Enterprise Rent-A-Car

Everyone who works there is very friendly, and they’re always able to accommodate whatever vehicle I need, whether it’s a sedan or a pickup truck. They also have great deals for Berkeley students. The only reason they don’t get 5 stars is that it’s difficult to park there because it’s such a small lot, and one time I rented a car there and the inside smelled like it hadn’t really been cleaned.

We got really excellent service from Ryan Baxter, Asst. Manager at this location, as we continued to rent a car here, on and off before returning East. Ryan has been efficient, accurate, courteous and always helpful, including today having the car washed! I’m prompted to write and commend him, as this is such a busy location, serving UC campus, that I imagine it is a particular challenge to do this job so well. Thank you Ryan!

I was thoroughly impressed with the staff at enterprise today. I was greeted this morning by Brian, who was welcoming, professional, and thoughtful. I will use this branch exclusively from here on out. The facilities sorely need improving, however. Hello, corporate central? Can the facilities match the quality of their excellent staff?

The employee at the front desk was very helpful, but everything else about this place was bad. First, they gave me the car with less than half a tank of gas. I’m not sure if this is normal for this location, but every time I have rented a car at other places they always come with a full tank. Second, the keys come in a key chain that cannot be taken apart. They attached both keys and both remotes to a wire and crimped the ends, so I had to walk around with a huge, uncomfortable bulge in my pocket. Third, and the most irritating thing was that the car they gave me had just been washed and the driver’s seat was soaked. I had to drive the car sitting on a wet seat for hours.

This is possibly the best rental company I’ve been for a while. Customer service there was patient and friendly. Cory (I hope I spelt it right) helped website a smooth rental

I have now been renting cars here every weekend the last 3 weeks, and they are ALWAYS helping me out in the best possible way. All the times I have been there I have been talking to the same two employees (a man and a woman), and they are both really helpful and nice.
When I was there yesterday they did not have a car for me right away as they were all rented out, but I was told to come back in a hour, and they would have a car ready. When I came back they had a Suburban standing ready for me, which was more than I could have hoped for!
I really recommend this place to everyone, and I can’t understand the negative reviews they have had!

Generally positive experience, though some things could be smoother.
The employees are generally friendly, helpful, and accommodating. One slightly annoying thing is that you can’t rent all types of cars (such as passenger vans) online. Also to log in into the website, you need to remember your enterprise number (which I always forget) instead of a username. These issues are not branch specific, but it would make the overall enterprise experience go more smoothly.
These online issues make me nervous when making reservations, as they have forgotten about a reservation I made on one occasion. I was accommodated with a different type of car, but in some circumstances it could ruin a planned trip. Also, if you need to leave by a specific time make sure you show up 30 mins ahead of time. I have had to wait for cars to be washed and what not despite making the reservation in advance.
Gas not being included is also a bit annoying, since you have to estimate how much to add in at them end. If they gave you some kind of specific gallon quantity it would be nice. I’m definitely nitpicking.
For weekend trip car rentals, this branch is likely your best option in Berkeley.

After reading all the negative reviews, I was very hesitant in dealing with them but since it is the nearest & cheapest car rental, I went ahead bracing for the worst. I was completely blown away how wrong my expectation was!!! We were acknowledged within seconds we arrived and after 20 minutes, we drove away with very clean brand new full sized car with only 44 miles in it. No problems/​tacked on fees encountered upon return of the car the next day. Pay with CREDIT CARD to avoid stringent requirements such as deposits, etc with debit cards (make sure to read their terms & conditions carefully… people who ran into problems paying with the debit card DID NOT read it obviously)

It was fortuitous that on a walk I found this place. I got a better deal on a 2 day rental than a one day at the airport from all other companies. I dealt with two employees and both were professional and very helpful.

Although I can’t speak for other branches, I would not recommend renting a car from the Enterprise branch on Oxford St.
I recently made a reservation to rent a car for a week and made a plan with the manager to call on a specific day to arrange to be picked up. When I called at the prearranged time, there was no answer at the Oxford branch. I called the main Enterprise number and explained the situation. I was transferred back to the Oxford branch; again, no one answered. I called the main number again and requested that the representative stay on the line with me until the Oxford branch answered. Again, no answer. After 45 minutes of this, I decided to drive down to the branch myself.
When I arrived, I told the representative that their phone system wasn’t working. She informed me, «Yeah, that happens sometimes», and seemed completely unconcerned. I also had the debit card issue other reviewers have mentioned. While I was told they «gladly» took debit cards, I apparently needed to provide two forms of identification in addition to my driver’s license. I was told a pay stub and a utility bill would suffice; however, if I presented a utility or phone bill there had to be a «zero balance».
None of this was made clear when I made the initial reservation. It’s in small print under a sheet of plastic at the front desk. The irony is that I rented a car several years ago from this same Enterprise branch and had a great experience (and paid with a debit card, no problem).
I will never rent from these folks again.

