rentalcarscom.com / booking.com (same company) are #thieves, my 70yo mum turned up for her pre-booked car, didn't get it - they were overbooked - no reimbursement, 5 months & 10 emails later still keeping her money #preyingonthevulnerables
Bad experience...
Total scam, deceptive sales strategie, you guys suck big time
You recently contacted us about a reservation
Booking Reference
375 526 671
How satisfied were you with the customer service from Noman Nasrullah ( Rental cars.com) when you contacted us?
My partner found them, apparently they were cheap and the best in the west, she spoke to rental cars.com staff named TOBY for a quote, we just want a car for 18days in Lisbon Portugal and we do not which to pay for no insurance protection cover from you as we will buy full insurance cover at the desk in Portugal and very importantly why we are booking through you is that we want a car that we must not leave any penny nor a coin deposit?( You would think they did get it right?) Toby did assure this exciting sound girl on the phone that of course this options are what we do, that 100 percent we will give you a car that requires no deposit and you can purchase insurance there for like 13 to 14 euros/day and after He sent the quote to her email address
I called them on the 17th June 2016 to reserve this booking and i specifically referred to that initial quote from Toby and did actually just wanted only Toby but the guy on phone was keen keen to take the credit of this sale that he told me Toby wasn't in the office but he could help me achieve my aim. So asked him again with my voice recorder on what we specifically want is just a car to pick up from Lisbon for 18days and we will not pay no penny nor a pound deposit nor buy any additional top up insurance you are selling? He said yes sure we can assure you sir that is not a problem. He tried taking payment from my bank 3 times just for a 40quid deposit, he did eventually send me the confirmation of the reservation which read this:(At the counter, Sixt will hold a deposit on the main drivers credit card. You must have sufficient funds available to cover the deposit. You may decide to buy additional cover from Sixt at the counter to reduce or remove your deposit amount. Please Note: If you do buy a policy from Sixt at the counter, that contract will be between you and Sixt) after reading this i thought the salesman that just took my other, he must be insane to even mention leaving a deposit at the desk but maybe he is okay in the headas he also did mention buying additional to remove your deposit anyway. Got home from work showed the confirmation to my partner and she had the same thought he does say you can purchase additional insurance to remove leaving a deposit. On the 20th june 2016 at about 1800hrs i got a call from ROHUL AMIN of rental cars.com trying to sell me a deposit protection insurance for £58 because its better to leave a £960deposit at counter and as long as i buy deposit protection cover for £58 its better than buying daily insurance in portugal because i will pay over 300 euros on the insurance that i wont get the money back whereas i could only loose £58 andit guarantees my £960 back. I sincerely asked him, do you guys have a problem giving me a car in portugal that does not require leaving a deposit because i had told you this is what i want and if you can not provide me this service you must refund me immediately as on our initial quote and at booking reservation i specifically asked for this and this i asked was what i paid for nothing else you are selling i am buying. He realized i was giving and he suggested i should go and speak to my partner about it because it is the best thing for us. i repeated my stands then he backed off and said i should think about it and i hanged up the call. Then few minutes later i received an email from Him saying; ( Full Protection has now been added to your booking at £58.00 for the full duration. Rentalcars.com protection waiver products
When you pick your car up, the car hire company will require you to leave a security deposit in case the car is damaged during your rental. As long as you purchased one of our protection waiver products before your rental began, we will waive your liability (and refund you) for any charges withheld from your deposit / excess, subject to the terms described here.
Our Damage Protection, Full Protection and Top-up Protection waiver products are offered to customers making new bookings.
All three will cover charges for damage to the rental cars exterior or mechanical components, including bodywork, roof, undercarriage, windscreen, windows, mirrors, wheels, tyres, hubcaps, engine, clutch, battery and locks.
In addition, Full Protection and Top-up Protection will cover:
O immobilisation charges (for loss of revenue while the car is being repaired and cannot be rented out)
O roadside assistance charges resulting from a breakdown or accident
O charges directly related to locking yourself out of the rental car or losing its key(s)
O the amount the car hire company charges as a result of claiming on the cars Theft Protection policy
O car hire company administration fees related to any of these points.
