CAR HIRE COMPANY SHENANIGANS

Just had yet another car hire issue with Avis (have no idea why I keep using them), and thought it would be good to have a go at gathering everyone’s car hire company misdemeanour/horror stories: 1) Being offered a lower grade of car and assured it’s a better deal as its got navigation, only to discover 20 miles up the road it doesn’t have navigation at all 2) Being given special offer upgrades only to

discover (when you refuse) that they have run out of cars so they then give you the upgrade for nothing 3) You book on their new “guarantee the car type”only to be told by the branch that its utterly ludicrous and no one would ever guarantee the car type and they give you something different and they refuse to refund on the premium you paid Any more from anyone? Am I the only one to consider car rental a pretty murky business up there with estate agents and second-hand car salesman?

donkeyasia December 14, 2017 13:20

Superchris, second-hand car sales people is exactly what they are. They buy cars in bulk from the manufacturers, keep them a little while, then sell them second hand, often for more than they bought them for in the first place. They do not make money renting out cars, but they make extra by selling extras and insurance.

K1ngston December 14, 2017 16:00

I was in Israel and had hired a sedan from Sixt to find they had sold out and all they had on offer to give me at that time was a “van”

Having spent two hours pulling what little hair I have out of my head I decided to take the van and sort it out in Tel Aviv or indeed anywhere else other than the airport the following day!

Picked up the vehicle (it was still light) and went to friends and then started my journey up north to where my son was and noticed as it was getting dark that I couldn’t see where I was going and only then realised the vehicle had no lights whatsoever and I was in the middle of nowhere!

I managed to drive on using the full beam annoying everyone else coming towards me and vowed to have “words” in the morning.

When I finally managed to get hold of this company they were apologetic and offered me a replacement car whose brakes failed the next day and its replacements clutch went before the end of the trip….

I will never use Sixt again they are total rubbish and I am still fighting for compensation for the original money taken from my credit card! Avis seems like a dream in comparison!