Dollar Rent A Car

This gets one star because the car we got was really good on gas mileage. Other than that this company is a pain in the ass to deal with. I know its a budget place but i expect their staff to know what they are talking about with regards to rates etc and maybe help work out a solution for our driving needs. I dont need them to go above and beyond for the price. The agent who rented us the car was the least happy person I have ever met. She was old and unhelpful. We were trying to work out how much it would cost for one driver vs two and she kept on telling us one price and never mentioned taxes (which are substantial adding another $ 110 or so to our bill) until the very end. She came up with zero solutions to help and was generally unpleasant to talk to. We went with only having one driver and we switched later in the week to keep it fair which was fine until said driver ended up in hospital with a leg injury. When we called to explain and said could we swap back to the original driver that is on file with paperwork etc they said no. When we asked if someone could pick us up they said no. When we asked what we should do as we had nobody who was legally allowed to drive the car she said «Bring it to the airport»??? How? Carry it on my back? Call Harry Potter and ask him to lend a hand. In the end we just stopped driving it until our driver could use his right leg again.
So the car is ok, nice, clean.
Any customer service is a joke at best and completely unhelpful, almost making things harder to do at worst. Never again.

Worst customer service I have ever received in my life, and I travel all over the world. The old Caucasian woman’s face would probably break if she tried to smile. SO RUDE!!! She is just so standoff-​ish, makes rude comments, told me the government rate would be MORE expensive… ?! What? Everyone else seemed pretty nice and thoughtful. For some reason the rest of the staff love her and give her hugs (not very professional, but ok). Maybe she’s a tyrant manager that the other employees need to butter up to keep their jobs. We tried to switch drivers but she said we could only add a driver and pay extra money or close the rental and open a new one which we would have to pay for an extra day and an hour. Because she wouldn’t work with us at all, we had to pay for that. I also asked her about a military discount. She told me I had to book it online to get that. I tried and saw no place to do so. Then she told me I had to call corporate to get it… either she doesn’t know her job, doesn’t care about it, or doesn’t care about the customer. My guess is all three. Or maybe she hates the military and took it out on me.
Tl;dr
Rudest woman I’ve ever had the displeasure of doing business with. I’ll be calling corporate and if they don’t do anything, I’ll pay however much extra I need to avoid doing business with them again.

I wish I could give this place zero stars. I rented a van in June 2015. Returned the car to Boston Airport — no hassle. Then when I arrive home to CA, there is an enormous charge on my bank account. It did not reflect the receipt given to me at the airport. Furthermore, I began to receive daily calls to to me to return the vehicle. An «investigator» called to tell me the same. Wow. The situation was solved about two months later — or so I thought. Just three days ago, I received another charge of $ 275 on my account. I haven’t returned to CT and have not rented a car. This company is terrible and should close their doors for good! The employees were as helpful as hey could be — and I hope they can find employment somewhere else.

There is nothing more frustrating than getting back from a two hour flight and waiting forty five minutes in line for a car. I was there on Tuesday around 4pm which you would think would be a busy time so they would be prepared. There was one attendant who was not in any hurry. I Waited 45 minutes before I got my car. Unacceptable.

I travel very frequently for leisure and business. I have used this place roughly 5 times in the past 3 months and every single time I have been more than happy with the service. Every person who has worked the front desk has been very courteous and accommodating. The drivers of the shuttles are very nice and easy to talk to. I have had great conversations with two of the drivers and one of the people at the front desk. All the employees here seem to be happy people and very willing to do their job. Love this place! Great people and I will continue to use this service for all my personal/​business travel. Not to mention the rates for parking are unbelievably affordable. I highly recommend this location.

ZERO STARS. First the shuttle bus… two of us got on the bus and he asked the other gentleman for his last name. He never asked me so I spoke up. This proceeded to confuse him since he apparently assumed we were together. Then he literally yelled at both of us that he need just the first couple character of our last name. Once to the location myself and about 6 other people were told there were no cars available for any of us who all had advanced reservations. We were given a single page «offsell» document and bused to Avis. For my rental there was a $ 400 dollar difference. Dollar has agreed to refund the difference. However we were expected to front the bill for several weeks and file the «offsell» claim. I immediately filed my claim after my trip. The document says to contact customer service if a refund is not received within 3 weeks. 5 weeks later, giving them time for mail etc., I have yet to receive a refund. I contacted customer service and was told they had just received the documents and it would be 21 days to process from that point. I asked to speak with a customer service manager and was told by two agents that they do not have any managers, «this is the corporate office,» she said. No manager at the corporate office lmfao. And they have no phone numbers for management to file a complaint.

