View source for Alamo Rent a Car

{{Short description|American car rental brand}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Alamo Rent a Car
| logo = Alamo Rent a Car (logo).svg
| logo_size = 200px
| type =
| foundation = {{start date and age|1974}} in [[Orlando, Florida]]
| hq_location_city = [[Clayton, Missouri]]
| hq_location_country = United States
| key_people = {{Unbulleted list|[[Andrew C. Taylor]] ([[chairman|executive chairman]])|Chrissy Taylor ([[President (corporate title)|president]] & [[Chief executive officer|CEO]])}}
| parent = [[Enterprise Holdings]]
| industry = [[Car rental]]
| products =
| assets =
| num_employees =
| website = {{URL|https://www.alamo.com/}}
}}
[[File:Alamo & National airport shuttle Detroit Metro Airport.JPG|thumb|right|225px|Alamo airport shuttle shared with [[National Car Rental]], [[Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport|Detroit Metro Airport]] ]]
'''Alamo Rent a Car''' is a [[rental car]] agency based in [[Clayton, Missouri]], United States. The company has branches across North America, South America, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and [[Oceania]]. Alamo is owned by [[Enterprise Holdings]], along with other agencies including [[Enterprise Rent-A-Car]] and [[National Car Rental]]. Alamo typically caters to budget-conscious [[Vacation (travel)|leisure travelers]] and is the largest car rental provider to international travelers visiting North America.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Taylor |first=Andrew C. |date=2013-09-01 |title=Enterprise's Leader on How Integrating an Acquisition Transformed His Business |url=https://hbr.org/2013/09/enterprises-leader-on-how-integrating-an-acquisition-transformed-his-business |magazine=Harvard Business Review |issn=0017-8012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=DePillis |first=Lydia |date=November 6, 2013 |title=Car rental companies keep merging. That might not be such a bad thing. |language=en-US |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2013/11/06/car-rental-companies-keep-merging-that-might-not-be-such-a-bad-thing/ |access-date=2021-06-22 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Enterprise Holdings Fact Sheet |url=https://www.enterpriseholdings.com/content/dam/ehicom/docs/Enterprise_Holdings_Fact_Sheet.pdf |access-date=2021-06-22 |website=[[Enterprise Holdings]] |archive-date=2021-06-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624204441/https://www.enterpriseholdings.com/content/dam/ehicom/docs/Enterprise_Holdings_Fact_Sheet.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==History==
Alamo was founded in Florida in 1974.<ref>{{Cite web | title=History of Alamo Rent a Car | url=http://aboutus.alamo.com/alamo-history.html | access-date=2017-11-04 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171022011847/http://aboutus.alamo.com/alamo-history.html | archive-date=2017-10-22 | url-status=dead }}</ref> In 1996, Alamo was acquired by Republic Industries (later renamed [[AutoNation]]).<ref>{{Cite news | last = Bagli| first = Charles V.| title = In Alamo Deal, Republic Puts More Money On Used Cars| work = The New York Times| access-date = 2016-08-24| date = 1996-11-08| url = https://www.nytimes.com/1996/11/08/business/in-alamo-deal-republic-puts-more-money-on-used-cars.html}}</ref> AutoNation spun off its car rental properties as ANC Rental in 2000. ANC filed for bankruptcy a year later; its properties were sold to [[Vanguard Automotive Group]] (controlled by [[Cerberus Capital Management]]) in 2003.<ref>{{Cite web| first = Tom | last = Stieghorst | date = 2003-08-07 | title = Judge Approves Sale Of Anc Assets| work = Sun-Sentinel| access-date = 2016-08-24| url = http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2003-08-07/business/0308060911_1_anc-cerberus-capital-management-william-plamondon| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140503122419/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2003-08-07/business/0308060911_1_anc-cerberus-capital-management-william-plamondon| url-status = dead| archive-date = May 3, 2014}}</ref> In 2005, Alamo introduced an online check-in system that allowed customers to submit registration information prior to arrival to bypass counter check-in.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/12/travel/among-the-latest-lures-gps-and-no-lines.html  |title= Among the Latest Lures: GPS and No Lines |work= [[The New York Times]] |access-date= August 5, 2019 |date= February 12, 2006  }}</ref> In 2007, Alamo’s parent company Vanguard was acquired by [[Enterprise Holdings]], operator of the largest rental car company in North America, which operates the Alamo Rent A Car, [[Enterprise Rent-A-Car]], and [[National Car Rental]] brands.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/companies/enterprise-holdings/#4fcb107d3310  |title=#184 Enterprise Holdings |work=[[Forbes]] |access-date=August 5, 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/31/business/31rental.html |title= Enterprise Rent-a-Car Buys Vanguard, a Rival |work= [[The New York Times]] |access-date= August 5, 2019 |date= March 31, 2007  }}</ref>
