A woman took a chance on a surprise rental car, hoping to get something fun to drive. Instead, Payless Car Rental gave her a vehicle so unexpected that she and her friend could barely stop laughing.
TikTok creator @mydearmaria, who goes by Maria Magdalena, shared the moment she discovered what Payless had picked for her. She had chosen the company’s surprise vehicle option, which meant she wouldn’t know what she was driving until she arrived.
Walking through a rental lot filled with ordinary cars and SUVs, Magdalena spotted her assigned vehicle. It was a huge white van, the kind someone might use to move furniture or carry a large group of people. It was nothing like the car she had pictured.
Her friend found the whole thing just as funny. Both women burst into laughter as they looked at the van they were supposed to drive. Magdalena soon gave it a nickname that fit its size: Big Bertha.
Meet Big Bertha
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In her TikTok video, Magdalena can hardly contain herself as she shows off the van. What began as a simple rental reservation had turned into a much bigger surprise than she wanted.
Her caption made clear that she hadn’t expected anything like this. She joked that they had hoped to get a different white vehicle, only to end up with Big Bertha.
The pair still seemed ready to make the best of it, although neither could stop laughing at the sight of their new ride.
Everyone Has Jokes
Viewers quickly filled the comments with jokes about the van. One person called it the “kidnapper 3000,” while another thought it looked like a church van.
Someone else suggested that Magdalena could now drive an entire stadium full of people. Another commenter joked that the van was big enough to replace a hotel room.
A former Avis/Budget employee even weighed in, writing, “As an ex Avis/Budget employee, this was 100% intentional.” The comment was a joke, though there was no evidence that a Payless employee had deliberately chosen the van to surprise her.
Other viewers shared their own strange rental experiences. One person recalled getting a 2011 Lincoln Town Car through a mystery rental. Another said a rental company once offered them a similar van when they had expected something like a Nissan Rogue.
A Roll of the Dice
Mystery rental options allow customers to book without knowing the exact vehicle they’ll receive. The surprise comes when the rental company assigns a vehicle at pickup.
According to Payless’s rental FAQ, the company normally guarantees the reserved vehicle category. If that category isn’t available, it may provide a vehicle from a higher category at the confirmed rate. The policy does not specifically explain how surprise vehicles are assigned.
For Magdalena, the mystery option delivered a van she hadn’t planned on driving. And judging by the comments, plenty of other renters have learned that leaving the choice up to a rental company can lead to some unusual rides.