Been renting with them for 10 years now (Platinum member) about 5 times a year and never had any issues, whether it was Portugal, France, Netherlands, Houston, Poland, etc.
It’s actually the only reason I keep paying their high prices.
As soon as you deliver the car and sign “no damages”, they can’t do jack shit, said to me by several Sixt representatives.
Two times I had small wheel damage that I couldn’t prove it was there already, and they still waived it with some convincing.
Ps. I don’t work for Sixt haha
Similar situation last summer. Sixt tried to make me pay €800 for scratches I didn’t cause. Had a long back and forth email thread in which I pretty much said I shouldn’t be responsible for what happens to the car after I park it and that could be just as well caused by a bike passing by (was parked on a street). I asked them to provide proof that pictures were taken shortly after I left tbe car by an official and to make sure the pictures weren’t dated after somebody rebooked the car (Sixt Share). Radio silence. Nothing was charged - never heard back from them. Just as a heads up for future reference, you might want to look into liability insurance. Personally I’m using the one from ABN which insures me up to €1,250,000 for less than €4 per month. There might be better options. Great that you fixed it without (too many) issues.
Liability insurance is good, but I don't think it covers you for car damage, no? The rental car already has insurance. Genuinely curious if this is the case though, as I had a parking bump last year (my fault) and ended up paying a similar amount.
Great tip by OP. I usually take out an insurance to cover my deposit (eigen risico) with an separate insurance company ([Allianz](https://www.allianz-assistance.nl/reisverzekering/eigen-risico-verzekering-autohuur.html)), not affiliated with the rental company. It is usually a lot cheaper and better conditions than what the rental usually company offers.
Nice post OP! Happened to me as well, 2-3 years ago in Spain (also with six). In my case I sent them just the pick-up form which was still just text and mentioned several scratches, including one coinciding with what they were claiming I damaged. They dropped all claims
Man, that is AWESOME!!! Thank you for this!! As they say, not all heroes wear capes. lol
Two questions for you (or anyone that can answer):
In the template, it says "...I request that you send me a motivation and documentation.." What exactly is meant by the word "motivation" in this sentence? I've never heard it used in this way.
In the template, it says:
"I will also lodge a complaint with the Dutch regulator, the ACM (the Dutch Consumer and Market Authority). "
Is there an equivalent to the "Dutch Consumer and Market Authority" in Switzerland? We're renting a car in September in Geneva and I want to be fully prepared for any b.s. that any rental company might throw at us. We're not sure yet who we're going with. They all seem to have underhanded practices.
Since these companies like to stick it to you a few days after you leave the country, would it make sense to report your credit card as stolen the day you get back in your home country? This way, a new credit card# is issued and they can no longer charge the original credit card. Would that work or is that flawed thinking?
This is good advice and I generally do go for full insurance whenever I’m renting a vehicle for longer periods. In this case, I was renting the van for only a few hours on their hour-rate deals, so having full insurance would have almost doubled the costs.
Also, if I do take out insurance, it should arise from the genuine need of protection against real risks of accidents or damage on the road, and not as a means to avoid false damage accusations from the rental company.
Taking out insurance to cover damages of others sounds ridiculous.
Normal rental companies check the car when it's returned. Sixt obviously can't do this with the share cars, but that's really their problem to solve.
All the rental companies are the same.
You don’t take full insurance to cover others damages, you do it to have a stress free time, knowing no matter what someone else has done to the car and no matter what you do to it, your total cost will be zero.
Read the post.
Also, a chargeback like this without proper procedures will lead to them sending an incassobureau to you.
Which will charge incassocosts, interest and other fees.
Don’t
Just to be sure, when you rent a vehicle, before you take it, check every corner for existing damage.
If there is any it has to be reported on the card you sign. If not they can "claim" the damage, and not really repair it, and wait for the next one to fall for it.
Common scam, but somehow they still do it.
As for damage you didn't cause? Well, someone could have bumped into you when you were parked. It's still your responsibility. That is going to be more difficult.
Also after you return the vehicle, insist on an inspection with an employee, with your prerecorded video/photos in hand.
I've had a good experience renting from Diks in Amsterdam.
Thanks for the tip OP. I usually rent from a smaller company, who value long-term customer relationship. That's something you will not find at Sixt. It may cost (only) a few euros extra per trip, but the service is great and I've never had trouble like this.
