NU Car Rental Consumer Reviews

ORLANDO, FLORIDA -- I have NEVER had a car rental experience so horrific in my life. When we arrived at the airport I knew that we would have to wait for a shuttle to the offsite rental office. However, the shuttle did not come for nearly an hour. There was only one person working in the rental office upon arrival, and a line of at least 5 other customers waiting in front of me. When I finally got to the counter, I learned that the additional fees for the rental were $177 for the week. I also learned that I would be responsible for washing and vacuuming the car before returning it or be charged an additional $50-100 fee.

Before receiving the keys, I had to go out to the lot with an electronic pad to pre-check the car for any previous damage. It took nearly 10 minutes just to find the car in the lot. Then I was instructed to return the e-pad to an attendant under a canopy tent near the office. That woman was a salesperson for vacations, resorts, discount tickets, etc. So I had to be hassled with her pitch before returning inside the office to finalize the rental. The wait from airport to driving away with the car was 2 hours. The car was just okay, as economy cheap as you can get, a no frills Nissan Kick with quite a few dings and scratches.

When we returned the car 7 days later for an early morning flight, the office was closed. No clear instructions on what to do (like a sign in the window), and there was no shuttle service to the airport. 3 other customers were also returning cars at the same time and were equally frustrated with the situation. After walking around for awhile, a key drop box on a chain link fence away from the office building was located. All customers had to call for an Uber to make their flights.

I called the rental office a few days later to follow up on the $200 refundable deposit taken on my credit card at the time of pick-up. My bank had not reflected a refund and since the office was closed when returning the car I just wanted to clarify the process. I was told at the time that refunds were processed within 3-5 business days. No big deal, I'll just check again in a few days and call the office back if needed. After 5 business days the refund was not given and so I called the office again and was told 5-10 business days. After 10 business days the refund was not given and so I called the office again and was told 10-14 business days. This time the gentleman was extremely rude to me on the phone and said it was in the bank's hands and actually hung up on me.

Today, 14 business days, I called the rental office again. The gentleman (I believe it was the same one from the previous call), said that it had not been 14 business days, he was extremely rude to me as he walked me through the calendar day by day like I didn't know how to count. He said I should wait another 2 business days and then he could help me. What? So then what happens after that? Worst car rental experience ever. Nearly $1000 to rent a crappy car for a week and get this kind of service. Never again!

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA -- AWFUL EXPERIENCE!! I rented a car for a few days at the beginning of November. I got to the location, located within the Westin Hotel. First, the sign was facing the wrong way and is quite small in comparison to the counter so I didn't see it and had to ask the front desk. But whatever, I got in line.

I waited in line for an hour and a half with only 4 people/parties in front of me. No joke guys, it was awful. When I [finally] got to the counter, I was helped by an agent, I believe his name was Vincent but don't quote me. I told him multiple times that I just wanted the car, I have awesome insurance and if anything happened I would be happy to pay for the repairs. The agent nodded, repeated my wishes, and said he understood. He asked for my ID and insurance card to verify I had proper insurance to cover the rental, which I do, made a copy of both and had me fill out paperwork.

As he was explaining all of the papers and where to sign I asked him again, to make sure, that I am signing the paperwork to verify that I declined any and all of their insurance. He said yes, that is this part (and pointed to the paper) so I trusted him and signed the paperwork so I could get in and out and get the other people in line moving along.

Moving on out to the pick up location, the female attendant was unnecessarily rude, rolling her eyes and rushing me along when we went to inspect the car for damages it already had prior to me driving it. I touched the car in one area to see if it was a paint flaw/scratch and she rudely blurted, "ma'am, that is just dirt!" She definitely seemed like a person who isn't satisfied with the job she has and needs to take it out on others. Nonetheless, I figured they were just overworked so I was very polite to both her and the counter agent.

