AVOID AVOID AVOID - SIXT WILL RIPPED YOU OFF

Just come back from a trip to Marseille where we hired a car from Sixt from Marseille Airport. Avoid Avoid Avoid Sixt. So many better companies out there that dont cock up and try and charge you for damage that doesn't exist.

Dreadful experience.

Firstly, I called up and specifically booked a BMW Coupe 4 series. It was clearly written on my booking order sent via email (booked over the phone). I get that they cant assure that you will definitely get the car you ordered but you should get one in the same class. We were offered a sallon from a lower category. I questioned this and pointed to the BMW coupes outside. eventually they gave me what I ordered. Why were they trying to fob me off with a lesser car when I specifically booked and pre paid for the exact car they had available. Poor but maybe forgivable. Girl was a bit incompetent and it was all sorted in the end (although took nearly an hour).

I can get over that but I cant get over damage invoice they have just sent me. Car was returned in exactly the condition it was taken. I am appaulled at this company for even trying this on. this has put me in a very bad mood and causing me undue stress. I now have to fight against the claim which is very frustrating and wasteful. I am very very angered by this company. I have hired many cars in the past with a variety of companies but this accusation and treatment from Sixt is a first and definitely the worst car hire company I have come across (and I have gone pretty budget in the past!)

AVOID AVOID AVOID

It's unfortunate for anyone too have a bad experience with a car rental company.

For our 27 car rentals in Europe we have had one bad experience, but it wasn't Sixt.

For Sixt, we have had two very good experiences. On one, I had rented an economy car and ended up with a BMW 535.

Woe is me, as I put a dent in the fender to the tune of 2000euros, but my AX auto insurance paid 100%.

Anyways, sorry for your bad experience.

<<Car was returned in exactly the condition it was taken.>>
Can you prove that? I take photos of existing damage and get the rental company to add it to the damage report, however small.

Red flag #3: Renters who do not check the condition of their car before driving off, then complain when they get charged for all sorts of damage they claim was not theirs or that the tank was not full when they picked up the car.

Red flag #4: Renters who register on Fodor's just to complain.

Odin - do you work for Sixt? Is that the point of this site? I think i've misunderstood the point of this site. I've reposted on Trust Pilot where 95% of the reviews are bad for Sixt which seems representative. This site seems to be full of people who work for the car hire companies so not really useful for the consumer.

Without a doubt worst rental agency in the world. I would never rent a car from then again. I prepaid for van that was to be picked up on Dubrovnik. I made this reservation with the"help" of a Sixt agent. I made it very clear that we needed a van that would hold st last 6 people. I was assured that a van would be waiting for us in Dubrovnik. I reconfirmed the reservation prior to departure, again asking that the reservation was for a van, once again I was told a van would be waiting. We arrived at the office with a line of folks waiting to get their rental vehicle. The agent was in a heated argument with a customer and actually repeatedly called get a liar. After a fifty minute wait I was showed my rental car which was a BMW. I showed him my reservation which describes a van and the prepayment and he told me I was mistaken. He then"found" a car which was a ten person van, cancelled my reservation, charged me $400.00 dollars more and changed the drop off location! Never in the 30 years that I have rented vehicles while on vacation or for work have I run into such a unethical company. Never, repeat never rent a car from this rental agency, they are crooks!

Yes another unhappy customer #betsimead. Sixt need to be reported to the Ombudsman. In the meantime, avoid at all costs. Plenty of other options. Sixt aren't even cheap.

Yet another first time poster who's joined fodors for the chance to trash sixt.

Hey sb; Interesting that the anti Sixt people from the beginning of this thread have been only one time posters.

Now I would never doubt the varsity of their comments, because issues do happen when all of these companies handle 10's of thousands of customers each year.

No company is perfect.

Do you think perhaps people are trying to help others by speaking about their experiences? Giving other some insight into the company that could potentially rip them off? Do you think that your comments stating that we are all one time posters is helpful? How about stating that "No company is perfect"? Great comment, really helpful ��

[avoid at all costs] That is so helpful.

[AVOID, AVOID, AVOID] Great comment.

Giving insight into one's experience is helpful, but then you go off the deep end with your [avoid at all costs]

P.S To repeat my previous comment to you, [anyways, sorry for your bad experience]

Why are you apologising? Must be affiliated to Sixt is all I can think

Yes, I work for Sixt. LOL

Well that makes sense. Knew it.

