Advantage - www.advantage.com

They are quite simply the worst car rental company in the world. Overcharged by $800.00 for an upgrade i never agreed to. False documents given to me by the sales rep, i never noticed but someone else had their name on the document i was given. It also said the pick up was from charlotte douglas when i had just arrived at Atlanta airport.

I just walked in a there r 37 people ahead of me. Been waiting 25 minutes and moved up 2 spaces. if u booked with them make sure u plan for an extra 2 hours of waiting.

I do not recommend rent a car from Advantage Rent-A-Car, specially from Oakland airport (OAK) on 1490 Doolittle Dr.,San Leandro. They are very bad customer services, employees were talking ignored customers.Inside the car smell smoke. They charged upfront $200 PLUS RENTAL COST, BUT THE $200 YOU WON'T see a REFUND RIGHT AWAY.

Booked via HolidayAutos. WARNING they will rob you for a 'compulsory' full tank of over-priced fuel, (40% higher price).

Got to the Airport no Rep' and no-one had heard of them. After 1 1/2hrs of asking almost everyone someone at Hertz said they knew someone that worked for them and called. 30mins later a van turned up marked 'Firefly', no apologies from the driver. We were then driven 10mins to an unmarked depot and given a dirty wrecked Nissan Note. The woman in the depot offered no apologies despite my complaints and claimed she was in the Airport, which she 100% was not. Not only that but Advantage no longer existed and was now called Firefly; she said she had a Firefly board at the Airport so even had she been there we wouldn't have found her!?

When we handed the car back they then scammed us out of another £6 cleaning fee despite the car being cleaner than when we collected it! Stranded, they refused to take us to the Airport unless we signed the Credit card slip.

I cannot urge you enough to stay away from this Co. or Firefly so ALWAYS insist on knowing who you're being sent to if any Agents offer you a 'deal'?

I WILL NEVER RENT FROM ADVANTAGE AGAIN! Worst service of any rental car company I've ever used. A good 10min wait for the shuttle as Hertz, Enterprise, Dollar, etc. shuttles came and went. Once at the Advantage Rental Car office, the line was 25 deep and I waited at least 45 minutes to even pick up my car. The salesman behind the counter was friendly enough, but then he sent me to a numbered slot in their cluttered (and jam packed) parking lot which had the wrong car in it. This cost me another 15 min as I searched through the lot to find the right vehicle. Upon return, I dropped the vehicle off without issue. However, as I approached the Advantage Shuttle to board the bus, the driver shut the doors when I was perhaps 20 feet away and drove off. I tried to flag him down, he looked right at me, waved me away and refused to stop. I could see through the bus windows that there were no passengers aboard. Yet, he couldn't take 5 seconds to stop the bus and let me on. That cost me another 10 min waiting for another one. Irate at the shuttle bus driver, I decided to speak to the Advantage office manager. She was indifferent, unsympathetic and completely unhelpful. I informed her that I WOULD NEVER RENT FROM ADVANTAGE AGAIN.

We hired a car by them thru Carjet. The Ford Focus gasoline we reserved was not available. They had Bad and schratched KIA DIESEL. We did not wanted this poor car. They could give us a Opel Corsa if I pay € 20,- extra. A Corsa is a lower class !! We refused. At the end after 25 min. talking and waiting we took a also schratched Hyundai on "gasoline" to make a end of all this. (All our cars are schratched she said)

Surprise ! This Hyundai at the end was not a gasoline but also a DIESEL !! FAIL !

We had to pay € 103,- for the fuel!!! (normal cost € 68,-)

She had allready taken this amount from my creditcard whithout my approval! Also she and her female boss agressively try to sell us a extra insurrance of .... € 98,-

Brutal, no service, no knowledge at all, bad, bad, bad all over. NEVER AGAIN !!

What car company doesn't recover your car if it breaks down? You have to pay or take out extra insurance! Also you are charged extremely high rates for a tank full of fuel plus taxes!! What looks like a resonable rate to hire a car turns out to be a very poor deal. There was no offer to show you the car just pointed it out and left you to it which might be ok for seasoned travellers. Overall very expensive and not very good service. Also when I complained to DOYOUSPAIN that the breakdown cover was not included they ignored my emails.

Be aware what you are getting into with Advantage Car Hire before you book with them:

I collected a car from Madrid airport from Advantage rent a car. The car was full of fuel and I was told to return it empty. I didn't like it but I assume I had missed the small print from Holiday Autos and thought I would use at least half the tank in an 8 day hire. The fuel charge was 115 €.

After 5 days I returned the car because it developed a loud noise - either a wheel bearing or brake fault. I was told no problem they would change the

car and to fill it with fuel. After doing this I asked to be credited for fuel I do not use when I return the car as there was no chance that I would use another full tank on the last 2.5 days of hire. I was told no way these were the rules and I might want to go on a longer journey.

