JvdM
JP van der Merwe

1 reviews | Active since Aug 2013

21 Jan 2025, 10:38

- 10 STAR FOR POLICIES AND BOOKING SYSTEM. CAN NOT REVIEW "NO" SERVICE

-10 STARS....Deep frustration and disappointment with the experience I had with First Car Rentals. My daughter booked a car rental through their website, but due to the lack of proper age verification in the booking process, she was allowed to proceed with a reservation. However, when she arrived to finalise the booking, she was informed that she is not eligible due to the age restriction policy, which should have been enforced at the very beginning. (within 3 months will she be 23). This oversight cost her the opportunity to attend a crucial job interview, resulting in her missing out on a significant job opportunity. The fact that your system failed to block a booking based on age restrictions is both baffling and completely avoidable. It is very simple to block a booking if the identity number clearly shows that the person is underage. This issue highlights a severe flaw in your IT systems and reflects poor management of what should be a straightforward process. I strongly suggest that you reconsider your choice of IT company or, at the very least, address the obvious shortcomings in your website's functionality. Your failure to properly implement such basic requirements has caused real damage to your customers. I hope you take immediate action to rectify this issue and ensure that no other customer suffers such consequences in the future. O, lastly your policy is actually a laughing joke and increases my complete frustration with the current booking process and your age restriction policy. The situation has reached the point where it is difficult to understand how your system is set up, and it clearly does not make sense. My daughter, who will turn 23 in just three months, was told she was ineligible to rent a car due to her age, despite having a valid driver’s license for over 4 years. The irony here is that, according to your policy, someone who is 23 years and 1 day old but only has a license for 1 year would be more likely to rent a car than my daughter, who will be 23 in 3 months and has had her license for 4 years and 8 months. This policy is completely illogical and it doesn't seem to take into account the actual driving experience of the individual. It’s frustrating to see that a person with far less driving experience could be eligible for a rental car, while someone with years of experience is turned away simply because they are technically not yet 23. You reserved a car rental fee for 2 days without providing any clear justification, and we were informed that the funds would only be released in 48-72 hours. This situation is deeply troubling, as it feels like your company is profiting off innocent customers by holding onto their money for an extended period without delivering any service. It seems as though your director is benefiting from this unjust practice, and frankly, it’s hard to see how such a business model could be considered ethical or sustainable. I strongly urge you to reevaluate your policies and make immediate changes. I can only hope that this message serves as a wake-up call to improve your service and, at the very least, treat your customers with the fairness they deserve.

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JvdM
JP van der Merwe's update21 Jan 2025, 11:22
Reviewer Update
I am absolutely furious after reviewing your frequently asked questions and realizing the complete lack of knowledge and competence within your team. CAN THEY READ AND UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS? ON YOUR WEBSITE UNDER FEQUESNT QUESTIONS: What if I'm younger than 23? A Young driver surcharge may apply but your licence must be valid for a minimum of three years.
Not only have your IT department failed to provide accurate information, but your customer service helpline and even the staff at your Cape Town International depot are completely uninformed about your company’s policies and rules.
Do you not train the people you employ? Is this how you run your company? The lack of consistency and the blatant disregard for your own procedures is appalling. I cannot fathom how your staff—who are supposed to represent your brand—are so completely unaware of basic guidelines and rules.
This is even more frustrating given the fact that my daughter, who is just 3 months from turning 23 and has held her license for more than four years, is still being subjected to this level of incompetence and misinformation. How can you expect to run a successful business when your employees, who are directly interacting with customers, don't even understand the most basic aspects of your policies?