One-Dollar FreezeFirst I have to say this. Who would think I could book a car in Milan and pay only 1 dollar at the start. Even I felt it was a bit crazy. In late May I planned a trip to Milan in Italy and checked many car sites online. I booked the car on QEEQ. In my mind I kept thinking. If I pay the full amount on my credit card in one go will it be heavy for me. Will interest be a problem. Then I saw they had something called One-Dollar Freeze and I got very curious.
I asked myself. Do I really only pay 1 dollar to lock the car. What if they charge more later. When I made the booking they only took 1 dollar from my card. The page showed my order was confirmed. In that moment I checked the bill many times. I asked again. So what about the rest of the money. Will they take it slowly. Will they charge too early. I saw the note that they would charge the rest before pickup and there is no interest. I felt much more relaxed.
Time went by and closer to my trip. Around one day before my booking started they took the rest of the payment from my card. My phone showed the charge and I checked it again. The amount was the same as I saw at the start. No strange extra fee. I asked myself. Where is the pressure I was afraid of. It was not there. I could use my money for other travel costs first and not lose a big part of my limit at once.
Around the evening of May 26 I got ready to go to Milan the next day and pick up the car. I thought about the whole booking process and I was glad I chose this 1 dollar way. For an overseas traveler like me it feels good that my credit card limit is not locked up from day one. They auto charged the rest and there was no interest. I did not need to remember any payment date. The whole thing for me was simple and light and I did not feel money stress at all.
Dedicated customer serviceI want to complain first. I never thought renting a small car in Rome would end up with me busy checking bills instead of just driving. I booked the car on QEEQ and I was traveling alone in Italy. I thought it would be very simple.
It was around the evening of May 12 when I went to the NOLEGGIARE counter in Rome to pick up the car. They gave me a Fiat 500 with manual gear and two doors. It looked pretty cute. I asked myself in my head. Did I not already pay everything before. Why did the counter staff keep asking me to sign more papers. They said it was standard process. I did not really understand and I was tired and just wanted to leave with the car so I signed.
During the next few days I drove around Rome and nearby places. I was quite happy when driving. At the same time a small question came to my mind. Will there be extra charges. I told myself it should be fine because I saw on their site that I already prepaid the full rental. I felt it should be okay.
Around the afternoon of May 16 I returned the car in Rome and went back to my room. I checked my credit card on my phone and I suddenly saw an extra charge of about 247.51 euro. I was shocked. I asked myself. What is this money. My own answer was that it looked like they charged the rental again and also some extra insurance.
I checked my emails and the papers I had. On the paper from the counter I saw insurance words. But I already had insurance before. I asked again in my head. Who should I talk to about this. Then I contacted the customer service and explained everything. I also sent all the screenshots I could find.
The support person listened to my story first. Then they asked me some simple questions. Did I sign any extra insurance at the counter. Did the staff explain it clearly. How much was charged in total. They said they would ask the car company for the bill and help me find out what really happened.
In the next days I kept talking to myself with questions and answers. Was I in too much of a rush at pick up. Should I have checked the contract more carefully. I tried to remember that night again and again. It was quite late and I was a bit sleepy. I only remember the staff pointing at many terms and saying something about insurance. I asked if it was really must buy. His answer was not very clear. I was worried about language problems and I did not want trouble so I just signed. Later when I compared the price on the site and the one from the counter it really felt like they added another local insurance.
During this whole time one thing stood out to me. I felt that someone was always following my case. When the support contacted me they first made sure they understood what exactly I was worried about. Then they told me they had already sent messages to the car rental side and were waiting for a reply. A few times I suddenly thought of something late at night and sent more messages. I worried I was being annoying. After that I could still see new updates from them and they told me what step they were at now.
The problem is still not fully solved and I am not good with law or contract words. I felt a bit lost. Having someone keep an eye on the case made me less scared. I also asked myself if I should just let it go and treat it as a lesson. But 247.51 euro is really not a small amount for me. I travel alone and my budget is not very high so I did not want to just give up.
The support did not force me to make any choice. They just reminded me that I should try my best to find the detailed charge paper so they can help me check better. I spent quite some time looking through my bank record and emails. While I was searching I kept blaming myself for not being more careful at the counter.
When I look back at the whole thing during these days the strongest feeling I have about them is that I was not left alone after I said there was a problem. I came to a foreign country by myself and my English is just okay. When I face the fast talking at the counter sometimes my brain cannot keep up. After I came back it felt very different to have one person staying in the same chat with me and helping me sort things out. They helped me see which part I already paid and which part might be extra and where I needed proof. As a solo traveler this feeling of being looked after means a lot to me. I still hope everything can be solved faster but during this time having someone keep listening and following up already made the trip a lot less stressful for me.
Dedicated customer serviceTo be honest I was pretty angry at the start of this rental. I booked through QEEQ and I chose a VW T Cross in advance because for business travel I need some space and a bit of style. On April thirteenth in the afternoon I landed in Bari and walked to the Budget counter with my luggage. The staff there told me they did not have the car I booked. They gave me a small Fiat that was clearly a lower group. I felt really bad. In my head I kept thinking that this kind of car is cheaper on other sites and I basically paid more money for a worse car.
