Be careful to let First Car Rent fill up your car

On 9 Nov. 2018 we, via Fly Safair, rented a VW UP from First Car Rental in Capetown.We were advised by sms, at the counter as well as with an "adverti*****t hanger"in the car that we did not have to fill up as that would be done when returning the car. The reason ,we were told at the counter, is that First Car Rental have their own fuel depot. The counter staff was professional, the car clean and almost brand new as it only had about 4500km on the clock. When receiving the car I put the trip meter on 0 in order to make sure how many kilometers we would travel. On 16 Nov when we returned the car the trip meter read 636km. On 15 Nov I filled up at BP Helderberg in Strand as the fuel indicator started to blink. A VW UP has a fuel tank content of 35 Liter. On returning my car, without topping up, I advised that I did not drive more than 50km as I came straight from the Strand and that I expected not to be charged with more than the price for 5 liter of petrol (around R85.00)however I was charged R332.95 for 20.19 liter at R16.49 per liter (as per info received from First Car Rent) I do have correspondence from First Car Rent confirming that they have proof that 20.19 liter was tanked.(They do not say in what car??) I feel that this "do not fill up, we will do it for you" is not necessary to the benefit of the client. You might save time but you never know what the charges to fill up by First Car Rent would be. Furthermore as they have hold of your creditcard with a certain deposit they can do whatever they want. I calculated that with this extra 20.19 liters I supposedly used 35liters (the car must have been filled to the brim as per their info) + 20.19 liters is 55.19 liters to cover 636km. This means that a VW UP from First Car Rent is using 11.52km per liter. According to VW a VW UP averages at 4.7 liter per 100km in combined cycle or 21.27 km per liter. Somewhere I am not convinced that First Car Rent is completely honest when filling up. Furthermore , we were advised at the counter, that you do not have to let First Car Rent fill up and that you can still do it yourself. Unfortunately they do not say that when renting the car but when you already have returned the car.

The above has been reported to First Car Rent and they just advised that "case is closed"

For me this was the first and last time that I would make use of their services.