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    Thrifty Rent A Car

    2.0 (54 reviews)

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    There was one lady working,  taking over 10 to 15 min per person.  Very annoyed
    Kiliki Q.

    The one and only Lady working was very pleasant to deal with. This is the reason for 2 stars.. The bad part about this is super long line, with only one person working. She took about 10-15 mins per person. We have been waiting to get our car for the last hour and 1/2z. Horrible experience.

    Nicked a bumper and cheap jerks charging me nearly $500.  Shortsighted fools.

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    8 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

    All good with the car rental. Got it at St. Louis airport. I don't recall the wait being that bad either.

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    1 year ago

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    7 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Car was in great condition, all of the staff were kind and helpful, highly recommend . Easy shuttle to both terminals.

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    5 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Thrifty Rent A Car

    Review Highlights - Thrifty Rent A Car

    If one of the previous points don't apply to you, rental insurance through Allianz is as low as $8/ day.

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    Hertz Rent A Car

    Hertz Rent A Car

    2.2(341 reviews)
    0.2 miDownriver

    Baljeet Singh @ Hertz 289 Lucas Dr. Bldg B Detroit MI. Was a guardian angel sent to save me!!!…read more No one else wanted to help. He honored a confirmation deal I had with their counter business Dollar Rent a Car. As my flight was delayed at Charlotte NC Airport for 3 1/2 hours & the Dollar counter closes at 6pm. I never planned on something like that happening. As I didn't arrive until 7:30 pm. He really help to care of me along with, the guys outside as I awaited my sedan being brought out. A Jeep Compass had been out, and he told me no need to wait any longer take what we have. Because of these 2 guys my experience was Fabulous!! Shout out of Gratitude to them JGraham

    As a Hertz member, booked my SUV weeks in advance for my business trip. When I landed in Detroit…read morethere was a text message from Hertz saying my car was not available and there were only other vehicles available. However, they increased the price of the rental $33 per day for giving me a car I did not reserve and it was entirely their fault. When I got to the rental office there was a line 20 people deep and I could not stand in line to complain in person as I had a meeting to get to. Once I got into the minivan it wreaked of cigarette and Marijuana smoke! I told the lady at the gate as I exited the facility and her response was to say "That's too bad." and handed me a form to fill out when I returned it so I would not get charged! What a joke of an operation! I travel several times a month for business and this is by far the worst example of a company simply disrespecting their customers and not caring at all! How does a company charge you more money for them not fulfilling their agreement and then give you a disgusting smelling car? This was a major failure and will change the way I have car rentals booked for myself and my employees going forward.

    Photos
    Hertz Rent A Car
    Hertz Rent A Car - Extremely long exit line with only lane open.

    Extremely long exit line with only lane open.

    Hertz Rent A Car

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    Avis Car Rental - 2 hour and 17 min wait.  Not worth it.

    Avis Car Rental

    1.5(534 reviews)
    0.0 miDownriver

    Our reservation went very smoothly! Ashley was very nice and a pleasure to be around! very quick…read moreand understanding! return day was just as pleasant! i have been using avis rent a car for over 10 years and every time it has been perfect! From start trip to return day, ASHLEY GREEN ensured a safe trip & made the rental process very easy! Very thankful! Big thanks to AVIS