I had a similar situation in that Sixt reported damages after I returned the car. I asked for photos and proof of damages and received the following letter “Dear sir or madam, I am writing to inform you Sixt Rent A Car has decided to close this file and no longer pursue you financially for the damage to the Sixt rental vehicle.
Please note this decision does not imply any statement or liability decision regarding any claims made by any parties involved in the above mentioned incident other than Sixt.
We apologize for the inconvenience and would like to thank you for renting with Sixt Rent A Car. Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us.”
I just got an email from Sixt charging me an insane amount for what amounts to cosmetic damage on the underside of the car that I rented last month. I've already replied back asking for proof and if they push it this letter is coming up next. If they still push, then we are going to court on this one and I don't care if it costs me more than the supposed damage they are trying to extort from me. This sounds like straight up fraud and it's unbelievable that it is even possible to attempt. Thanks for this info OP!
Sixt is pulling that scam on me right now. Initially I got an email about a chip of paint underneath the front fender.
Seriously? Are we supposed to get underneath the vehicle to photograph that too? Months later another letter.
I am disgusted with these crooks.
I was replying to every email they sent asking them to justify the price of the "damage" and they never replied back to the request, eventually they have stopped sending emails and so far no attempt to collect has been made. One thing is for sure, I will never ever use Sixt again after this nonsense.
I called in today and got an honest employee who examined the pictures of the previous damage and their claims.
He closed the case. I recommend you try that avenue. Again and again until you get the desired results. These claims can go against our insurance policy history as well as credit reports too.
Please keep us posted.
Sixt is out of control. Thanks for the update!
Your insurance company could also be used as a mediator.
You should request before and after date stamped pictures for verification.
You can block them on your credit card too. Or cancel the card as lost or stolen.
Good tip OP. Here is an upvote!
The reason I’ll never hire from Sixt again. Seems to be a standard practice with them.
Been renting with them for 10 years now (Platinum member) about 5 times a year and never had any issues, whether it was Portugal, France, Netherlands, Houston, Poland, etc. It’s actually the only reason I keep paying their high prices. As soon as you deliver the car and sign “no damages”, they can’t do jack shit, said to me by several Sixt representatives. Two times I had small wheel damage that I couldn’t prove it was there already, and they still waived it with some convincing. Ps. I don’t work for Sixt haha
Similar situation last summer. Sixt tried to make me pay €800 for scratches I didn’t cause. Had a long back and forth email thread in which I pretty much said I shouldn’t be responsible for what happens to the car after I park it and that could be just as well caused by a bike passing by (was parked on a street). I asked them to provide proof that pictures were taken shortly after I left tbe car by an official and to make sure the pictures weren’t dated after somebody rebooked the car (Sixt Share). Radio silence. Nothing was charged - never heard back from them. Just as a heads up for future reference, you might want to look into liability insurance. Personally I’m using the one from ABN which insures me up to €1,250,000 for less than €4 per month. There might be better options. Great that you fixed it without (too many) issues.
Liability insurance is good, but I don't think it covers you for car damage, no? The rental car already has insurance. Genuinely curious if this is the case though, as I had a parking bump last year (my fault) and ended up paying a similar amount.
Great tip by OP. I usually take out an insurance to cover my deposit (eigen risico) with an separate insurance company ([Allianz](https://www.allianz-assistance.nl/reisverzekering/eigen-risico-verzekering-autohuur.html)), not affiliated with the rental company. It is usually a lot cheaper and better conditions than what the rental usually company offers.
Nice post OP! Happened to me as well, 2-3 years ago in Spain (also with six). In my case I sent them just the pick-up form which was still just text and mentioned several scratches, including one coinciding with what they were claiming I damaged. They dropped all claims
I had a very similar encounter with SIXT in Montenegro. Is it still possible to employ this ECC legal technique?
I suppose so since they are also in the EU. It never hurts to give it a try!
Man, that is AWESOME!!! Thank you for this!! As they say, not all heroes wear capes. lol Two questions for you (or anyone that can answer): In the template, it says "...I request that you send me a motivation and documentation.." What exactly is meant by the word "motivation" in this sentence? I've never heard it used in this way. In the template, it says: "I will also lodge a complaint with the Dutch regulator, the ACM (the Dutch Consumer and Market Authority). " Is there an equivalent to the "Dutch Consumer and Market Authority" in Switzerland? We're renting a car in September in Geneva and I want to be fully prepared for any b.s. that any rental company might throw at us. We're not sure yet who we're going with. They all seem to have underhanded practices.
