HIGHLY FRUSTRATED!!! Needed a last minute rental on a Saturday and had been calling places since 10:00am. Most rental places didn't have a car available and other places were closing...so I was really relieved when Pacific Car Rentals in Alameda told me they had a car and would wait for me to arrive, keeping in mind trading house are until 1pm on Saturdays. I ordered my Uber from SF and called them to tell them I was on my way and would be there 12:30, again he said he would wait for me. Uber was a little delayed, so I tried to call them(shortly after 12:30) again to let them know I was coming, NO ANSWER. I sprinted a couple blocks to Arrive at their LOCKED UP doors well before 1pm. To make things worse, my battery died!! Thank you Pacific Car Rental for WASTING MY TIME & MONEY read more

It has been very easy to work with Oswaldo at Pacific Car Rental. He has consistently been helpful, responsive, and able to offer an affordable price for car rental. He clearly outlines all of the requirements and makes sure you are happy with your rental agreement. He is very personable and friendly and it is great to work with him. I would recommend this local business for your car rental needs. read more

I typically don't give blistering reviews but my experience at Pacific Car Rental in Alameda really deserves the lowest rating possible. I was willing to give this location a try in my effort to spend locally but the situation went downhill rather quickly. After the manager, Oswaldo, asked me what type of car I would like to rent, he mentioned that he "would have to see" because some of the cars were being worked on. Not good. Then, he asked me about using my personal vehicle insurance. I declined and asked to purchase additional insurance through his company because I was wary of using my insurance to cover a HOOPTY. I imagined the engine falling out as I was driving and, then, having Oswaldo submit a claim via my personal policy. I am too much of a savvy businesswoman for that type of nonsense. Finally, he asked to copy my license and credit card. I declined because a photocopy of the front and back of my credit card, essentially, will allow someone to make purchases even without having the card itself. I would suggest that everyone avoid this DUMP and take public transit!!! read more

We are so happy with our experience with Pacific Car Rental. We needed to rent a minivan to take my daughter and her friends on her birthday overnight trip. They had exactly what we needed at the price we were looking for. Oswaldo was very friendly and helpful and even let us pick which one of his minivans would work best for us. He made sure that we understood all of the policies beforehand so there were no surprises and made the entire transaction very easy. I love supporting a small, local business. We have definitely found our new car rental spot! Thank you, Oswaldo! read more

I have used Pacific Car Rental three times in the past few years. I have always dealt with Oswaldo, who is absolutely professional, courteous, and super helpful. Yes the cars are not brand new If you want that, go pay double at a national company. But they are clean and well maintained. Plus by renting her you are supporting a local business. He worked with us when my dad was paying for the rental from out of state. He worked with us with a debit card.And now when BART is on strike and perhaps AC transit as well, he made sure we had a car so I could get my husband to work. They get 5 stars from me! read more

Super friendly, genuine and lowest price in car rental around the bay!!! If you need to rent a cheap car around the bay area to drive around town then Olswaldo is your guy. If you are under 25 this place charges under $250 if u want to rent a car for a week for a really nice car. I do not have any maintainence problem with the car like the other reviewers. They actually gave me a very nice and new car. Give this place a try and you will not regret it. read more

I've rented from here a few times, and living in Alameda makes the place very convenient. What makes the good to adequate is they let me use a debit card without hassle and work with me on finding a car I can use. Downsides is they don't have a huge fleet of cars, so sometimes they won't have my first choice in stock. Secondly, the cars are not as well maintained so they'll have issues like windshield wipers are old and won't fully clean the windshield. Or a missing dial on the radio. All in all, a rental company that is friendly and I'll use again. read more

Rented a car from this company for the holidays . $400 deposit plus rental fee off 35.99/day with insurance. Rented it for 4 days and kept it an extra day . I was told the car could be returned after hours no additional charge. I return the car after hours and next morning was charged almost $200 to my card ! No one called or gave me any notice it would be that much extra . In the end ended up spending over 300+ ! Never coming here again ! read more

I confidently recommend Pacific Car Rental. Oswaldo provided terrific customer service and the process was quick and efficient. I was originally seeking a compact car and reserved it through their website. When I arrived they did not have a compact car available but an SUV. Oswaldo quickly and graciously offered me a very fair rate on the larger vehicle. Additionally he did not charge me for what little gas I used. I felt that made up for the small cost increase from the unavailable compact car to the SUV. Overall I had a good experience. Oswaldo's friendliness and customer service surpassed every other car rental service I've ever used. I will definitely rent from Pacific Car Rental again. read more

