BE CAREFUL – THEY CHEAT! Making a reservation - you risk to lose your money!
I believe it’s my time to speak about the Sixt. The company is quite popular. Frankly speaking I had not used its services and I will not do in future. Definitely. Who would think that Sixt cheats and fools its clients. But first things go first.
So, last weekend my wife chose a car for traveling around Sicily, where we go this summer. We needed a car big enough as we go four, with two children, one of them is a baby that needs a lot of things. We were looking for a car with automatic transmission. My wife found an option where there is no letter M in the transmission marking and no mechanical transmission symbol (5-handle sign)/ but was marked with figure 2. To make sure we clicked on the image of the car and fell into a description and it was written: automatic transmission. So we paid. The next day I decide - just in case - to clarify everything. I confess, despite the clear indication of transmission, I was slightly confused by the number 2 mark. I decided to ask for support and - oh my God - I was assured that the car (despite the description) had mechanic transmission. Why, asked I. And I didn’t get a distinct answer. As I understand, the company did not consider it as a problem. Instead they wrote to me: everything is OK, buddy, hope you’ll like it. I answered: guys, I needed a big car with automatic transmission, and if your information is wrong (i.e. you have deceived me), then give my money back. In response, I listened to another muffled rumbling and entered into correspondence with Anita, who regularly wrote formal answers like: thank you for your letter, we will respond. However, I still have not got any clear answer. They have not even turned down my request. Obviously, they want that I cancel the order myself and that I pay the penalty. In this case no doubt it’s clients fault: first he made a reservation, then he gave up the reservation. Sure, 150-200 euro of penalty is probably a right price for such a precious experience that I got. The essence of the experience: never again to use any services of Sixt and give such a recommendation to all the friends. I would consider it as my little mission which starts from this page and will be continued in all relevant places.

I know I'm going to regret this...they didn't give you an option for an automatic transmission? I mean, if I'm reading it right, you never saw the car in person, and then you gave up the car and paid the penalty before getting a response. I don't have any experience with sixt but you apparently decided they were awful before giving it a chance to work out. Even then, I'm not sure they cheated you because I think all they're obligated to do is provide you with a car at the price you agreed to. Weird...

Don't spread your experience and make it a mission or tell us more precisely that you rented an automatic.

From what I understand from your rant you decided the car you rented was an automatic but when you checked you were told it is a manual.

So why do you consider Sixt are thieves and why should I not consider that you are wrong and you are unable to make a proper rental ?

Anyway your rant will not modify my opinion of Sixt.

While the OP's English is not the clearest, it does seem clear from his post that he is saying that the Sixt site said that the car in question was an automatic, but that when he called them the next day he was told it was a manual. If that is in fact what happened, rather than that he assumed from the photo that the car was an automatic, I think he has a legitimate complaint.

Interesting, I recently picked up a car in Sicily and just now went to look at the website for Sixt Catania.

Sixt Italy, is, of course not Sixt, it is a different company acting as a franchise
The idea of "automatic" is shown clearly as an "Accessory" and hence is only dependant on availability.
If booked Sixt should have rung the client within 48 hours to confirm availability or not. It is unclear what should have happened at this point.

One more reason to never book with brand names but use Autoeurope or other large brokers who would have resolved both language and contractural differences.

Got to admit I have on idea what the 2 is but considering the site has cars where it's clearly marked A for transmission that would have been my first clue that 2 might not be what OP thinks it was. (I have clicked on the car image and get nothing so....)


As for the rest I never book pre-pay non-refundable cars anyway as I like to keep checking. Generally they are just a few bucks cheaper. For the Sixt rental I just played with it was $4 a day. I always like the flexibility when booking far in advance. Prices often fall.

However, your mission is a waste of time and won't change anything except people's views of you.

The other benefit of using Autoeurope is that the pick up point in Catania is buried in car companies, I'm guessing 8 (in same shed and sharing a coffee machine) and just down from the main airport building with another 5. So if company A did not have a car company B would have had it.

Brokers is the answer

I think some people google Sixt complaints and then find Fodors as for some reason this seems to be the respository for them.

It isn't clear to me what happened, either, except the OP rented an A/T but then is picking cars by pictures? I don't get it, the picture on the website is irrelevant and if you are in their lot, you should let them give you the car you reserved.

I wonder if it has something to do with the fact that there are some cars that are sort of half and half. in fact, Alfa Romeo makes one as I rented it once (although it was a compact). You did not need to use a clutch to shift, but you DID have to shift the gears yourself, it didn't do it automatically. So you had to know a little about driving a manual to know when you needed to shift gears, but it was really a lot easier than having to deal with a clutch. I really liked it, actually, once I found out what it was (I rented from Europcar somewhere in France, MRS I believe, but they gave me an Alfa Romeo like that and I had reserved an A/T, also). I can't recall if I figured it out for myself or they explained it. It didn't bother me but if you were totally clueless about shifting gears, I suppose you wouldn't know when to do that.

This type of car is called a semi-automatic, clutchless manual or automated manual transmission.

carol.. my opinion of OP isn't bad like yours is I guess.

They thought they were doing everything right but found it confusing .. and then when trying to confirm with company its not providing good customer service in responding in a clear and timely manner.

So? Does that make OP a bad person?

I don't drive a manual so I would be very upset too.. however I don't like to click the "submit" or "confirm order" button until I am 100 clear.. so perhaps that's the OPS fault. .acting too quickly.

Here's the contact information for Sixt from Christopher Elliott's consumer protection website. Suggest the OP email them and politely explain what happened. (Words like "cheats" will turn anyone off and make them not want to help you.)

Corporate address:
Sixt Executive GmbH
Zugspitzstrtraße 1
D-82049 Pullach
Telephone: +49 89 744440

Address for myDriver subsidiary:
MD Digital Mobility GmbH & Co. KG
Neue Grünstraße 17
D-10179 Berlin
Website: mydriver-international.com

1850 SE 17th Street Causeway
Suite 207
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
http://www.sixt.com

PHONE CONTACTS
Customer Service: (888) 749-8111
Toll Free: (888) 749-8227

EMAIL CONTACTS
[email protected]