COMPLAINT FOR CAR RENTAL BOOKING NUMBER: 756042707
To whom it may concern,
This is regarding the car rental provided by your service centre Caldera Car Hire on 21
August 2022. I am unsatisfied with the service I received as well as the safety and
roadworthiness of the 2 cars( total of 3 ) I was provided with.
To start with, I arranged for the car to be picked up at 11h30, but only arrived at
approximately 19h00. This gave the company an extra 7 hours to inspect the car and
ensure all safety checks were performed. While Caldera Car Hire apparently inspected the
vehicle before I collected it, no one seemed to notice that the tyre was flat before I brought
it to their attention. ( Registration: IOE4902 – Blue VW VAN)
It was suggested to me that I take the very same vehicle with a spare tyre and that I drive
it to Rethimno my destination. I refused, knowing that the vehicle would be fully loaded
with my family on board. I also know the road well to Rethimno and was not happy to drive
50 odd kilometres with a spare tyre to my destination. Their lack of interest and apathy
regarding a problem caused directly by their negligence was unacceptable.
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I was then given a smaller car although I booked a van for myself and my family out of
necessity. I had to physically walk into their parking and try to find a car that could fit my
family and all the luggage. This car required service and was not fuelled after I signed and
agreed to take this vehicle. I only noticed this when I began driving the car. The time of
take-over was 20H17 in the evening.
According to the staff at Caldera, it was the best they could do to accommodate me. This
whole process took almost one and a half hours while my family waited at the airport. I
was also asked to pay a further EUR 110 to cover the costs of dropping off the vehicle at
the end of its use in Irakleion. I argued stating that when I made the booking I indicated
that on my booking with bookings.com the car was to be picked up at Chania and dropped
off in Heraklion and that it was not contractually agreed to. The price I agreed to should
have included this. Why was it not? To me, this was not correct but I had no option. I
needed a car. The lady dealing with me told me she could not release the vehicle until I
paid this amount. I reluctantly paid so I could get a vehicle and get back to my family who
were still at the airport. I was told that the next morning someone would contact me to
replace and give me the model type I ordered and paid for.
By mid-morning, I received no call. I was given several numbers to contact. I needed and
ordered a vehicle that could transport 9 people and the vehicle I had could only transport 5
people. During the call, the attitude of the people was uncalled for. I asked whom I was
speaking to so that I could talk and get a reference. Eventually, I got through to a person
who was civil enough to explain to me that there was no availability and that they were
working on getting me a car as soon as possible. I did not realise at the time that the
solution they had was fixing the tyre on the vehicle that was originally offered to me in
Chania.
Caldera planned to deliver a replacement vehicle to me later that day 22 August 2022. I
had to phone to find out the specifics because no one had contacted me once again.
After dropping off the replacement vehicle eventually later that day( 14h10), it became
clear that once more no check had been performed because yet again, I was provided with
a vehicle that wasn’t roadworthy. ( the same vehicle that had the flat tyre had been
delivered Registration: IOE4902 – Blue VW VAN) The driver was in a rush and I did not
manage to inspect the vehicle fully. Thinking while driving away from the pick-up point, I
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pulled over and checked all the safety belts. I immediately discovered that the middle seat
in the middle row’s safety mechanism was not working. I called Calderas Branch in
Rethimno that instant to tell them this. It was exactly the same vehicle that was in the
parking lot in Chania that had a flat tyre the night before with over 80000 km on the
odometer. What is your agreement with your car rental partners regarding the age and
mileage of a vehicle? I would like to see this agreement in writing. Would also like to see
what your roadworthy policy with your partners in car rentals is, in writing? It had just an
eighth of its fuel and the middle row seat’s seatbelt was inoperable ( the hooter wasn’t
working but I only noticed that fact on the last day when I tried to use it to avoid an
accident, which thankfully I did ).
When I contacted again to complain about this safety issue, I asked to cancel my booking
and a representative of Caldera told me that it was fine and that I’ll only be charged for the
time used which I accepted. The same person called me back after approximately one
hour and said that I can’t get out of the contract that I signed and that I’ll be charged for the
full amount and that if it was him he wouldn’t cancel because at the end of the day I would
just be paying double the amount to hire a new car.
