I had a reservation...so did 5 other people who were there. And they were closed!! WTH Hertz!!! From talking to others in the area, apparently this happens quite often. Thankfully, Enterprise was open and I was able to get a car from them. Boo Hertz...mindblowing. read more

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DO NOT USE IF YOU ARE FLYING ON A SUNDAY (and maybe: AVOID AT ALL COSTS, see other reviews.) Our flight was a few minutes late; the counter closed at 6pm; they provide absolutely no options or alternatives to people with a confirmed rental. When we called Hertz for options, they said it was our fault. (We are Hertz President's Circle members, for the nothing that's worth.) We had to cancel our reservation, and we ended up renting a car from the very lovely Avis people next door. Note that if you are a walkup at an airport, you do pay a lot more. So this was expensive for us. We're probably never going to rent from Hertz again. It was that bad. read more

Negative stars. This review is specifically for Dollar Car Rental & Hertz Car Rental company. On my last day of the car rental, I hear a weird noise & pull into a gas station. The front driver wheel falls off the car (Refer to pictures). I was just about to pull onto the freeway onramp and if this happened then, I could've died or gotten severely hurt and caused a major pile up. There was no accident or incident. A complete mechanical failure. They send a claim a few weeks later asking for payment of $2900. When I disputed it, they said it's not a mechanical failure when there is damage to the fender. I have video and photo of the fender without a scratch. WTF?! PSA: Do not rent with Dollar, Thrifty, or Hertz. They do not maintain their cars and they will try to stick you with the bill. read more

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Don't do it. Didn't have car when I got here claiming they don't offer the car I booked (which did on website). Was then treated like I am an idiot . read more

Incredible rude and incompetent, avoid when possible. I have rented a few times from there but it is somehow a disappointment every time. I won't be back after this last interaction. The car pickup was smooth enough but the car clearly had not been cleaned. When I returned it, the guy in the parking lot was rude and did not properly close out our rental. I few hours later I called the counter several times but they did not pick up. I then drove to the airport and found a Hertz employee sitting next to a phone she ignored. When I explained my issue, she got increasingly annoyed that I asked her for help. She finally closed out my rental but the receipt I received was different from what I was quoted. When I pointed this out to her, she started yelling at me that he just started working here. I don't understand why she became completely undone from me asking questions but I left without getting my issue resolved. Twitter support was helpful. Don't go here. read more

Extremely slow service. 3 people in the office, but only one person helping at the counter. No Express service or Gold counter service, making it extra slow. read more

Worst rental car experience ever. Made a reservation for 10am at the Santa Barbara airport. I arrived at 10 am but was told there was no car available and I would have to wait 45 min. The guy at the desk was unapologetic and said to try another company. I walked to the others, found nothing, so went back to the counter and told him since I didn't have a choice, I would wait. He then told me 2 other people had come after me and I would now have to wait for them to get cars. I told him that wasn't fair, you're the one that sent me to those other places after I'd already checked in to pick up my rental. He said he wasn't going to argue with me, maybe I was there and maybe I wasn't. I could not believe what I was hearing. He was so rude and in my book he'd just called me a liar. Once I got the car I had to find an employee so I could document that the fender had a huge scratch on it. I didn't want to get blamed for that. I reserved a full size car but was given a Toyota Camry. I needed room for 4 suitcases. The trunk on this car only fit 2 so I had to put stuff on the back seat. Last, they said they cleaned this car but I had to clean the windows because they were so dirty I couldn't see out when the sun was directly in front of me. I will never use Hertz again unless I'm in dire need of a car. read more

Car wasn't available and had to wait an hour for a car. Charged me a fuel charge; won't pick up the phone to discuss. Endless loop when you try to call. These people are absolute crooks. read more

Joshua was absolutely amazing and patient with me. I was a little disorganized upon arrival and didn't have reservations but he got me in and out in less than 15 minutes flat. I highly recommend Joshua and Hertz/Dollar at the Santa Barbara airport! Thank you Josh for getting me all together as fast as you could. Hope you're here when I return! 5 stars! read more