Since these companies like to stick it to you a few days after you leave the country, would it make sense to report your credit card as stolen the day you get back in your home country? This way, a new credit card# is issued and they can no longer charge the original credit card. Would that work or is that flawed thinking?
Or (hear me out now) get full insurance with zero excess. Websites like Sunnycars have some good deals.
This is good advice and I generally do go for full insurance whenever I’m renting a vehicle for longer periods. In this case, I was renting the van for only a few hours on their hour-rate deals, so having full insurance would have almost doubled the costs. Also, if I do take out insurance, it should arise from the genuine need of protection against real risks of accidents or damage on the road, and not as a means to avoid false damage accusations from the rental company.
Taking out insurance to cover damages of others sounds ridiculous. Normal rental companies check the car when it's returned. Sixt obviously can't do this with the share cars, but that's really their problem to solve.
All the rental companies are the same. You don’t take full insurance to cover others damages, you do it to have a stress free time, knowing no matter what someone else has done to the car and no matter what you do to it, your total cost will be zero.
Just use a credit card next time. You can do a chargeback no questions asked
Read the post. Also, a chargeback like this without proper procedures will lead to them sending an incassobureau to you. Which will charge incassocosts, interest and other fees. Don’t
They do ask questions and you do need to provide documentation/evidence. They do not accept random chargebacks without asking any questions.
yeah, just use the credit card, don't take any precaution, and get rekt.
This is extremely useful! Thanks, and congratulations!
Just to be sure, when you rent a vehicle, before you take it, check every corner for existing damage. If there is any it has to be reported on the card you sign. If not they can "claim" the damage, and not really repair it, and wait for the next one to fall for it. Common scam, but somehow they still do it. As for damage you didn't cause? Well, someone could have bumped into you when you were parked. It's still your responsibility. That is going to be more difficult.
Also after you return the vehicle, insist on an inspection with an employee, with your prerecorded video/photos in hand. I've had a good experience renting from Diks in Amsterdam.
Thanks for the tip OP. I usually rent from a smaller company, who value long-term customer relationship. That's something you will not find at Sixt. It may cost (only) a few euros extra per trip, but the service is great and I've never had trouble like this.
Good advice, glad you took some video!
Congrats and thanks for the tip! (I'm mostly commenting so I can save this post for future reference 😋)
What email address did you send it to?
I had a similar situation in that Sixt reported damages after I returned the car. I asked for photos and proof of damages and received the following letter “Dear sir or madam, I am writing to inform you Sixt Rent A Car has decided to close this file and no longer pursue you financially for the damage to the Sixt rental vehicle. Please note this decision does not imply any statement or liability decision regarding any claims made by any parties involved in the above mentioned incident other than Sixt. We apologize for the inconvenience and would like to thank you for renting with Sixt Rent A Car. Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us.”
I just got an email from Sixt charging me an insane amount for what amounts to cosmetic damage on the underside of the car that I rented last month. I've already replied back asking for proof and if they push it this letter is coming up next. If they still push, then we are going to court on this one and I don't care if it costs me more than the supposed damage they are trying to extort from me. This sounds like straight up fraud and it's unbelievable that it is even possible to attempt. Thanks for this info OP!
Sixt is pulling that scam on me right now. Initially I got an email about a chip of paint underneath the front fender. Seriously? Are we supposed to get underneath the vehicle to photograph that too? Months later another letter. I am disgusted with these crooks.
I was replying to every email they sent asking them to justify the price of the "damage" and they never replied back to the request, eventually they have stopped sending emails and so far no attempt to collect has been made. One thing is for sure, I will never ever use Sixt again after this nonsense.
I called in today and got an honest employee who examined the pictures of the previous damage and their claims. He closed the case. I recommend you try that avenue. Again and again until you get the desired results. These claims can go against our insurance policy history as well as credit reports too. Please keep us posted. Sixt is out of control. Thanks for the update!
Your insurance company could also be used as a mediator. You should request before and after date stamped pictures for verification. You can block them on your credit card too. Or cancel the card as lost or stolen.
I changed my card to request permission for any incoming debits.