Terrible Experience! Never again!!!

<p>Here follows my email sent to Dollar Thrifty Customer Care, to which I have not yet had the courtesy of a reply:</p> <p> </p> <p>I rented a Class Y vehicle from your establishment on 21 June 2017 for pick up on the 14th of July and drop off on the 16th of July 2017. Payment for the two days was made immediately in full in the amount of R2288.00.</p> <p> </p> <p>Upon pick-up at your Bram Fischer Airport branch in Bloemfontein we waited until 20h40 for the vehicle, pick-up time was 19h15. When we eventually received the vehicle we noticed a warning light flashing. We returned to the branch, upon which we were informed that there were no other vehicles available – no one knew what the warning light meant – but we were assured that we would receive a replacement vehicle in Pretoria (our destination for the following day), which would be brought to our location in Silverlakes in order to journey back to Bloemfontein. We left the depot at 21h05 – two hours after we were due to receive the vehicle. The vehicle was dirty as well - not cleaned AT ALL.</p> <p> </p> <p>During the course of the morning of the 15th of July, I received several calls from both the Bloemfontein branch as well as the road side assistance official in order to facilitate the drop off of the new vehicle. I informed both parties that we had to return to Bloemfontein around 12h00 in the afternoon and would therefore require the replacement vehicle to be at our location around that time. When the vehicle had not arrived by 13h45 I suggested that we would pick it up at the airport where there was a vehicle available (according to your website as well). The road side assist person insisted that we then pick up the vehicle at your Pomona depot, which was about 45km out of our way.</p> <p> </p> <p>My entire party of 7 (SEVEN) people comp**** with this request, after already having to wait an entire hour and 45 minutes for the replacement vehicle. When we arrived at the Pomona depot, after the security official at the gate initially told us that there were no one there on a Saturday and we had to turn back, we succeeded in contacting the staff at the depot inside, only to wait ANOTHER HOUR for the replacement vehicle, which was still being cleaned – this is the vehicle that was supposed to be in Silverlakes at 12h00 and which was still being cleaned and checked by 15h30. </p> <p> </p> <p>When we eventually received, checked, signed off on the vehicle and left the depot by 16h20 we discovered that the fuel was only half full. This was communicated to your depot and they said that a note would be made on the system.</p> <p> </p> <p>I also informed the official at the depot, that since we were already more than three hours behind schedule and had to deviate from our route to pick up a replacement vehicle, which was supposed to be brought to us, we did not refuel the first vehicle. In light of all things considered it would be extremely poor business practice of Thrifty to then levy a 10% refuelling charge as well.</p> <p> </p> <p>The warning light, according to one of your employees was due to brake wear. BRAKE WEAR on a rental vehicle (!!), in which seven people essentially risked their lives from Bloemfontein to Pretoria!?!?!???</p> <p> </p> <p>In addition to this, two transactions for the additional driver that failed on your speed point machine at the Bloemfontein branch upon pick-up of the first (faulty) vehicle – which was paid upon return of the vehicle for a “third” time – was later put through on my credit card.</p> <p> </p> <p>And as if this horrifying experience was not enough a further R2329.98 was debited from my credit card on the 21st of July 2017 – more than a WEEK later?</p> <p> </p> <p>In summation the following:</p> <p> </p> <p>1. It took 2 (TWO) hours to pick up a vehicle from Dollar Thrifty that was booked and paid for almost a month in advance. The vehicle was dirty both inside and out.</p> <p>2. The vehicle was faulty – with a warning light indicating BREAK WARE, according to your own employees.</p> <p>3. The replacement vehicle that was supposed to be delivered to our location was not only an hour and forty five minutes late, but essentially never arrived.</p> <p>4. The entire party of professionals, who rented the vehicle to attend a meeting in Pretoria, had to deviate 45km from our route (not counting the kilometres back) and more than 3 (THREE) hours behind schedule to the Dollar Thrifty depot in Pomona, only to wait another hour to receive the replacement vehicle, which was still being cleaned and checked.</p> <p>5. The replacement vehicle was only half full with fuel.</p> <p>6. Two failed transactions for the additional driver was charged to the credit card AGAIN – even after it was paid.</p> <p>7. Another charge of R2329.98 was charged to the credit card MORE THAN A WEEK after the fact and after the Bloemfontein branch confirmed that the two additional driver charges would be refunded and that there would be no further charges.</p> <p>8. The additional charges have still not been refunded.</p> <p> </p> <p>Please revert regarding the above, as I find it utterly unacceptable and unprofessional that further charges have been charged to my credit card and that I have still not received any refund to date.</p> <p> </p> <p>I will never make use of Dollar Thrifty again, despite your friendly and helpful staff member at the Bloemfontein branch, who was very helpful and professional during the entire ordeal.</p> <p> </p> <p>I will also inform all my colleagues and friends of our ordeal, as I am sure my travel companions will as well.</p> <p> </p> <p> </p>