Payless Car Rental

Dreadful experience. Stay away! I wish I read the reviews I now see here before renting from them. Where to begin? I waited a very long time for the shuttle bus which was jammed by the time we reached the rental counter. The line was out the door by the time in unloaded. Three employees, one of whom left because her shift ended. Two left and one of them is soon scheduled to leave. When I finally reached the counter, the bait and switch upselling began. No need to expound on that, we all have experienced it. I was finally given a car and not long after getting on the highway, it overheated. I called the Denver office multiple times and no one answered. I called their main number and was told a tow could take up to 90 minutes. If I did not feel, I was in a safe place however, they could call the police and have me towed by them, at MY expense. After throwing a fit, the tow company came out relatively quickly. When I returned to the office, I was given another car and told I would be credited the mandatory additional driver charge as compensation. I got the name and extension of the manager to call later and negotiate a better credit. I placed multiple calls, the phone is never answered, left messages on her VM and the main number VM, filed a written complaint through their website and none of my attempts to reach a party to discuss this with have gone answered. I am now disputing the charge through my credit card company. Perhaps that will get someone’s attention.
DO NOT RENT FROM THIS OUTFIT — their customer service is dreadful and the cars are poorly maintained!

I saved *a lot* of money here. Expectations were low based on the reviews but they delivered. Even though it was the beginning of summer I was shocked what the rental car companies were charging at DEN. $ 60/​day for each of my requested 4 day trip. WOW. Never seen it so much in any American city. There was one exception and that being Payless. They were ¹⁄₃^rd the cost, so $ 20/​day for a standard. After taxes/​fess added, in comparison I saved almost $ 200 for the trip by choosing Payless over the next lowest provider. I’m glad I booked ten days prior my trip because on the day of my arrival all car agencies were charging closer to $ 100/​day, even Payless. Based on the Unilocal rating here I wasn’t even sure if Payless would still give me that great deal I previously booked. Well they ended up delivering which was great. I was even given an upgrade to a mini pickup truck (Nissan Frontier), which ran great and was perfectly clean inside. All good and the process was quick. Granted I arrived at 6:30 AM from my nearby airport hotel by taking an Über and there were no lines as flights don’t normally arrive that early at DEN.
Long story short, here’s my recommendation– If they offer you huge savings based on prices from other rental companies, book with them. If the savings are minimal, just pass for a bigger company with more staffing & less sales driven staff. With that additional savings request an Über or Lyft to take you directly there (7 – 8 minutes drive from the DEN airport) to get there quick after landing and also to avoid the potential for waiting in lines based on people coming off the shuttle. Decline their additional services at check-​in (easier said than done). Upon your car return, rent an Über/​Lyft again right after returning the vehicle to rush you to the airport or wait roughly 15 – 20 minutes for the shuttle to depart to take you back to the airport. Again, if they’re saving you a ton of money like they did me, you can afford to make the trip/​experience a little better.
Lastly, I would book directly from Payless’ web site as it may save you extra and it may make the process smoother.

To start with we waited quite a while for a shuttle bus. At least 10+ minutes, all the while being passed by every other car rental shuttle multiple times. The driver was friendly, but the shuttle buses both to and from the airport seemed old, dirty and who knows if in disrepair. Honestly the nastiest, dirty, run down shuttle bus I’ve ever been on. Worse than public transportation in a big city.
Counter staff were fine but nothing amazing. It took 3 tries to find a car that didn’t reek of smoke in what were clearly marked non-​smoking vehicles. Counter guys thought that was pretty funny and eluded to pot being legal in Colorado. Hilarious. Not. We were tired after traveling and should not have had to go through 3 cars to get a decent one. They did not even offer for us to go out and check out a car before we waited for them to re-​do the paper work each time. None of the cars were particularly clean either.
Checking back in to return the car was better. The man working that counter was much more professional.
Can’t say that I would pick Payless again on purpose unless that was the only rental agency with cars.

They overcharged us by over $ 100.00 on a weekend rental that was supposed to be $ 140.25. We returned the car on time with a full tank and no damage. They charged us $ 108 more than we were quoted without explanation.
Even without the thus far unresolved overcharge, I would still give this 2 stars at most because we waited over 40 minutes for the shuttle, which eventually only came after we called customer service. We also then had to switch cars after loading it with luggage because the driver’s seat would not move positions and it was all the way back.

Less than impressed the staff is disorganized the car was a piece of junk and smelled funny I wouldn’t rent from them again

I was left stranded with no car after pre paying a reservation. Then i was told there is no number to customer care. Save yourself the headache and pay the extra money. These people are running a terrible business

Line out the door. 2 people at back counter doing nothing until I explain to them about the line. They have/​had no clue. Staffing is easy at Car rental places. You see the number of cars being picked up. You staff appropriately. This is ridiculous.

