Fantastic

Very satisfied.

This car rental company is absolutely terrible. My reservation number is K9212887817. On the morning of the rental day, I went through the rental agreement and clearly understood that my rental period was for one day. However, the staff at this company told me I could return the car anytime between 8 AM and 4 PM the following day. I found this return policy confusing because I was certain my rental period was just one day, yet their staff seemed to suggest I could return the car the next day during those hours. To clarify, we asked the staff again in the parking lot when picking up the car about the latest return time, and we were told the same thing: anytime between 8 AM and 4 PM the next day. Still unsure, we even went back to their store on the morning of the return day to confirm the latest return time, explicitly stating that we picked up the car at 8:30 AM the previous day. The staff member, who was the same person who assisted us the day before, confirmed again that returning by 4 PM would be fine. Feeling reassured, we did not immediately return the car. However, two hours later, I received a call saying that we were late in returning the car and that we had exceeded the allotted return time by more than three hours, incurring an additional charge of AUD 250. I was absolutely shocked and explained that we had asked three separate times and were consistently told we could return the car by 4 PM. On the phone, the staff member was incredibly rude and repeatedly demanded that we pay the AUD 250 without acknowledging my concerns. We then rushed to return the car and went to their store, where an employee—who appeared to be a woman of Indian descent—repeatedly told us to refer to the contract, completely ignoring what we were saying. She was extremely unfriendly and dismissive of our experience, leaving me feeling deeply hurt and mistreated. I also felt there were elements of racial discrimination involved. I was extremely upset. Later, the on-duty manager came out to mediate and simply kept insisting that we misunderstood the policy, which I completely disagree with. We asked for clarification three times, including on the morning of the return day, emphasizing that we picked up the car at 8:30 AM the previous day, yet we were told multiple times to return it by 4 PM. In the end, the manager charged me an additional AUD 109 fee, which I cannot understand. Why should I pay for the mistakes of their staff? Why was there no apology? Not a single word of apology. This experience has left me feeling like this is a dishonest business.

Thrifty is a subsidiary of Hertz. The counter and parking lot are in the same location. However, Thrifty is a budget brand, so the vehicle mileage might be a bit higher, but it was only a bit over 40,000 kilometers, and the overall condition was very good, I'd rate it 95%. The car was well-maintained. The 2.4T Mitsubishi diesel engine was great, fuel-efficient, and powerful even at low RPMs. Moreover, the Mitsubishi Super Select 4WD is very suitable for crossing country forests or rough roads. However, it's not very good for high-speed driving, as the steering wheel feels a bit loose.

This was my first time renting a car in Adelaide. I booked the car from December 17 to December 31. The pickup time was set for 9 AM on the 17th. We arrived around 8:50 AM. The service staff asked for our IDs, entered the details, and informed us about the deposit. They then entered some other information and told us that the rental ended on the 30th. If we wanted to extend it to the 31st, additional charges would apply. I found this odd since I hadn't agreed to any extra payment. I asked why and she repeated that the booking was until the 30th. I called the car rental customer service, who picked up quickly and confirmed that the booking was indeed until the 31st. The customer service agent communicated with the rental company staff and verified all the information. It was 9:06 AM when the call ended. When I received the receipt, I saw that she had already charged me for an extra day without my consent because I had provided a card for the deposit. After talking to customer service again, she refunded the money. Just because I arrived a few minutes early, they charged me for an extra day without informing me, which I found quite confusing. They could have explained or reminded me that it would be better to pick up the car exactly at 9 AM. For future renters, especially those who face language barriers and don't speak the local language, always clarify the charges. Sorry for the lengthy explanation.

Better than thought, quite roomy.