In early March, we rented a car from a Chinese company in Christchurch through Zuzuche. The car we rented was a 2005 Toyota hatchback. When we picked up the car, we noticed it was very old and the engine didn't sound right, but considering it was only a little over 100 RMB per day, we decided to rent it. From March 2nd evening when we picked up the car until March 10th, we drove it without major issues until we were heading to Lake Tekapo from Queenstown. Around 11 PM, while driving through a mountain, a high temperature warning suddenly appeared. We immediately stopped the car by the roadside. Since there was no mobile signal, we had to add water to the radiator. We added about 2-3 liters and the warning disappeared. However, after driving for 5 kilometers, the high temperature warning appeared again, and there was a persistent burning smell. We stopped by the roadside and flagged down passing vehicles for help. It was past 11 PM, and luckily a couple from Israel in an RV picked us up.
They gave us a damaged car, probably around eight years old, with 80,000 kilometers already on it. Luckily, we didn't encounter any high temperatures; otherwise, breaking down on the highway would have been a real possibility. The rental company kept giving us the runaround. Be cautious when choosing this company; I definitely won't pick an overseas Chinese rental company next time.
Avoid renting from this company at all costs. The car was extremely old, had been driven for thousands of kilometers, and was covered in scratches. Shortly after we drove it, it wouldn't start. When we asked about it, we received vague responses. We had to put up with it for our trip. After returning to our country, they informed us of a speeding ticket, which we paid directly on the official website. They still charged us a handling fee. Very dishonest. Don't be tempted by low prices or Chinese companies. It's better to rent from a large company in New Zealand.
The man who picked us up had a terrible attitude. He was late, which was bad enough, but his demeanor was also extremely impatient during our communication before and after the meeting. After being picked up from the airport, we were driven to a parking lot to complete the handover. From my limited car rental experience, I thought we needed to go to the store to sign various documents and backup IDs. I casually asked, 'Is it okay to do the handover here?' He got angry instantly and yelled at me, saying, 'If you think we are not legitimate, you can cancel. We only have this one car, and you won't find another car elsewhere.' Later, one of his colleagues came over and started complaining to them that I said they were not legitimate. He even told me, 'We are compatriots; don’t think we’ll scam you because we’re good people.' Excuse me? When did I say you were scamming me? When did I say you were bad people? Hello? Aren't you being too sensitive? I swear my question was just out of concern for their interests. When explaining the contract terms, his explanation was very indifferent, telling me to read it myself. But when it came to collecting money, they were very active. He later explained he had been busy all day and was tired, and that’s why his tone wasn’t good. Seriously? I'm paying money during New Year's Eve to take my parents out and just to let you throw tantrums at us? If you're in the service industry, at least be a bit professional. We don’t owe each other anything. I’m being polite to you, not giving you the right to treat me badly. I later checked the reviews myself and interestingly, everyone mentioned doing the handover at that parking lot. If they didn’t take us to the store because it was 7:30 PM, there might be other reasons for others. I won’t go into more details; you can experience it yourself.
The car was delivered later than the scheduled time. We arranged to pick it up at 9 AM, but by 9:31 it still hadn't arrived. While driving, the car made a loud noise and couldn't be driven properly. They claimed it was sand in the brake pads. We drove on regular roads, not gravel, and requested a repair. They demanded a credit card for security and blamed us for the issue. When we reported this to the rental company, their staff insulted us, questioning our integrity. We didn't make up the problem; the car had an issue and the rental company should inspect it to determine responsibility. Instead, they asked for our credit card with unclear intentions. This almost ruined our plans. With such an attitude and service, who would dare to rent from them? Cars can have issues, but this approach and attitude are unacceptable.
To be honest, I'm very dissatisfied with this company. I booked a new Toyota Yaris, but upon pickup, I received an old Nissan Tiida from 10 years ago. The car was dirty and hadn't been cleaned, and there were numerous scratches. When I pointed these out and took photos, they said it didn't matter. I requested this be noted on the pickup form, but they told me not to rent if I didn't like it and questioned why I was inspecting the car so carefully. They said all their cars were in this condition. When I returned the car, they charged me almost 4000 RMB for a small two-centimeter paint chip on the rear of the car. I rented the car for 11 days for less than 2000 RMB. Charging nearly 4000 RMB for a scratch smaller than a fingernail? Are they crazy?
During pick-up, they only conducted a superficial inspection and told me that everything was recorded, and there should be no issues. Trusting them, I only checked for scratches on the surface. However, when returning the car, their inspection was very detailed, even feeling under the bumper and claimed it was scratched. It was frustrating, and I had to accept it. Please, everyone, be sure to carefully check under the front and rear bumpers during pick-up, especially in areas you can't see. Take photos for evidence! Otherwise, you won’t have any proof if something goes wrong! Take note! On this trip, a friend borrowed from another slightly larger company, and we had no such issues. Although it was a few hundred bucks more expensive, it was worry-free! Everything else was fine!
When the tire was leaking and I was in a hurry, they had no spare tire and didn't provide any solution. Instead, they referred to the contract saying rescue would arrive within 24 hours. I don't understand why I bought the super insurance! Also, they directly threatened to hang up on me.
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Rex Hearst
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