Let’s begin with the shuttle bus that picked us up at the airport: driver was nice enough but the shuttle bus’s condition was worse for wear. One of the seats was busted where you can see the springs popping out. The windows were grimy and floor looked like it had not been vacuumed in several years. The office upon arrival looked the same worn way. Trash was on the floor and just looked like no one has bothered to clean the place in years. The staff itself was very friendly and helpful. They warned us that they had not cleaned the car we were about to get into and if we wanted to wait it can get cleaned. We booked this a week in advance. Goodness gracious. Pine needles were in the trunk of the car and it hadn’t been vacuumed. Thanks for the warning but we didn’t want to wait. Let’s get it together. Corporate needs to step up their game and represent a more professional outfit.

You will always get what you pay for when you rent cars from generic companies such as these. They still cross my mind because I’m not really sure how these companies still stand when it comes to the bad sales representatives, the bad cars, the horrible service or even the bad damages on the cars. We want to understand why but no answers will be given. There’s not much you can do. It’s not really the employees fault. They are just there to utilize the required service they must do but otherwise this is most of what you pay for. Expect long aching lines and long negotiations. This isn’t the worst company but it isn’t the best.

The ONLY thing that saved me from the horrible experiences everyone else has recounted is that I recorded the entire transaction from start to finish. I experienced exactly what everyone else stated — dishonest attempts at being overcharged and scammed.
It took about an hour to get the car, which I didn’t mind because it’s understandable that they are crowded due to having such low prices. The agent, Nate Wilson, who handled my transaction was friendly at first but blatantly tried to deceive me. I paid in advance for the rental and my total was $ 78.80. Nate tried to sell me the extra insurance and I declined. My exact words were, «I do not want anything additional added, thank you.» and he replied with «ok». (I have it on video) When he printed the receipt, there was an extra $ 17.97 charge along with a notation that I declined three optional services.
When I pointed out that the final amount did not match what I originally paid, Nate said not to worry about it because those were only taxes and fees. I clearly saw an item that said «Roadside Assistance @$ 5.99 per day for 3 days» and there was no «decline» beside it. This amount added up to $ 17.97. I repeatedly asked him about this and he kept lying over and over saying that was for «taxes and fees». I told him that I needed proof IN WRITING that I was declining the Roadside Assistance because the way he presented it on the bill indicated that I would be charged for it. At that point, Nate got PISSED when he realized that he wasn’t going to be able to scam me. He printed a new receipt and removed the Roadside Assistance and the total matched my original receipt.
Then, Nate put on the receipt that there were no scratches on the car. When I inspected it from to bottom, I found several. I went back to point this out and he kept insisting «don’t worry about the scratches». I said no and demanded that I get proof IN WRITING about the scratches. That ticked him off even more. If I wasn’t so diligent, I am positive that they would’ve charged me extra when I returned the car because they would have said that I agreed to the extra $ 17.97 charge and signed off that the car had no scratches.
I honestly believe that the directive to scam customers is coming from the top of this organization. The agent seemed as if he NEEDED to put that extra charge in there somehow and the way how he desperately lied about the charge suggests to me that this is something coming from upper management. I think a class action lawsuit isn’t too far in the future for this company. I have them on video trying to perpetuate this scam so if anyone plans create an organized effort to bring legal action to this company for its dishonest actions, just let me know.

I must give 1 star for this place. I’m waiting for almost 2 hour to pick the car up. Omg! They dont know how to service the clients… Never come back Payless Car!