Have reservations and went to get a car the old lady at the reception said to me ... we NOT have a car .. And I said well why you didn't call to let me know then she said ... yup .. I know ... she not even SAY sorry to me nothing .. I have to drove for 1 hr to get a car .. Bad business very disappointed and employees so Jerk and RUDE not even worth my 1 star. read more

We had reserved a car for 7 people that we wanted to pick up at 8:00am, we arrived at the airport (we had reserved the car from Santa Barbara airport) and the guy in the front desk asked us how many people we were. We told him we were 7 persons, therefor the reason to reserve a larger car. Then he told us he doesn't have any 7-seated car until earliest 10:30. We had a place to be in at a certain time and also made our reservation days before so this is not accepteble! This will be the last time I'm renting a car with Hertz read more

I was left high and dry by Lompoc Hertz when I booked online 3 days prior and they never called me to let me know they didn't actually have a car available for me. So on Saturday when I showed up and was turned away in tears, I called Hertz in Santa Barbara and Eric answered my prayers. He not only assured me he had a car waiting for me, he promised it would be there waiting for me when I got there. When Lisa heard what Lompoc did to me, she gave me a discount on my rental,making sure I knew that was not how Hertz wanted their customers treated, and the Lompoc branch should have treated me better and looked out for a customer. Even if I am traveling north, I will drive an hour south to rent my vehicle from the Santa Barbara Hertz location because of the outstanding and superior customer service I was given by Eric and Lisa at the SBA branch of Hertz. read more

Yesterday, I had an unexpected change in my travel plans and had to return my car to a different location (LA vs. Sacramento). No big deal right? Well, they charged me over $2,300 just for the switch (in additional to the 4 day rental charge). I've been a gold member forever and have been "ok" paying a bit of a premium to rent from Hertz for convenience, but this is ridiculous. Shame on you Hertz. UPDATE: After a lot of banter, Hertz ultimately did the right thing a day later and charged a reasonable fee. It caused me to change my rating. Thank you! read more

I rented a luxury AWD vehicle for a trip to Colorado. Unknown to us, our wiper fluid consisted of water(nice)! During a blizzard in -7 temperatures my mother and I were stranded roadside unable to see through the windshield. Emergency roadside had no replacement cars for us so we were told we would need to stay overnight and find a mechanic, which would be reimbursed, so we did. We got back on the road the next day. After I dropped off the vehicle I was told the manager would call me to discuss. No one ever called. No one ever cared. But of course- they did not hesitate to charge me the full price two weeks later. Not a company you want to be stuck in an emergency with. read more

Hertz Rent A Car - Water in our fluid reservoir - winter travelers beware!! - Car Rental Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

I've already passed through SBA a few times this year for work and encountered the same fast, pleasant, service from the staff at this Hertz. They are on the ball with returns and I spend hardly a second dropping off my key, telling them the mileage and saying "it has a full tank and it's in spot E16" as I run off to my flight... and I get my receipt via email - how easy is that! They already know I'm coming and the rental transaction is quick and very painless...I have gotten pretty nice vehicles each time, too. Let's hope they can maintain this and I'll continue giving them business when in SBA. read more

Worst customer service I have experienced. Was on the phone for over an hour today as they told me they no longer had a vehicle for me after booking a week ago. When calling the location directly I spoke with an incredibly rude man by the name of Jean. He dismissed all of my issues and stated that he did "not care about the issue" (!!) as there was nothing he could do. He then hung up on me mid call after saying that it was not his problem. read more

Reserved a suburban for our family of seven. Called and confirmed two days before. They called the day before and confirmed again. Arrived at airport and they told me they did not have the car. Straight up, 'we don't have your car.' Alternative was a Tahoe which I drive at home but it was not an option. Asked if they would rent me two cars and have my drive drive one--they could not help. The gentleman that assisted me was kind, and respectful. We spent $130 with tip and two taxis. Bummer experience. read more