I was looking for a rental car for the weekend of thanksgiving due to our vehicle braking down at last min. Called this place and SERIOUSLY the customer service was terrible. I called just to confirm they were open on Thanksgiving and the man responds "I answered the phone right." And just more rude comments. To include they want a 400 deposit for a not so great car. It is very unreadonable. We did not go with them because of the rude service and the high deposit. read more

I have been renting cars from pacific car rental for quite a while now. They have great service and very reasonable rates. I live in San Francisco and its very convenient to hop on Bart and being picked from Bart station by one of their employees for free. The van i rented this summer for my trip to Tahoe was great...very comfortable! i would recommend them to all my friends. read more

I reserved a car online...then the day I was to pick up the car I called to get directions....the guy said ..."sorry I don't have any cars available"..I told him I had reserved it online and that it had showed cars available. He said.."oh that never works" you need to call. He was just rude and could have cared less. I had to scramble at the last minute and find a car somewhere else. If I were you I would STAY AWAY from this place. read more

Very old and problematic cars. Car was very dirty but that was not the worst! Car broke down the second day we got it. Price was definitely not cheap. Never come here again read more

Easily 1/2 the price of renting at Oakland Airport. Manager speaks 5 languages, is very pleasant to deal with. Bring your proof of insurance with you. All major credit cards accepted. $22.50 a day for a 1 week rental, that would have easily been $350 from the big boys at OAK. If you're staying in Alameda and price is a factor, this is the place to rent from. The 51A-21 bus rides back to OAK take about an hour... driving a rental car back to OAK and riding their ridiculous shuttle back to the airport will take you almost as long. August 2014 Update: Rates have increased slightly to $29/day or $146.20/week for a compact car. Still only paying 9% Alameda County Tax instead of 45% Oakland International Airport tax. Rating bumped from 4 Stars to 5 because if you call ahead, Oswaldo will drive out to OAK and pick you up FOR FREE, then drive you back to his rental lot for your car. Its actually easier and just about the same amount of time as schlepping your bags onto the Rental Car Shuttle Buses for the agonizing, sardine can ride to the OAK rental car complex on Doolittle Drive... keep going for another 5 miles and you'd be at Pacific Car Rental already, and save 36% in taxes. read more

Oswaldo was incredibly helpful to us. My best friend and I are under 21 and it was our first time renting a car. He didn't try to rip us off since it was our first time, instead he gave us a real good deal. He explained everything to us and gave us all the information we needed. Even when we needed to extend our trip for one extra day, it was no problem. If you're not picky with the car you rent, this is the best place to go in town. And plus it's local, so help local stores out! read more

Cars are "older" , but you can get them at a reasonable rate when other major rental comps are high. I used a rental when fam was visiting for a week and it's easy to do. Asks for license and insurance info. Other than that, easy. I'd rent from them again since it's waking distance to my place. read more

Having had a previous not-so-good experience with this company, I am returning to give a 4-star rating for the way the owner, Manu, handled my complaint to my complete satisfaction. When I contacted him after my first experience, he was very solicitous and showed great concern that my prior experience was bad (due to a rude, inattentive employee). Manu said that he'd speak with the employee and give corrective instructions - and, he did.. He then went the extra mile to make up for that bad experience by offering and following thru on a free rental (except for the insurance which was my option). He was present when the car was picked up and again offered his apologies for my previous experience. From there, it went very well and I was more than satisfied with the car and the manner in which Manu handled my "problem". Everyone deserves a second chance and I am glad that I gave Pacific Car Rental that second chance, and I am happy to say "thank you" to Manu for his actions in making things right. read more

It is sad to see some bad reviews of this place, but I had a great experience with their service. Oswaldo was very professional and nice and gave me an excellent deal on a rental I needed twice- once when my car was in the shop for a week and the other after my car was totaled. This is more of a mom and pop rental shop, so if you have really high expectations and want to rent a Bentley then go to Avis or hertz and pay over $400 for a rental of your choice. If you want honest and reliable service without breaking your bank then pacific car rentals is the place to go! I recently moved to SoCal and have been meaning to yelp for months... Hope this helps! hola oswaldo! :-) read more

Awesome customer service. We rented a van to Vallejo. Great condition. I'd rent from these guys over and over again. And best of all, their rates were competitive with other car rental companies in the area! read more