Overall experience was very good, picked a VW Golf in Paris Gare de Nord and dropped off 2 weeks latter in Nice, France. The agent at pick up was great and extremely helpful, pleasant to work with. My only complaint is that the car was not clean at pick up, it appears they do a quick vacuum and spray some air freshener between uses and call it good. The windshield was so streaked and smeared on the inside that once I got into paris and then the highway visibility became a real challenge when on coming car headlights hit the windshield, yes we picked up the car after dark. also found the windshield wiper fluid was not topped off and ran out after a week of driving. At drop off in Nice everything went smoothly and we had no problems finding the drop off location.
If you guys can clean your cars properly you will have a customer for life.

Matkin

I work for Sixt, like everybody on thi site.

So allow me some questions :

- was the car damaged ? You say it was given back in the same condition.
Is it true ? Or was it damaged ?
If damaged, did you fail to inform Sixt that there was a damage ?
- did you take pictures of the car when you took it and when you returned it ?
- did you report Sixt to the ombudsman ?

And lastly : do you feel better when you write that Sixt is a bad company ?

Do you know that the more you bash them with such weak claims that nobody takes you seriously ?

mvg.

Matkin: >>Well that makes sense. Knew it.<<

Since you are new to Fodors (and apparently are the ONLY one of the newbies posting on this thread to ever come back and respond) . . . no iris does not work for Sixt, neither does pariswat, nor stokebailey nor me nor any of the others.

Everyone slamming sixt on this thread is a first time poster and none (other than you) have ever come back to post again.

Sixt is not perfect -- no rental company is. I've only rented from Sixt once and it went swimmingly. But that is just anecdotal -- the next time could have been a disaster -- who knows. But they are one of the largest rental agencies earth and all these one shot wonders are just silly. "Worst rental agency ever!!!!" and then they crawl back to wherever they came from.

So why not join in on some of the travel topics and give up this fixation of your re Stxt . . .

In late August I picked up an Alfa Romeo from Sixt on Avenue Wagram in Paris and returned it 10 days later at CDG. The car was parked in a garage down a side street when I picked it up. I drove back to the office and inspected the car in the daylight. I noticed several tiny chips in the paint here and there. I took pictures with my phone. When I went back in to the office the clerk showed me where the damage was noted on my receipt. I used the word 'receipt' because unlike all the times I've rented in the past I didn't get multiple sheets of paper... just what appeared to be an extra long cash register receipt. Reassured, I headed back to the hotel for my wife and the luggage.

When I returned the car at CDG I realized I'd forgotten to top up the tank. The man in charge of the lot recommended I go back to a nearby gas station as he wouldn't be able to check my car back in for at least another 20 minutes anyway and it would save me a few euros.

He was free when I returned at proceeded to check the car over comparing it against photos of the car on his cell phone. They take photos now to avoid any potential hassles. He confirmed all was in order and said by the time we got back to our hotel I'd have an email confirming so. He checked the car carefully and found my spare sunglasses under the seat.

He gave us directions to the CGGVal shuttle and when we got to the hotel there was indeed an email confirming the car was returned in the same condition as it had been rented.

Sixt's price was competitive, 250 euros for 10 days. I rented from them as I liked the choices of car in the class we wanted better than the offering from AutoEurope/Europcar. In my case it worked out... I was totally smitten with the Alfa Romeo. Fast, quiet, comfortable and a joy to drive.

If you do some searching you will find there are beefs about every car rental agency. But I think it's a case of 99% of rentals going smoothly and never remarked out versus the vocal 1% who squawk in public forums if they feel slighted.
Will I rent from Sixt again? You bet, if the car and the price are competitive.

Interesting--I just checked OGG with CCR and they are the most expensive.

Worst experience ever with a car rental agency. They are crooks! I prepaid for a van with the help of a Sixt customer service agent. They were aware that we needed a car that would hold six people. I reconfirmed prior to leaving for Croatia and was told that a van would be waiting. We arrived on time and faced a long line of unhappy customers one who was in a verbal altercation the the agent. When we asked for our car the agent showed us a BMW. I showed him the prepaid reservation for a van and told me I must be mistaken. Hours later a ten person van arrived and I was charged an additional $388.00 and to add insult to injury the agent decided to change the drop off location from the Venice train station to the airport. Stay away from this company they are liars and thieves.

Yet another unhappy customer. Clearly we should all avoid Sixt. Crooks indeed