These people are consummate professionals. I had made a reservation at their Shattuck location and accidentally went to this one, and they immediately switched it – no problem. I appreciate how they all know what they are doing and make sure that you have a great experience with their services. Next time I need to rent a car, I will definitely be coming back here.

This Enterprise is one of the few open on Sundays which you can rent from and not have to pay ridiculous airport taxes. By a few, I mean aside from non-​airport locations.
Excellent customer service. An agent actually waited 1 hr after closing for me to pick up my car. That is service done right. I was able to negotiate for an excellent rate as well, no hassles.
–1 star since the car I picked up had a dirty trunk. The windshield was glossed with a white haze that could not be washed away as well. I do expect a clean car when I pick it up.
Other than that, no complaints. The staff was friendly upon return. My only complaint is that they usually only have smaller vehicles so it might be hard to find a full size or SUV from this location.
Car was given at ¼ tank instead of full. You just bring it back at ¼ tank. You can request that the location fill it up for you before leaving if that is more convenient.
There is a big sign at the entrance that states proof of insurance is required for UC Berkeley students FYI.

I’m currently in a really bad situation with this Enterprise.
At first, they seem like they go out of their way for you. They pick you up and bring you to get your rental car, have a smile, super friendly. But, after they have your card on file and you’re all signed up, they don’t really care/​are lazy.
I got a rental car here through my insurance and my insurance is supposed to be billed for all of my charges. I had gotten an extension on my rental car due date because my own car at the shop was taking longer. Then when I look at my bank statement, they charged me the difference of the extension even though my insurance had already setup the extension with them.
When I called Bill at this Enterprise, I was frustrated. They had charged me about $ 600 they shouldn’t have done over 5 separate charges. When I asked what they were, he said he wasn’t sure and that the computer must’ve automatically charged me to get payment for the difference. WITHOUT NOTIFYING ME. It’s one thing to open a deposit and give $ 100 for charges, it’s another to be charged so much more on top of that without notice.
I have a budget I need to stick to to survive and they just go ahead and charge me without any call or paperwork. It’s unfair.
Now I have to wait until people are in the office again to resolve this. I’m very disappointed.

Unfortunately the downtown Berkeley office is no better or worse than any other part of the Enterprise global corporate monoculture. It replicates the corporate hegemony perfectly. Another reason to hate the criminals that run Corporate America.
Today I experienced that despicable corporate disempowerment once again. I hadn’t learned my lesson the first time. This company won’t rent to you if you don’t have a major credit card. No matter how much money you have in your bank account to back up your debit card purchase, no matter how much you can provide as a deposit, they simply won’t rent to you if you don’t have a major credit card. My mom was humiliated there a couple of years ago when she came here for my undergraduate graduation.
Now that I’m a grad student, I unwittingly went in here again with my sister. She has rented from Enterprise many times in the past. She has plenty of money in her account to make the debit card transaction. But they don’t want us as customers if we don’t gulp fully of the toxic corporate cool aide and use major credit cards.
Oh, but they make an exception if you’re «associated with the university.» So when my mom was here, and again with my sister, the friendly corporate stooges recommended that I rent the car instead. Never mind that that means we have to buy full insurance then, since I don’t own a car and don’t carry full insurance as my mom and sister do.
The whole thing is part of the corporate-​security-​industrial complex that insists that everyone have credit cards. Why is it that I can go to the U.K. and rent a car from Hertz with my debit card, but people can’t do it here? Because in Europe they at least keep these corporate parasites somewhat better controlled than we do here.

