Poor Customer service/unauthorised, ******* withdrawl of funds/unresponsive

Copy of letter sent to customer relations, to date no response.To whom it may concern

My husband, Dennis Davey and I arrived in RSA on holiday and collected a car at OT International on the 8/10/2017, from Leanne Hudson. I'd prepaid AU$750.00 for 9 days in advance. We received a Focus FS72FZGP. I was concerned with our personal safety after a number of news reports regarding hijacking of tourists in RSA etc and therefore took out every additional insurance I could take out to ensure every avenue was covered. I was assured that should anything happen a replacement car would be made available, 24 hr roadside assistance etc and made aware of the emergency toll free number etc. I felt comfortable we were in good hands.

We drove the car to Sun City with no problems and on the 13th October 2017 made our way to The Cheetah Plains Private Game Reserve, directions given to us from the Reserve to enter via Gowie Gate. On route(terrible road conditions) we hit a deep pot hole and the tyre rim was damaged. We changed the tyre in the middle of nowhere(4 men approached us, I was so scared), but eventually left without incident. We made our way further to the Reserve on the 'biscuit' spare. We contacted your emergency services and a driver came out to the Reserve(From Nelspruit) with a spare rim and tyre. He offered to change the tyre or alternatively we could just swop cars(he came in a Renault FS49MVGP), 14/10/17. We opted to just swop. The car stood under a car port until we were due to leave and drive to Pretoria on the 18/10/17 to spend a day with my husbands sister as we were due to leave again on the 19/10/17(OT International drop off). On the 18/10/17 we left after breakfast as we wanted to spend as much time as possible with family before we left the following day. At 2.44pm we filled the car with petrol at Millys on the N4(correct fuel verified by Refomene Ngoben and David Boikhutso). About 65km just after the R545 Balmoral, Kusile, Ogies offramp the car lost power, the dash lights (service, engine)came on. We pulled onto the side of the freeway straight away and contacted your Emergency Services. We waited for hours and many phone calls back and forth as apparently no car was available in Pretoria and it appears I was talking to the Boksburg branch. NO NEGLIGENCE on our part at all. One hires a car in good faith that the car is in good running order, which in this case was not.

I spoke with Nicolene Scholtz and Yusaf Albertyn on several occasions(it was getting dark by now and we had no water and were in a very dangerous and vulnerable position on the side of the highway). We had passports, ID, car Licences, luggage etc(everything a car hijacker could desire). I was beside myself with stress and traumatised. I advised Nicolene Scholtz and said I would arrange for family to collect us. We'd leave the car locked(this was after waiting many hrs in the sun), she said no, as the car might be at risk. I advised her that I felt at terrible risk but she did not care at all and told me we had to pay for towing. I made it clear to her and Yusaf Albertyn that I did NOT authorise any monies to be debited from my account as we were NOT responsible for the car having broken down. It would not have been responsible for us to have driven the car any further. Nicolene was extremly rude, uncaring and undeniably unprofessional on every level. I was in shock at her attitude. Eventually after many hrs, now dark ,2 drivers arrived with a Toyota but were given instructions from their boss, Moses( ********** 597)not to release the car to us until we'd signed for the towing fees. We refused as we were NOT responsible for the car to lose power(I'm not a mechanic and have NO idea why the car would not go?)Refomene Ngoben and David Boikhutso confirmed by inspecting our hands that we'd no sign of oil etc on our hands, therefore ruling out, deliberate tampering, absurd, as we just wanted to get to our destination. These men were now still waiting on the side of the road when they should have been home already with their families. We contacted a lawyer who spoke with Moses and he only then instructed them to drop us off on their way back to Pretoria(at Silverlakes). We didn't want any more to do with this company (or ever will again!)

David Boikhutso drove the car and the Renault was overseen, in terms of the outside, etc, by my husband and Refomene and David before the car was loaded onto the tow truck. No additional external damage noted and signed by Renald(tow truck driver).

Our only afternoon and evening ruined as we stood in the street, luggage and all, outside Silverlakes waiting for family to collect us. I was so traumatised and upset the tears would not stop.

The following day when we were due to catch our flight out(would have been the 9th prepaid day), we reported the incident to Hertz at OT, Leanne Hudson. She said she'd send us an email updating us on this incident. To date no email has been received. On the 18/10/17 an amount of AU$436.31 plus fees AU$13.08, 21/10/17 AU$61.04 plus fees AU$1.83, plus AU$180.01 plus fees AU$5.40 was deducted from my account which was NOT authorised. I made that clear on the phone to Nicolene Scholtz and Yusuf Albertyn as there was NO accident or negligence on our part which caused this mechanical failure. The tank was full of petrol(confirmed by drivers Refomene Ngoben and David Boikhutso(slip from Milly's seen by both for correct fuel filled tank).

I understand there are some toll charges which may be due but other than that not further expenses should have been withdrawn from my account which makes this an *******, unauthorised withdrawal. I would like my money reinstated within 24 hours and an explanation as to the totally unprofessional service I received from your representatives Nicolene Scholtz and Yusaf Albertyn. On the flip side I commend the professional attitude from Reformene Ngoben and David Boikhutso who agreed that the whole saga was not our fault and unnecessary.

I sincerely hope that this matter can be resolved as quickly as possible. Mrs Debra Dawson. Mr D.G. Davey(Dennis)

DRIVEAWAY VOUCHER AU ********** -1 HERTZ reservation number 11B***