-Fast & friendly service. -They have pick-up & delivery service which was convenient for me because I decided to rent a car halfway through my stay. -Clean cars -I was able to get rent a car from Goleta where I was staying and drop off in Santa Barbara. -prices were a lot cheaper at this location -a couple of the staff recommended some great places to go to during my stay. I really liked the fast service, I've rented cars from another place (it starts with an E)for my vacations and trips and it was a hassle, and this experience was rather quick. read more

I rented an "SUV" from Hertz and boy they have shrunk since I owned an SUV!!! 4 of us traveling and the back seat is like a sardine can. And Hertz boasts about their sanitation standards during Covid. I doubt that much sanitizing was done, let alone cleaning at all. Dog hair on the seats, crumbs under floor mats and on back seats, and an entire bag of peanuts in the trunk area. I have no idea how they missed those other than the fact they never looked back there because the crumbled receipts were in clear view. I'm pretty unimpressed. I hope the car drives well. We haven't even set out on our trip yet. read more

Getting my car from SBA was pleasant. The man at the counter was very helpful and friendly. He recommended that I fill the tank before I returned instead of opting to have Hertz charge you for the used gas - a smart decision for everyone. The lot is small and is shared by the other rental companies. It was easy to find my car. The car was clean enough but didn't feel like a 2011 model, more like something a few years older. The only mechanical issue I found was that the cigarette lighter did not power my usb adapter. Returning the car was less than pleasant. You have to return the car to the same area where the cars are parked. I had seen attendants before but when I got to the lot, they were no where to be found. There were no available spaces so I drove around and eventually a Hertz attendant came out and gestured for me to park in front of some of the cars. I parked but he disappeared. I waited a minute for him to return but he did not. Eventually I just locked the car and went to the Hertz counter inside the airport. Apparently, you should just park the car anywhere and go inside to return the key. The lady at the counter seemed nice at first but quickly became annoyed when I didn't have a receipt for my gas fill-up. This was my first experience with this policy. She pointed to a sticker on the counter, which had the policy written out, as if it was required reading that I had failed to complete. So sorry, ma'am. So, if you're renting from Hertz, remember that you need to get a receipt for your gas purchase even if it's under $1, don't expect an attendant in the lot and read everything stuck to the counter! read more

Wait time to pick up the car was longer than I preferred as like most rental car places, there was only one person working, but when I checked in, the lady was super friendly and worked efficiently. We even got a better car so that was nice. Return was also easy and efficient. read more

Hertz is number one! They have the best cars the cleanest cars the best selection the best customer service fastest check-in fastest check out nothing to complain about very happy :-) read more

I rented a car for 4 days from Hertz. I was originally told that I would be charged $44.00 per day to rent their small cargo van. On the day that I was supposed to rent the van Hertz told me a different price. I was then told that they would honor the original amount of $44.00. Upon returning the van Hertz charged me $90.00 per day. read more

I recently set up a Hertz Gold account after having used Dollar for a long time (see my other review...Dollar is horrible). I used Hertz for the first time at the Santa Barbara Airport and they are awesome. Super smooth to pick up and drop off the car, great service and very friendly staff. I ended up upgrading to an E Class Mercedes ($20 more per day) and the car was great. The only thing that I might do differently is not pay to have them fill up the tank. The price per gallon is a good deal, but if you are not going to use the entire tank, while convenient, it is cheaper to fill it yourself. I only ended up using less than half a tank, so it ended up costing me an extra $30 or so. It was more convenient however, which is nice. I travel fairly regularly and it really makes a big difference. The interesting thing that I found is that in comparison to Dollar, with an upgraded car (Mercedes with Hertz and economy with Dollar) and with an extra half a day, Hertz still ended up being cheaper because Dollar Nickels and Dimes their customers so much. read more

