Discovery Rent A Car

Don’t believe the good reviews for this place. Those people just got lucky.
Originally booked online because it was cheap, but you’ll find everywhere else is about the same price.
Everything about it is questionable. The shuttle that picks up from the airport took 45 minutes. Then was dropped off at the rental car place which was in an abandoned Mexican restaurant. Just seedy. I got really bad vibes from this place, it’s like they are trying to rip you off.
Serge is the only guy I ever saw there but he will tell you that he has a boss and a guy for billing, etc. to make himself seem more legit. I’m pretty sure it’s just him.
I just so happened to lose my credit card on the plane and he wouldn’t let me use a debit card. I asked him if he could just charge the card on file and he tells me that he physically needs a card. He told me if I didn’t use a credit card for a damage deposit I either had to have my parents co-​sign on the car (what?) or put down $ 1K cash. Yeah right buddy.
So basically I don’t rent from him and I dip out, go to Enterprise around the corner in El Segundo and have a fantastic experience with them. Decide to cancel the car rental from this place and Sergey says it will be a $ 60 fee for cancellation. Whatever.
Two days later I get a $ 165 charge to my credit card on file which is the price for a full weeks rental. I come back into the office before I leave LA because I knew this wouldn’t be dealt with if it was over the phone or via email.
I come in and complain, he says they had to charge me a full weeks rental price for cancellation because it was a «peak time». I told him that the said he would only charge me $ 60, or else I wouldn’t have walked away from it. He reluctantly credits me back $ 55 the next day, presumably so I didn’t write bad reviews for his business online. Well, sorry buddy.
I’m still out $ 110 to this place for never renting a car from there.
Also spent $ 500 on rental cars for the weekend because I had to rent from two places.
Stay as far away as you can.

Sergey was extremely friendly and went out of his way to make sure we felt like we were his most important customers. We had to wait awhile for the shuttle, but the airport was shut down so there was horrible traffic. Coming back to the airport, he drove us to the shuttle stop to make sure we didn’t miss the shuttle. The price was half the price of any other rental agency so it was definitely worth it!

Beaware Beaware!!! This company is scam, they offer the car at a very low price then they make you buy the insurance at a very very expensive rate. In my worst experiance ever with a rental company i had to call the police to get a car the car they gave me was not working right, they refuse to give me another car and refuse to give the money back. Untile the police came then they gave me a new car, what kind of business is that!!!

This place is a scam. AVOID! The extra few dollars per day spent at a reputable car rental business are well worth it compared to the bogus charges and headache that Sergey (owner) will cause at the conclusion of your rental. Sergey WILL attempt to charge for pre-​existing damages. If you are unfortunate enough to rent from here, DO NOT LET HIM MARK DAMAGE — do it yourself. Take the clipboard from his hands and mark down every scratch AND dent — no matter how small (regardless of what he says). DO NOT USE THIS «COMPANY.»
Worst rental experience of my life. 1 out of 5 stars is too generous.

Sergey was great! The car was as described — basic, but in great shape, very clean and a gas sipper. Well worth the rental. Thanks, Sergey!

Great place to rent a car! Best prices on the web and Sergey was very helpful and accommodating! Was weary at first but once you get there and get serviced you will feel great about having made your reservation!
two thumbs up!

I choose Discovery for their lower rates and location. I didn’t want the hassle of waiting for shuttles to the LAX Car Rental Agencies. I didn’t know what to expect. I was impressed with the service Sergey provided. He had me processed and in a car within 10 minutes. He took pride in his operation, which is a nice change from the bigger airport companies. I will definitely rent from here in the future!

