Sixt rent a car Reviews

Name: Sixt rent a car
Rating: 1.24

1.2 Rating 142 Reviews

6 %

of reviewers recommend Sixt rent a car

Company Reviews

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1.2

Based on 142 reviews

Shipping & Delivery
Delivery Methods	Own Driver
Customer Service
Communication Channels	Email, Telephone
Queries Resolved In	Over A Week
Returns & Refunds
Returns Process	Could Be Better

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Sixt rent a car 1 star review on 18th July 2024

Anonymous

Anonymous // 01/01/2019

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“What a lousy experience. I requested a Toyota RAV4 online for same-day pickup at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International. This was a last-minute travel emergency during Thanksgiving week. The initial charge for this multi-day rental was around $619. Sixt charged my card, which is important to remember because it suggested everything was settled before I arrived in Atlanta. I arrived at the counter in Hartsfield at around 9 pm with my entire family in tow. That’s when the Sixt staff informed me they don’t generally accommodate same-day reservations. This would’ve been nice to know back when Sixt *took my money* for a same-day reservation. They also said they didn't even have a Toyota RAV4 in stock. Again, this information would’ve been helpful during the booking process. The very cheerful woman at the counter said she would have to call her manager to see what she could do. She returned after disappearing for a bit and said she could accommodate us, but—ah!—wouldn’t you know it? The only available and realistically sized model is significantly more expensive than what I had initially requested. What are the odds? Between the shameless upsell and random additional fees that were not clearly included in the original bill (an $85 “AP Concession Recovery Fee”? Really?), what was originally a $619 rental ballooned into $974. I should’ve stuck with Enterprise. Their process involves about 95% less snake oil. I took a gamble to save about $100 and ended up losing roughly three times that amount. Happy Thanksgiving, indeed.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 week ago

“I booked with Sixt several years ago and had no issues so I figured I would give them another try on a last minute booking. I suppose I should have checked reviews again since their company scam policy is well documented in the countless bad reviews online. So why would anyone rent a car from them? Low prices, but don't be fooled like me and so many others by the bait-and-switch scam the C-suite execs at Sixt have concocted. The scam is simple, "legal", and applies to every car rental. It leaves every one of their clients spending at least double what they would have if they rented with one of the other companies. FIRST: you reserve the car and pay what you think is the total cost of the rental. SECOND: when you pick up the car they require that you give them a credit card so they can charge a "rental deposit", which is large, and they assure you it will be fully refunded to your credit card when you return the car. I have heard that they often offer you a "free" upgrade vehicle but this was not my experience. THIRD: The reality of this scam sets in when you return the car. Later that day you receive an invoice for charges you thought you already paid including rental time, mileage, fees, taxes, and a premium vehicle charge if you were offered a "free" upgrade. This is all charged against the "rental deposit" you already paid, and in my case it was well above the total cost I already paid for the rental. FINALLY: you receive another email from them claiming that you are responsible for every nick or tiny ding on the paint. My brother warned me of his own experience with this as we were walking up to the car so we took 20 minutes to go over the whole car and document every little scratch in the paint on their app. Yet they still found a tiny scratch on the inside of the door that we missed. This "cost" is then charged against whatever remains of your "rental deposit". There may be some more layers to this as they are still constantly pestering me with emails trying to get me to contact my credit card's rental car insurance, but I have resigned from any further contact with them. It's too late for me. I accept that I have been duped by an unethical money grab business model and I don't plan on spending hours on the phone with my credit card or Sixt. I just figured I would spend that time writing a review to bring their scam further into the light so maybe others are able to avoid it. Maybe I will just short their stock (SIX2 (XETRA)) to get my money back since eventually they are going to run out of suckers and the company will go under.”

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Posted 2 weeks ago

“BEWARE! Scammers!! They are a scam and shake down for money. Rented a car at Dulles international, garage where we picked up the car was dark and not well lit, no attendant inspected the car with us; we walked around it and didn’t see any obvious damage to the car and took possession. Drove about 100 miles the few days we had it. Dropped it off at Reagan International, attended marked a 2 inch scratch on bumper and claimed we caused the damage and want $800 to repair. We did not cause that scratch but have no way of providing that it wasn’t there already. We rent cars all the time all over the US and even Europe and never had to deal with something like this over a small scratch. They claim it’s their business model to provide cars in best condition- their business model is to lure you in with cheap prices for nice cars and then shake you down for lots of money with fraudulent claims!!”