I had a successful rental experience with Dollar Rent A Car of Windsor Locks, CT The staff was attentive and personable. The driver went out of his way to let people know of the proper location on arrival. On departure, he got us back to the airport without any wait (and I was not in a rush).
About the location: it is now 580 Spring St, shared with Thrifty. (Can the address on this listing be updated?)
The reason I didn’t give 5 stars is that I had to wait a long time for the Dollar shuttle from the airport to the rental location. I watched several shuttles from other companies go by, so they apparently have more shuttles/​drivers. Dollar/​Thrifty seemed to have enough business to support more.
Also, the car was a bit aged and had a lot of miles on it, but it was acceptable, for the price, and clean.

i reserved a minivan online 4 months before our family trip. I have three grown sons, so five adults in total, three of whom were close to 6 feet tall. The flight was two hours delayed so we arrived at around 9:30 pm. I was told that they had no minivans, that it was «first come first served» and because the flight was delayed, all the minivans had been claimed. The vehicle i was given was a mazda which seated six, but with no luggage room, and very little leg room in the third row seat. We had to carry the luggage in our laps on the ride to Vermont. The brakes squealed loudly, so we were worried about the safety of the car. I was charged the same amount for the car as I was quoted for a minivan when I reserved it. I was told that the company only agreed to provide «something similar» to the car rented. I strongly recommend NOT using this company.

This was my first experience with Dollar as I usually use Budget or Hertz. Since I was able to get a much lower rate using my corporate discount I decided to give them a try. As others pointed out the shuttle service is spotty. All the other rental car places came by three times before the Dollar one showed up. Upon arrival I had a short wait in line at the counter. The agent was gruff and not customer service oriented. In addition to the usual hard sells for insurance and other add-​ons, he immediately tried to get me to upgrade to a large SUV instead of the compact I had reserved. Since the reservation said «Ford Focus or similar» I knew that it was large enough for my needs. He persisted saying there was no room for luggage in a compact. I knew that wasn’t true so said no thanks. He then took me outside and pointed to a tiny Fiat hatchback and said «that’s what you’re getting — see? It has no trunk.» I said «that’s not what I’m getting since my reservation says Ford Focus». He then says «Or similar». To which I said «Yes and that Fiat isn’t „similar“ is it?» He growled and handed me the keys to a Volkswagen Passat. He also asked me if I would be driving «out of state» which I thought strange given the location where you can throw a stone in almost any direction and hit another state. The car was scratched up quite a bit but otherwise appeared functional. I only drove a short distance that day. The next day after a short drive the tire pressure warning light came on. It took quite awhile to locate a functioning air pump. Unfortunately the owner’s manual had been removed from the car so I had to do some research on how to reset the light. Later in the week I encountered rain and found that the wipers were worn out and there was no windshield washer fluid left. Now I am thinking if they don’t do basic service checks between rentals (tire pressure, fluids etc) what else are they skimping on. It simply is not worth compromising safety to save a little money. That on top with the blatant dishonesty of the agent in order to get me to upgrade to a more expensive car means I won’t rent from Dollar again at least at this location.

I had a great experience. Called the Dollar place at the airport using the provided phone by the info table, got a free shuttle to the Dollar location, no wait to speak with a staff member to get situated with a car, then found someone in the lot to assist in figuring out how to use the Ford Focus I was matched with. Friendly service. The only gripe I have is that the cost was almost $ 200 for 3 days!!! It sucks that there’s an underage (age 25 and under) fee PER DAY. Then there’s the cost of insurance. Then you have to fill up the tank before you return it. Unlimited mileage but mannnnn… Still, cheaper than calling a cab to get around. Wish Connecticut had public transportation!

This place gets mixed up. It’s not just a car rental service, it’s also a car parking lot and shuttle service. I thought this part of the business was great. The guy at the kiosk as well as the shuttle drivers were all friendly, helpful and professional. Not to mention I found this place on google. It was $ 5 bucks a day to park. I was there for 4 days, so I don’t know how the pricing goes if it’s over a week. I’ll definitely come back here.