After I picked up the car I felt more and more unhappy so I contacted the support team. I did not use any special terms. I just said that I booked a VW T Cross and got a smaller and cheaper car and that it did not feel fair. I was also afraid that my extra money was just gone. I am quite busy and I thought maybe no one would really care after the first message. It was a surprise for me that from the first contact the same person kept following my case and he remembered my situation clearly. In the next contacts I did not need to explain everything from zero again.
They told me to stay calm and said they would reach out to the rental company and try to get some money back for the downgrade. I spoke very directly and said I felt I lost at least dozens of euros or even more. I thought this kind of thing would take a very long time or end with a simple sorry with no solution. Instead they sent me updates from time to time and told me they were still talking with Budget and that my problem was still under work. I do not know what they did in the background but from my side it felt like someone was really watching this for me.
After a while support told me they had managed to get some refund for the price difference and that the rental company would first send a small part of the money back to my card. When I heard the amount I still felt it was low and far from what I expected. I said very clearly how I felt because I travel for business and both time and experience matter a lot to me. I thought that was the end but they kept checking inside and later told me that on top of the money from the rental desk they would also give me extra compensation from their side. When I added the numbers it was much closer to what I felt was fair.
There was one moment when I did not really understand how they counted the money. The person explained it to me again in a simple way and showed which part came from the rental company and which part came from them. I was on a business trip while answering messages and handling other work at the same time so I was a bit annoyed. Since he explained it step by step I calmed down slowly. Later I confirmed I accepted the plan and they processed the refund. Some time later I checked my statement and I saw the money had arrived.
From my first strong anger to finally feeling more or less okay the key point was that there was someone following my case all the way. I did not need to chase every day and I did not need to repeat my downgrade story again and again to new people. For someone like me who travels a lot for work this feeling of being looked after is actually very important. I am still not happy with what the rental counter did but during the problem the follow up from support made me feel I was not alone when something went wrong. For me this is even more important than getting a few more euros back.
AXA Full Coverage"Did you get the 329.44 euro already" The day the support staff asked me that, I was scrolling through my Milan photos and I suddenly thought of that Volkswagen T cross I picked up at the airport.
It was around the evening of May 23. I reached the Milan airport Budget counter a bit after six and I was more than one hour later than my booking time. There were many people in the line and I was stressed. I did not check the car very carefully. The car was a grey T cross with manual gear and four doors. It still had some perfume smell from the last driver. I only wanted to get out of the airport and drive into the city.
The problem came a few days later when I was close to the return day. It was raining and I was trying to turn around in a small street in the old town. The road was very narrow and there were stone walls on both sides. I thought I had enough space but the right side still touched the wall. That "screech" sound was so sharp. My heart just dropped. I stopped and checked. There was a clear scratch on the rear door and above the rear wheel. When I touched it with my fingernail I could feel it was not just light paint damage.
On the return day around the evening of May 29 I drove the car back to the Milan return point. The staff walked around the car and stayed a long time in front of that scratch. He used a tablet to record and took many photos. I stood next to him and I could catch some Italian words like "danno" and "scratch" so I knew it would cost money. Then he showed me the bill. The numbers added up to about 275 euro and he also said there was some extra rental charge because I picked up the car late. My mood just crashed and the money was taken from my credit card very fast.
When I got back to where I stayed I felt really upset. Then I remembered that when I booked with QEEQ I added AXA Full Coverage. It said it covered car damage theft glass tires and even towing and late pickup loss. I never used this kind of insurance before and I always thought the claim process might be very hard. But this time the amount was big so I decided to try and contact them.
I took photos of all the papers from Budget the damage report the rental agreement and the car scratch and sent everything. I felt a bit nervous and worried that something would not match their rules. In the next days I walked around Milan and kept checking my email and messages. Sometimes the support team asked me to send some clearer photos. They spoke in a calm way and it felt like they really wanted to help me and not just push me away.
After some time I got a message that my claim was approved. The amount was even a bit higher than I expected and they also included the extra rental charge for the late pickup. The final payout was 329.44 euro. When I saw the bank message I felt so relieved. It really felt like buying that insurance was worth it.
When I think about it if I did not have AXA Full Coverage this small mistake in Milan would turn into a very painful cost. Now the rental company still charged me but I got the money back on my side. That feeling of recovering the money is pretty nice and it made me trust this kind of coverage much more.