Please excuse the rant below. Main point is that you should go to Avis/​Budget on Kitredge St by the Berkeley Bart
I made a reservation this past weekend via phone. I verified the total amount I would be charged (around $ 200). Since I am a grad student I do not have a credit card with a high limit, I made sure about $ 300 was available.
Today I arrived at the Oxford St. Enterprise and they said my reservation was actually at the other Berkeley location (not walking distance) because they calls get transfered there sometimes when they have high traffic. Eventually, they decided they could help me. However, they said they would put a $ 200 hold on my account in addition to what I was paying for the rental car.
They should have been able to look at my history and see how many weeks I rented cars with them during my job last year. They refused to work with me (put half on my debit card), and just shrugged their shoulders and told me to go to Avis. which I did. I got a brand new Kia in less than 5 minutes no problem.

Excellent service, friendly staff. This place came through for me on a moments notice when my insurance company mistakenly sent me to another enterprise location that happened to not be open on that holiday Monday. I was leaving for a vacation to Mendocino, and needed a car n o w – was supposed to be on the road that morning.
The guys here are really friendly, and go out of their way for you. They give rides from the store to anywhere you need – your house, your body shop, etc. My body shop was all the way in Oakland and they still drove me there, and I had a great conversation with the employee driving – we talked about relationships, marriage, and pizza.

So for one these guys are cool, I mean, casual yet professional. They exude a certain calm even when weekenders fill their offices with nonsensical requests in a variety of foreign languages.
I was way underprepared for the act of renting my first 15 person passenger van and they walked me right through it seemlessly.
The guys and girls on the phone were super sweet, I am a cs professional and I am PICKY! They passed with high marks, on their ability to articulate the car rental policies and be friendly to boot.

Extremely frustrating experience. I made a reservation to rent a car, and at the time, I did review their payment policy. It says that *some locations* don’t accept debit cards, and that «If a Debit Card is accepted the card must be in the same name as the renter and will require a cash qualification process». So I thought I would call and check to see if this location did, since I couldn’t find that information online. The woman I spoke to was extremely confusing and unhelpful. She kept talking about utility bills and addresses on drivers’ licenses, even after I told her I have a foreign (Australian) license. First she said her computer wouldn’t let her take debit cards at all, and then she said that «in my case» I couldn’t use one. Their website is very vague about all this, too, saying they «may» require this or «may» ask to see that. She said the reason for their policy is that they don’t do credit checks. I’m not even a US citizen, I don’t HAVE a US credit history to check anyway.
I’d steer well clear of this place if you’re visiting from a foreign country, to be honest — after I got off the phone with them I called Avis straight away, who made a reservation for me, said I could use my debit card no problems (if I was over 25, which I am), and didn’t give a shit what address was on my driver’s license.

Sure, the car was «there» when my sister requested it at noon. But it was dirty inside and gross, and unvacuumed.
«Oh, you want us to vacuum it? Sure, we can do that,» said the guy. UM NO WE’RE STANDING IN THE RAIN AND THERE’S NO TIME TO VACUUM THE GODDAMN CAR NOW, YOU DOLT.

Most infuriatingly frustrating experience with any business I have ever had.
Made a reservation online to pickup a cheapo car and go on vacation with the lady. Little did I know that I was about to enter the 9^th ring of hell.
Here is my harrowing tale of how much Enterprise sucks;
I go in to claim the car reservation — when I get there, I find out that they do not honor real money, nor debit cards (unless you bring in pay stubs, utility bills etc. to prove you are a real person). Because everyone knows you are not allowed to function in the ‘real’ world without a god damn credit card.
OKAY, let me just run home and pick up TWO FORMS of proof that I live in this town.
20 minutes later I am back with my vouchers (about 20 minutes before they close).
Apparently if you plan on using a debit card they require you to pull 300 dollars out of your account as a security deposit, which is about 200 dollars more than I thought I would be paying for the rental. I understand the need to do so, but being unaware of this I did not have funds available beyond what I thought I would need for the car.
OKAY, let me have my girlfriend run up here — she has a credit card to save the day!
15 minutes later right before they close — girlfriend arrives to put money down for my broke ass. BUT she only has an ID card and not a driver’s license. Unbeknownst to us you can’t have one person pay, and a different driver. God forbid they have someone that isn’t the driver give them money.
SO after spending an hour trying to give Enterprise my money to rent a car, it was a no go. The entire time the manager of the place who was «helping» me was completely useless.
Dear enterprise, you need to clearly state payment options and the methods you need to go through VIA different forms of payment MUCH MORE FUCKING CLEAR. I hope you go bankrupt and you all burn in hell for ever.