you didn't have a screenshot, printout, or email with the reserved price clearly indicated? (on second thought, car rentals, especially at airports, generally have a huge markup due to airport facility fees, service fees, and local taxes -- but even that should have been clearly displayed on the confirmation you received at the time you made the reservation).
I'm guessing he didn't reserve it and just showed up as a walk-in. I could see someone new to renting cars doing that, but it's a good way to pay a premium for urgency and suffer luck of the draw. Anyone experienced should know better as online reservations lock in the price, often at a discount, and guarantee the vehicle size or larger without paying more for the larger vehicle.
True. Must have been a hole-in-the-wall local place if he actually booked it. I don't know why he wouldn't have pulled out the confirmation at the counter, either.
I did have a confirmation email that listed the price and the car, the person behind the counter and the manager said they couldn't honor that deal because the car didn't exist and I had paid the rate for a lower tier of car. If I wanted a car that could fit 4 adults and luggage I had to pay the difference. It was Sixt in downtown Manhattan.
Searching for "Sixt bait and switch" returns a fair number of stories and reviews that are similar to my experience.
you didn't have a screenshot, printout, or email with the reserved price clearly indicated? (on second thought, car rentals, especially at airports, generally have a huge markup due to airport facility fees, service fees, and local taxes -- but even that should have been clearly displayed on the confirmation you received at the time you made the reservation).