The sharp practice is :

1.) Advantage charge 115€ for a full tank of fuel for a Opel Astra that would cost 75€ to fill from the petrol station next to the airport (56 litre tank 1.35 per litre). Advantage make 40 € on the fuel.

2.) The advantage car was tired and it was no surprise when the fault developed. Requesting I pay for a full tank of fuel when when they changed the car due to a fault was ridiculous. Be aware the Advantage replacement car also was tired and had a clutch on its last legs so this is not likely to be an isolated occurrence.

3.) Advantage were quite happy to ignore that the replacement car had a smaller fuel tank than the first faulty car. After pushing them they credited me 10€ for the difference. When I later returned the car with most of the fuel still in the tank Advantage Arantxa Azpeitia said I had already been given 10€ "discount" when this related to a change in fuel tank size!

I will put down to experience the rip off fuel price and "return empty" policy. But after the fault with the car demanding I pay for another tank of fuel when the car was faulty was poor. I have hired cars in Spain 2-3 times per year for the last 10 years and never seen such sharp practice. Advantage attitude is we know but there is nothing you can do about it.

For 300km that should cost less than 30€ in fuel I paid in fuel costs over 100€.

I could also make reference to waiting too long and it being difficult to find the office in the Hertz office but these seem side issues.

DON'T BOOK ANY CAR WITH HERTZ ADVANTAGE !!!

I booked a car for BARCELONA between 9th and 13th of September 2012. The booking was made via internet with Economybookings - also known as Booking Group. They (as brokers) had good prices and the website was easy to use. They allocate my car to Hertz Advantage.

1st issue: when i reached Hertz Advantage office to pick up the car, Hertz Advantage informed me that i need to pay more than was written on the voucher. I tried to explain them the conditions written on the voucher, but they did not want to understand. Therefore, i paid more in order to take my car for vacation.

I reported this issue by email to the broker - Economybookins, they responded that ONLY the amount from the voucher should be charged by Hertz Advantage - nothing more. But still, Hertz Advantage charged 25 euro more than written on the voucher!!!

2nd issue: Before returning the car, i sent an email to Economybookings/Booking group, telling them that i want to return the car with a full tank of fuel and i need they to confirm that in this situation the fueling charge (83 euro) will be paid back. After the second email on this subject, they sent the confirmation that the fuel charge will be paid back if i bring the tank full. This is their reply:

''From: Customer Service BookingGroup [mailto:support@bookinggroup.com]

Sent: Thursday, September 13, 2012 1:07 PM

To: cristi.grosu@gmail.com

Subject: 53924877

Dear Cristian,

The final price will be 186 EUR in case if You will returned car with empty tank.

In case if You will return with full, amount taken for the fuel will be refund.

--

Kind regards,

Customer Support Service

Booking Group Team ''

3rd issue: Based on the confirmation regarding fuel refund, i stopped to a gas station and I filled in the tank before returning. I asked Hertz Advantage to pay back 83 euro, fuel charge. They did not want to do this, even if Hertz Advantage is declaring on their support website:

https://hertzhelp.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1000

''You can stop and refuel the tank yourself, immediately prior to returning the vehicle.''

My flight was very close, even if i showed them the fuel confirmation from Economy Bookings or Hertz Advantage support page, i could not argue more with them and i had to leave to catch my plane.

But when i got home, i called several times to reach Darina from Booking Group - she was unreachable for 3 days :) And also her colleagues were unable to assist me. And they promised to call me back ...they did not do it.

I also wrote different emails to Hertz Advantage and EconomyBookings - BookingGroup. Also post on their Facebook wall. They instantly deleted my comments, i am now unable to post my story on their wall.

Even if the Facebook reaction was very fast, even after a week from my complaints they did not bother to answer back or to call me.

As a conclusion: THE WORST RENTAL EXPERIENCE IN MY LIFE was created by HERTZ ADVANTAGE and their rude employees from Barcelona Terminal 2 office.

AVOID THEM IF YOU DON'T WANT A BAD EXPERIENCE!!!

Hertz decided to meet the competition in the discount market. By establishing Advantage car hire they appear inexpensive. In reality this affiliate is situated in an abandoned, unmarked Hertz-shed in Madrid Airport, understaffed and offering old cars at below market terms and fuel policies. Everything considered this is value way below other rental companies where you get more for less.

We booked a Renault Clio (new on the picture, ofcourse) but got an old Ford Focus with 143.500 km behind it. Scratches and bruces all over, mechanically according to it's age, headlamps misaligned etc.

Fuel policy was to receive the tank full (and pay the company's desired price for it - EUR 80!), and to return it empty (no money back for left fuel).

It was fuelled to cover 900+ km, way beyond any distance possible within Madrid in five days. Apart from the fuel we could burn the EUR 80 was simply a hidden addition to the hire.