Seeing a Broken-Down Penske Truck Reminded Me: Don't Rent From Penske

I recently wrote an article about why renting from Penske cost a lot more in the long run. While Penske's competitors both rented me trucks that were older and had AC units that crapped out on the trip, Penske alone made me pay for a truck that leaked in during a rain storm, which ended up costing a lot more in the long run, especially since the company has ignored complaints.


I initially complained to the Home Depot at Regency Square about the leaking in. The guy there told me I had to go through Penske in order to complain. I did that, and Penske basically just ignored me the same way Home Depot did. What that means is that you have a situation where NOBODY has to listen to you. There's even something in the contract about how they don't have to do anything. It's sad that a company can rent a vehicle that has the sole purpose of transporting items in a safe manner and does not do it, and then it hides behind a chain store, online contact forms, and blatant refusal to respond.

I know, you're thinking I need to sue Penske. But the company knows it's hard to prove exact value of items, and, of course, I did not take out whatever extra insurance was offered, so I'm not considered to have any legal standing. Plus, Penske more than likely has dozens of lawyers waiting for someone like me. And the argument would be that  the company wouldn't make any money if every move was free.

The problem isn't that I can't win or that I even want to win a lot of money. I know that the items were used, and I'm not looking for full replacement value. If I sued, I WOULD expect this, and it's probably well over what I paid for the stupid rental. I just wanted an acknowledgment of fault and some compensation for my loss. If Penske can't do that, then I hope everyone who ever reads this post thinks about that before renting from a company that would do this.

I hope that more people who have rented from Penske and been ignored will speak up so that others can see that it's a company to avoid. As always, I will change this article if Penske contacts me to make ammends, but the company has had ample time with no effort so far. This starts with a few articles, then I'll add reviews in order to help others. Maybe the Better Business Bureau, too. Hopefully, others will be reminded to do the same, since I know I'm not alone. Penske has revenue of $5.6 billion a year, and I am hoping it realizes that a policy of ignoring customers will eventually eat into profit.

If you've had problems with Penske yourself but don't have access to a blog, contact me. I can always add your story here. But just filling out the Google review will be enough to help other consumers avoid regret.