Love this place! My company uses Hertz as their approved rental car company of choice. Whenever I need to travel for business, I know that this location will take care of me. The customer service is pretty good, and the wait times are never bad. They make sure to get me in and out each time, which is a real bonus especially when I'm in a bit of a rush. The last time I rented from them, the car I was given smelled a bit like cigarettes. I'm not a smoker and have been burned (no pun intended) in the past by other rental car agencies who would try to charge me for smoking in the car. I've learned my lesson and will not accept another cigarette-scented vehicle. When I went back into the kiosk, they painlessly switched my vehicle, and the gentleman behind the counter walked out with me to ensure that the replacement vehicle didn't smell like cigarette smoke. I look forward to coming back here when I am in need of a quality rental. read more

I was falsely accused and charged with damage to a rental car that I was not at all responsible for. I was returned a rental car as soon as I received it because of damage that was caused before it was in my possession. Now I'm being charged hundreds which is ridiculous. read more

With tiny municipal airports, I always half-expect the car rental experience to be a fiasco. In Santa Barbara, I was pleasantly surprised. No lines, and no pressure on the upsell/insurance/prepaid fueling. Clean car, easy check-in/out. read more

Super sleezy... Took us 25 minutes to check out because they kept trying to upsell us. The lady kept printing off new receipts for us to review, after we told her no insurance was needed... She would say ok, and then decrease our insurance to the next insurance level. Total scam. Thank goodness we kept questioning her and finally got the insurance removed from our rental. And ironically we were eligible for a great discount on an upgraded convertible, but once we got rid of all insurance, magically the convertible had just been taken off the lot. Be careful using them!! read more

Visiting California with a few hundred dollars.. prepaid for a car for the days I'm visiting. I figured they'd take around $100 for a deposit, which they forgot to mention they were taking, instead took out $267! That's more than what I had prepaid ($147)! Left me with $30 for the 5 days! Good thing I have money in my savings! I called to make sure I'd get it back and I didn't even get an apology. His exact words were, "Oh yeah, they forget to mention it. Do you need anything else?" An apology, some money back, or maybe not attitude from you, dude! And also.. I requested an infant carseat and they only had a toddler seat! We had to wait a half hour for them to get a seat for us. Annoying! read more

I have used this place twice, and both times I got the little white car that seems like it's just about to break down. The last time that I rented, I made the mistake of turning in the car with about 7/8 of gas left in the tank. I was in a rush, and the office was closed, so I dropped the key in the box and thought that the damage wouldn't be that bad. When I checked my bank balance, I noticed that I was charged about $25 for that mistake. I thought that was okay, since it was my mistake and I should've turned it in full. The next day, I checked my balance and noticed that the $25 charge had been redacted and replaced with a $75 charge. A day later, that charge had been removed and replaced with a $100 charge. I'm still working on resolving this, and I would never rent from this place again--especially since Enterprise is the same price and is extremely professional. read more

Amazing weekend needed a car for my wedding. Requested a mustang and was given a beautiful red mustang! The service was amazing!! Helpful staff having the best interest for you! read more

At Santa Barbara, a small airport with a small desk, arrival and rental were great. Three agents quickly appeared when a line of deplaning passengers grew. But, when departing in the early morning, there was no agent at the desk. I was forced to search the grounds for the only agent who, for whatever reason, had chosen to go to the lot telling me the last two returns didn't write down their mileage. I had written down my mileage, why was I made to suffer--and miss my opportunity to get food before boarding a flight to San Francisco that had none? Car was clean with high miles (41k), and performed well. read more

Had reservations for a week, showed up and no cars available. Several others waiting for cars. You'd think a reservation meant reserved. Avoid at all cost. read more

We rented a car for pick up at 11pm, got there at 11pm and they were closed. I called the customer service hotline and the lady was so rude and told me that we will have to wait until 7am the next day to get the car. What did they expect us to do? Stay the night at the airport because they are unreliable and can't plan ahead with reservations. My reservation was made 2 weeks in advance and we are Gold members, it says clearly on their site that Gold members will have their car held for 30 min after the pick up time, which was a total lie. Also the customer service rep hung up on me when I asked for a supervisor. Then they tried to refuse to refund my money because we could have gotten the car the next morning. What a joke, horrible place, horrible service! I would advise you to NEVER do business with Hertz. read more

