Discount Car & Truck Rental Review – Don’t Trust Their Confirmation System

I was moving from Kitchener to Belleville.

Since our move out date was a week before the move in date of our new place and because most moving truck rental companies don’t cover that stretch for a reasonable price, we decided to do the move in two stages: Kitchener to Stouffville and then Stouffville to Belleville.

First Leg: Kitchener to Stouffville

I rented a 16 foot truck from Discount and everything went smoothly.

Second Leg: Stouffville to Belleville

This is where our plans almost fell apart.

Since the first rental went well, I reserved a 16ft truck online from Discount for pickup on July 7th at 5pm, and received confirmation and a reservation number:

Due to the truck being absolutely vital to the success of the move, I called the day before to confirm that it would be available andwas told that there was no truck available in Belleville or any of the surrounding areas.

What?!

They didn’t call or email me to inform me that there was no truck waiting for me and I would have lost hours and hours of planning and hundreds of dollars in moving costs if my anxiousness didn’t cause me to call in to re-check.

The practice of sending a confirmation and reservation number that aren’t actually based on a vehicle that actually exists in a given location is a deceptive and completely unacceptable practice.

NOTE: Even if you reserve well ahead, do not trust your confirmation at all.

Found a Truck Available at the Discount in Trenton

In a rush to find an alternative less than 24 hours before the move, I checked online and noticed that the Trenton branch (134 County Rd 33, Trenton, ON) had a 16ft truck available.

This time I followed up immediately to confirm that the truck actually existed. I called them but since it was after hours it forwarded me to Discount’s national call center. The representative confirmed that there was a truck there, but said there is no way for them to leave a message/call/voicemail with the local shop or put a hold on a vehicle – I had to wait until the location opened in the morning.

So I went ahead and reserved the truck:

Unfortunately, I forgot to Google the dealer to read their reviews. I was not alone in this situation:

“Reserved a 16ft truck online on June 12 for pickup on June 29 at 4pm, and received confirmation and a reservation number. Arrived on time to get the truck and was told I could not get the size I had reserved. Was offered a smaller truck instead (and told I could just make multiple trips — over 100km each way…?). Had to cancel my plans to move my daughter’s apartment. Absolutely unacceptable and an immense inconvenience. Buyer beware. If you reserve well ahead, do not trust your confirmation at all. Personally, I will never book with this company again. Thanks for wrecking weeks worth of planning.”

Lo and Behold

10 minutes later, the national branch called me back to confirm that there are no trucks available in Belleville or any of the surrounding areas (Trenton or Kingston) – regardless of what their online system might show.

Unbelievable. At least this time they took the time to notify me so I could proceed in the opposite direction.

Uhaul to the Rescue

While we initially ignored Uhaul for their somewhat hidden & higher mileage pricing, we ended up going with them since they were the only rental company in the area with a truck available on such short notice. The Uhaul rate per km ended up being $0.69:

Other than the higher cost, the Uhaul dealer Parker Street Rental & Storage at 17 Parker St Belleville, ON K8P1C9 provided a seamless experience and understanding customer service. The truck was clean, drove well and everything went smoothly.

Conclusion

Don’t trust Discount’s confirmation email/unique ID number. Be sure to call the local dealer and confirm with them directly that your moving truck actually exists so you’re not hung out to dry.