Once I got in the car, I immediately noticed a sour type of smell despite all 4 windows being wide open. I looked in the back seat and saw what I assumed was dried or caked formula/milk in the middle seat. The substance was crusted on the seat material. It also appeared to have had some sort of water contact with the outside passenger seats as there was a distinct water line. My seat wasn't much cleaner, and had obvious spills on the driver's seat. The car was great, excluding the condition of the interior. So no complaints there.

I returned my car very early and unfortunately 100% forgot to fill the tank. I take full responsibility for that and I knew it was going to cost me an arm and a leg. When I went to check my credit card bill I noticed that I was charged much higher than what I reserved the car for through Expedia. I called their customer service line, was sent a screenshot of their charges for me, and I was charged $44.97 for CDW that I had explicitly explained I did not want at the agent counter.

I called back again to dispute the charges, and was informed that they would have to contact the location I rented from to see what paperwork they have. I was told I would receive a call within 7 days (not business days, I confirmed that). 12 days later I had to call their customer service again, as I hadn't heard anything from anyone. I was told I would get a response within 1 full day.

I got a phone call from David, the supervisor, that said (and this is a direct quote) "so I don't know there was a miscommunication or misunderstanding or what happened uh but unfortunately... I wouldn't be able to refund [your money]". I received an email, in an peculiar fashion where here were multiple people CC'd on the email (If you're going to CC people in it, make sure to do a BCC, David!) that included the 2 forms I signed. On the first form, there is a detailed list of charges, none of which add up to $44.97. The second was a form that was explained to me by the agent as a waiver stating I was declining their insurance and using mine.

So essentially, because their agent explained the paperwork incorrectly and the charges don't match up, there must be a miscommunication right? Isn't this what customer service is about? Figuring out the needs of the customer and making it right? But nope, according to David the supervisor, "so I don't know [if] there was a miscommunication or misunderstanding or what happened uh but unfortunately... I wouldn't be able to refund".

So thank you, NU Car Rentals and David the supervisor, for explaining your policies and paperwork wrong, for the subpar customer service and for scamming me out of $45. $45 is pocket change to a company like yours, but to me, that's money to pay my bills. I hope you spend it well!

All in all, I wouldn't waste your time with this company. You'll get disappointing service, disgusting cars, and you'll get charged for things you undeniably expressed you didn't want. Their rates may be cheaper, but your time spent waiting in line and being treated like scum, in addition to the unexplained charges, will put you at the same price for a car from a well respected and professional company.

ORLANDO, FL, FLORIDA -- I want to take a minute to address our experience at Florida MCO with NU Car Rental. Nowhere did it identify car rental was not on site which was a priority for us due to limited vacation time - weekend to visit grandpa. NU Car Rental was called twice to pick us up, at 2:12 pm when we arrived and again at 2:40 pm.

Unprofessional service, I was provided a scrap of paper not much larger than a sticky note to go over my own rental car by myself and return the slip before I left the lot, the car was not safe to drive - stab punctures to the driver seat x8 and the inside roof and back seat and in the steering wheel which houses the airbag, front lower bumper/skirt cracked 3/4 of the way thru on left and right front. I had to seek out 4 different staff - redirected multiple times to address the condition of car and address if airbag works!

The manager said, "What's the problem, we just go over the outside upon returns and rent them back out but I'm sure the airbag works!" I stood firm it's not worth the risk of our safety on a guess and I want a different rental. I left with a car not much better, unprofessional and unorganized rude staff. I witnessed them rent a car to a foreigner with no license - said he lost his license but they followed thru basically because he counted $900 cash on the counter!!!

Landed and ready to leave airport at 2:12 pm and left rental pace at 4:30 pm - not ok at all! These car rentals off-site reserved to unsuspecting travelers; many were not aware and complaining. Pictures look better than the actual in-person view due to shine in car; stab marks were deep punctures; I suspect the airbag is nonfunctional if it didn't inflate or maybe it's no longer in the steering wheel?