I am all about customer service. I believe it is a hallmark of an outstanding company. It honestly doesn’t take much. A smile. An understanding sympathetic ear when things aren’t going your way. I believe we all understand that there will be situations in life where we are upset by circumstances, but it is how you handle the customer that can make or break you.
Recently, my husband and I traveled with our nine month old son to Denver, CO for a ski trip. We took a shuttle to the hotel when our flight got in very late at night. The next morning, my husband got up to go get our car — taking the shuttle back to the airport and then the airport shuttle to the car rental facility. On his way out, it occurred to me that he might have difficulty retrieving the car as I had paid for the car using my name. (keep in mind… we have the SAME credit card number.) I figured it might not be that big of a deal since I had just recently booked a car with my friend in Palm Springs and was able to add her name to my reservation free of charge (granted that was a different company) so I thought that perhaps car rental agencies were loosening on their restrictions here.
I figured I would call just in case.
So I got on the phone and asked if there would be a problem with my husband picking up the car. I was told that there would be a problem. So I asked if there was anything that could be done since he was already on his way there and I was watching my son and couldn’t quite go after him.
It was at this point that Fernando (that’s the store manager… to whom I was speaking) had a decision to make.
1 — politely reply that unfortunately there was nothing that he could do and that he was sorry if this put me in an uncomfortable situation
2 — do what he did
Fernando took it upon himself to very snarkily state that «yes, ma’am, there is something that you can do. You can read the rules and regulations at the bottom of the screen next time.»
To which I replied. «Wooooowwwww. Do you have a store manager with whom I can speak?»
It was at this time that Fernando disclosed that he was the manager and I commented that he was incredibly rude and he commented back that no ma’am he was not incredibly rude.
I was able to catch my husband in time and traded spots with him. I went to get the car. When I arrived, the manager was no where to be found (had it been me as the manager and I had a chance to calm down and I knew a customer was on her way that I had upset, I would have been waiting with an apology). When I asked for his first and last name, I was given his first… but not his last because «They’re not allowed to give out last names.» (Seems like a good policy for someone who has a history of ticking people off.)
To top it all off, there were hidden fees that ended up making this «lowest priced option» more expensive than the reputable companies — with better customer service — that I should have just used to begin with.
I laughed out loud and said with a big smile, «Perfect.»
So as I stated to Fernando and as I have full intention of upholding, I will not be using Payless (and Avis… I have my doubts about you as well since you own them) ever again. Customer lost for life.
A smile. An apology. It’s not hard.

Awful experience in Denver! We reserved our car through Expedia and was quoted $ 128 for our 5 day trip which included an extra $ 45 for the liability insurance we got. I had expected extra fees of some sort when we got there, but our total ended up being over triple of our original quote. After looking back our confirmation email, it said «all taxes and fees included» too.
When we picked up the car, we were told that since the reservation was in my name, the card we were paying with had to match my name. We originally reserved the car under my boyfriends credit card because that’s how we intended to pay. They said we couldn’t switch the reservation into his name (instead of mine) unless we wanted to pay another ridiculous fee. I didn’t understand why it mattered who’s name the reservation was in as long as they were getting paid and the primary driver was listed, how hard could it be to switch it?
After waiting for 45 min. to get picked up at the airport by their shuttle, we ended up waiting in line for close to an hour to pick up our rental, which was surprising for a Thursday morning. I could tell that every customer walking away from the desk to go get their car looked very stressed. When we got to the desk, I felt like I signed my life away. Accepting more charges and fees that were apparently required. At this point, I really had no option but to accept the price and get out of that tiny little building. The car itself was ok, it was a Nissan Altima (not sure what year but it didn’t seem very new), nor did it seem very clean on the inside or outside. It got us from point A to point B though so I guess that’s all that mattered.
I have rented cars before, and realize there’s probably always going to be extra taxes and fees that aren’t quoted, but this time was ridiculous. If I’m going to pay that much, it would be nice to know in advance instead of being completely blindsided. I guess that’s what I get for picking the cheapest quote I was given! I would NEVER rent a car from Payless again!

I reserved a car through Expedia; «no surprises» is what Expedia said and gave me a price break down for $ 86, plus $ 10 in insurance. The $ 22/​day car was 356 for 4 days! Expedia charged me $ 50– for nothing. They authorized my car for another $ 100. Almost 27 per day for full coverage insurance, on top of almost 16 per day for liability insurance, plus several other charges, all per day.
$ 400 for 4 days!
I’m talking to an attorney about what I can do about this. I’ve never felt so robbed by a company in my life. The girl at the front said that they authorize my card for $ 350 but it’s just a hold until the car is returned. It wasn’t until I was looking for the number to extend my rental that I realized it was a Lie.
Enterprise was genuinely «no surprises» and was 191 for 7 days.
Do not use this company.

Watch out for these guys. Booked through a third party site, prepaying the rental. When we picked up the car, advised that we are eligible for a free upgrade. Upon returning the car, was presented a bill for $ 56. We already paid $ 25 for the 1 day rental through the third party site. when attempting to dispute this, the agent at Payless said that the third party site took our $ 25 and they were not paid for the rental. Needless to say, I find that hard to believe since I use Travelocity and Expedia all the time to book and have never had an issue. They had my card, and charged it the $ 56 bringing my entire outlay for a car for 1 day to over $ 75. Ridiculous.