I rented a mini van over the weekend. Oswaldo was very friendly. I asked to be picked up at Lake Merritt BART and someone arrived there on time. There was a $400 deposit/hold but that was immediately returned/removed once I dropped off the car. Also, I had to drop off the car after hours and it was very easy to do - parked van at their parking lot and dropped off the key in their drop box right in front of their office. The mini van worked fine but it was on the older side and a bit uncomfortable for a long drive, which is why I'm giving them only four stars. Otherwise, good rental and great customer service. Thank you! read more

These guys are a blessing to the bay area. I was picked up from the BART station at 10am and by 10:15 i was in my rental car with a full tank of gas, insurance taken care off.. and heading out the parking lot. Usually takes me at least 30-45min at hertz or avis to get a car. Very friendly service highly recommended. read more

Rented a large SUV to take a group of friends up to Napa for the day. I didn't expect the vehicle to be pristine, I knew this place is cheaper than the national companies for a reason. However, I absolutely expected the car to be fully maintained. The first time I put the car into reverse, there was a horrible metal-on-metal sound and the car jerked to a halt. It sounded like the transmission had just dropped out. Going forward, there was a loud rattling noise coming out of the front. I thought there was a good chance the axle was going to break on me (I've had that happen to my own car). Needless to say, it was an incredibly stressful day. Driving as slow as I felt safe, trying to get the car back to the agency and hoping it wouldn't drive off the road on the way. Dropped the vehicle off after hours, went by the next day and Oswaldo told me, essentially, "not my problem". I told him that it was an unsafe car and he said "but nothing bad happened, so it's all good." Better still, he told me that his mechanic *couldn't find a problem*! This was after Oswaldo himself had driven the vehicle and admitted that it was clearly broken. Oswaldo told me that "someone was lying". No idea what that's supposed to mean. Another man who was there took my name and said he'd call me about possible compensation for the terrible experience. I'm still waiting for a call, so they get a fat ONE STAR from me until they prove that they actually understand the concept of customer service. I'm not holding my breath. Oh, one more thing: when I went by the next day, they had the SUV (Land Cruiser) I'd rented -- the one that is clearly broken and possibly dangerous to drive -- back in the lot with a large RENT ME sign in the window! And the mechanic had done no work on it. Talk about buyer beware. EDIT: Received a letter in the mail from Manu apologizing for the problem as well as compensation. In the end they handled it well and showed good customer service. Changed my rating to reflect that. read more

Due to my car being in the shop and needing to attend a business meeting this week, I needed a rental in Alameda on short notice. I really didn't want to have to go to the airport to pick up a car. I had heard of Pacific Car Rental but didn't think of them until Google gave me the suggestion. I'm happy to write a review. I'd give them 4 stars for 4 reasons... 1) Customer service. The man who helped me sign out my car could not have been any nicer. Seriously. He went out of his way to be kind and helpful. Not many people give that type of excellent service these days. 2). Convenience. I needed something on the west end of the Island. I didn't realize that this company recently relocated from the Webster st area to near the ferry terminal on Main street, but once I knew that, it worked out perfectly. 3. Price. They gave me a great price for the day...much better than the bloated airport rental fees. 4. Interior of car was spotless and comfortable. Very, very clean. The are only two things holding this back from a 5 star review. First, the car itself was a Nissan Versa, and had a good number of miles on it. Nissan, I'm not sure what you were thinking when you built the Versa, but it was nothing smart. The car simply has no pickup. Also, with the number of miles on it, the engine was sort of showing its age, especially when I had to make some quick highway merges. Second, Pacific has a pretty strict per day mileage limit. If you wanted to really go somewhere, this is not the company for you. Oh, and I did find out that they have a bit of a limited fleet of cars, so you are supposed to call and make sure one is available. I didn't due that, but luck was on my side and everything worked out. Overall, this place had really great service and if you need a rental to get around locally for a bit, such as to run some errands while your car is in the shop or get to a meeting, this was ideal. It is nice to recommend a quality local business. read more

Oswaldo was professional and organized. He very graciously drove me to and from the auto repair shop. Pacific Car Rental was also flexible when my auto repair shop made some changes to scheduling. The price was great and I enjoyed every aspect of the interaction. I wouldn't go anywhere else. read more

Not a great selection, certainly not cheap for an independent type place. People were nice.

