Unacceptable Service and Misinformation Regarding Vehicle Rental

I am writing to express my deep dissatisfaction with the experience I encountered while attempting to rent a vehicle through Booking.com and First Rental. This incident not only caused significant personal inconvenience but also negatively impacted my professional obligations.

On the day I was scheduled to collect the vehicle, I was denied service and left stranded, unable to attend a business seminar where I was a guest speaker. Despite a lengthy conversation with both Booking.com and First Rental, no resolution was offered, as each party shifted blame to the other due to conflicting and misleading information about the rental policy.

My Booking.com voucher clearly stated a security deposit of R3000. However, First Rental informed me upon arrival that the deposit required was R3000 + R12000, totaling R15000. This discrepancy was not communicated beforehand, despite our efforts to confirm the details. The day prior to the booking, we double-checked with the voucher and First Rental, and our Financial Director loaded the necessary funds onto our company Visa debit cards before leaving for China. Unfortunately, he was unreachable for further adjustments when this unexpected demand arose.

As a result, I was left without a vehicle to travel to the seminar, leading to a direct loss of business for the day. Furthermore, this situation has damaged our relationship with the event organizers, leaving us in an uncomfortable position.

I find this situation unacceptable, and we are currently consulting with our legal department to explore options. However, I would like to give you the opportunity to address this issue amicably by providing a resolution.

I await your prompt response to this matter.

Best regards, Taswill Welcome