Alamo Rent A Car Downgrades Customer Reservation and Hands Over Filthy Vehicle
On July 3, 2026, at around 11:00 PM, I went to pick up the vehicle I had reserved in the Hyundai Bayon SUV category for a 2-day rental from July 3 to July 5 at the Alamo Rent A Car office at Istanbul Airport. However, I was handed a Renault Clio hatchback instead of the Hyundai Bayon.
I was given a smaller vehicle outside the class I had reserved. I was not notified about this change in advance, nor was any explanation or apology offered during pickup. When I reported the situation to staff, they simply said, "There are no other cars." No solution was provided. When I asked about the price difference, I was told the issue would be forwarded to accounting and that the difference would be around $1. The issue isn't just the price difference; it's that I wasn't provided a vehicle in the category I reserved and that my inconvenience was dismissed.
When I went down to the parking garage to pick up the car, the vehicle was completely covered in mud and filth. The bodywork, windows, roof, and door areas were too filthy to even touch. As can be seen in the photos, the car failed to meet customer delivery standards. Because it was late at night and I couldn't find an available car at other rental companies, I was forced to take this vehicle.
Furthermore, after the rental, I noticed that an additional unauthorized charge of $110 was billed to my credit card outside of the initial hold/security deposit. No invoice, incident report, damage documentation, toll/fine/fuel/cleaning line items, or signed authorization document was provided to me for this charge.
Due to this ordeal caused by the Alamo Istanbul Airport branch, I demand a full refund of my rental payment, the immediate return of the unauthorized $110 charge to my card, and reasonable compensation for being downgraded to a filthy vehicle, being left without alternatives late at night, and experiencing wasted time and stress. I expect an urgent written response from management.
