Gouging the public = unkept promises = benefitting from deposits on vehicles

Lack-luster support - I booked a monthly rental online and was assured that if I joined the SANI Royalty programme that the perks of this programme would be available to me. I rented from SANI rather than another company, as your Royalty programme was attractive.

Having initiated the first rental, I found out that the Royalty programme was NOT available to long-term renters. Further to this, none of the individuals at the offices at Cape Town International Airport knew anything about long term rentals and about the Royalty programme. Not only did I have to stand and wait till other customers where helped and I stood around waiting for the head of the Royalty Programme was contacted. He declined to honour what I was promised by the agent who initiated the month-long car rental.

I find this odd. Short-term rentals, get to join a Royalty Programme, whereas LONG-TERM SECURED RENTALS, which are secure and definite, and brings in constant income, are discriminated against.

I have now rented from SANI non-stop for 2 full months (60 days) and have not had the upgrade as promised when I signed up for the Royalty Programme, nor did I get the free day's rental, as I rented for longer than 20 days....! I find it odd that SANI doesn't support their monthly renters and that none of the benefits available to the rest of the public, are available to persons who rent month-to-month.

In addition to the issues pertaining to the Royalty Programme, I am angry that the Nissan Almira I was given didn't have a working mobile charge point in the car. I use the car for my work, and insisted when I tried the charge point that it wasn't working. The manager at the airport came and out-insisted me that the charge point worked.

In the end, on 3 models of this car, the charge point didn't work on any of them. I had to drive long distances to places I don't know and re**** on my mobile phone, but when my battery ran out, I was stuck, as I couldn't re-charge my phone.

Finally, the 2nd vehicle I rented in month 2, had a battery fault and on the second last day of the car's rental, I missed a critical specialist appointment at the hospital as the car wouldn't start. I was unable to re-fill the vehicle, as it was taken away and I was running late for the appointment.

Instead of apologizing for the inconvenience caused due to the car maintenance and replacement, leading to a missed 11 AM appointment, I was charged for NOT re-filling the car with fuel....? It wasn't my fault that I couldn't refill the vehicle - it was a battery problem and I wonder how I was supposed to fill a car which SANI took away?????

Finally, to add insult to injury, SANI held my rental deposit of R3500.00 in your account for 2 months, drawing interest off my money.

When the 3rd car was returned with me only having driven 53 km from Plattekloof to the airport, you charged my debit card AGAIN with an amount of a full tank of petrol PLUS a service fee!

When it didn't go through the first time, you attempted 3 more times (4 times in total)! This means that I was charged bank charges as that account was empty waiting for the refund of my deposit held by you. You compromised me by not crediting me with a day's rental for the inconvenience of missing a crucial medical appointment, then by running up bank charges by charging my card 4 times when you actually had full access to my R3500 deposit - you could have credited me for the fuel in the tank of the second and the third vehicle and not have taken the funds from my debit card. Instead, you took the amount of a full tank of petrol PLUS you put my debit card in overdraft, due to bank charges for items submitted for payment when there were no funds, and that all, when you had R3500.00 of mine for 60 days in your account.

I have determined I will never again rent from SANI as your service was unreliable, shoddy and compromising.

THIS WAS NOT A GOOD EXPERIENCE FOR ME AT ALL.