ORLANDO, FLORIDA -- Rented a Midsize Sedan from NU Car Rental for our August vacation in Florida. Upon arrival car was not ready, they rent out cars as soon as someone drops them off, even though it was reserved 2 months in advance. Despite the normal wear on the vehicle, it was smoked in and had obvious burns in the seat and ceiling. Not until later that I notices that tires were so wear out that it was not safe to drive! (Had to go to Anna Maria from Orlando).

One night returning from St. Pete Beach I could barely see the road, plus it was raining and wipers were not working as they should smearing water on windshield. Stopped at the gas station to check tires, as a low tire pressure light came on (one tire was losing air), noticed that one headlight was out! Beside all these problems, brakes were pulsating which is a safety issue! When came back to return the vehicle, they did NOTHING! They claimed that there is no manager on duty and they could not do anything. NEVER AGAIN WILL I RENT FROM THEM!!!

LAS VEGAS, NEBRASKA -- We booked a rental car through Orbitz to be picked up in Las Vegas. Our plane landed around 4:00 pm and we took the shuttle to the car rental area. We were not able to find NU where we booked our car. We were assisted by a gentleman at Alamo. Rental was across the street in a small building. My spouse said to me "this looks shady" and I said it was OK as I booked through Orbitz.

As we waited our turn there was a couple who was being waited on and we witnessed that they had booked a convertible Corvette - they were told it was not available and were being given a Mercedes Benz. They stated "that is not what we booked for." They were told that a Camaro might be available the next day and the couple stated they would not pay Corvette price for a Camaro and did not want a Mercedes Benz. Arguing continued and at the end this couple did not get what they asked for.

I feel if someone books a specific car such as this couple did they should be notified if it will not be available so they can decide if they would like to go with another rental company. If I was in their situation I would not have accepted anything other than what I asked for and believed I was getting and would have attempted to rent from another agency.

Finally when it was our turn to get our car, the agent went on to the computer and stated "I'm sorry, your reservation was cancelled." When asked why, she stated it had to be picked up within a certain time. I asked what happened to the car we reserved and she stated they rented it out. I asked if they had anything else available and she stated no and apologized that she couldn't help us. We did not book for a specific car, just a basic midsize car.

When I booked our car for the day our plane was to land, my confirmation stated the car would be available for pick up at 10:30 a.m. - I believed this meant (like hotel reservations) that I could not pick it up until 10:30 am or later but, no, I was to have picked it up within 2 hours of this time. As our conversation was going on, the other couple who didn't get their Corvette was listening and my spouse stated they were watching with a look of shock on their faces. I believe this couple will hesitate to ever book at NU again.

We left NU and walked to another car rental agency and booked through them. When the man at the new agency heard our story, he shook his head and stated "we hold our cars for 24 hours." And I felt he wanted to say more about NU but was being professional and did not. When I relooked at my confirmation email regarding our rental I could not find any information regarding specific pick-up times. I urge Orbitz to consider taking NU out of their search, as my spouse stated "they were batting zero" that day.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA -- I rather give -5 stars than 1 star for this scamming agency! Please stay away from these con artists to save your trip! No kidding at all! Please read to make your judgment! I am very disappointed with NU Car Rentals on this reservation. This renting agency is very dishonest and practicing an immoral business. I hope CarRentals.com will never recommend this agency to its clients in the future to protect carrentals.com own reputation.

Here is my negative experience with NU Car Rentals. First of all, it took me 1 hour to catch the shuttle to the hotel where the rental agency is located. Second, it took me another 45 minutes standing on the line to check in on my reservation.

Third, the rental staff tried to scam on me by lying to me about my reservation. She said that she did not have the car that I reserved. However, she had a full-size car (Toyota Camry) available for me to rent at $25/day rate. I argued that my original reservation car is a ford fusion (full-size vehicle) at a promotional rate of $20/day. I reserved it 1 month in advance. Then she pretended that she did not understand me. Luckily, I have a print-out of the contract with me. So I shown it to her. Then she pretended to go outside to check on the car. When she came back, she told me, "You're fine. We have it for you."