I needed a car while mine was in the shop and preferred to stay on the island rather than having to go all the way out to the airport. Oswaldo was very nice and picked me up at my house, he also dropped me off after I returned the car. He was also very accommodating when I needed the car for much longer than I had anticipated. If you're in need of a good rental car for very reasonable prices and you don't want to deal with the big companies or go out to the airport I recommend this rental company. read more

Great customer service. These people went above and beyond. They even dropped us off at the ferry station in Alameda when we came in to return the car. Thank you guys. We will be back soon. read more

Friendly, excellent service. Rented a mini van for the holiday weekend. Everything went smoothly. Thanks Oswaldo!

These guys are fantastic. I have rented with them twice and both times the service was fast and the prices are really good. I plan on using them again! Definitely recommend them if you are looking for excellent service and good deals on cars. I plan on coming back. read more

Look at the reviews for Pacific Car Rental, it's the same business, this page must have been a mistake.

Oswaldo was very helpful to me in renting an 8 passenger vehicle for Thanksgiving. He returned my calls and was helpful and polite. The Ford Expedition we rented for $60.00 per day was 1/3 the price of comparable new vehicles from the big rental guys. It had 90k on it but was in good shape and clean. We took 8 people to our Thanksgiving celebration at my sister's house in Lodi and enjoyed the drive as well as the feast. If you need a reasonable rental car this is the place. read more

My 21 year old son flew into CA on business and did not have a credit card with him. This was an emergency situation, as NOBODY would help us with getting him a car no matter what type of verification I could provide and secure over the phone or via email. Oswaldo was VERY helpful, and was able to pick him up from the airport and get him into a nice Ford Escape. His prices were VERY fair, and he did not gouge for having a driver under 25 by charging more per day for that than for the car itself! We were VERY pleased with the service, and would highly recommend Pacific Car Rentals to anyone traveling into the Oakland/Alameda CA area. THANK YOU! read more

Shady operation! Cars have broken mirrors and holes in the upholstery. The insides reek of smoke and chemical airfreshners. Awful!!!! Rental agent was not interested in customer service. read more

Osvaldo, the rental manager, is a friendly spirit. Very professional, offering the lowest rates in Alameda at $30 or so daily for a small compact car. Flexible for international drivers. read more

I rented from this company once and NEVER again. First, we thought they were not there when we arrived after a very long flight from England, we had to bang on the locked door, call the number on the phone until a rather rude man answered acting as if it was a problem to actually do his job. He spent most of his time on the office phone than dealing with us and we were tired and just wanted to go back and get over the jet lag. I was not given the car I had asked for, the car I did get had the smallest pedals I've ever seen and I was actually afraid to drive it for the over 3 weeks I was renting it for and when it came time to settle up, this man tried to charge us for damage that was already there when we rented this old clunker. The damage was rusty and obviously very old. Luckily we insisted on a walk around and took time and date stamped pictures before setting off in the beginning. Steer clear. They may allow you to rent a car if you're under 25 but they will take advantage and you will end up paying much more. Their cars are an embarrassment to drive, dirty and not what you'd expect paying what they charge. If you have no other option than to rent from them, make sure you do a walk around and take time and date stamp pics of outside and inside because they WILL try to blame you and charge you. I don't feel their vehicles are safe either. Terrible customer service as well no matter how polite you are with them. Steer clear unless you absolutely have NO choice and the deposit...don't fall for that scam. Walk away. They will chase you down and then work with you but they are experts of taking advantage of people. read more

If you are looking for an affordable rental car and awesome customer service I would highly recommend Pacific Car Rental. It was such a pleasant experience I look foward to next time I need to rent a car. :-) read more

We rented an older Toyota Landcruiser from Pacific Car Rental and everything was okay. Friendly staff, decent value and convenient to where we live. read more

They don't have lots of cars, but the one we got they fixed at the last minute and it took us from Oakland to LIB in Orange County and back without a problem. It was the cheapest rates we found considering we have no insurance and are under 25. I would rent from them again in the future. read more

The Manager is very nice, but these are used cars available for rent - VERY used - like 1980's, 70,000 miles on the car used. They are affordable, but for close to the same price you can get a car that looks A LOT better - cleaner, newer with better amenities. I would never rent from them again. I just don't see the value. read more

We have been exceptionally pleased each time we have rented from Pacific. Oswaldo has consistently taken care of us with his pleasant, professional, and thoughtful handling of any and all requests we made. Customer service is what sets businesses apart these days, and Oswaldo ensures that we always receive the best in our rental car experience with Pacific. Thank you! read more