NU Car Rentals – Salt Lake City Airport | Formal Complaint & Demand for Refund Reservation: 6750285640NU | Agreement: SLC01-52068 Dates: September 26–27, 2026 | Paid: $136.93 Reserved: Compact SUV (Nissan Kicks class) Received: 2024 BMW 228i AWD sedan I am demanding a FULL REFUND of $136.93 for what I believe was a potentially deceptive bait-and-switch sales practice involving misrepresentation of vehicle availability, coercive upselling, and threatened cancellation of my prepaid reservation. I reserved and prepaid for a SUV because I am 6’8” and require an SUV to accommodate my height. Instead, I received a sedan after declining a paid upgrade. WHAT HAPPENED While waiting in line, I watched the female counter employee tell three customers ahead of me that their reserved SUVs were ready and available. Each was immediately offered a larger SUV for an additional fee. All three accepted and paid for the upgrades. When it was my turn, the employee told me my SUV was ready and offered the same upgrade. I declined and said I would keep the SUV I had already reserved and paid for. She walked to the back, as she had with each customer before me, returned, and suddenly announced that my SUV was unavailable. She offered me a sedan instead. I explained that I am 6’8” tall and would not fit in the sedan. She responded that this was precisely why I “have to” pay for the larger SUV upgrade. I told her I did not have to pay more. I had reserved and paid for an SUV and would gladly accept ANY SUV (compact or other) available. I was not asking for a particular make or model, only the vehicle category (SUV) to be honored which I had purchased. I pointed out that she had just told three customers their original SUVs were available, that all three had accepted paid upgrades, and that numerous SUVs were in the lot being offered as upgrades. She said the company was a small, family-owned operation and that I would take what they gave me or they had the right to refuse service and cancel my reservation. I warned the customers behind me in line that they might be given sedans if they declined the upgrade. The employee then threatened to cancel my reservation and told me to take a shuttle back to the airport and rent elsewhere. After I requested a manager, Shane intervened and allowed the rental to proceed. I ultimately received a sedan instead of the SUV I had reserved. WHY THIS IS SERIOUS The sequence raises legitimate concerns about potential bait-and-switch conduct: customers were told their original SUVs were available, offered paid upgrades, and I was told mine was unavailable only after I declined. Providing a sedan instead of the reserved SUV category, insisting I pay more to obtain an SUV, and threatening cancellation raises concerns about potentially deceptive or unfair trade practices. A disclaimer that makes and models are not guaranteed does not, by itself, resolve whether the reserved vehicle CATEGORY was fulfilled. I am requesting an investigation into whether this is an isolated incident or a broader practice across your locations, including whether employees are instructed or incentivized to withhold reserved vehicle categories to induce paid upgrades. FORMAL DEMANDS 1. Full refund of $136.93 to the original payment method. 2. Written confirmation that the $300 authorization hold has been released and no further charges will be assessed. 3. A written explanation of why my SUV was initially represented as available, why it became unavailable after I declined the upgrade, and why no other SUV was offered. 4. A formal review of the female employee’s conduct, the cancellation threat, and manager Shane’s handling of the substitution, including appropriate corrective action and employee coaching for the female employee. 5. Preservation of relevant reservation, inventory, vehicle assignment, upgrade transaction, incentive, internal communication, and available surveillance records from September 26, 2026. NOTICE OF ESCALATION If this matter is not resolved satisfactorily, I am prepared to file complaints with the Federal Trade Commission, Utah Division of Consumer Protection, and Better Business Bureau, and to seek legal advice regarding potential claims under applicable consumer protection laws. I reserve all rights and remedies available to me. Please provide a substantive written response within 10 business days, addressing each demand and explaining the basis for any refusal to issue a full refund. I am sharing this experience so other travelers can make an informed decision before booking with NU Car Rentals. I expect NU Car Rentals to take responsibility, issue the full refund, and provide a meaningful written explanation.
An upfront recitation of restrictions....especially those not common in the area. NU asked that we not leave pavement.....Wyoming has a LOT of unpaved roads. We canceled our resevation upon learningof the restriction. This caused a lot of lost time and hurried booking elsewhere. Not a great way to start a vacation.
My experience was awful. My flight was delayed, so I arrived about 5-6 hours after my scheduled pickup. Apparently, after 2 hours they put the car I reserved "back out for rent." I had paid for a luxury suv, but they only gave me a standard SUV. They did not refund me for the upgrade I had already paid for. And they had the luxury SUV available, because they offered it to me as long as I paid another upcharge. All I got from the customer service person was "I don't make the rules." Also, their lot is not actually at SLC airport. It's a short uber drive or about a 2 1/2 mile walk from the terminals. They do have a shuttle, but it does not start running until 6a.m., so if you have a 7a.m. or earlier flight like I did, you'll have to drop off before they open and get an Uber to the terminal......or walk 2 1/2 miles. Fortunately, I was warned about this. As my Uber was pulling away, we were flagged down by two people (who look like they got the luxury suv I paid for) who asked if there was a shuttle. They had apparently not been told about the 6a.m. start time (it was around 5:30a.m at this point). Had I listened to the person behind the counter who told me to just get there at 6 and take the shuttle, I would have definitely missed my flight, because getting through baggage check and security took almost an hour. I believe the shuttle ends at 6p.m. as well, so make sure to check on that before your trip if you have a late arriving/departing flight. You might have to Uber to the rental then as well. Despite all that, the shuttle to the rental place (I at least got to take the shuttle on the day I arrived in SLC)was nice and clean and the driver was friendly and helpful. The car was decent, and seemed new, but my wife said it smelled like jagermeister to her. If you're going up in the mountains, I'd highly suggest something with a stronger engine than the Chevy Trailblazer. It struggled getting up. Also, the change engine oil light came on as soon as we got in the car, which left me wondering how well they keep up the maintenance. They were the cheapest option, so you get what you pay for. I will not choose NU the next time I'm in SLC.
Friendly staff. Convenient pick up and drop off. Didn't try to pressure me to buy add ons.
I loved the experience. However the intake took an hour in line. One very friendly experience girl behind the counter and a line out the door. She looked exhausted but as friendly and had excellent customer service skills. There needs to be at lease another clerk helping the customers
NU Car really stepped in for me because I had to rent a car last minute because my previous company dropped the ball and didn’t have inventory. The rep was really kind and worked with me to find a great car for my trip that best fit my needs. She asked about the number of people, where I was going, etc. so she knew what to offer. It ended up being more expensive that I planned but for being a day of rental and for the higher tier we ended up going with, it was a good deal. Also for off airport rental companies, the NU Car shuttle runs really often. Twice as often as another one I tried. I would rent again
