Sixt Rent A Car

The Italian job? It's me been done by this woeful car hire company, sign up with them at your peril. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

In early July I flew from the UK to Rome Ciampino airport for a family holiday. I chose to book a family car, E class (Renault Scenic, Fiat Stilo class) with Sixt as the previous summer we booked with Hertz and the queues for the car hire desk were enormous and I seem to remember that the Sixt queue was short.

I now understand the reason for the short queue. I got to the front of the queue after the UK couple in front of me had been told that there was no 9 seater people carrier for them as ordered and they spent an hour arguing their case, unsuccessfully.

When it came to my turn , I handed my documentation to the guy who told me that they had no E class cars left, even though I had booked on the internet in April. The best they could do for me was a C class. I asked when the next C class would be come available (I was at the airport at the time and day I had stipulated on the booking) I was told it could be any time up to 24 hours. Very reluctantly I took the c class being told that I would receive compensation and no quibble refund etc. the car that I was presented with was filthy inside and out and was far too small for a family of four with three large cases and assorted backpacks etc for a two week holiday. We all squeezed into a smart forour which was clearly far too small and dangerous. The guy we were talking to wasn't interested and really wanted us to clear off. We stood our ground and eventually he suggested that we drive to Rome's other airport Fiumicino where we could exchange this car for the one we wanted at the Sixt branch there, he promised to phone ahead. The call ahead was never made and after an exhausting hour or so explaining the difficulties were told that the airport did not have any E group cars and the best they could do was give us a C group Fiat Idea (basically a stretched Panda). That was it.

Having got back from my holiday about three weeks ago I have sent numerous e-mails to Sixt in Italy and spoken to Sixt customer services in the UK. None of my e-mails have been replied to and the UK customer service people are really not interested. I believe I am owed about £100.00

Their service is rubbish, I would strongly urge anyone looking to hire a car to stay with one of the majors and away from these amateurs.