I’m not sure I’ve ever encountered more rude and frankly uneducated service. I inquired at the airport desk about renting a full size car for a week and also a month. The girl at the desk was unprofessional right off the bat, putting her finger up and saying «hold up» to ask me to wait while she talked to a someone in service.
After sitting down and basically slumping over the desk, she quoted me $ 270 for the week. I then asked for the monthly rate. She quoted me $ 1700. When I questioned this and explained that 4 weeks x $ 270 is $ 1,080 she got very irritated and told me she WAS «cutting me a deal» already. Again I used a calculator to show her how that made no sense and she again said I didn’t get it. And which point she starting talking to herself and then said «just take a walk.» I asked for her name and she refused to share it and repeated the «just take a walk» line repeatedly.
Which I did and rented a full size car for a week for $ 259 from Enterprise, which happily quoted $ 1,030 for the week.
I can’t imagine anyone who owns a business tolerating any employee like this. I hope she’s fired. This occurred at 6:45pm on 2÷2÷16.

This place is absolute garbage. When we arrived there were approximately 20 people in line and by the time we reached the front of the line the line had grown to be so long it was wrapping around the outside of the building and it was 20 degrees outside.
There were three employees working when we arrived. Well, two were working. One (the man pictured) was drinking coffee throughout our wait because he was manning the «Payless Priority» desk that did not see a single customer for the hour we were waiting (not shocking). The two girls working the main desk asked him to help them since he wasn’t doing anything. His response was «nah, I’d rather not.» There was supposed to be another girl working the counter but she did not show up for her 8am shift until 10am, as all good employees do. *rolling eyes*
When we finally reached our place at the front of the line we walked up to the older of the two girls at the desk and she just looked up at us and said, «uh…I’m not ready for you yet. Did you see the sign? It says ‘wait here until an attendant is available’ and I’m not available yet.» Look lady, we’ve been waiting for an hour in this decrepit building and you’re noticeably the slower of the two so we’ll wait for the younger, nicer, obviously smarter of the two of you. So when she decided to tell us she was finally ready we let the people behind us take her. Customer service isn’t a term these people understand.
They finally brought us a car that had been «washed» but was covered in scratches all over the sides that was wet, but was still very dirty. There were stains on the seats also. We made sure to document everything. These people won’t get one more cent of our money.
I think we saved maybe $ 50 by booking w Payless. I would have paid an extra $ 100 just to not have laid eyes on this pathetic excuse for a business with its lazy, inefficient, rude employees.

Terrible customer service and fraudulent, shady business practices. They will rip you off even charge you for things that you never asked for. The location is filthy, the wait is forever, and they are nasty, deceitful people that work behind the counter.
Avoid at all costs. I will never come here again.

All the one star reviews are true. It is the cheapest car rental in town and you get what you pay for so don’t be shocked at the two hour lines. What the hell can possibly take so long? At one point a couple in front of me got so frustrated the dude walked over the rental place across the street, got a car and packed the luggage before we had even moved up a step. Our car was dented but they noted it so it wasn’t a big deal. When we finally got up to the counter we were up-​charged for everything under the sun.
Heed my warning — you better REALLY need to save that $ 50 buckaroos to put up with this company.

Labor day– line out the door. Staff decides it’s a good time to go to lunch, leaves one person to handle all of us. No one ever pops out and says hello, we are working hard to get to you, blah, blah, blah. Basically, we have no idea what is going on. We see cars parked in the lot, but no one going to them. When I finally made it to the desk a whopping 1 hour and 20 minutes later, I took whatever they had clean, which upped my price by $ 50 a day.
Stay away from these gougers. Run next door to the all mighty Avis.

Worst service and cars ever! I would give no stars if I could. First of all, they had Joel Osteen’s program playing on TV, a very biased and unprofessional program to be on at a place of business. Secondly, the place itself was filthy. We rented a full size car and proceeded to our car, a Toyota Camry. We opened the door to the back of the car and saw stains all over the seat, one definitely being a pee stain. Disgusted and upset, we went back to the counter to ask for an acceptable car. At the counter, the manager saying «Oh, we have to detail it. People don’t take care of rental cars.» We went to the second car, at the other side of the lot, with five suitcases, and were very upset to find a Dodge Avenger, a mid-​size car, waiting for us. Once again, we had to go to the counter, and the manager (I think his name was Rafael, but not sure) said «What? It’s standard.» and walked out. We asked for a full size car, like we had paid for, and had to walk to the other side of the lot again. It was a Hyundai Sonata, cleaner but not clean, and at least it was a full-​size car. We didn’t have the patience to go back again because, clearly, the people at Payless didn’t want to help us or take any blame for anything. They are dishonest, disrespectful, and unprofessional. Never again.