My experience at Discovery Rent-​A-​Car in all honesty is as follows for those who are interested:
1. (At Home before trip in New York):
Wow, It’s so cheap! This business looks a little sketchy and has some bad reviews about how they charge for unwarranted damages, but I’ll take my chances and be extra cautious.
2. Book 2-​week Reservation for $ 300 (yes!)
3. Arrive at LAX and follow directions I received in order to get picked up and taken to the hotel where cars are rented. (My flight arrived during business hours).
4. A rather dirty man named Sergey picks us up from the airport, and is unauthentically interested in why we are in LA. Offers bottled water I’ve seen at the store for less than a dollar (and I’m assuming he’s charging more). I decline.
5. Arrive at his office and am asked to sign several contracts, and pay for the entire reservation up front. The only problem I had here is that I was being asked to sign off that the car had absolutely no damages whatsoever having not even seen the car yet. I asked to wait until my formal introduction to the vehicle. Sergey seemed very taken aback by this. He must be used to people blindly signing contracts so that he can charge them later on for whatever he wants, without any prior notice. (a little forshadowing…) But I’ve read his reviews so I know better than to trust him blindly.
6. He entirely forgets to have me sign the paper discussing damages at all after we go over several dents and marks on the car together. (Is it seriously normal to sign off no damages before even seeing the car?) He says anything smaller than a tennis ball doesn’t count (the contract doesn’t quite include this addendum.) But he forgets to have me sign it anyway — the main rental contract was signed and paid for up front and I’m out the door with the keys.
7. Everything is fine and dandy until the car completely breaks down when I’m in the middle of the Marin Headlands. I call my private insurance company to see what the problem is, and they tell me the battery is extraordinarily low, and that it needs to be replaced ASAP. He jump starts the car, and I ask if I can get back to SoCal and he says as long as the car stays on you should be able to get where you need to go. I drive for an hour to where I’m staying in SF and hope that the car will turn back on tomorrow when I need it to to drive back down to LA. I decide that if it happens again I will call the rental office to make a formal complaint. I only wasted a couple hours of my time.
8. The next day the car turns on and I drive back to LA.
9. I used to live in California, but apparently now they have taken away all cash lanes on all toll roads. I knew the car did not have Fast Trek, but I figured if I needed to pay a toll I could pay in cash when I drive through. Expecting to pay this toll and finding it was not possible, and having been given no heads up on how to deal with this situation — I drove through the toll (everyone has to, Fast Trek or not). If you don’t have a FastTrek they mail you a bill, and if you don’t pay the bill they mail you, they add late fees. Of course they send it to the rental car agency and Discovery charges $ 75 per toll a month later on your credit card, plus all late fees and tolls. I knew this would happen if I received a ticket and did not pay, and I received one parking ticket in San Francisco, but paid it online. I obviously would have paid my $ 3 and $ 6 tolls had I been able to before of after! Many tolls in CA you cannot pay online!!!
10. I tell Sergey of my experience, and he shows no interest, just rushes me off to the airport so he can give the broken down car to his next innocent customer.
11. My credit card is charged $ 500 more a month later. (no!!!) Without notice, without a bill, without a receipt, without a breakdown of charges. I email him and he basically writes back as if I am a horrible person who breaks laws and deserves to be charged and punished. (What could I have done?!)
Advice: If you rent from this company, be prepared to know exactly where you are driving at all times and not go through any tolls. Pay any parking tickets before returning the vehicle. Read every detail you sign in his office. Dont sign to damages if there are damages (duh?) Take pictures of your vehicle before and after your reservation. Be prepared for your card to get charged regardless a month later for some reason.
Better advice: Rent from a less sketchy, more reputable rental company actually at the airport and pay LESS!

Good service and explanation of the charges. The owner is also quick in responding to emails and he is courteous. The car was fine.
Everything went smoothly and I would recommend this rental company to my friends.

I had a wonderful experience in renting a minivan with Discovery rent a car. Everything was exactly the way it was stated in the booking, no problem at all. Very nice and everything went smooth when I pick up and also when returning the minivan.

I am glad I chose Discovery Rent-​A-​Car for my trip to LA. From the owner, Sergey, to our kind and courteous shuttle driver, my experience was smooth and enjoyable. The rental price was very reasonable, car was clean and in good shape, and Sergey answered all my questions thoroughly. He even drove me back to the airport himself! Very kind. I highly recommend, and will use again when I return.

Excellent and kind service! Most competitive rates, personalized service, and easy!!! As someone who has no credit cards, I find national car rental companies to be extremely useless – as most require credit cards just to rent. Discovery Rent A Car was not this way, and that was so refreshing!
I made my reservation through KAYAK. When I picked up my baggage after landing, I called for the shuttle, the driver sent me a photo of where I should wait and what the shuttle looked like. Within 25 min I was picked up, taken to the rental center, and set up with a car. It wasn’t a flashy service, just professional and simple.

Had a great experience with this place. Was in and out super fast and the car was in excellent condition. The location is very convenient to LAX — I’ll for sure rent with them next time I’m in town.