I was very happy with my experience returning a rental to this Hertz location. After an awful rental pickup experience at a different Hertz location, the Santa Barbara airport Hertz staff went above and beyond to make me a happy customer. Before I had even voiced my disappointment with the rental thus far, the staff was friendly and fast in processing people ahead of me. When I told them of my experience, they were sympathetic and professional. In particular, I worked with Lori, who was fantastic. She seems like someone who you can count on and trust. read more

Excellent experience at Santa Barbara airport with Hertz. They easily directed us to a beautiful chevy malibu in their lot. When we returned we just left it back and the lot and dropped the keys at their kiosk. So easy, quick, no stress and great value on price! Very satisfied!! read more

I rented on Tuesday, May 31st and returned the car yesterday on June 1st. Although the car was satisfactory, the customer service wasn't!!! The person that waited on me acted as if I was a bother to him. He handed me the rental agreement, the keys and directions around the building to the space where the car was located -- all without looking at me. Clearly this guy has some issues. There were only two people working at the location -- the same two when I picked it up and returned it. Both had mustaches, but the heavy-set guy who wasn't wearing glasses is the one who waited on me, and he was not pleasant at all. read more

People are great. Corporate phone systems SUCK. Good luck trying to extend a rental over the phone. I was left on hold for over 40 mins. That's embarrassing. Extremely disappointed. read more

2 stars for convenience only. Horrible, incompetent customer service. My rental got a flat, which has never happened to me - so I called the local branch to ask what to do. The employee told me to call Hertz's roadside assistance number and they would "take care of me." He neglected to tell me they'd also charge me $75 to come out and fix the flat. I didn't find out until I got my bill, and I could have called AAA and gotten at least the roadside assistance for free! Maybe I'm dumb for not being more aware of their policies for incidents, but this was just lame. In addition to this snafu, there was a disagreement on whether I actually had to pay for the tire itself. The clerk was ready to let me walk out the door - he literally said, "oh, it's just a tire, we'll take care of that" - and then his manager stepped in to inform me I did indeed have to pay for the tire along with the roadside service. They just didn't seem to know what the hell they were doing. There are a few other options at this airport, so I won't be using Hertz again. read more

Huge disappointment. I rented a car this weekend, and I reserved the car via Hotwire and got a fantastic deal. $10/day, you really can't beat that. When I rented the car Hotwire wouldn't let me tinker with the pick up or return time, it was locked in at noon for both. I called Hertz at their location in the airport and I let them know that I didn't get off work until 12pm so I wouldn't be able to pick up my car until about 2pm. I was assured that was ok. I came to pick up the car and the guy giving me the car was chatty and friendly and reminded me to make sure that the car was returned on a full tank. Easy peasy. I came back into town at 2:30pm on the day I was returning it and a different guy said: Oh! It looks like you were charged for another day. I replied excuse me? He said well ya, you took the car at 1:30 and "its almost 3pm". It was 2:36pm. They charged me 30 dollars for an hour. I mentioned that the guy when I checked the car out never mentioned that I needed to return it by a certain time, or "the clock starts now", or anything. He did not go over the pamphlet that the key came in, nothing. He literally slid the keys over to me, and mentioned it needed to come back with a full tank. The guy when I returned it made an off handed comment about me keeping the car for another day to which I responded that I already had a friend coming to pick me up. He also almost scolded me for driving amost 600 miles. I reserved a car that had unlimited miles, and I felt like I was being accused of driving too far. The whole thing seems quite convenient for them though, they made $30 for not explaining when I needed to bring the car back by and me having it for one hour and 6 minutes past when I picked it up. While I accept that I maybe should have asked, I find it interesting that it was never mentioned. read more