Never book Thrifty unless you want to ruin your trip

We had booked a 11 seater Toyota Quantam for four day from 8-Aug-19 to 12-Aug-19 to go on a vacation trip to Kruger National Park. We started on our journey on 9-Aug-19 early morning from Johannesburg and after driving about 350 km, the car suddenly broke down, and could not be driven. We had contacted your Roadside Assitance from the site of breakdown, near Graskop, but the customer service we received was extremely disappointing and had much to be desired. Not only we were made to wait for 5 long hours on the road, amid very poor weather, but the replacement car that was provided, had one less seat and also not in good condition, it had a very bad driving experience. We were told that this car was a temporary solution for us to drive to our hotel for that evening, and we would be provided another replacement car that was being brought from Johannesburg by that evening, latest by 8:30 P.M. However, before we could drive to our hotel, we were made to wait for more than an hour in the replacement car as apparently Thrifty Nelspruit was trying to block an excess amount of R7000 on my credit card without my knowledge or agreement, and I was told that my credit card was declining, although I could see multiple (4) transactions of that order (approx R 7000) on my credit card statement, which I also shared with the driver (Lance) and the Thrifty Nelspruit office, but they made us wait unnecessarily waiting for that transaction to be validated while some of my family were waiting on the road for us to pick them up in the replacement car on the way to our hotel. In fact the Thrifty Nelspruit Manager, Taffy, was very rude and unprofessional in his communication with us while we were waiting for his approval to move on.

Inspite of the assurance of Thrifty Roadside Assistance (Kuben), our hassels continued, and we had to wait for the entire night communicating every now and then with Thrifty Roadside Assistance to get the replacement vehicle that was promised to us. Not only did we have to wait the entire night for the replacement, when it did arrive finally at 4:00 A.M. in the morning, the vehicle that we received, was also not similar to the one that we had booked or we were promised, as it also had just 10 seats and the condition of the car was also not up to the mark. In fact, it also had the tinted glass windows that Thrifty promised would be clear windows, as that was an important criteria to us, as we were Kruger National Park.

We would really like to know if the quality of the car that was provided to us in the first place and on subsequent cases, were checked properly before being handed over to the customer, as it not only broken down after the first few hours of our vacation drive, The Thrifty driver, Lance, who came to Graskop with a new car inspected the car and acknowledged that we have not damaged anything and its the car's fault.

After repeated calls to the office,driver Lance came with black glass window car(FS 06 ZH GP) , checked our car and found some issue with clutch and also assured us that by 8.00 PM we will be getting the 11 seater car with clear,white glass window. Also, one and half day of my trip wasted due to this and even after this also we have been asked to pay R7000 for excess which I do not understand the reason for as the car broke down due to no external damage caused by us. On my bank statement I can see 4 transaction of the same amount.

To conclude the car service has ruined our whole trip and we could not enjoy the Kruger trip as the quality of the car was not up to the mark and could not accommodate our party of eleven members.

I request you to kindly look into the matter on priority as we should not be asked to pay R7000 after all of the problem and hassels that we faced and that too for the technical glitch of the car for which I am not even responsible. Please help with reimbursing any extra amount you have charge us and also looking forward to be compensated our our harassment in terms of any charges that you can discount from our rental charges.