Avoid this company at any cost
Avoid this company at any cost. They are cheating you at your face.
January 2018 in Berlin Schönefeld airport: I have rented and fully prepaid by credit card a car through holiday autos, to be delivered by fliizzr (the discount arm of Sixt, as I learned). I appeared 1.5 hours after the time I had indicated in the reservation. So the reservation is cancelled AND my money to be kept! (remember, a fully prepaid reservation!)
The SIXT employee at the counter says this category is no longer available, but she can give me a car of a higher category at the double price. No thank you, I go online and book on the spot another car through exactly the same companies (holiday autos & flizzr) at a 10% lower rate than the previous one!
So 5' after the previous interaction a car is indeed available and at a lower category and price. When I ask the employee why she lied to me she shakes her shoulders - obviously she has such instructions.
Can I take my car now? Oh, you must wait for 60' or pay an additional 10€ and pick up the car immediately. Which I do, as I have wasted enough time with them.
I also file on the spot an online complaint with holiday autos about the initial reservation. You cannot NOT provide the service AND charge 100% of the price. Holiday autos answers 2 days later that there is nothing they can do, it is in flizzr's term and conditions. I respond that this is not legal, I will initiate a chargeback through my credit card AND file a formal complaint with the consumer protection agency. One day later holiday autos confirms that there will be no charge.
***Update: A few weeks later I see another charge in my credit card statement for yet another €25+19% tax for "delayed return". I had delivered the car even before they had opened for the day, because I had a very early flight. But I had to research about this hidden charge, AND send them the receipt for fuel and my boarding pass. So, I had to prove I was innocent, instead of them proving they were entitled to a charge.***
As a travel industry veteran of 3 decadesI can safely say that this was the worst rental car experience of my life. Does any one need this hassle? No. Do their dirty tricks work? Probably most of the time with people who are not aware of the legal frame and their possibilities to resist.
To flizzr management: If you read this fellows and have lost the ability to be ashamed of the "product" you offer, PLEASE, PLEASE sue me. I'll happily provide my actual information to you and enjoy the publicity around it.
January 28, 2018
Unprompted review
