of insurance. They need to see insurance cards, so locals… bring them. I dunno what «local» means (a mileage radius?) so if you’re a Utah driver, just bring them along.
PRICING
Sometimes it’s cheaper than the «big names» that are located on-​airport. Most times, probably. But certainly not always. Do your homework. Otherwise, pricing works the same; that is, it’s unlimited miles, all kinds of optional add-​ons, etc.
Here’s how I boil it down: If you’re coming from out of town, not real familiar with SLC, and you want things to go smoothly, I’d go with someone else. If you’re on important business, and it absolutely matters, I’d go with someone else. But if you have a little flexibility, want to potentially save a few bucks, are a seasoned traveler and safe driver, and you’re in no rush or under a tight timeline, Advantage could be a decent option.

DO NOT USE!!! They are off-​site, which they don’t tell you, and they close at midnight. We landed at 11:30pm, waited for our skis, and by the time we got them, stood around waiting for the shuttle that never came. Also I read in most of the other reviews that their cars are crappy and have bald tires, so there’s that, too.
Tl;dr Don’t. Just don’t.

I have used Advantage for years but this time was a nightmare! It’s now off the airport and the ride is LOUD and jarring. The wait was long since only 2 people were working the desk but it was ski season. My big problem was trying to contact them in an emergency situation. I called straight for 90 min and could NEVER get a human to talk to. The Emergency Roadside Assistance number is a JOKE!!! I was on hold and then it disconnected me, over and over again. I NEVER got through, ever. I arranged towing myself since they have no assistance apparently. This company seems to have gone to the dogs since it’s moved off the airport. I’m not sure it’s worth the «savings.» You always think nothing is going to go wrong. Well, when that time does come, you won’t get any help or people to talk to. So stressful and frustrating!!!

«Advantage Rent-​a-​Car — Where You Have to Have Über Back to the Airport»
LISTEN TO ME… SPARE YOURSELF THE NIGHTMARE/​HEADACHE!!! You end up paying more than a legit place anyway! You save money… a lot of time… and you get a better car at a place like Enterprise. This is NOT worth the $ 4/​day you allegedly save with this place.
Here’s the short-​story;
#1 — They are NOT located at the terminal, like it says on some sites.
#2 — Because of not being on site, they open ‘around’ 5am, that combined with being off-​site, and an early flight… good luck. Thank God I read the other person’s review on here about them being a disaster for early flights. If you have a 6am flight, you absolutely have to Über it from there to the airport.
#3 — First in line but waited waited 45 minutes to get a car.
#4 — OLD, dangerous cars. The first car (I’ll get to it later) was around 30,000 miles with BALD TIRES… I wouldn’t accept that car (someone else reviewed the same thing, accurately). The second one was a little ‘less bald’ and without all of the dents, but that was also around 30,000 miles.
#5 — They call «mid-​size» cars «full size» and «compact» cars «mid-​size.» I ended up with a Passat, checkout what VW calls its own car;
«Mid-​size car for your full-​size life.»
Here are the details…
They used to be in the terminal but are now off-​site… didn’t know that when booking so, to killed time, let’s keep track of the experience. (Also, EZ and Advantage are the same company, same office.)
I went to the terminal with the other main companies; Enterprise, etc… oh, they moved off-​site. I waited ten minutes for the shuttle, not terrible.
10:20p — At the place, first in line, I got the manager, nice guy but you can tell he’s surrounded by idiots, to put it bluntly. Like, when he was trying to get me out of there, they needed cars pulled up (because, unlike Hertz or Enterprise, they’re not in slots waiting for drivers) and the guy was zoning out, not bringing up cars, causing a backlog of us waiting. Then, it was something with the shuttle driver was supposed to be doing something else that he was doing. The manager kept having to stop my service to remind the employees what they were supposed to be doing.
10:44p — I ended up with the usual sales pitches and upgrades and whatever else, which I declined. I got a Hyundai Sonata and a flashlight to inspect it… whoa, dents all over, duct tape residue around the door frames, windows, etc. Tires are bald. Manager says he’ll look at it. He, too, was a little surprised by it. I first showed him how bald the tires where, he tried to tell me they weren’t ‘that bad’, admitted they were «borderline.» There was no sidewall traction, and the main grooves were hardly there — and that’s «borderline» on snowy roads? Then I showed him the duct tape marks and the dents… he said, «This might have been used as evidence for something.» I was like, «Whoa, sorry man, I can’t accept this car.» He apologized, «Yeah, I’m sorry… this is embarrassing.» He calls the guy to bring up another car but it’ll be a longer wait.
10:50p — Still waiting.
11:05p — Passat is my apparently my car. It is listed as a «mid-​size» car on any website but here it’s considered full-​size. Whatever, just wanna go. Big scratch on hood, scratches around… dirty, balding tires again. I just wanted to get some sleep. The manager at least said he’d give me a $ 25 credit for the hassle and embarrassment of the first car… which was nice of him at least.
Okay… returning the car…
I «gamed» the system here for my 6am flight. First, you have to drop off your snowboards and check-​ins curbside around 4am at the airport. THEN, you go to the location and return the car. You have to put the keys in the dropbox. When I got there, there were other worried customers trying to catch flights but they all had snowboards and couldn’t fit into an Über. I felt bad for them, honestly. All I knew was that I wasn’t going to chance it with these yahoos opening on time and having the shuttle up and running, plus, my Über only cost $ 2.
Final Bill…
SURPRISE!!! Extra fees. I rented it Orbitz for $ 153 for four days, but accidentally did it a day short… ah-​ha, an opening to gouge me! So, instead of $ 29/​day (plus taxes), they gave me a $ 59 (plus taxes) charge for a couple hours beyond four days. UNREAL. Also, I checked on their site to see how much it would be to rent a «full-​size» car for today… $ 38.
Overall…
I’m grabbing you by your internet collar — DO NOT RENT HERE!!! It is NOT worth it. When you land, you just want to get going. The other companies, you hop in and go — on your way to a nice trip to the mountains. Here, you pack into a shuttle, and the nightmare begins. It’s the last thing you want to happen. You honestly feel dirty after this experience. This is NOT how you want to begin a trip… or end it.

