Alamo
Is This Your Business?3.6
4.7
Overall Score
Author: Kaitlyn Short
LAST UPDATED: February 28th, 2022
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The Good
- Competitive pricing
- Available in 50 states
- Online check-in
Economy Price Range
Economy prices for Alamo range from low to average in the industry, this gives them a competitive advantage. Alamo's quoted rates include all taxes, fees, and discounts. This eliminates being surprised with higher fees than anticipated when checking out.Luxury Price Range
Alamo's luxury car prices range from low to average in the industry. This lower price range allows more customers to rent luxury cars. The downside is that luxury cars are not available in all locations. In cities like New York, Alamo luxury cars are not offered. Many of their competitors offer luxury rentals across the board in every major city or state.States Available
Alamo locations can be found in 50 states. Some competitors offer locations in some states, but not all. This is a significant advantage for frequent travelers because they can use the same company that they know and can collect membership points. This also makes renting a car available to residents in every state who need to rent a car locally.Airports Locations
Alamo has airport locations in all 50 states (and in Puerto Rico) with rental counters at most major airports throughout North America. Anywhere you land, there is a convenient Alamo location.Roadside Assistance
Alamo offers 24/7 roadside assistance to help you in case your vehicle has issues. Their roadside assistance costs $4.99 a day. This is average for most rental car companies and is moderately affordable.Online Check-In
One of Alamo's premier features is their online check-in. This allows renters to check in before arriving at the rental location, speeding up the rental process. In some Alamo locations, online check-ins allows customers to skip the rental counter entirely, going directly to the car attendant and receiving their keys. Travelers in a hurry or who have grown tired of waiting in long lines will greatly benefit from this option.The Bad
- No fuel discount
- No toll prepay option
- No instant return
On-Site Fuel Discount
There is no on-site fuel discount with Alamo. The Fuel Service Option charges the local gas rate times the number of gallons held in the tank. It appears best to fill your own tank. Alamo says to bring the car back empty (if you select their prepay fueling option) since there is no refund for additional fuel in the tank at time of return.Toll Prepay Option
Alamo customers do not have a prepay toll option through Alamo's website. If you want a toll pass for your vehicle, you have to ask at the rental counter when you are signing in to pick up your car. This can be problematic if you get to the rental counter and find out there are no more toll passes available. This additional step takes more time and makes checking in longer. Most car rental companies offer toll prepay. Customers of car rental companies that offer toll prepay options avoid this issue and have a guaranteed toll pass when they check in.Instant Return
During business hours, you have to return the car and keys in person to the front counter. Some car rental companies offer an instant return. This allows customers to leave the car with the keys in it without having to checkout at the counter. Alamo also offers after-hours returns, allowing renters to return their cars to the lot, drop off their keys, and be on their way without needing to enter the rental location.The Bottom Line
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Gordon Mancuso Boise, ID
Alamo is OK. I got great prices when I used them through Costco travel. However, I had several issues with multiple rentals across different states.
1) I was sent a bill for a toll that I had supposedly gone through without paying. However I wasn't even in the same state as the toll on the day that it was recorded. While this is really Illinois' fault, Alamo could have taken a look at the picture and realized it wasn't the car I rented before billing me.
2) Alamo tried to charge me for severe damage to a rental that was not there during my rental, and was not caused me. This rental spanned only about 5 hours (the time it took to drive from Buffalo to Cleveland), and I never left the vehicle, and certainly never got into an accident. They ended up waiving the charge, but it was a stressful experience.
So in the end all the issues I had got resolved, but it left a bad feeling about Alamo. Over 2 weeks, I rented 3 cars from Alamo, and had problems with the company on two of those rentals. I have rented cars dozens of times with Hertz and cannot recall even one issue like I had with Alamo.
8 years ago
Brittney Mac Gregor Louisville, KY
I completed my rental agreement online and was scheduled to pick up my car at 11am. I arrived 5 minutes early and was told the car wasn't there. I ended up having to wait almost 2 hours, then had to wait for the car to be "cleaned". I wasn't impressed with the ridiculous wait time, the overcrowded facility (did I mention the place was jammed packed with people waiting for their car), or the not so friendly customer service. The car however was great.
5 years ago
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Lesa Burgess Pleasant Grove, UT
As a frequent traveler, I find Alamo to be a rental company that is NOT everywhere you travel. They are only in certain places across America when traveling. They have a decent rewards member program where you can earn a 5% discount on your next rentals. This is ok for a rewards program, not great. The pricing is pretty good, nothing too expensive but also nothing too cheap. You can find an affordable nice car when you rent with Alamo.
8 years ago
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Julie Taylor Ogden, UT
The car was clean and well maintained. The rental process took forever. There was only one associate there for most of the process and the line was huge. We had a long drive ahead of us and the wait for the car was so frustrating.
6 years ago
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AF ,
It was good, but it seems like a few of the cars that I've rented from them have a faint smell of smoke. They just didn't seem as clean as some of the other companies I've rented from.
6 years ago
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Ron Durfey Pleasant Grove, UT
Alamo has been around a long time. I travel a lot and only use Alamo when absolutely necessary. They usually have cars available when other agencies are sold out.
7 years ago
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David T Ogden, UT
I have had bad and good experiences with Alamo. Pretty good selection of cars, but customer service.
6 years ago
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Audrey Mitchell Managua, MN
Alamo was the company used when needing a car for a quick trip. Nice quality cars and service.
6 years ago
