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Unprofessional and *********.

** UPDATE AT THE END WITH THE COMPANY'S LACK OF RESOLUTION **

I rented a car from the loop street branch of this company for two weeks and I had two major issues with them so far.

1. When I received the car they told me that there is a handling fee of 30 ZAR for every toll I pass, and that the toll charge is charged automatically. I explicitly told them that I don't wish any toll to be charged automatically and asked them to remove the toll device from the car. When I asked that, the representative told me with complete confidence "there is no need to remove the device. When you'll get to a toll they anyway ask you if you want to be charged with the device or not". I was naive enough to trust her word, and when I got to a toll, nobody asked me anything and they charged automatically from the device. I asked from the toll representative to cancel it and that I would pay cash directly, but it was too late.

The problem is not the additional 30 ZAR I needed to pay. The problem is that since I add additional charges from the car company, they needed to use my deposit to pay those charges. And then, instead of unfreezing the transaction of the deposit, they needed to withdraw the full amount of the deposit and then to refund me for the deposit amount minus 80 ZAR (30 handling fee plus 50 for the toll). This made my bank converting from ZAR to USD twice, and for a really high amounts (because it;s a deposit of 3000 ZAR)! First, 3000 ZAR were withdrawn (charged in USD), and then 2920 ZAR were refunded (converted to USD). This caused me to lose a total of 23 USD!!! Normally the deposit charge is just frozen and after the return of the car this amount becomes unfrozen and the bank doesn't need to make these conversions. This unprofessionalism from their side cause me to lose 23 USD.

2. I discovered with an email notification from this company that I got a 800 ZAR traffic fine. The fine is obviously my responsibility and I will pay it directly to the authorities (as I did in other times when I got a fine with a rented car), but the outrageous thing here is that FIRST company charged me for 300 ZAR handling fee!!! I NEVER consented for such handling fee, not to mention that I never encountered a HANDLING fee for traffic fines from any other company, since I'm the one who needs to pay the fine and therefore HANDLE it.

I wouldn't recommend anyone to use this company's services, there are more reliable companies out there who might be slightly more expensive but wouldn't try to earn money from you in these ways.

** UPDATE **

I opened an inquiry with the company regarding the second issue (handling fee of 300 ZAR, just to transfer the traffic fine to my name). Their response was directing me to clause 4.1.3 in the agreement that says: " 4.1.3 All fines, taxes, charges, levies, legal costs and tolls, including e-tolls, payable by US to any third party arising out of YOUR use of the VEHICLE. "

There are two things that I find deeply disturbing with their answer.

1. This clause is talking about charges that THEIR COMPANY should pay to a THIRD PARTY, for things that are ARISING OUT OF MY USE OF THE VEHICLE. But in the email they sent me with the fine notification, their explanation for the fee was: "The reason why an administration fee is applicable is due to the fact that we have to redirect the fine from our proxy’s name to the responsible driver at the time of the offence, which requires software, software support fees, permanent Traffic Fines department staff – all of this in an effort to avoid being responsible for all offence amounts that are accrued with our vehicles." Basically, it means "Pay for our inner operations regarding traffic fines", which is definitely NOT A PAYMENT TO A THIRD PARTY!

2. They didn't provide any documentation of a payment they had to make to a third party, what makes me think that they might as well could charge me for 3000 ZAR or 30000 ZAR, without needing to prove anything.

BEWARE!!!!