Philip Lightstone Reviewed on Feb 1, 2018, 1:51 AM

I will try to keep my review to just facts and not so much any frustration I might have felt. It's important to know what you're getting into with renting from Allied (Economy) out of John Wayne Airport. Most of the better-known car rental companies are resident downstairs in the terminal. You only have to take the elevator down from the Island and you're there. But some of the rental places such as Payless and the one I'm writing on right now - Economy, which is represented by Allied, are off site and so you have to get there by transit (not really, but more on that later). My plane came in at 7:26pm and by the time my friend had picked up his bags and we had walked out to the Island and contacted the company with the phone numbers on the slip of paper I'd printed out from Cheap Tickets it probably was something like 7: 46pm. Actually, it took a while to contact them since the first number was no longer in service and the second number went right to voicemail. But, after a couple of more tried someone picked up. They informed me that they would dispatch the van and it would take around 10-15 minutes. Around 20-25 minutes later I called and they didn't seem to have a clue as to who I was and what I wanted. I repeated my request and was told that it would be around 10 minutes more. Around 20 minutes later - probably a total wait time of around an hour - the van arrived. The driver didn't say a word, we got in, and around 2-3 minutes later were deposited at the Hilton Hotel across the street from the airport. The entire operation is a one-person one. It's in a tiny room at the Hilton Inn across the street. So, if you're waiting for the person to pick you up and there's a line there you are out of luck. You wait. Yes - the person will tell you they're dispatching someone but there is nobody to dispatch. They are it. They simply tell you what they wish to tell you and be damned. The car I got had 56,300 plus miles on it and they had not been kind or easy ones. The usual dents and chipped glass on the front window and a totally destroyed wheel cover were included. The agreement was that the gas would be full and I would fill it before returning but I noticed it was only 3/4 full. She made note of it. I was glad that I'd seen it. She took a picture of the car in the dark and I'm still not sure why. Perhaps I'll know soon, huh? Upon returning the car the person was out - presumably to bring people to the airport. Maintenance workers from Hilton Inns were resting their heads on the desk. They told me she'd be there soon. She came soon after - maybe 5 minutes - and went to check out the car. Unfortunately she locked herself out of the office and had to rustle up the maintenance workers to let her back in. She asked if I wanted a ride over and I begged off. I wasn't going to push my luck. I did not understand a word she said about how to get there but it truly is across the street. No, it wasn't easy, but probably was better than waiting for her to deliver me. I will think long and hard before using Cheap Ticket's recommendations again. I will of course never use this rental agency ever again. Oh - and the car was fine. No problems. I suppose that's something, no?