Interrent madrid

SHEILA54

Hi

Had a dreadful experience with this company recently. Our flight was delayed and we arrived to pick up our prepaid rental at 5pm, 4 hours late. After queuing for half an hour we gave in our voucher only to be told that our vehicle had been given to somebody else as we hadn't arrived on time. We had entered our flight details on the Do you Spain website and had booked and paid for a 7 seater minivan.

We had booked a villa 5 hours drive away as we couldn't get flights into Alicante so imagine how we felt to be told this as we had fractious kids as well.

No matter how we argued we were told that it was Do You Spain's policy and there was nothing that they could do. They told us to go the back of a very long queue and wait but it was unlikely that there would be another 7 seater available for the next couple of days. We tried to phone Do You Spain several times but the calls weren't answered.

Frankly, we were frantic as to book with another company would have been very expensive on the day, if they had a 7 seater available.

To cut a long story short, my daughter got so mad that she threatened them with exposure on facebook and other social media sites and, in the end,they seemed to find one, although it wasn't a newer model.

We arrived at our accommodation at 1.15 in the morning and were charged extra as the people looking after it had to wait up.

What I can't understand is how they could give our vehicle to someone else who just turned up, especially as it was prepaid. :mad:
They had our flight details and could have looked it up.

There is nothing in the paperwork to say that they will do this, either on Interrent or Do You Spain.

So beware!!

I sent an email to Do You Spain when I got back and eventually got a reply several days later to say that they were sorry and had had a word with Interrent about the matter.

What would you have done?

richardw

Interrent can't get the money until they have the voucher, this is how car hire brokers make extra money through no shows.

SHEILA54

I didn't know that, so is the letting of cars when people are delayed always like this? Surely a contract is binding and it doesn't state that this could happen anywhere,either on Do You Spain's website or Interrent. 7 seaters are hard to find so what would you suggest if this happens again please?

It is the first time that we have used Do You Spain and hired a 7 seater as we usually use Auto Europe, with smaller numbers, and haven't had any problems, yet.

richardw

In practice a car hire company at an airport with a high revenue earning vehicle available will sell it if someone walks up to pay a high rate when you and your voucher are not there and there's a risk you may not be there for a while or not show up at all with your voucher.
A hotel may also do the same if you and your voucher are not there and someone walks in wanting your suite or west facing sunset sea view room and willing to pay a higher rate.

I tend to avoid car hire brokers and travel agent bed bank websites if I want something non standard, better to book direct.