Dollar is one of my go-​to rental car companies. However, this is an understaffed and small location. The vehicle selection is quite poor and the customer service is weak.
Also, they do not allow debit card rentals unless you are booked on an outbound flight at the airport, which is ridiculous.
Avoid this Dollar location at all costs.

Not the worst Dollar experience. They swapped out a car I had gotten in Boston. That was the worst Dollar experience I had. This location is also out of the way compared to the other big name rental places. First impressions of the facility is that of an old run down mechanic’s garage.
I had called ahead and complained that the Hyundai Accent I received in Boston had something wrong b/​c the steering wheel was vibrating pretty hard at highway speeds. They told me to pull into this location and they would swap me out. Once I arrived and explained, they first took the Hyundai out for a spin to check it out (From a customer’s perspective, I believe they should have handled the swap first and checked out their vehicle after I’ve gotten back on the road). Anyways, waited about 5 – 10 minutes. Gentleman came back in and didn’t say a word and proceeded to swap out my car.
Got a Toyota Corolla which was in much better condition.
All in all, I would probably go try one of the bigger name rental places next time and avoid the hassle. There are just so many areas in need of improvement. At least the cars were nicer in CT than in MA.

Old car agency scams have not disappeared at Dollar in Windsor Locks, CT.
Read your material carefully, as you may find a language contrary to what you intended.
My experience: I had «reserved» a car through Hotwire. When I arrived at the agency I was specifically asked if I wanted collision coverage. I declined the coverage. I have comprehensive insurance and have a American Express with the extra benefits, thus I don’t need the coverages.
I was handed the receipt and asked to initial that I’d declined. I DID NOT CAREFULLY READ the laundry list of declines. The pleasant young man at the counter had written that I had ACCEPTED the collision coverage. Of course, he was not there.
I wanted his name. Those at the counter refused to provide. The refused to call for the manager, and then they did call for the manager. The manager made an effort to provoke a confrontation with me. I called the Windsor Locks police department and requested officers come to keep the peace. They did.
Even before the up-​sell was discovered, the heavy, tatted-​out young woman at the front counter demanded in a somewhat bothered manner that I bring her the keys from the car. Typical protocol is that we leave the keys in the car and the doors open. Not here.
When I questioned the charges, her colleague took over on the transaction. Then the manager was quick in my face. Generally, just a low class operation. Lots of choices around for car rental, so why risk it with Dollar in Windsor Locks?

I waited a while for someone to finally acknowledge I was there when I was in the office. Unfortunately, when someone did make eye contact, she wasn’t the «right person» to assist. The one airporter driver was not sociable at all and made no effort to assist with the bags. The lot is one of the furthest from the airport and narrow. The car I rented was fine though.

Bad experience started outside. There was no clear parking spot for someone who was driven there by a friend. The shuttle bus honked for us to pull away from the front as we puzzled where to park, and when we did so a gaggle of people jumped out of the bus in line ahead of me. We got into 1 line, but the salespeople gave no direction at all and one woman cut ahead and started a new line behind the second counterspot. Then I listened to the 2 people ahead of me get asked to provide a second number, besides their cell. Like me, they said they didn’t have one, at which point the Dollar employees acted like they couldn’t rent them a car. Today very few people have landlines, which Dollar should learn to accept.
The salespeople were very pushy about getting their insurance, moreso than any place I have rented with before. I understand their upselling cars (warning us all snow was coming and we should get all-​wheel drive,) but when I say I don’t want the insurance they should accept it instead of pushing again. The car itself was nice and a good price, the one redeeming factor of this experience.
When I returned the car, no one came out to greet me, which is how I am used to being treated by other rental car agencies. I had to go inside, where the salespeople were not very friendly. When I got home I realized I left something inside the car, so I tried calling Dollar only to get an answering machine. I went back and they had my item in the back room — why didn’t they call my phone? They had two numbers afterall.

Oh Boy, I hate giving bad reviews… but these people treated me like I was trying to steal something when I questioned where all the hidden fees came from… I am not cheap but this place made me feel that way, it was pretty bad.
They get you on some additional fees right from the start… okay no problem it’s the cost of doing business, everyone should get theirs right? Then they give you a car that has lost power steering from the person who rented it prior who dogged the living day lights out of it. I hate complaining, but when we got in the car and the steering wheel was shaking like it was going to fly off, I knew this needed to be addressed. Hey, one good thing about them… they were honest in admitting that they don’t necessarily check every car after they’ve been returned…
I don’t like being negative, this is where my review ends. Just take my advice, if you have other options, go there first… save yourself from the aggravation and unpleasantries that I’ve been subjected to.

