I have never felt so disrespected in my life. My friend and I reserved a car online for a trip to Québec City. We are both 18 years old and international students living and studying in Montréal. The quoted price based on the online reservation was $156 for the weekend, which included a young driver fee.
Upon arrival at the Atwater location, I asked about insurance coverage and was told that it would be $25 per day, which seemed reasonable. I gave over my license and credit card and was then asked to wait while another customer was assisted. I was then asked where I would be traveling and after answering was told that I would need to purchase an extra 500 km, given that only 250 km are included in the rental. This information was nowhere on the website or in my rental confirmation. This seemed a bit sketchy, but I decided to continue with the confirmation process nonetheless.
After confirming our destination and payment information, I was told that the total cost would be $450. I was obviously very shocked, given that the online confirmation statement was 1/3 of that price. We challenged this price and were initially met with hostility from the employee assisting us. He did not believe the initial price and told us that the additional charges were simply the "cost of insurance." Upon examining his computer screen to see the additional charges, we noticed a charge of $170 that we had not been notified about and that had no explanation. He dismissed this as an "error" on his behalf and apologized, but it seemed to have been deliberate. He then said that the final price would be $230.
In the middle of all of this, the employee assisting us received a phone call from a customer that had just left the agency with a car. They seemed to be complaining about not feeling safe in the vehicle, which they had just rented, and the employee showed no sympathy, was extremely unhelpful, and chastised them for not buying better insurance This was extremely shocking and made us feel very uneasy about the integrity of the company.
After all of this, we felt extremely uncomfortable and as if we were being exploited. It feel as though the agency saw two young, American students and a young female driver and decided to see how much money they could get out of us. We cancelled the reservation, given that there would surely have been even more hidden charges to come. This is extremely disappointing, and we have had to cancel all of our plans in Québec City.
I know it seems enticing to rent from Globe, given the low prices and the fact that they will rent to 18 year olds, but it is a complete scam. Go to a reputable agency such as Enterprise or Hertz.
