A traveler at Chicago O'Hare Airport is warning others about what they describe as a systematic scam by Dollar Rental Car — and their story suggests this isn't an isolated incident.
The complaint: being charged $36.99 per day for Loss Damage Waiver insurance they explicitly declined, with the rental agent allegedly preventing them from properly reviewing or signing the confirmation screen.
After updating the post, the traveler reported that Dollar only resolved the issue after being contacted on social media — and that reviews reveal this is happening to many customers at the Chicago O'Hare location.
How the Scam Works
The traveler's account describes a classic "forced signature" tactic:
1. Aggressive upselling. The agent pushes add-ons including Loss Damage Waiver insurance.
2. Customer declines. The traveler explicitly said no to all upgrades.
3. "Security deposit" confusion. The agent claimed the charge was a refundable security deposit.
4. Signature malfunction. When trying to sign the confirmation screen, "it didn't work, but the guy didn't say anything about not receiving my signature."
5. Unauthorized charges appear. The LDW insurance — declined verbally — shows up on the bill at $36.99 per day.
For a three-day rental, that's an extra $110.97 the customer never authorized.
The Resolution
After spending all morning trying to reach Dollar's customer service with no success, the traveler turned to social media. They tagged Dollar on Twitter (X), and Carlos, a company representative, and resolved the issue quickly.
