Rent A Terstappen review: Deceptive price (100% overcharge) 1

I traveled to Frankfurt Germany last week and rented a car from the local Dollar franchise. But this time, I got a good rate via HotWire. It’s difficult to arrange personal service through HotWire, but as travel partners go, they are among the best. And so I booked my car rental online. I fully recognized that I might get stuck with a Frankfurt “drug tax” – or perhaps in this case, a wiener-schnitzel tax – but I was woefully unprepared for being hit with a fee that doubled amount in the good faith disclosure!

Dollar franchisee Rent a Terstappen
Desk clerk Beatrice Lindholm-Dagci
HotWire itinerary [protected]
Contract offer $151.87 *
Customer charge $315.38 ?!

* Revised from original offer of $182.24 for 6 days

Next week, I will offer Mr. Terstappen’s phone number to North American readers. I am sure that he will want to hear from you.

Dear readers: You won’t believe the pretense on which Rent a Terstappen doubled my rental contract cost. Even with the separation of 6, 000 kilometers and 6 days since my return, I still can’t believe the loony reason that Ms. Lnidholm-Dagci told me (at first, with a straight face). More shocking, I sensed that she didn’t believe it either. She whispered for me to visit Dollars competitors a different rental counter, because, clearly, she get’s a lot of push back from outraged customers.

Well, this customer is not standing for it! I landed during the busiest travel week in Germany. Even with a staggered school vacation schedule, all of their schools were on holiday last week. Five other rental companies offered to match the rate that I was promised (without the farcical add-on), but none of them had vehicles for rent anywhere near the airport. They were all fully booked no matter what I paid.

Does Dollar Rental know of the massive deception foisted on their clients by Rent a Terstappen? (the local Dollar franchisee at the Frankfurt airport).
Does Rent a Terstappen force desk clerks to pretend they don’t see what agents at every other rental counter already knows? Beatrice Lindholm-Dagci sees the deception of which she is forced to participate. She must hoodwink customers and then blame the fiasco on HotWire and other referring agents.
Does Hertz know that the reporting chain at Dollar is either intentionally deceptive or egregiously deficient. I certainly aim to talk with Hertz if this is not settled by the end of this week.
Oh yes! I forgot to tell you the reason for the doubling of my rental charge: Ms. Linholm-Dagci explained to me that I must use a Gold branded MasterCard to complete the transaction, because she had no way of verifying insurance coverage for any other form of payment. I had with me a Platinum American Express, a Platinum Visa Card and a Business Premium MasterCard. All of them carried rental insurance. I offered her a $1500 deposit, which she processed! I also offered proof of my insurance coverage through Liberty Mutual with a very clear stipulation of full vehicle replacement value, even when driving in a foreign country.

She didn’t care. It had to be a Gold MasterCard. Not Premium, Not American Express Platinum, Not Chrome, Not Visa, Not the 7 other cards whose logos that they display at the counter. Only a Gold MasterCard.

Additional details about my experience with Rent a Terstappen: http://awildduck.com/?p=1682

Oh yes. One last thing. Just in case someone at Terstappen wants to make things right, I can be reached at +1 (USA) 5O8 485 ..695O (Ask for Phil, a travel service manager). I am quite reasonable when bullies back down from unfair practices.