Sixt want £1,000 for a scratch, refuse appeal and chasing through courts

UKC

Moneysavers: beware Sixt with their excessive damage charges and aggressive legal threats.

Last summer I hired a car from Sixt to drive around the narrow Italian mountain roads around Lake Garda. The car I ordered wasn’t there on arrival and I was ‘upgraded’ to a 9-seater impractical mini-bus. During the week I scratched the small, removable, wheel-arch panel above the wheel.

On return I pointed out the scratch and said I had caused it. Sixt contacted me with a damage assessment report entirely written in German and demanded €851 at first. I reasonably asked for a report in English and an explanation of their appeals process as per my consumer rights. They refused to provide either on multiple occasions.

As a pragmatic and reasonable gesture, I offered €500. I was then contacted by a debt collection company (Profaktura Schuldnerkontakt) demanding that I cease communications with Sixt, only correspond with them and that they were pursuing me for €1,006 including legal costs. They demanded payment under the threat of now appointing UK lawyers and debt collection companies, stating they would the include their additional fees in what I ‘owe’.

So, firstly I would strongly recommend you avoid booking with Sixt. I have always used Enterprise in the past and had nothing but outstanding service from them; Sixt strike me as a cowboy operation trying to fleece excess profits from their own customers for accidental damages.

As for me, can anybody advise on how I might challenge these fees? There must be some kind of organisation that helps stop car hire companies stinging their own customers like this? If I have to then I’ll contest it in the UK small claims courts but that seems like a waste of court time and my own time (not to mention bad for Sixt time, money and reputational damage).

Any help much appreciated.

UKC

Caz3121

do you have a separate stand alone car hire excess policy? (they are usually about £2 per day)
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-car-hire/#needtoknow-9

UKC

Unfortunately not, I hadn’t heard of this insurance product until I told a friend about Sixt and he recommended it. I will be purchasing it next time I hire a car.

Smevchenko

I have only ever had good experiences using SIXT, and will always try and use them for any rental. If they ever demand that much for so little damage though, I will move on to someone else.

UKC

Thank you mse forum! I shared this post with Profaktura and Sixt and also let them know I had filed a complaint with the European Car Rental Conciliation Service. They changed their mind and settled for €500.

Good luck to anybody who finds themselves in a similar situation.

EveryWhere

UKC wrote: »

Thank you mse forum! I shared this post with Profaktura and Sixt and also let them know I had filed a complaint with the European Car Rental Conciliation Service. They changed their mind and settled for €500.

Good luck to anybody who finds themselves in a similar situation.

Good news.

Example excess insurance; https://www.bettersafe.com/Products/Car-Hire-Excess-Insurance-Protection

Limbo9

A colleague of mine had received a claim by Sixt on 2 separate occassions stating he had damaged the rental car. He was able to dismiss this, since he had proof that he left the cars with them without damages.

To be honest I'd still rent with Sixt but am more cautious with them.

hybernia

We have used Sixt before in two different mainland Europe locations and had no reason to complain. However, the car hire industry is not always what it seems to customers, and though the brand name can be the same at every branch the ownership may very well not be. A franchisee may be operating it.

Because the world is stuffed full of car hire companies, we would never do business with one that is the subject of the kind of criticism made on this thread.

I am surprised at anyone who would be sanguine in a situation such as this. All that does is allow the continuation of the kind of misconduct shown in this case. If the frauds and extortion practiced so widely in the industry are ever to be brought to an end it's by consumers taking note of others' experiences, and black-listing the supplier concerned.

Goodbye, Sixt. That disgraceful €1,006 threat of yours has just cost you double that amount from us in lost business.

hybernia

EveryWhere wrote: »

Good news.

Example excess insurance; https://www.bettersafe.com/Products/Car-Hire-Excess-Insurance-Protection

Thank you EveryWhere for that information. We have an annual excess insurance policy (with a different company) which is soon to expire. I had never heard of "BetterSafe" but have now visited its website and read through the information it provides. I'm impressed!

We will now go with BetterSafe, especially as its background and underwriting is readily apparent, not something that can be said of some other businesses offering vehicle excess cover. Thanks again.

Mambosteve

I'm currently disputing a claim for damage with Sixt - the crucial difference is that they charged the £952 for two tiny marks straight to my cc, three months after the one-day hire of a van.  I'm certain I didn't cause the damage and didn't declare any damage when handing it back.
The email notification smacked of a phishing attempt (possibly deliberately?) so wasn't inclined to reply, especially since it was weeks after the hire.  They're claiming my neglect to reply is tantamount to being liable for the damage.
What is also alarming, is the amount of working, spraying, replacing badges (nowhere near the marks!?) etc. that is being recommended according to the Engineer's report, no wonder the car hire industry scores so low on sustainability.  The Engineer writing the report has also not complied with the CoP for the Institute of Motor Industry that they declare membership of.
My bank is asking me to write a letter to them entitled "pre-compliance".
Will find a way of not having to hire a van or use another hire company in future.

macman

Remember that they are not just billing you for repair work at 'insurer's rates' (which are much higher than they actually pay at trade rates), but also for downtime. Every day that a car is sitting in the bodyshop, it's losing a day's rental income, and that is factored into the costs.