Tags: Angry Germany Porsche Rip off Stuttgart

So when we went to Frankfurt last weekend we rented a car from Sixt Car Rental.  The first mistake I made was when we got the flight I got on Expedia and booked the car (so I thought).  I saw a confirmation number and assumed we were good.  Well I didn’t notice the button at the bottom that said “complete this reservation”.  Yes stupid me.  Well when we arrived we went to the rental place and of course they could not find our reservation.  We decided to rent the car anyway.  What with Expedia was $60 rental was not a $130 dollar rental.  OK I could live with this no big deal.  So of course they did not have a map to give us.  You would think with $130 we could at least get a free map.  We asked the gentleman where to return the car and he said in the same place we take it from.  So we then went on our merry way and after several wrong turns made it to the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, Germany about 200 km away.

Of course this being Sunday in Germany all of the stores were closed.  We were driving back and were unable to find a gas station in the city, (especially without a map).  We happened to drive by one but my husband was going to fast to stop.  So I figured what maybe they would charge us double for the gas not a big deal.  I can handle that.  We made it back to the parking lot and after circling 3 times figured out how to get in to return the car.  We then went to the key drop location where it said drop the key and the ticket you received in the underground garage.  What!!! There was no underground garage the little parking lot map had an arrow in so we went with that.

Now I know we should have read the contract before we left but you know who reads rental agreements.  When we returned to the hotel I was looking at the contract and we were only allocated 300km.  Well, crap the Porsche Museum was 200km one way and we got lost coming back.  Not sure how far but we did get lost.  So I figured maybe we went 100km over and then maybe another 50 to 100km extra.  Ok, no big deal 200 km x ,14 euro an extra $28 euro.  I can handle that.

We get home and there is a charge pending on our card for $272.  Ok this is the deposit no big deal.  Then on Thursday I check the computer again WHAM $387.00 for a 9 hour car rental.  Now excuse my language but I basically said “what the fuck”.  So I immediately called Sixt to see what the charges were for.  I will pay it (though I have already paid it) so long as I know what it is for.  Well I give them the contract number.  They can’t find it in their system.  I give them my husband’s name, still can’t find it.  I give them the credit card number, nope nothing.  Ok this is annoying.  The girl (very helpful not her fault at all) checks the location and the time we rented and nothing with our last name, first name anything.  So she’s about to give up and I ask her to talk to a supervisor and see if they can come up with any ideas.  Well they ask me to scan in my invoice and send it to them.  Which I do.  I’m not trying to get out of paying my car rental I just want an explanation.  So this is the what I have gotten so far and I believe it is in Euros though that has not been confirmed by them.

The rental days is 70.21 fuel is 163.74 Ldw insurance is 14.30 and the premium location fee is 49.65. which is 250.34 with tax is 297.90, and then the deposit was 207.08 For more assistance  allow the customer service department to check the information and they will be able to further assist you with the charges.

Ok now I know gas is expensive in Europe but $211 for gas it’s only a 14 gallon tank and we only went about 600 km which would only have used about 20 or 30 liters.  Maybe I’m just complaining and maybe we could have found a gas station but every time we got off the Autobahn to try and turn around we ended up on a completely different road.  They don’t have North and South, East and West on their highways.  They have the next town over and other towns.  If you don’t know the towns you don’t know where you are going.

All I can tell you is that we will either prepay the gas or find a gas station next time.  Also, I will not rent from them again their customer service was horrible and how do you not put someone in correctly in the system.  I spend 40 minutes on the phone yesterday trying to have them find us in the system and I had my contract in my hand.