Misrepresentation and Refusal to Honour Booking – Woodford Car Hire

I prepaid ZAR 5,659.81 via Booking.com (Reservation ***, Invoice ZA-INV-***) for a Mercedes or similar from Woodford Car Hire, Cape Town International Airport, on 22 August 2025.

On arrival, Woodford refused to provide the reserved car class, claiming that “this class requires a credit score” and that they could not find mine. This condition does not exist anywhere in their Terms & Conditions, which require only a valid licence, ID, proof of address, and a credit card with sufficient funds.

I do in fact have a credit score. Instead of honouring my booking, I was pressured to downgrade to a lower vehicle category — after having paid in full.

This is a clear breach of contract and misrepresentation. I have demanded a full refund from both Booking.com and Woodford, and I am escalating the matter to the Car Rental Ombudsman, SAVRALA, and the National Consumer Commission.

Consumers should be warned that Woodford is fabricating conditions not in the published terms and refusing to deliver paid-for services.