HELP - Sixt want to charge £250 to cancel booking due to Covid lockdown...

Ell_Dee

Hi, I hope somebody can help me - I recently paid £282 to hire a car from Sixt (www.sixt.co.uk) to go away to Norfolk for my partners birthday at the end of this month. Unfortunately, the new lockdown has begun and we’re not allowed to go, but when I asked for a refund Sixt said they will charge £250 just to cancel the booking! Surely this can’t be right? Has anybody got any advice on how to get the original booking fee back? Many thanks

bagand96

What were the T&C's of the booking?

BJV

So sorry, you really need to read the terms and conditions on the booking. Without reading them it is impossible to say. Sorry

pogofish

Hiring from Sixt was your mistake - they are notorious for slapping “admin” charges on anything they possibly can.

Caz3121

Ell_Dee said:

when I asked for a refund Sixt said they will charge £250 just to cancel the booking! Surely this can’t be right? Has anybody got any advice on how to get the original booking fee back?

I am assuming you did not book the flex rate (would have been a few £ more but would have given you flexibility)

for a pre-paid tariff you should receive a refund less 3 days rental

3.5  Where you wish to cancel a Booking (as opposed to make a Booking Change), you may do this at any time prior to the scheduled commencement of the Rental Period (Booking Cancellation). In the event of a Booking Cancellation (where you have selected the pre-paid tariff option) and your Rental Period is for more than three days, then the first three days are non-refundable and the remaining Rental Fees will be refunded to you. In the event that your Rental Period is less than three days then you are not entitled to a refund of the Rental Fees.

Ell_Dee

Many thanks everybody for your help and advice it’s much appreciated. When I complained to Sixt they offered me the money back in vouchers which was no use, so… I sent them the following email and it worked, I got a full refund!

…

Hi, I don’t think you’ve understood my situation – I was hiring the car to go away for my girlfriend’s birthday at the end of this month, I only needed it then, not at some point during the rest of the year and I’m only cancelling it because of the pandemic, is it that unreasonable that I’m asking for my money back?

If you can’t sort it out then I’ll get in touch with the national newspapers and see if they have more luck, I’m currently making up a list of ones to contact: consumer.champions@theguardian.com; tips@dailymail.co.uk; weblifestyle@dailystar.co.uk; newsdesk@independent.co.uk; mirrornews@mirror.co.uk; exclusive@the-sun.co.uk; express.expressletters@reachplc.com, newsdesk@independent.co.uk; media.enquiries@telegraph.co.ukrrornews@mirror.co.uk; exclusive@the-sun.co.uk; express.expressletters@reachplc.com, newsdesk@independent.co.uk; media.enquiries@telegraph.co.uk
…

If you want to copy and paste the email list for future use, please do

mattyprice4004

A good result, but they only did it to get rid of you - they had no obligation to refund in the circumstances.