The rental order specified a child safety seat. I was charged at the time of booking. When picking up the car, it was not installed. Later, when picking up the child, I noticed it. Contacted the rental company to remove the charge. In the end, the fee was still deducted.
No prior notification, random vehicle changes, and changes to the number of passengers. The only reason given was that the original car broke down. If it broke down, shouldn't you inform us in advance?!
When booking the car, it was stated that the cost would be 1316, but we were actually charged 1847. The rental company added a lot of additional insurance without informing us and charged our credit card before showing us the contract for signing. The entire contract was in Turkish, which we couldn't understand. We thought we had purchased full coverage insurance, so we signed it. Now, they refuse to refund us, claiming we lack evidence and that our signature means we accepted the charges. How could anyone know they were being scammed and record everything on the spot for evidence? This is consumer deception and forced charges!
The service guy entered the wrong credit card information and told us our card couldn't be used. After trying twice, we called our bank back in our home country and discovered he had made a mistake. Additionally, we booked a Peugeot 2008, but they gave us a Renault Captur. The problem is, there was a clear price difference between these two models when we made the reservation.
Out of my four car rental experiences abroad, this was by far the worst. Here's what happened:
① On the first day, I was assisted by a middle-aged staff member at the Alamo (part of Enterprise) counter at Izmir Airport. He strongly recommended upgrading from the originally booked five-seater Ford Tourneo to a BMW X1, which he said was a diesel automatic. He also pushed for some additional insurance (even though I had already bought comprehensive insurance through the rental platform). Since I was traveling with my family, I reluctantly agreed to the extra daily cost. This decision turned out to be a mistake.
② Near noon on the second day, just at the entrance to the town of Alacati, the car started emitting a burning smell and white smoke from under the hood. We immediately pulled over, and I suspected that a belt related to the alternator had snapped. This happened after just 110km of driving. I called the rental company and the Izmir branch around 1 PM, asking for road assistance. By 1:30 PM, I received a text saying help was on the way, but it took over five hours for the rescue vehicle to arrive. The rescue personnel revealed that they had only been dispatched an hour earlier. Throughout those five hours, I continually texted the rental company asking for updates, only to be met with vague responses or silence. The local police were no help either.
③ At 6:30 PM, the rescue vehicle towed the car to a repair shop. I had to find a taxi to Izmir Airport (80km away, costing me 440 lira) with all our luggage and family. I hoped to get a replacement car from Alamo (Enterprise) to continue our journey, but was bluntly told that without a technical report on the broken car, no replacement could be issued. They suggested waiting for the next morning. Given their inefficiency and our disrupted itinerary, I decided we had to switch rental companies. This decision proved wise as we never got the technical report even ten days later when I returned to my country.
④ I requested a refund for the unused rental days and insurance, as well as the deposit. The counter staff refused, stating that the remaining rental days were non-refundable and the deposit could not be returned until the car's fault was determined, which was absurd considering the car only broke down due to inherent issues.
⑤ Over the next few days, I repeatedly inquired about the technical report through text messages. They kept saying repairs take time and hence the report wasn't ready. Even after ten days, I received the same response. What atrocious efficiency! Pardon my language, but this inefficiency is infuriating.
The direct and indirect losses because of this incident were: the afternoon on the second day wasted, missing the visit to Ephesus, having to drive to Pamukkale late at night, extra rental costs of approximately 1600 lira with a new company, taxi fare of 440 lira from the breakdown site to Izmir Airport, and several hours of anxious waiting with my family, causing stress and helplessness.
I hope this account helps anyone considering renting from this company to fully understand the potential risks. Make an informed choice to avoid my ordeal.
The waiting time is almost negligible for locals. The service attitude is great, and the staff meticulously explain the contract terms and insurance issues.
Unable to contact local authorities in Turkey, no proof of insurance provided after reporting a vehicle move, I had to pay for repairs despite having insurance.
I paid 640 per day hoping to get a Mercedes, but they told me it was in an accident and they upgraded me. They were polite and I prioritized my mood during my trip, so I accepted. In the end, they gave me a Peugeot 2008. This experience was really bad!
They didn't recommend insurance, saying the one I bought was sufficient. Don't worry too much about being upsold; just tell them you've already purchased insurance. Communication in English is manageable.
The service attitude was perfunctory, and they didn't inform us of the return route in advance. The return location was extremely hard to find. We spent an hour looking for it and almost missed our flight.
We picked up the car at 2 AM, and the rental staff kept pushing us to upgrade the car and buy insurance, despite us already purchasing it through Zuzuche. They even tried to upsell us to a BMW. It was a bit much.
Returning the car was convenient; it took only five minutes.
Car swapping is quite common in Turkey. Didn't like driving a Renault and wanted a Hyundai, but still ended up with a Renault. As expected, the gear shift logic was terrible.
You can add an additional driver by telling the counter staff. I paid extra for domestic insurance in Turkey, which cost more than 300 yuan than expected. Reasons: 1. My English is poor, so communication was difficult. 2. The counter staff didn't mention the insurance and asked me to sign the document right away. 3. Due to language barriers and the long queue behind me, I signed hastily. 4. In retrospect, I should have told the counter staff from the beginning that I didn't need insurance and used phone translation if necessary, instead of waiting for him to print the document.
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Gemma Shaw
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