Fourth, she refused to check out the vehicle for me and demanded me to purchase the liability insurance from NU Car Rentals. I told her that I already have the liability insurance from my current car insurance. I shown her my insurance proof. I also told her that I have the collision damage cover from CarRentals.com for the entire rental period. I also shown her the proof for this insurance as well.

Still, she kept asking me to purchase the liability insurance for the cost of $105 for 7 days ($15 per day) before she can check the car out for me. I was so exhausted from a long and early traveling schedule. So for a peace of mind, I purchased the liability insurance from nu car rentals to save my day.

Upon checking out, another staff member walked me around the car to check for the initial conditions of the vehicle. The vehicle has damages on the front bumper, the rear bumper, on top of the junk cover, and on the side doors. The guy said to me that do not spill liquid inside the car. Then I checked the interior and found the back seats were stained. I came back to ask him document it. We did this checking inside a parking ramp. It was dark and in the middle of a driveway. They did not even give me a parking pass to get out of the parking ramp. I have to come back and asked for it.

Upon returning, the same staff who check out the vehicle for me examined the car. He did not check anywhere else. Instead, I walked directly to the driver door and used a flashlight to point to a small ding on the door. Then he asked me to make a claim with the insurance for the damage compensation. I had no idea whether or not the ding was already there before I checked it out or not. I believed no one could spot this ding in such condition. It is smaller than the tip of my index finger. It required a flashlight to spot it.

To avoid missing my flight home, I did not argue with him. I filed a claim. But he refused to give me my deposit ($500) back. It took me 1 month to go through the insurance claim and many phone calls to get my deposit back. They claimed $1,015 from the insurance for the tiny damage. The manager, named Tee, promised to call me back in 10 days but he never called. I called him and his staffs many times. They all lied and rude. Finally, I talked to the owner, named Vincent Le, to get my deposit back.

I have rented from Hertz and Enterprise for a decade and never had any ridiculous claim like this one! NU Car Rentals is a one-time service provider. They ruined my trip. I will never rent from this scamming agency again. Bye bye NU Car Rentals!!! Never see you again!

ORLANDO FL, ILLINOIS -- NU car rental = NEVER USE. The worst experience I've ever had. From the time I called for shuttle which was just a recording till I actually was on the road was 2 hours of waiting. It was far from airport. After long wait got a VW Jetta went down the road and light came on. Took it back. It was tire light and the attendant told me, "Oh that's ok, we checked tires they're good." No!

Got a Toyota Camry. The car smelled dirty. The windows were dirty so tried washer and didn't work. Stopped to put fluid in and in the middle of hose some of it was missing. The remote fob didn't work ever. Then after a couple days when I started it a service maintenance soon message came on. When I returned car told attendant he said, "Thank you for letting know." That's it. Feel sorry for next victim who rents from this rent a wreck place.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA -- It was my misfortune that I booked a car rental through Hotwire. I usually get great companies, great cars and great price. However Hotwire let me down this time. It gave a a good rate (up front anyway) but the company was NuCar Rentals. I had never heard of them so was a bit skeptical but I wanted to drive from Vegas to Lake Havasu to meet my daughter who lives in Arizona. I was visiting LAS from Peoria IL so it was a great opportunity for me.

I was very excited and set out really early to get to my car rental by 0700. It is listed as being at the airport so I took a taxi to airport (then found out it is really not at the airport but a ways past the airport at a car rental center) that taxi ride was pretty expensive, but worth it as I was going to see my daughter. The driver let me out at the car rental center and I walked inside to look for NuCar. No signs for it anywhere.

Upon asking at a different rental facility, I was welcomed with “oh, you booked with them, I'm sorry”. He explained to me I had to get a shuttle to their facility and I could go outside to look for it. Then I noticed a tiny sign saying to call a posted number to call for shuttle to NuCar rentals. I waited for about 15 minutes, only to discover when I was taken to NuCar it was literally across the street from the rental center. No signs or anything were visible but I could easily have ran across the road (along with the other two people who had now joined me) instead of waiting forever for the shuttle.