AXA Full CoverageAt first I really wanted to complain. I came alone to Catania in Sicily and thought I planned everything well. I booked a car on QEEQ and also bought AXA Full Coverage. I told myself I paid more so I could feel safe. Then the problem came very fast. I picked up the Volkswagen T cross at the airport on May 5 in the evening. The next night on May 6 I was driving alone in the city. The streets were narrow and I kept going in circles to find a parking spot. I got nervous. When I tried to park the car I heard a small scratching sound. It was not very loud but my heart dropped right away. After I parked I went out to check. There was a clear scratch on the side of the door. My first thought was that the rental company would charge me a lot. On the last day I went back to the Catania office a bit earlier than planned. It was around the evening on May 9. The staff checked the car very carefully. He took photos and his face looked serious. I stood there acting calm but inside I was already doing the math. Three hundred euros deposit plus some unknown repair fee. My mind felt a bit numb. When we finished the return he told me they might charge my credit card. I needed to wait for their final calculation. At that moment I was really glad I had bought AXA Full Coverage. I knew I at least had one more chance to get my money back. A few days later I saw my credit card bill. My mood went down again. The bill showed 442 euros. Three hundred euros was the deposit and the rest was for damage and some extra things. I sat in front of my laptop and stared at the number for a long time. I only had one thought. I must try to get this money back. If not my solo trip would become a solo money loss. I contacted them and put together all the files I could find. The contract the bill the photos. I kept checking everything again and again. I was afraid I would miss something and fail the claim. The first time I sent the documents I was not very sure. I felt something might be wrong. Later they told me I still needed to add more proof. So I complained in my head while I searched for more emails and records. During those days I checked my credit card app almost every day to see if the rental company sent any refund. At the start there was nothing. The 442 euros just stayed there and made me feel annoyed. I was worried the rental company would not give anything back and I was also worried the insurance claim would be very hard. After some time the rental company finally sent me an email. They said they would refund a small part to me. It was a bit more than thirty euros. When I saw this number I felt strange. It looked like a random amount and I did not really understand it. But I also did not want to make it more messy. Later my credit card showed a refund of 37 euros. I checked it again and they asked me to send the new bill to them. By then my mood had changed. At first I was close to breaking down. Now I started to feel a bit more relaxed because at least the rental company was not totally silent. The key moment for me was when they told me the damage part was 263 euros and it could be covered by AXA Full Coverage. At that time I felt like someone was finally standing on my side. All the trouble of finding documents and screenshots did not feel so heavy anymore. I just wanted that money back so my travel budget could breathe again. I remember very clearly that around late May they told me the claim was approved and the amount was 263 euros. When I saw this number my first reaction was not that I made money. I simply let out a long breath and said in my head that I was lucky I clicked that insurance option. Without it this money would be gone for sure. For someone like me who likes to travel alone the worst thing is an extra cost like this in another country. It makes you feel nervous and also a bit helpless. During those days I often imagined the worst situation. I thought maybe the rental company would not refund anything and maybe the insurance would also refuse me. In that case I would have to pay all of it by myself. But they kept checking the details with me and helped me confirm the right numbers. In the end the claim was paid and it made me feel I was not fighting alone. I still felt a bit tired by the process. I had to search for many files and confirm every bill again and again. When the 263 euros was finally paid I felt something very real. It was like my trip was stable again. Now when I look back I think the AXA Full Coverage I bought with my booking is the reason this small accident did not destroy my whole mood. It carried the big pressure from this damage cost for me. Next time when I rent a car I will probably buy this kind of cover again. Maybe I will never use it. But knowing it is there makes me feel safer when I travel alone.
Price Drop ProtectorThe funny part of this story starts with one email. I was checking our family trip to Rome and I saw a new message from QEEQ. My first thought was oh no did something go wrong. I opened it and saw they used Price Drop Protector for my booking and somehow found the same car for less money.
I am flying in from the US and I booked an Alfa Romeo Stelvio in Rome. I planned to pick it up around midday on June fifth and return it in the afternoon on June twelfth with Avis. As a dad traveling with kids I worry about everything. Budget space for luggage and car seats and also time. I had already compared many options and I felt my choice was final. I did not expect that they would still help me save extra money on the same plan.
I remember I was staring at my schedule that day. I was trying to imagine two kids and all our bags inside the car and I was also thinking about gas prices in Europe and counting costs in my head. Then I saw in the email that I saved a bit more than thirty euros. In my mind that turned right away into one more family meal in Rome with pizza and gelato. I could already see my kids smiling.
The funny thing is I never went back to change my booking. I did not play with any settings again. I just chose Price Drop Protector when I made the reservation. At that time I was not even sure if it would really do anything. Later when I saw that they had already locked a lower price for me and the car was still the same class automatic SUV with the same setup only cheaper I felt like I had picked money up from the ground.
As a parent I really hate hidden costs or tricks. When kids are noisy I have no energy to fight over small fees. When I first booked I was a bit nervous about this. Then I saw they gave me the price difference back without me asking. I felt much more relaxed. It did not feel like a trap. It felt like real help. The thirty plus euros are not a huge amount but for a family moving around a city for a whole week it means one more small surprise we can give the kids.
When I look back at this booking the easiest part for me is not choosing the car or talking with the rental desk. The easy part is knowing someone else is watching the price and pushing it down if they can. I plan where to take my kids and they make the same Stelvio a bit cheaper. This kind of teamwork makes me feel pretty safe about the whole trip.
