Green Motion International review: Car rental Greece Thessaloniki false charges and rudness

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to lodge a formal complaint regarding my recent vehicle rental experience with your partner company, Green Motion. Without any exaggeration, this was the worst car rental experience my family and I have ever encountered.

Upon arriving at the airport, my family, including our 16-month-old baby and 5-year-old child, was forced to wait at Airport Parking 5 for approximately one hour in temperatures of 36°C. During this time, I called your office six times requesting collection (photographs of the calls are attached; times shown are UK time, with the local time zone being +2 hours ahead). On each occasion, I was assured that the shuttle vehicle was "on its way," despite your office being located only a short distance from the airport.

When the shuttle vehicle eventually arrived, no child seats had been fitted for the safe transportation of our children. This placed both of my children at risk during the journey due to the heavy traffic and the manner of driving we experienced. Furthermore, the driver was using a mobile phone without a hands-free system or Bluetooth connection (a photograph of my family inside the van is attached, which clearly demonstrates the absence of child seats). This was completely unacceptable, as it exposed our family to an increased risk of a road traffic collision without the necessary safety measures in place.

Upon arrival at your offices, we were greeted by a female employee with shoulder-length dark hair and tattoos. Rather than apologising for the significant delay and inconvenience, she displayed a dismissive and discourteous attitude. We then discovered that the vehicle was not ready for collection and were forced to wait a further hour while it was cleaned and fitted with the child seat, which had already been booked on 08/07/2026 (email correspondence attached), paid for at your office, and confirmed in advance through the booking application in order to speed up the collection process. This was completely ignored. Furthermore, the infant seat provided did not appear to meet appropriate safety standards, which raised serious concerns regarding the safety of child passengers.

When the vehicle was finally handed over, it was still wet, making it impossible to inspect the windscreen for any defects because it was covered in water droplets. The vehicle had only been partially cleaned and displayed numerous pre-existing marks and scratches (photographs attached). In addition, warning indicators relating to the Start/Stop system and the tyre pressure monitoring system were displayed on the dashboard. Furthermore, no information or explanation was provided regarding the vehicle's LPG fuel option, despite this forming part of the handover and vehicle familiarisation process. These issues raised serious concerns regarding the condition of the vehicle at the time it was supplied to us.

Given the large number of visible defects present at the time of collection, I request confirmation of which defects had been recorded prior to the commencement of our rental, together with evidence demonstrating that any alleged damage identified upon return was not pre-existing.

When returning the vehicle, we ensured that it was professionally cleaned and returned with a full fuel tank. We were then informed that a windscreen chip measuring approximately 1mm in diameter and depth had been identified. The alleged damage was so small that it was almost invisible to the naked eye (photograph attached). Notably, one member of staff (the lady previously mentioned) claimed to identify the chip immediately, while another colleague was initially unable to locate it. This naturally raised concerns regarding whether the damage was pre-existing or had been previously recorded.

Given that the windscreen was covered in water droplets when the vehicle was supplied to us, it would have been impossible to identify such a tiny imperfection at the beginning of the rental period. For this reason, I strongly dispute the assertion that this alleged damage occurred during our hire period.

Despite our objections, we were presented with a charge of €1,240. We requested to speak with a manager or legal representative to challenge this excessive amount. Instead, we were told, in a dismissive manner, that someone would contact us "when they found the time." Furthermore, we were informed that the rental agreement would remain open if we refused to pay and were threatened that any delay would result in us missing our return flights, as we would not be allowed to leave.

Under these circumstances, we felt subjected to undue pressure to pay the amount demanded in order to avoid further delays and disruption to our travel arrangements. We were subsequently informed that, despite not having purchased rental insurance cover in advance, documentation would be provided (attached to this email) so that we could recover the funds ourselves from the third-party company through which the booking had been made. As you will see from the correspondence below, we subsequently contacted EasyJet, who informed us that this matter must be addressed directly with Green Motion and not with them. Therefore, what your employee told us was untrue and appears to have been said merely to reassure us into making payment while knowing that compensation would not be forthcoming.

The entire experience caused significant stress and distress to our family, particularly our young children. To make matters worse, when we were transferred back to the airport, child seats were once again not provided, despite the obvious legal and safety implications.

At no stage did anyone offer an apology for:

The one-hour wait at the airport.
The absence of child seats during our transfers to and from the airport.
The additional delay at your office.
The condition of the vehicle.
The lack of information regarding the vehicle.
The disputed damage charge.
The distress caused to our family.
I formally dispute the €1,240 charge and request the following:

Copies of all vehicle inspection reports completed before and after the rental period.
Time-stamped photographs of the windscreen taken before and after my rental period.
A detailed breakdown of the €1,240 charge, including repair costs, replacement costs, administrative fees, and any other charges applied.
Evidence demonstrating that the alleged damage occurred during my rental period. I note that the invoice provided to me and attached to this email is dated 27/05/2026, which predates my rental period and raises serious concerns regarding the validity of this claim.
Details of any repair or replacement work undertaken as a result of the alleged damage, including invoices and proof of payment.
Complete vehicle inspection records and photographic evidence for vehicle Dacia EYB-9185, both before and after my rental period, covering the previous 12 months.
Confirmation of whether photographs were taken when the vehicle was supplied to us and when it was returned, together with copies of those photographs.
An explanation as to why a windscreen chip measuring approximately 1mm resulted in a charge of €1,240 and why a simple repair was considered insufficient, necessitating the replacement of the entire windscreen.
Given the circumstances described above, including the excessive delays, failure to provide the booked child seats, concerns regarding the condition of the vehicle, the disputed nature of the alleged damage, and the pressure placed upon us to make payment before our flight, I believe this matter warrants immediate and thorough investigation. I reserve all rights to pursue this complaint through my card issuer, the relevant consumer protection authorities, Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) services, and any other appropriate regulatory bodies should a satisfactory resolution not be reached.

Unless compelling evidence is provided, I expect a full refund of the disputed charge.

I trust that this matter will be investigated thoroughly and that a full response will be provided as a matter of urgency.

Yours faithfully,

Erisida Papa
Driver: Ioannis Tagaras
GR901996550
Rental Dates: 17/07/2026 – 31/07/2026

Email: Erisida.[protected]@gmail.com

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