I recently rented a U-Haul pickup truck from Charlie’s Auto Care in Hesperia and the experience was a nightmare. -Pricing not transparent: Before arriving, I was told the rental would be around $80. At pickup, I was suddenly told it would be almost $200. I was never asked to estimate mileage in advance, nor was it obvious mileage would be a major extra charge until I was already at the counter. U-Haul buries important details in fine print—every time I’ve rented, the final cost ends up far more than expected. -Insurance details buried and mislabeled: I purchased SafeMove, but the fact it carried a $150 deductible was never explained verbally. Worse, when charged, it appeared on my receipt as “Missing/Damage Charge,” not clearly identified as an insurance deductible. That critical detail was hidden in paperwork and mislabeled in billing. It feels intentionally misleading and leaves customers blindsided. -Truck got stuck due to rear-wheel drive: We were never told the pickup was rear-wheel drive. Since most vehicles today are front-wheel drive, the driver assumed this one was too. Believing he was putting the non-powered wheels into the sand, he turned around—only for the powered rear wheels to lose traction. That’s exactly how the truck got stuck on a graded dirt road. My own front-wheel-drive minivan handled the same road without issue because I only put the non-powered wheels into the sand when turning. If U-Haul or the dealer had been transparent, this could have been prevented. -Strung along for hours, then abandoned overnight: I first called U-Haul at 5:45 p.m. when the truck got stuck. For more than 2.5 hours I was told help was on the way. Later I was told recovery wouldn’t happen until the next morning. This meant the pickup was stranded in the desert overnight. If we hadn’t had friends camping nearby to watch it, one of us would have been forced to stay with it without gear. This wasn’t just inconvenient—it was dangerous. -Misinformation about our location: When escalated to the regional manager, he was told we were “five miles off a road.” False. We were five miles off a paved road, still on a maintained, graded dirt road, directly across from the Rainbow Basin public campground. The tow truck driver who recovered us knew exactly where we were before he came, so there’s no way they believed we were truly “five miles off road.” I believe Charlie allowed this misinformation to reach the regional manager instead of clarifying the truth. -Extraction nightmare and intimidation: When the dealer finally came the next day, I was told I had to pay $450 immediately before the truck would be released back to me. I paid, and only after payment was processed did they say they were taking the truck anyway. During this time, when my friend refused to exit the truck until the issue was resolved, Charlie (the dealer) said: “Well, I guess you’re coming home with me then.” That comment was completely inappropriate and unprofessional, and it felt threatening. -Improper recovery method: Instead of attaching the winch to proper recovery points, Charlie’s crew hooked to the wheel and dragged the truck sideways before pulling it forward. I have video evidence of this, showing the tow truck driver attaching the winch to the passenger rear wheel and dragging the truck through the sand, with close-ups and wide shots of the entire ~7-minute tow-out. (YouTube: search “Hesperia Uhauil Charlie's Auto Repair Improper Recovery Video”.) Not only could this method have caused damage, but at the same time I was being told “You are responsible for all charges.” The fact they were risking damage while threatening to hold me liable for it is deeply concerning. Total cost of this nightmare: $770. U-Haul completely failed—in transparency, communication, customer service, and safety. Overall, the experience was misleading, unprofessional, and predatory. I strongly caution anyone considering renting from U-Haul here (or in general) to demand every charge and coverage detail in writing up front, and to be prepared for hidden costs, intimidation, and being left stranded.
Keslie M
Charlies Auto Repair LLC
(U-Haul Neighborhood Dealer)
Services at this Location:
One-Way and In-Town® Rentals in Hesperia, CA 92345
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Great customer service
KALEB WCharlie and his team made my stressful move easy and convenient. Equipment was new and clean and made the trip painless and gave us peace of mind that we would make it to our destination without issue. Needed a few extra days and Charlie was able to take care of it right away. Thanks again Charlie and team for the seamless move! Highly recommended!
COREY KNothing. The service was outstanding. The ladies at the check-in counter listened to our questions and concerns and were very helpful. After she hooked the trailer to our vehicle, she walked around the trailer and checked all of the tires. She did not like the way one of the tires looked or sounded when hit with a small baton (the tire definitely sounded different than the rest of the tires). She immediately told me she wanted to switch us to a different trailer so they could check the tire on the first trailer. We quickly switched and were on our way in just a few minutes. After we loaded our trailer and found out the trailer was way bigger than we needed for our multi-state cross-country trip, we returned to the U-Haul dealer and asked if we could get a smaller trailer. They were completely sympathetic and allowed us to get a smaller trailer that was half the price. This was real customer service!!! We really appreciated this as the smaller trailer met our needs was much easier to tow.
TIMOTHY DThey charged me for the wrong mileage. Now I have to go back and get a refund.
DENNES A