Rent a car with Woodford at your own risk!!!

I am highly disappointed at their service and the follow up interaction I have experienced and endured from their branch at the King Shaka Airport.

We booked a Toyota Yaris and collected same on our holiday trip in Durban on the 28th of December 2020. We are a family of 4 and we had booked excursions and activities for the duration of our holiday trip in the different parts of KZN. On the 30th of December we had a full day planned with activities and a drive to the Oribi Gorge as well as a spa date. While driving to Oribi Gorge it started raining and the wipers did not work. We called the emergency number as it was dangerous to continue with the journey and we were told to drive to Shelly Beach Toyota so they can diagnose and fix the problem. We drove straight to Toyota at a very slow speed and occasionally stopping to physically wipe the wind screen for visibility during the drive to Toyota. It became worse as the road had so many trucks and it was raining heavily. We eventually got to Toyota wet and miserable and unfortunately because we had not booked the car in we had to wait in the queue for someone to attend to us. We relayed our story to one of the employees that we were on holiday with the kids and had a full day planned with activities and unfortunately the car was a hazard to continue driving with in such heavy rains. The guy felt sorry for us and although he tried to get us assistance as quickly as he could, the day was already over by the time we left Toyota.

Consequently we had to cancel all our activities and bookings for the day. The whole experience ruined our holiday and when we dropped off the car at Woodford we relayed our experience to the gentleman who collected the car. He apologise for the negligence in their part on failing to check that all was in working order before they gave us the car. it was rainy season in KZN therefore wipers should be priority check. The gentleman convinced us not to take legal action and claim our losses and he promised that they would waiver the fuel charges and other ancillary costs of hire which amounted to R700 plus rands combined.

Behold a few days later money was deducted from my credit card. I then called the King Shaka airport branch and a manager with the worst listening skill and a condescending attitude whom after I had given him the whole back ground as above he said to me "well you brought the car back with a quarter tank". Long story short. The company confirmed and admitted to their negligence then apologised and offered the below;

Please note your your query was addressed with management who stated you will be refunded for 1 day(R315.93) lost whilst renting with Woodford and offered you with voucher of R250 which you utilize for your next rental with Woodford .

I then responded and proposed that they instead refund my credit card so I do not have to claim the rest of my losses suffered on that day considering we had a full day planned full with activities and had to cancel so it was not just a day loss for booking the car but also activities and the holiday ruined. They flatly declined my counter offer and referred me to their lawyer. The lawyer conceded that indeed the amount on dispute was really a waste of his time to pursue legal and it was not worth it. He then crafted my proposal to the client also indicating that I accept the R315.93 but can they convert the voucher to cash and deposit the sum into my credit card as I have no intention of doing business with them so I will never use the voucher.

A week later the lawyer has advised me that I should take their offer as it is or leave it!!!

They ruined our holiday, we had to cancel our activities and bookings for the day and we chose to empathise with their business and did not put a counter claim as it is during a pandemic and really we thought considering they had put our lives at risk by giving us a car with no working wipers during rainy season they would be considerate of all those facts but we have been told to take a hike!!!

If the R700 plus that was our invoice is more important to them than the lives they put at risk via their negligence and the pain and suffering we suffered on the day, then well their customer care really needs some interogation.