Note: Top-up Protection is offered to customers hiring a car with a zero-excess Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) policy.
Our waiver products will not cover:
O repairs not approved by the car hire company
O cleaning charges or damage to the cars interior (unless caused by a collision)
O damage to / loss of child seats, GPS devices or other extra equipment
O costs incurred under circumstances that break the terms of the rental agreement (such as dangerous, careless or negligent driving, refuelling errors, or driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol).
Our Damage Excess Refund waiver product is no longer offered to customers making new bookings, but we will honour claims from people who have already bought this protection. This product will only cover damage to parts covered by the CDW (as detailed by the car hire company at pick-up).
Claiming on a Rentalcars.com protection waiver product
To claim on one of our protection waiver products, please contact Customer Services within 28 days of dropping your car off. You will need:
O Your cars check-in and check-out documents, which clearly show the new damage being charged for by the car hire company
O Proof of repair cost from the car hire company
O Evidence of payments deducted from your payment card by the car hire company
O The car hire companys accident report form
O A police report, if applicable
We aim to pay within 7 days upon receipt of all required documentation.
In cases where a third party has been involved in an accident we require confirmation from the car hire company that liability for the accident has been determined (and any legal cases settled) before we can process your claim.
All claim payments are processed onto the payment card used to purchase the protection waiver product from Rentalcars.com (not necessarily the payment card charged by the car hire company).
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I called him back immediately to ask why he has done that against my wish and he thought it was the best thing for me was waiting for me to ring back confirm interest but he will remove it now. I told him it seems you are going to to have issues providing me the services i asked for and paid for please refund my money back in my account but he will apologies and reassure me that there is no problems at all.
I would get to Portugal with my family stranded at Lisbon airport as sixt wanted me leave a £1000 deposit or pay for full insurance for the days i booked and also leave a 1000 euros deposit!
I would miss burial ceremony, i would miss reuniting with families that's come as far. I would have to over a 1000 euros that day and the funniest part of it is called rental cars with the dispute, i specifically asked to speak to someone that is ENGLISH or PORTUGUESE that understands the language properly. I was put thru to a NUNO and we talked in Portuguese and he told me to go to centurio car stand that he will change my booking to them so that i can pick up the car, i will wait for another 3hours and nothing and called them back and a fluent English speaking man that told me i shouldn't worry that its too late now that i should go home with my family and he will make sure i get my refund immediately. I left the airport 6 hours after checking out with a 2year old that has become restless. The following day i would go to hire car company that is also a supplier to rentalcars.com and book a new car with no insurance to pay and the lady in counter told me every rented car has and insurance to be on public road so i do not need further insurance cover and do not certainly need to leave a penny deposit only pay for the car and days u need it and an 18euros charge for the tolls across the country.
Rental cars.com will go ahead to claim it was my fault that i dint collect the car and i accepted there terms and condition when i made the booking and that they are entitled to over 87% of my money and refund £59.17. I recorded my encounter with sixt officials in Lisbon on the 18th August 2016 and they did confirm all specified terms i had requested of them, and they distanced themselves from the booking and told me to sue RENTALCARS.COM
I am doing this because not only did held my money but to claim as well that themselves and sixt has a share of my had earned money is only what an English law and Justice system will look at.
Avoid this company they are thieves!
SCAM. SCAM. 260 for no car.
In December 12,2015 RENTALCARS.COM accepted my reservation request (Booking Reference Number: *******), which presupposes not only the existence of the offered vehicle as well as its availability for the requested period (Dec 26 to Jan2).
At time of booking I made an advance payment of the fees ($ 361.00), which was immediately charged in my credit card.
Before the trip, I received a number of messages with the offer of an "upgrade" to change the car reservation for a bigger car which, consequently, would make me incur in greater expense. This fact (upgrade offers), incidentally, presupposed the existence and availability not only of the vehicle reserved by me but also other vehicles availability, ie this insistent offer presupposed the existence and availability of even more vehicles for the period.