Arriving at the aiport I walked outside and waited for the buses. All of the other rental companies or parking lots had buses either right there or arriving within a few seconds. No sign of the Dollar van. After several minutes I have seen every buses twice, except Dollar. Using the Unilocal mobile app I locate the number and call the office. The phone rings to an automated system which didn’t really have an option for contacting the office. I ended up selecting the option to obtain a quote. The man on the other end stated that the bus was on its way and would be there shortly. He took my last name and airline information. Another nearly 10 minutes and another couple of passes from the other buses before Dollar shows up.
When it does, it is a tiny busy that has a maximum capacity of 9. The ceiling is low, the driver warned about watching my head on the bars. In addition to limited seating, I think it had limited shocks because everything was a bumpy ride.
All in all, the deal started on a bad food with the long delay getting the car, the rickety looking bus and the old rental building. Not to mention that I didn’t get the keys because they indicated keys were in the car, but it was locked. Someone had to run the keys out to me. It has the lowest prices, but you get what you pay for when renting from this location.
The building was not much better. It looked like an old service station. The rental paperwork wasn’t bad, but average compared to prior experiences. I received a Hyundai Sunata as a mid-​size car. That might be a stretch. The guy said he would give us the one with the Sirus satellite radio at no charge. You know what? Here where there are large hills, satellite sucks anyway, so that’s no prize. Half the time it went out becuase it couldn’t pick up reception. And the Sonata sucks on gas mileage.

Oh I wish they had an option for zero stars. I should have checked Unilocal before I booked my rental but alas I was drawn in by their competitive prices.
After taking a red-​eye into Connecticut I called Dollar Rent a Car at the help desk to have them send someone to get me. The man who answered the phone told me their normal van was out of service and I should look for a un-​marked red van who would flash their lights at me as they neared the Delta baggage claim area. Seriously? Talk about the epitome of un-professional…I waited for about 15 minutes and when there was no sign of a un-​marked red van I tried to get a cab to then be informed that due to the close proximity of the rental building I had to wait it out.
Finally I finally saw a van flash their lights out and skeptically got in the van once he confirmed that he was from Dollar Rent a Car. I made it to the rental building in one piece and checked in fairly quickly but it seems that I was a little too trusting and the entire experience couldn’t have been more sketchy.
No complaints about the car as I was given a Toyota Corolla and it was pretty standard. At the time I checked in the man at the desk asked if I’d like to be charged for gas upon my return. Since I was in Baltimore, exhausted and sleep deprived plus not knowing what the next morning would look like I agreed.
The next day I was able to leave my hotel at a decent hour and found a gas station right up the road from Dollar Rent a Car figuring that since I had time I would fill up the tank and save some money.
When I checked in the car the woman at the desk told me that unless I had a receipt saying that I filled my tank, it was new company policy that they would have to charge me an entire tank at $ 7 a gallon despite the needle in the car resting at completely full. I drove back to the gas station and got my receipt to avoid the ridiculous charge… but boy was I lucky that the gas station was so close.
I would stay clear of this place and I definitely learned my lesson… no more being enticed by low prices without doing a little research.

This is the most inefficient car rental office I have ever witnessed. The one star goes to the shuttle driver, who is the only friendly person working here. When arriving at BDL, I waited patiently for the shuttle, as three or four rounds of the competitors went past. At the rental counter, the guy hardly looked up to greet customers, and seemed rather annoyed by our presence. Never confirmed the rental details or provided any info unless asked. The cars are really beat up and not very clean. Unlike other places, they do not do anything to speed up the process, or to do anything customer-​centric. Lots of unnecessary paperwork and copies, typing the same info that was already on my reservation, and then they want to copy the gas receipt and print out more crap when you return. Absolutely no sense of customer service. YOU need to note the mileage, stand there while they process, process, process. Then you wait for the shuttle while you hope you don’t miss your flight!
This business FAILS in friendliness, efficiency and speed. There is a reason why their rates are lower. If you have the time and patience then rent at you own risk! I will take my business elsewhere.