Disappointing Experience with Woodford Car Rental: Poor Service and Unresolved Refund Issues

I rented a car from Woodford in Cape Town from August 8th to August 11th, and my experience has been nothing short of frustrating from start to finish.

Upon arrival on the 8th, the SUV I had booked, a Corolla Cross, was not available. Instead, I was given a Corolla Quest, with the promise that the correct vehicle would be delivered to me the next day. They also assured me I would be credited for the difference in cost. However, no one from Woodford contacted me the next day. I had to reach out to them myself to finally receive the car I had originally booked.

When returning the car on the 11th, I was asked to fill out an accident report for a crack on the windscreen, which I didn’t mind, as I had taken out full coverage for the rental to avoid unexpected charges. Unfortunately, Woodford failed to mention that they would still charge a "processing fee" of R575.00, which I find absurd.

To add to my dissatisfaction, on August 16th, I received an invoice showing that R1055.95 would be deducted from my deposit of R8000.00. This amount is unclear to me, and to make matters worse, I was not credited for the day I had to use the cheaper Corolla Quest instead of the more expensive SUV I had booked.

Despite my frustration, I decided to move on and focus on getting my deposit back. However, when I called on August 20th to check on the refund status, I found out that my refund hadn’t even been processed yet. I spoke with two agents, both of whom promised to send an email confirming that the refund was being processed, but I have yet to receive any communication.

It has now been over eight working days since I returned the car, and my refund is still pending. The service and customer support from Woodford have been incredibly disappointing, and I would strongly advise against using their services.