I had a great experience with Discovery Rent A Car. I first found the service on
when looking for car rentals in LA. I needed a compact car for the weekend and Discovery Rent A Car had the lowest rates on the website. Other big name rental companies were 3 times the price of Discovery Rent A Car.
I was skeptical at first, but went with my gut. I arrived at LAX and Sergey picked me up in a shuttle labeled «Aloft Hotels.» Discovery Rent A Car services out of the hotel (currently under renovation). Sergey was very nice and informative on the services. I was charged exactly what I was quoted for the use of the rental and there were no hidden fees. There were no extra charges on my credit card.
Drop off of the vehicle was simple and fast. And Sergey drove me straight to the terminal at the airport. I enjoyed the service — Sergey made it a point to get to know his customers by taking an interest in their visits. It’s nice to support smaller businesses and it’s a plus when a business takes more than just a financial interest in their customers.

The service, price, and friendliness of Discovery Rent A Car are all phenomenal! Upon arrival at LAX I called and got picked up in about 5 minutes. When we got to the desk there was no long line, which one can usually expect at a rental car place, and going through the paperwork only took about 5 more minutes. We then checked out the car making sure everything was in good shape (it was!) and I was off!
I’ll absolutely be using Discovery again next time I’m in LA. I think you should too.

I had a wonderful experience renting with Discovery Rent A Car !
I don’t usually write reviews, ever, but this place deserves it and I want others to know this place is great!
I rent cars quite often and usually rent from the larger corporate companies. I gave this place a shot after reading prior reviews here. Reserved car at most competitive rate from all other companies nearby.
Sergey picked me up from the airport and was just on time. Called as I was off the plane on my way out since I didn’t have luggage. Nice clean van and he had small water bottles for free! Great nice feeling and pleasant conversation. The car was super clean and drove well. He brought me to the rental desk and checked me out and I was on the road in no time!
When I dropped the car off he checked me out and drove me straight to the terminal.
I will be back !

Coming in from San Francisco for the weekend on a tight schedule, they made getting and returning my car absolutely easy and painless. Additionally, the customer service and response time of the shuttle was truly fantastic. Thanks, guys!

I am from Hawaii and last week I went on a trip to LA with just my boyfriend and I. We are both 20 years old which is under the usual age for renting a car at most places, so it was very frustrating trying to find somewhere we could rent a car from. We eventually came across Discovery where they do allow any one with a valid drivers license, proof of insurance (YOUR name must be stated on document even if under someone else), and a major credit card (no debit) to rent a car. I should also mention that the prices are hard to beat. Because of our age we did have to pay a underage fee of $ 20 per day. But even with the fee, we paid a little under $ 300 for 7 days of rental. I was very worried that I wouldn’t have exactly everything I needed. But Sergey, who I believe is the owner, was very helpful and answered any of my questions through email in a very timely matter.
When we arrived at LAX we called, and the shuttle (which is actually just a van) arrived very promptly. We, too, were a little skeptical when we got to their office because it is located in a lower end hotel as mentioned before. But they took care of us quickly and before we knew it we were cruising the streets of California with our rental car.
Because of this car, even being underage, we could enjoy our vacation in various cities of California on our own time. Rather than having to catch taxi’s or shuttles. We had a Nissan Ventra which was just a simple little car that was perfect for just the two of us. The car was in good shape and was very good on gas being that we drove all over the place.
When it came time to return the car, we brought it back with a full tank just how we got it. All we had to do was drop the keys off, wait while it was inspected, and we were dropped back off at LAX within 10 minutes.
If and when I return I will use Discovery Rent A Car again.
Thank you for your service!

Affordable. Extremely courteous staff. They pick you up and drop you off at the airport so you avoid waiting for a shuttle to them wait on line to then wait to pick up your car.
The cars are basic, quality sedans.
This is a great option for someone who wants an alternative to big corporate car rentals.
All cars come with basic liability so it is useful to have your own insurance for additional coverage.
Great customer experience, nice cars, excellent price.

The Owner of the company (who’s name escapes me. I’m so sorry.) was the one to drop us off at the airport after we returned the car. We made sure that he knew what a pleasant experience we had.
It was very easy to rent through the website, the staff there was very accommodating and friendly, the vehicle we got rode like a dream, and it was an incredible value.
Some older reviews online were not so favorable, so it made us happy to find out that the company was under new management, and that they seemed invested on making it the best it can be. We will definitely be using them the next time we are in Los Angeles.