Nailed to pay R45000/ Woodford is self insured so be creful. Your insurance means nothing

I rented two Mercedes Vitos from Woodford Car Hire Johannesburg Airport and had one of the most frustrating car rental experiences I’ve ever had.

Despite booking well in advance for ten people, I received several conflicting emails before my trip saying the vehicles were unavailable. After multiple stressful international calls, we eventually got the original Vitos we had booked ( by surprise), but the process was chaotic even the keys and paperwork were mixed up between my booking and my friend’s. Bad service.

During the trip, one vehicle broke down on a gravel road inside a game reserve (speed limit 40 km/h). Although I had clearly mentioned to the counter staff that we were driving to a game reserve, I later learned that Woodford’s terms specifically exclude gravel roads. I accept that I should have read the terms more carefully, but being charged R33 000 for damages and R12 000 to deliver a replacement vehicle felt extremely unfair especially since I had purchased what was described as full insurance coverage and the car was most definitely not new. The steering on the car was not acceptable. When I turned the wheel, it reacts a little late. Meaning it’s an old car.

When I later inquired about their insurance process, Woodford confirmed in writing ( see picture) that they are self-insured, meaning they do not use any external insurance provider for their fleet. Instead, they handle damages internally and rely on customers to cover repair costs if you break the terms, although you might have full insurance coverage.

So be very cautious: read the fine print carefully, and do a quick risk assessment of where you plan to drive and what the potential risks are. If anything happens to the car, it may still become your full responsibility, even if you thought you had complete coverage.

It feels like Woodford’s model places most of the risk on the renter, and communication throughout the process was confusing, with slow responses and repeated errors. Based on my experience and many similar reviews, I would recommend considering other rental companies with clearer insurance terms and better customer support. Woodford required a R25 000 deposit per vehicle. Other companies charge R2500 deposit for the same car. Good luck getting your money back. Search Woodford Car Hire News 24. Shocking. I have more than 100 emails trying to secure these cars. Very disappointed.