The two girls at the counter were unprofessional and not helpful at all. It took so long to get the paperwork done that it was now 55 minutes past my rental pick up time. No one seemed to care. I was instructed I HAD to take out certain insurance with them for what my insurance company doesn't cover (Since then I have discovered that is not true). It took her about twenty minutes to get the car around for me and at that time she proceeded to walk around the vehicle making a video and taking pictures of every possible angle of the car. I have never witnessed such a thing. Yes, take a walk around to ensure no damage is visible, but taking videos and about thirty photos is a little overkill. It was a very small car and this seemed so unnecessary.

I finally left the rental facility and made my way to Lake Havasu, arriving an hour and a half later than planned. No problems getting there. Coming back I filled the car with petrol and headed back to the facility. I had the rental until the following morning but it was more convenient to drop it off the same night. The employees were all sitting around chatting and looked quite perturbed by my walking in and making them work!! All I got was a “ you'll get your final receipt in your email”. That was it! No asking how the car was, did it handle well, did I like the experience. Nothing.

I will never ever rent from this company again, I probably won't use Hotwire again either just in case they give me this company in the future. I would not want to risk it. Don't waste a your time or money, in the long run it is not a saving at all because of the taxi and add on insurance. Stay with a reputable company that has earned its good reputation. This company will never earn that status.

ORLANDO, FLORIDA -- You'll be paying way over the quoted price by the time you're done... Begin with the airport... You follow the signs pointing toward "rental cars," and then learn yours is off-airport, and you'll have to find their shuttle. You end up outside looking at the sign where the NU shuttle is supposed to show up - but it says "Moved to Slot 17." Turns out that's a half mile away. You drag your luggage the full distance to Slot 17, only to discover a sign that says the NU shuttle has moved to Slot 51 - the one you just came from.

But never mind - a shuttle shows up, and one of the many, many insignia on the side says NU, so away you go. Never mind the printed directions you've brought along for the drive you have to make once you're in your rental... Forget having any idea where you are... and that you arrive at the rental place after dark.

The clerk starts going through the paperwork and asks you whether you want the basic or the premium insurance package - never mentions that you don't have to have insurance if a) you already have a normal auto insurance policy for your own vehicles; or b) you are charging your rental to American Express or any of several other cards that provide car rental insurance.

I only learned this because AFTER I'd signed all the papers and charged my card, I overheard the next clerk asking people if they had proof of insurance with them. (The learning curve gets steep here as you order the "Basic" package, and voila! Your bargain rental just doubled in price - tripled if you ordered the premium insurance.) Learning curve steepens as you figure out whether you want to bring the car back full or empty; and when you find out that adding your spouse as a driver - or any additional person, regardless of driving record - also jacks up the price significantly.

Finally, you're sent out in the dark with a little inspection form, to take a good long look at the black mini-van you've rented. You can't see anything, but the light in the parking lot isn't very good, so you just HOPE you've caught anything really bad, because the basic insurance doesn't cover damage you do to the car. Later it occurs to you that there has been no mention or acknowledgement of the deposit you put down on Travelocity or whatever listing service you used.

Directions given from the counter got us into an hour-long drive around the back roads of central Florida, trying to get over to 75 - yes, you can get onto 528 after a right turn and a couple of lights, but ONLY if you know it was that unmarked left-hand off-ramp you already passed a half a block back... Return and check-in was a breeze, and the car was fine - but in the end cost nearly three times what the advertised rate was.

DENVER -- Prepaid for my rental through Expedia, including damage waiver. From time I approached the no-service counter the agent was trying to upscale me. Offered a discount on upgrade. After declining several times I learned the car I had reserved was not available. Agent offered upgrade at no charge. In the end they charge my credit card for upgrade. I expect Capital One to have my back here. Stay away from these people. Mine is not an isolated incident; check out other reviews. Over 85% negative.