They then said they couldn’t replace the car and would come to pick it up the next day
August 23, 2022, but that they would need around two hours to fix the seatbelt
mechanism, which was a major inconvenience for me. Side note . Your internet contact
centre for urgent or quick response does not work. Photo attached. I pleaded for a call
from anyone from Bookings.com ( Suggestion: have a WhatsApp number available . It
works and is used and offered in South Africa ). I had to pay international call costs for this
additional 30-minute call to talk to someone from Bookings.com from my mobile phone to
get help. Have had no follow-up since that call. You should have a record of that call
except an email asking me if I was happy with that person’s performance, which I had
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responded to but up to today have zero communication from ). Photo attached of the
online platform not working and the duration of the call.
Caldera sent a person the next day to take the vehicle to try to ensure that the seat belt
worked and was safe to use. After returning the vehicle I was told they couldn’t fix the
seatbelt and that I had to drive the van with a broken seatbelt. Using booking.com and
Caldera car hire turned out to be the biggest inconvenience and I asked who would be
liable if I had an accident with the car and someone got injured. I was told on the phone
they understood and they were working on urgently finding a replacement.
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Despite repeated promises that I would be provided with a safe vehicle to use on my trip,
the entire window on the sliding rear door which you need to open to access the seats for
your rear passengers, fell out on the 25th of August 2022 when we arrived at our chosen
destination.
What did I do? I called Caldera again told them
what happened and said on the phone that I had,
had enough, and was going to the tourist police to
inform them of my experience. It seemed to get a
genuine response from the person on the line with
me.
On the evening of the 25th of August at 19h47 pm,
for the first time during this trip, I received an
acceptable vehicle. I want at this stage to point out
something to whoever is reading this email – When
I was given the first Vehicle by Caldera and
handed that vehicle back, I returned it with more
fuel than I received it. Have photo images to prove
this. This was a petrol engine. The second vehicle
which was unsafe as described above had the
exact same scenario. The 3rd vehicle was a diesel
motor and again I handed it over with more Fuel
than what I received it with. At all stages, I
communicated and showed and spoke on the line
with a Caldera representative and they all assured me that this was all accounted for and
that I would be duly reimbursed. This has not happened and no one has contacted me
concerning this.
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What do I want ?
• I want the money back for the time I used Caldera’s unroadworthy vehicle until the
handover of the roadworthy vehicle ( 21- 25 of August ). Why because I think that’s fair.
• I want my Eur110 reimbursed because contractually on your booking service that cost
was not agreed.
• I want to be reimbursed for the fuel. Why because it was agreed to at all stages of my
use of their vehicles.
I have not mentioned the International call rates and the number of calls I paid for but let’s
leave this part out.
I want Caldera to no longer be listed as a service provider on your website for the Island of
Crete because they are not an acceptable partner for you and your organisation.
I don’t want to know them and I don’t want any contact from them. I will never use them
again and would rather walk.
I know that they have had a material impact on my choices if I see a to book a car
with bookings.com because of my experience and that has had an impact on your brand
and product which I think you as a business should consider seriously. This has been the
worst and first time I have explored the option of booking a car rental with Bookings.com.
I am an experienced traveller, and this has been the worst experience yet. I have had to
sign disclaimers and contracts that I cannot cancel this booking but at no point has
Caldera Car Hire adhered to any of these rules. (Again would like to see your contract
agreement with Caldera )
I have enclosed the photos of all problematic vehicles related to the car rental for your
reference, as well as, all the international phone calls I have had to make at my expense.
I want the money back for the time I used Caldera’s unroadworthy vehicle until the
handover of the roadworthy vehicle ( 21- 25 of August ). Why because I think that’s fair.
• I want my Eur110 reimbursed because contractually on your booking service that cost
was not agreed.
• I want to be reimbursed for the fuel. Why because it was agreed to at all stages of my
use of their vehicles.
I have not mentioned the International call rates and the number of calls I paid for but let’s
leave this part out.
I want Caldera to no longer be listed as a service provider on your website for the Island of
Crete because they are not an acceptable partner for you and your organisation.
I don’t want to know them and I don’t want any contact from them. I will never use them
again and would rather walk.