    I had to go through the Better Business Bureau...... My…read morecomplaint was that the Avis attendant at the rental site is effectively not supported by their employer. They had to scrounge up a vehicle due to low inventory (not the location's fault) but told me I was entitled to a refund as a result. That's where the problem started. I'm now going through my credit card to argue the issue. Below is my rejection of what the Avis "corporate office" had to offer - they were giving me a "free rental day"..... this is NOT a refund..... They also tried to tell me that what I was given was "higher rental" rated vehicle - essentially going against what their own employee told me..... So I informed them I'm not satisfied for the following reasons..... 1) Failure to rectify the issue to the customer's satisfaction and to what would be considered as fair business practices. If an Avis employee informs the customer they are entitled to a refund based on what they see in their system at the counter and since they are the ones that ISSUE THE VEHICLE, then it stands within good business discipline that a refund should be awarded to the customer in the interest of providing quality service. If the employee should not have conducted themselves like that then this is an internal business issue within Avis that should be handled through adequately training their employees vice ping-pong their customers around between a remote field office and corporate Avis. Clearly this depicts that Avis is NOT WILLING to stand behind it's own employees who are not being given full autonomy if the "corporate office" is willing to rollover on their own employees as well as their customers. 2) Lack of transparency of vehicles "rates" and the "rating system". The argument below supposes that I'm to know how or why a Dodge caravan (as an example) is a "standard" van and a Chrysler Pacifica is a "luxury" van.... and then perhaps a Honda Odyssey is a "premium" van. In my book - they are ALL mini-vans plain and simple. Telling me after-the-fact that the vehicle I had is some "higher" level rated rental is meaningless and obtuse. This reduces to a simple counter argument whereby the customer is powerless to respond simply because they are not involved and provided no guidance on how vehicles are rated. This further supports the FACT that the customer is 100% reliant on what the clerk at the counter informs them of and given that the "corporate office" seemingly does not support their own field employees Avis corporate can then arbitrability deny or support what their satellites employees do at their whim or as a situation benefits the larger Avis business. Furthermore, this paints the issue in a different light by twisting the argument into "we gave you a better vehicle" vice honor what their own employee told the customer. I'm not even bringing up the issue of "points" - clearly this process is much too hard to rectify. I will inform Avis here though that when I bring up a "points" issue with most hotels, airlines, and similar they typically award the points after verifying the business transaction vice tell their customers they need to sign up and then opt-in and join some special club.... even if that were true they explain the what/why and then award the points . What I find most distressing is that I have to go through such great lengths here to explain this and essentially get what an Avis employee tells me I'm entitled to. In a court of law the employee would be considered a de facto corporate representative of Avis - it would behoove the business to support their own accordingly. The one day rental is "nice" but this assumes that I will be doing any business with Avis in the future.... should I be? Would you reading this "LIKE" to go through this? Would you expect your family members to have this experience? The basic issue remains. The Avis attendant said "refund" - Avis refuses. I assume I have to take this up with my credit card and online at various review sites. Seemingly this is what Avis desires.​ There's a book that could help here - it's called "Raving Fans" - it's the kind of customers I have, because I treat them better than they expect. It's a great read - and its precepts, if followed, could produce similar customers for Avis if implemented.

    Photos
    Avis Car Rental - Mitsubishi 4 wheel SUV

    Mitsubishi 4 wheel SUV

    Avis Car Rental - Toi in the middle. Male who ignored me is to her right

    Toi in the middle. Male who ignored me is to her right

    Avis Car Rental - Lack of staff at Avis; Detroit Airport

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    Lack of staff at Avis; Detroit Airport

    Enterprise Rent-A-Car

    Enterprise Rent-A-Car

    3.6(237 reviews)
    0.4 miDownriver

    First of all, I never write reviews but this was very warranted. I rented a car and upgraded to…read moreluxury vehicle : once driving the vehicle the check engine collant light came on a few times. To be safe and not damage the car : I called the Enterprise by my Dads place where I was staying. They immediately put me in a car, later that day when we found out the luxury car needed to be taken to the dealer, Marquis at the Royal Oak office put me a very nice new car. He also was so professional, kind and hardworking. Upon changing my reservation & returning my car to DTW a few days early as had to get back home for a work project : was presented a bill that hadn't been adjusted yet. Mike took the lead and was kind, professional and apologetic to my situation. I wasn't looking for sympathy: life happens, it's how we you react to the events that define who you are. Mike offered a very generous discount for my inconvenience and I accepted. He told me he'd take care of it as I was trying to catch the shuttle (which they have a ton of so rides to and from DTW were super quick). This morning I had call from David the store manager who wanted to make sure I was happy with my experience. The level of professional service, kind demeanor and above & beyond good humans (even the young lady who checked my car in) at every turn made this an experience I won't forget. Remember you get more bees with honey. The way the whole Enterprise team handled this very little hiccup makes them the sweetest in my book!

    I recently flew into Detroit and rented a car from this Enterprise. This wasn't the first time I…read morehave rented from here, yet my past experiences were just so-so, and I didn't really expect much. I must say that this time was quite different. The representative that assisted me on this day was Elizabeth. She was pleasant, professional, and moved quick when retrieving the vehicle I reserved. She took her time and explained the process to me (although I wasn't new to this) and did so without attitude, which is a big plus in my book. Even the return experience I faced when I brought the car back was fast and hassle-free. I will definitely do business with this rental car place again in the future the next time I come back to Detroit.

    Photos
    Enterprise Rent-A-Car
    Enterprise Rent-A-Car
    Enterprise Rent-A-Car

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    National Car Rental

    National Car Rental

    3.0(104 reviews)
    0.2 miDownriver

    Never had an easier car rental. I think my family has the Emerald Service thing which is fancier or…read morewhatever, but we literally walked up, and got a car, and left. Don't travel much, but I remember it being a pain sometimes, so this was awesome.

