H M.

Since Rentalcars no longer reacts to my complaint, I think it's time to tell my story here.

On January 29,2018 I booked a car through Rentalcars.nl to rent during my vacation in South Africa. The reason why I chose to rent a car via Rentalcars was because their website said that I would not have to pay a 'one way fee'. A 'one way fee' is charged if you hand in the car at a different location from where you picked it up. In my case, this would mean an additional cost of Euro71.

So I booked the car and took out insurance through Rentalcars, and the costs amounted to 476.65. They are also immediately recovered from my credit card the next day.
But nowhere on the costs summary on the website it was stipulated that would not have to pay this one-way fee. This was only mentioned on the pages where one chooses the type of car and the insurances.
This kept bothering me and I sent a mail to Rentalcars with the question whether I would or would not have paid a one way fee. I received an e-mail containing (in bold) letters; " There would be no one way fee surcharge by Avis on site!".

I flew to Port Elizabeth in South Africa in mid-February 2018 and went to pick up the car from Avis ZA. There I was asked if I had insurance and with whom. When I said that I had taken insurance out with Rentalcars, the desk employee advised to take out insurance policies with them in the future as customers often have problems to have their claim paid out by Rentalcars. That was not a good sign.

I took the car and we went on holiday. And after two weeks I handed the car in, at Avis ZA Cape Town airport.

When I was back in the Netherlands in the middle of March 2018 and access to good internet, a PC and a printer, I started to investigate all the invoices and contract which were sent to me by AVIS ZA via email.
Great was my surprise to see a 'One way fee' cost of 71 on the contract and invoice!
I checked and added up all the costs and yes in the total costs, the costs for the one way fee was included and I did indeed paid for it! Rental cars paid Avis ZA via a voucher and that amount corresponded with the costs invoiced by AVIS ZA and this total incudes the cost for the one way fee.
So I DID pay this one way fee.

I approached Avis ZA about this and they referred me to Rentalcars and that's where the finger pointing game with Rental Cars started. It does'nt matter which manner or way I use to try and get them to acknowledge that I did pay the one way fee, the only response I get is that according to them I did NOT paid the one way fee. I mean, what is clearer than a cost item for a one-way fee that is on the contract and in the invoices. These costs also form part of the voucher amount that Avis ZA received from Rentalcars.
This has been ongoing from end of March 2018 and Rentalcars, even after sending them copies of their website and the AVIS invoice they still claim that I did not pay the One Way Fee.
Avis ZA did everything according to the books and neatly reported all the cost items in the contract and on the invoices. They also answered all questions that I asked them about costs and provided evidence for it (such as speed fines). So I have confidence in Avis ZA that they have correctly and honestly invoiced all costs.
I do not understand how Rentalcars can keep on claiming that I have NOT paid one way fee, when being confronted with all the evidence; the contract and invoices clearly state this cost item and these costs where included in the voucher amount.
I assume that Rentalcars established professional rental and costs agreements with Avis ZA about renting cars and the costs involved. Therefore I have conclude that Rentalcars has misled me with their website promises and I feel scammed.

My tips for someone who wants to rent a car through brokers such as Rental Cars are as follows
1. Check the exchange rate that they use.
2. Make screenprints and save all of the free benefits and specials offered on their websites. Request confirmation of such benefits and specials.
3. Check all cost items on contracts and invoices and request proof.
4. Book directly with the car rental company and not through a broker, this saves you from having to fight' against two parties.
5. Also take out all insurance policies directly from the car rental company and avoid all efforts having to prove your claim with a broker party.

It is now end of October 2018 and Rentalcars do not longer answer my mails or communications.
My last tip for other future renters; DO NOT rent a car through Rental Cars or brokers. Go directly to the company that actually rents you the car!
This was the first and the last time that I rented a car from Rental Cars, you only get scammed by them. This way they earn fast and easy money!