Off airport lot is expected for cut rate cars.
The wait is no worse than the other players in this game. The savings are best when you use priceline or similar companies. This go round i got a rav4 for $ 53/​daily. Yup $ 53, but you need a 4X4 if the snow hits, and its Feb, so as much as the ground is clear of snow in Feb, dont take a chance and pony up.
What bites is the CDW — $ 26/​day– ½ of the daily rate– but we all know drivers just lose control in bad weather. So instead if a check of $ 1000 when if you are involved in an accident its only $ 52.
So merrily I head to the slopes, great pow pow Is to be enjoyed! :))

Advantage is much cheaper than renting at the airport. The shuttle driver was waiting at the airport when I got to the rental car pickup area. He was friendly and so are the counter personnel. The only reason I only gave 3 stars is because I had rented an economy size and scheduled pick up within 30 minutes after my flight landed. When I got to the rental desk they told me that my car was no longer available since I arrived later than I had scheduled. I had to pay an additional $ 60 to keep from having to wait an hour in the crowded office. It wasn’t all bad… the car they gave me was a brand new Jeep. I made sure to drop the car off early so that I wouldn’t risk missing my outbound flight. I only waited 15 min for the shuttle, so that wasn’t too bad either. Just make sure you plan your time wisely.

Got stuck with a Toyota RAV4, even though the reservation was for a full-​sized car. The vehicle had over 32,000 miles and was not condusive for business or travel to mountains.
Upon returning, they charged TWO EXTRA DAYS for only three extra hours.
It was a DIS-​Advantage doing business with this company.

Who sends a car into the mountains, in winter, with BALD tires. Repeated calls regarding tires and oil light (hadnt been changed in 5 months which may have had something to do with it) went unanswered and unreturned. This is all not even mentioning the 45 min that was actually getting off the lot. The people are nice… But at some point that just isnt enough.
Update — they did send a replacement car… It just took many phone calls to get one and 4 and a ½ hours to get it (we were 40 min from their site).

I accidentally left my new wirless headphones when returning my rental car and called them within 10 minutes of leaving the location. I was told they would look and call me back; however, they never called me back, so I called them again the following day. I was given the same response, being told they would do some searching and get back to me. Once again, they never called me back!
I called a third time and requested to speak to the Manager. I knew at this point my new wireless headphones were long gone, but I was concerned in the lack of response to my first notice to them (within 10 minutes of dropping off my rental car) that i’d made a mistake of leaving my headphones in the car and i wanted to bring to light the possibilities of employee theft happening. The «Manager» was very rude and said it was not his problem and hung up on me. I called back to get the Corporate office’s number and the Manager told me that I was being put on his «Do Not Rent» list — even though my rental was returned in perfect condition and my bill was paid in full; (I was merely questioning the possibilities of employee theft given my situation.)
Normally I would leave it alone and move on with my life but with the way I was treated I felt like someone within this company needs to be aware of this situation. I reached out to their Corporate Office and left a message with the customer service line. I received a call from the District Manager, Tara, the following day. Tara completely turned this frustrating situation around! She took the time to address my concerns and appreciated my feedback. On top of that, she credited me for the loss of my headphones. Tara went above and beyond my expectations and really handled this situation with the utmost care and grace!
Thanks again Tara!

Advantage rental car and EZ rental car now both operate out of this location. Essentially they are one and the same. I used to go to this location several times a month for about 6 months because they have the best rates, but that used to be the only reason. They never have compact cars available on their lot. The 800 number is useless and outsourced to another country. If you get to talk to someone you will have to wait on the phone for about 45 minutes. Some of the people who work at this location are incredibly rude. I have used this location for the rates, but recently a woman who worked their tried to jack up my rates by a 100% because I gave them an address from out of state. The manager never gave me any issues, and the woman tried to con me. I will never go back to this location again. A good alternative would be fox rental car. They are about the same distance off airport, right next to a gas station, and have a bigger car lot.

The location for this and Ez rental are 5 – 7 minute bus ride from the airport. Typically this would not bother me, except for the fact that I have a 545 flight and the first bus doesn’t run until 630. I would need a 445 bus to make my flight. Now I’m stuck paying for A taxi, just to miss my flight. Don’t use this company.

incorrectly lists Advantage at Salt Lake City Airport as on the airport pickup. It is not. You have to take a shuttle. The 800 number is not answered on weekends.