==Complaints and criticism==
Alamo Rent a Car has been criticized for not providing adequate access to/from terminal buildings to rental car lot for wheelchair users; according to the [[United States Department of Justice]], Alamo was the subject of many such complaints; Alamo reached a settlement with the government regarding the complaints filed by the Department of Justice.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ada.gov/alamonat.htm |title=Final Settlement Agreement Between The United States of America and ANC Rental Corporation, Alamo Rent-a-Car, LLC, and National Car Rental System, Inc |publisher=Ada.gov |date=2003-10-14 |access-date=2012-09-02}}</ref> There was a report in ''[[The Washington Post]]'' about problems with customers returning cars after hours; in one instance, a customer returned an undamaged car after hours, but Alamo claimed that it had been rear-ended and demanded an additional $785. Alamo dropped the claim after the renter threatened to take them to court.<ref name="twsWashPost1">{{cite news
| author=  Christopher Elliott
| date= December 11, 2014
| newspaper= The Washington Post
| url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/customers-can-be-liable-when-rental-car-returns-go-wrong/2014/12/11/998199e0-7a69-11e4-9a27-6fdbc612bff8_story.html
| title= Customers can be liable when rental-car returns go wrong
| access-date= January 1, 2016
| quote=...returned his Alamo rental car after business hours....Alamo was just as insistent that he pay $785 to fix the bumper .... several Alamo executives ... company dropped its claim...
}}</ref> A report in ''[[The Denver Post]]'' described a snowbound passenger who was charged $950 per day by Alamo around Christmas time in an instance of apparent [[price gouging]].<ref name="twsDenverPost">{{cite web
| author= Al Lewis
| date=  January 5, 2007
| publisher= The Denver Post
| url= http://www.denverpost.com/ci_4952704?source=rss
| title= Remembering Alamo rental at $950 a day
| access-date= January 1, 2016
| quote=....paid the $950 ... couldn't help feeling gouged ...
}}</ref>  A report in ''[[USA Today]]'' suggested that increases in rental car rates, which averaged 4% in 2013, were leading many rental car users to switch to taking taxis instead.<ref name="twsUSAToday">{{cite web
| author= Charisse Jones
| date= February 5, 2013
| publisher= USA Today
| url= https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/2013/02/05/rental-rates-taxis-business-travelers/1892059/
| title= As rental car rates rise, travelers take taxis
| access-date= January 1, 2016
| quote= ... Alamo rental car ... rates at some of the top 200 airports their brands serve were up to 4% higher ... almost always cheaper to take taxis than to rent a car, unless I can get a deal on ...
}}</ref> Two automobile safety advocacy groups petitioned the [[Federal Trade Commission]] in 2010 to bar Enterprise Holdings, the parent company of Alamo, from renting out recalled vehicles that had not been fixed.<ref name="twsLATimes">{{cite web
| author= Jerry Hirsch
| date= August 10, 2010
| work= Los Angeles Times
| url= https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-aug-10-la-fi-autos-enterprise-20100810-story.html
| title= FTC urged to bar Enterprise from renting out recalled autos that need fixing: Center for Auto Safety and Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety petition the Federal Trade Commission to impose the restriction on the owner of Enterprise, National and Alamo.
| access-date= January 1, 2016
| quote=...Alamo rental car companies, from renting out recalled vehicles that have not been fixed....
}}</ref> Alamo was criticized in ''[[The New York Times]]'' for failing to provide information about insurance rates for its rental cars on its website.<ref name="twsNYTimes2">{{cite web
| author= Seth Kugel
| date= April 26, 2011
| work= The New York Times
| url= http://frugaltraveler.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/26/guide-to-steering-clear-of-rental-car-fees/?_r=0
| title= Guide to Navigating Rental Car Fees
| access-date= January 1, 2016
| quote=...stepped up to the Alamo counter in Jacksonville ... no idea what they charged for insurance. ...
}}</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
== External links ==
* {{Official website|https://www.alamo.com/}}
{{Enterprise Holdings}}
{{Renters}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Multinational companies]]
[[Category:Companies based in St. Louis County, Missouri]]
[[Category:American companies established in 1974]]
[[Category:Retail companies established in 1974]]
[[Category:Transport companies established in 1974]]
[[Category:Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2001]]
[[Category:Enterprise Holdings]]
[[Category:1974 establishments in Florida]]
[[Category:Car rental companies of the United States]]