I had an extremely disappointing…
I had an extremely disappointing experience with the car rental company Ibiza Cruz on Ibiza. I had booked a car via their website for 10 days, being sure that it was an automatic. Upon our arrival, everything went smoothly until we received the car. I had informed Roberto via WhatsApp that our flight was delayed due to bad weather and provided him with our landing time. He informed me that after 10 p.m., he would charge an additional 40 euros because he would have to keep the office open longer. I agreed to this.
However, after paying the deposit and getting into the car, I realized that it was a manual transmission. I hadn't driven a manual car in 30 years, and after trying to drive it, I quickly realized that I was no longer comfortable with this type of vehicle. It was dangerous for us and for the car. Roberto drove around with me to show me how to operate it, but I was unable to drive the car without panicking. I apologized and requested an automatic car.
He told me that they didn’t have any automatic cars and that the only solution he could offer was to take me to another car rental agency where I could try to find an automatic car. I asked him if he could refund the money, but he replied that it was too late to think about it now and that he would contact me within a day or two. The days passed, and no one contacted me. I decided to send him a message via WhatsApp, which triggered a back and forward discussion. Here is the message I sent him:
Dear Roberto,
I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to follow up regarding our recent conversation about the car rental. As you know, when I arrived to pick up the vehicle, I realized it was a manual transmission, which I have not driven in many years. After attempting to drive it, I quickly realized it would be unsafe for me to continue, given my lack of recent experience with manual cars.
I sincerely appreciate your assistance in helping me find another rental with an automatic transmission. However, as this new rental was significantly more expensive, I kindly ask that you refund the amount I paid for the original car rental. Unfortunately, I was unable to use the car at all due to the reasons mentioned above.
I understand that this might be a complicated situation, but I believe a refund would be fair under the circumstances, especially since the car was never used.
I also want to express my gratitude for your support and understanding during this situation.
Thank you for your understanding and for considering my request. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Best regards.
Roberto told me that I could have canceled three days before the rental date, which had nothing to do with the situation since I intended to rent a car. I made several attempts to talk to him and reach an agreement, but it was not possible. He didn't even respond to my proposal to refund 50% of the amount, didn't answer the phone.
In the end, not only did I not receive the requested refund, but I was also ignored after my attempt to communicate. This experience was extremely frustrating and disappointing, and I strongly advise against doing business with Ibiza Cruz Rent a Car. Their lack of professionalism and inability to handle issues fairly are alarming. I want to share my experience so that future customers are aware that this rental car company is probably fine as long as you don't encounter any problems, but as soon as things don't go smoothly, I wouldn't count on them to be fair. Avoid this company if you want to avoid a similar experience.