    I've been increasingly disappointed with National lately. As an Executive member, I expect there to…read morebe a wider selection of full size SUVs, third-row vehicles, and higher-end options available in the Executive Aisle. On my recent rentals, most of the vehicles available seemed the same to what I would find in the Emerald Aisle. What's the point of being an Executive Elite member? There were larger SUVs on the lot, but many were either not ready or already reserved. From a customer perspective, it feels like Executive members should have priority access to those vehicles, as that is one of the key benefits of earning and maintaining Executive status, with the perk of walking up and grabbing those cars. This is now the third time I've been told to reserve a specific vehicle in advance. While I understand the need for reservations, I would expect the Executive Aisle to consistently offer a selection of premium vehicles without having to reserve them individually. Otherwise, it diminishes the value of the Executive Elite membership program. I value my relationship with National, but experiences like these are causing me to consider other rental car companies moving forward. Maybe Hertz or Sixt is in my future bookings!

    Photos
    National Car Rental
    National Car Rental
    National Car Rental

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    Budget - People waiting in non moving line in 87 degree heat.

    Budget

    1.3(46 reviews)
    1.0 miDownriver

    I arrived at DTW at approximately 5:00 a.m. in the dark and extreme cold to pick up a reserved 4…read moreday rental. I went directly to the designated rental shuttle area. While shuttles for all other rental car companies and hotels arrived regularly the Budget shuttle never appeared. I waited approximately 45 minutes. During that time I called the direct phone number for Budget multiple times and received only an outgoing message stating the office was closed. I also contacted Budget's 800 number and was told there should be a phone in the shuttle area to request pickup. There was no such phone. I asked multiple DTW employees all of whom confirmed there was no phone and that waiting was the only option. Two other parties were also waiting for Budget during this time. One of those parties discovered that Avis and Budget share an office so we boarded an Avis shuttle. Given the lack of shuttle service and unanswered calls I believed Budget was closed but the office was in fact open. When I reached the counter I was assisted by a representative named Christian. He attempted to rush me by suggesting I take an electric vehicle, which I had not reserved, despite there being minimal customer volume at that hour. I declined. When I asked about extending the rental by a few hours and requested pricing information his answers were unclear and incomplete. Christian then loudly announced that he was taking a specific car, repeating it so other employees could hear. This behavior was unusual and, in retrospect, appeared deliberate. The vehicle I was given was in unacceptable condition. It had a strong cigarette odor, visible dirt and mud throughout the interior and exterior and extremely dirty windows that impaired visibility that became apparent when daylight broke. Because it was still dark the full extent of the condition was not immediately apparent. I initially I thought it was dew and poor wipers. The vehicle was also not provided with a full tank of gas. I returned to the counter and informed Christian that the car smelled strongly of cigarettes and requested a different vehicle. I was told that all the cars smelled like cigarettes. Another employee offered to spray the vehicle. A third employee applied a deodorizing spray through one door and at my request it was sprayed through the others. The chemical odor was irritating but at the time it seemed preferable to the cigarette smell. When exiting the lot I informed the attendant checking IDs that the fuel tank was not full. I was advised to either return inside to have it corrected or document it with a photo. Given the poor visibility caused by the dirty windows, I chose to take a photo and leave. Approximately 10 minutes later the cigarette odor returned at full strength. I drove with all windows down and wore a mask yet experienced throat irritation, nausea and difficulty breathing. I realized I could not tolerate this condition for a 4 day rental. I contacted Budget's 800 number and was initially told the vehicle must be returned to the original pickup location, despite being over an hour away. After an extended back-and-forth, I was told I could go to any Budget location. I drove 25 minutes to the Sterling Heights location where I was informed they had no vehicles and were turning away customers with reservations. I was told that due to the approaching weekend other locations likely also had no availability and that I would need to call each location individually. I contacted the 800 number again and was told the airport would have the most availability. A representative suggested I take the vehicle to a car wash. This was not a reasonable solution; cigarette odor embedded in fabric is not resolved by a wash, and deodorizing sprays had already caused additional irritation. With no alternative, I drove an hour back to DTW, losing a substantial portion of the day correcting an issue I did not create. Upon arrival, the return line extended out the door. I was assisted by an employee named Janey. Although I requested to speak with a manager, I was told management was in a meeting. Despite this, Janey handled the situation promptly and professionally. During an extremely busy period, she provided a clean vehicle that did not smell like cigarettes, was free of mud and dirt, and had a full tank of gas, basic standards that were not met earlier when there was little to no line. Janey resolved in minutes what multiple employees failed to address. Her professionalism stood in stark contrast to the rest of this experience.

    My first yelp review was four days ago when I rented this car from budget. Today, as I dropped it…read moreoff in the rain, there was no place for anyone to stand to get picked up. And then took 45 minutes for us to be able to exit even though we were not even renting a car. The teller at the window was obviously frustrated because there were 30 cars behind us.. get your act together budget

    Photos
    Budget - Rental smelled of strong cigarette smell, was dirty and fuel tank was not full.

    Rental smelled of strong cigarette smell, was dirty and fuel tank was not full.

    Budget - Line is three deep and out the door :(

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    Line is three deep and out the door :(

    Thrifty Rent A Car - carrental - Updated July 2026

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