CAR RENTAL REVIEWS ON ALAMO AT SAN FRANCISCO AIRPORT, SFO

Good

Pick-up and drop-off were very simple.

Car was big and sufficient in size. It took around 40 mins to get into the car as they wanted to upgrade the car but the price started at 95 dollars a day. We said we would only consider an extra 25 dollars and the lowest they would offer was 40 dollars. Only extra was that the upgrade was a 4 wheel drive.

Good service but tried to upsell at each visit.... bigger car. Small negative, otherwise great. Good value.

Reviewed after 5 years. Going on another road trip in the US this year, especially to the West. Having a car is very convenient, otherwise, it's hard to get around.

Reasonable costs

Just like the guide suggested, we were advised to upgrade the vehicle. They said my husband is tall and should upgrade to a more spacious car. We insisted on not upgrading, then they said we didn't buy the roadside assistance insurance and would have to bear the costs if anything happened. I told them we did purchase the roadside assistance insurance and showed a passage from our insurance policy. She said she didn't understand why we would buy insurance in China for renting their car. We persisted in not buying their insurance. Later we found out our car was actually quite nice, a Nissan Versa with plenty of space. A nearby staff member, who was African American, even made fun of us, but I retorted in English, making her feel embarrassed.

The service at the rental counter was average, with a suspicion of discrimination against Chinese customers.

The details of the full fuel option (full tank service) were not clearly explained when picking up the car. They said if the fuel wasn't used up when returning the car, we would get a refund. However, when we returned the car at the destination, there was no refund. Contacting customer service didn't help either. It's a lesson learned: don't pay any fees at pickup.

They kept telling me that the insurance I bought in China was useless and insisted I buy their insurance. When I asked about the available miniVAN models, they said they didn't know. Their attitude was quite average. Then they recommended that I upgrade to a Sienna. Actually, for four of us with two kids, plus three small suitcases and two medium-sized ones, it all fit. Later, communication with a Chinese staff member was better.

Changing reservations is hassle-free

Easy pickup, simple return, excellent service.

Good service

Satisfied, not too crowded

Extremely friendly staff, none of the aggressive insurance selling that people warned about. They just suggested buying insurance, but I showed them my policy from home, and they didn't push further. The process was very pleasant and straightforward.

Excellent! Very convenient! No forced upselling. Just went and got it done, no waiting required.

Self-checkout is quite convenient.

Acceptable

Picking up and returning the car was super easy. It was my first time driving by myself and basic English was enough to handle everything.

They kept pushing upsells—insurance, car upgrades, fuel fees, etc. I was talked into buying additional insurance by the front desk, even though it was only around 100 dollars, it was quite annoying. I thought the insurance included in my order was comprehensive, but their 'full insurance' was actually just an extra coverage similar to full insurance in other rentals. In the end, Alamo added another super coverage. This was the third Alamo I encountered during my trip at San Francisco airport, the previous two didn't ask these questions. Overall, the worst experience of this trip!