By the pick-up day and time of the reserved vehicle (Saturday night 7pm), I was told by Hertz employee that there were no vehicles available (?). As absurd as this fact (shortage of vehicles even reserved and prepaid) is the non-receipt of any prior notice by RENTALCARS.COM or HERTZ; so that we could prepare ourselves for changing our vacation plans.
Well, I and other customers were waiting for the manager and, as she did not come, we went to meet him at the airport garage HERTZ facilities. The manager reported that customers had not returned already rented vehicles and that we should come back the next day (Monday Dec 28). So, after several hours spent in waiting and arguments, I had no other alternative than taking a taxi to my destination (Hotel Gran Melia - Rio Grande); 19 miles far from the airport. I was supposed to have a happy dinner with my family in the way, but we have a late and expensive dinner in the hotel.
The next day (Sunday) I called HERTZ Puerto Rico and was informed of the lack of vehicles available in Puerto Rico not only that day but also there would be no vehicles available until the weekend (when I was supposed to drop off the car). I tried to call HERTZ customer services, but it only works in business days ().
In sequence called RENTALCARS.COM and the clerk also emphasized the inexistence of any rental vehicles in Puerto Rico and, as an alternative, commented that I could book any vehicle, anywhere and excessive price would be refunded for you. The next day (Sunday Dec. 29), I called several local vehicles car rentals, which had no vehicles available until the next weekend. In sequence, I called RENTALCARS.COM again and the clerk apologized and said he had nothing to do. So, I said I would keep try to have my vacation trip as possible and, further, draw and present a travel report with my transportation spending and would wait for its evaluation.
I like to show my displeasure and to stress that RENTALCARS.COM and HERTZ have destroyed my vacation plan. In planning my vacation, I had the option (1) to stay in San Juan and make short taxi trips and sightseeing in group tours (excursions) or (2) book a resort and rent a car to travel around.
I decided for the second option and I booked a more comfortable and expensive hotel outside the capital (Gran Melia Rio Grande) counting on the rental vehicle, just to easily move me around the island without getting stuck in the metropolitan traffic and do not incur costs with parking; thus having more schedule time flexibility for tourism and shopping.
In addition, the rented vehicle would enable me to save some money by reducing costs as the room I had booked has kitchen; which would enable me to make breakfasts and quick meals with purchased food a grocery store.
Still, the vehicle would enable me to make main meals outside the hotel, which, as I have mentioned, is a hotel with international cuisine restaurants and highly expensive.
Lack of vehicle also spoiled my plans to meet the islands of Culebra and Vieques; also, limited my visit to El Yunque forest and the historical district of San Juan (Old San Juan).
As a result of the frustrated rental:
I got stuck in the hotel more than I supposed to so, I incurred in higher food costs and had my food options limited;
Year-end party not enjoyed - as I thought I would have had a vehicle, I have not booked me and my family participation in the Meliá year-end party; so we were out of the party with no options as the hotel is a resort some miles far from safe places (...);
My mobility was more limited and more expensive as stuck in a resort, there were not so many taxis and thereby I incurred in large waiting time for getting back and forth;
I could not go to tourist spots - could not book groups (excursions) to certain sights and for that I was, I was limited by the duration and path, which was not part of my plans;
Unexpected costs Due to the frustrated rental, I had to make several international phone calls I not expected to make.
I could not shop effectively supermarket - with already commented, was part of my vacation plan save on quick meals and breakfast; although used taxi to go to the market to shop, it was highly uncomfortable.
In short, it make me feel disrespected as I was clearly put aside for providing other client that should have paid a fare higher than me. I am my family are extremely disappointed with RENTALCARS.COM and HERTZ.
After coming back home, I present a claim to RENTALCARS.COM to reimburse the fees for the car I was not provided along with the unexpected expenses I had to bear due to fail in providing me a car. RENTALCARS.COM said it would discuss with HERTZ and, believe, RENTALCARS.COM is not responding my messages.
Think before using RENTALCARS.COM and HERTZ because they may not only fail in providing you a car, but also do not reimburse prepaid fees and expenses. I have been stolen and cheated!
300 Euros for 6 days in Bordeaux, fair and good.