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Posted 1 month ago

“This company is an absolutely the worst company from which to rent a car. They rush you through the inspection process and when you do make a comment on a dent or a scratch, they say nothing to worry about it is less than 10 cm. The toll equipment did not work, as I received charges to my credit card after the return, this is after I had paid a per day charge to have the equipment. Upon, return they try and charge you for damage that was not there or somehow the small dent that was smaller than the 10 cm's became larger and is a problem. Do not rent from this company, they may appear to have good pricing , but be on the look out for additional charges and headaches after you return the vehicle”

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Posted 1 month ago

“I recently rented from Sixt on my vacation and prepaid for a BMW X1 (a premium rental). When I arrived to pickup my rental, I was provided with a Jeep Renegade. While I protested at the obvious downgrade, the customer service agent at the rental facility stated that the Jeep was an equivalent car. Upon return from my vacation, I complained to Sixt customer service. At that time, they recognized that I was downgraded and offered me a 50$ discount that I could use in the next year. What a joke! I declined the offer as I would never rent from them again. Their moto should be: Pay for premium and we give you economy!”

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Posted 1 month ago

“A horrible experience trying to pick up our rental during our vacation. We have used Enterprise for years and we use quite often for work. If you are the same… stay away from Sixt!!!”

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Posted 1 month ago

“SCAM WARNING! Want to warn against renting a car from Sixt. We rented a car in Croatia, Zadar. Everything was pre-booked and ready. We arrived in the middle of the night and were just going to pick up the car. She then said that there is an additional insurance of a total of 30 euros, which she was very clear about. I stood by and heard everything. When we then came home from our trip and received the invoice, it was a shock. She had drawn the sum of 30 euros seven times!! And then the VAT was not even included. So she had cheated us of 250 euros. Which ended up costing the car more than round-trip plane tickets for four people. My partner travels a lot with work and often rents a car, but has never experienced anything like this. Of course, we have appealed this but have been totally ignored by Sixt. They refuse to correct the error”

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Posted 1 month ago

“The worst rental company I have dealt with in 20 years of renting cars in Europe. They left me stranded with an injured child 4 hours from the place we were staying at because they couldn't fix a flat tire and then sent me to Milan airport (4 hours away) to pick up replacement. To top it all off they then sent me a fine 3 months late by which point I had to pay 180euro instead of original 60eur amount and then also charged admin fee of 30eur on top. I disputed the admin fee and asked them to pay the difference in the fine amount since it has gone up due to their fault. They didn't answer for a few weeks and then referred my case to a debt collection agency so the admin charge went from 30eur to 180eur because eCollect created multiple bogus charges like researching my address (why did Sixt not provide them my contact details?), sending me multiple reminders (which they never did), estimating if I will pay etc. etc. Sixt have refused to help me with this and I have now opened a complaint against them with the European Car Rental Conciliation Service so hoping I will get my money back that way which is 180eur debt collectors fee plus overpayment on original traffic fine of 120eur so 400eur is what Sixt cost me due to their extreme level of incompetence.”

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Posted 1 month ago

“My son rented a car from sixt car rental in Sky Harbor airport. When he got out of the car to get his luggage he noticed a black mark on the rear left fender. He drove from Phoenix to Tucson without stopping. There is no way he could have done it. When he got the car the agent didn’t do a walk around the car before he left the lot. So be aware they are trying to make him pay for the damage that he did not do. I don’t recommend this Sixt car rental.”

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Posted 2 months ago

“I booked a rental with this company maybe 90 days before I pick the car in Atlanta when I got there I was told I could not have the card that I booked 90 days ago which was a BMW they were trying to give me other cars even though they had several BMW sedans on the lot the experience was very depressing and horrible I felt that they played a bait and switch Roll On Me and I would never ever refer this company or rent from this company again and they trying to give me 20% off my next rental when they should be giving me 20% or 30% refund back because I didn't get the rental that I actually rented when it was sitting right there in my face never again”

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Posted 2 months ago

“This car rental service charged a $50 "administrative fee" for a late toll payment. I paid toll authorities the fee of two dollars 6 days after passing the toll. Upon returning the car, the attendant was aware I had had an outstanding toll balance and could've informed me I should pay authorities within two days of crossing the toll point to avoid the $50 toll from authorities, and the double-billing scheme "administrative fee" of $50 charged by Sixt. Through multiple email exchanges with Sixt Customer Service, I learned that the $50 "administrative fee" did not settling an outstanding late toll penalty. This information was not at all made transparent to me from Sixt. I feel it's good practice to be aware of and speak out against any business practice that administers double billing schemes such as I've described, and deceives customers with these tactics. Avoid using Sixt Car Rental services at all costs.”

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Posted 2 months ago

“Scammers is right. The business model of this company requires it to aggressively pursue claims for compensation against drivers for normal wear and tear, even if they are not responsible. The last two times I have rented at LAX in 2024, I have been falsely accused of scratching the car or damaging a wheel. I know that I did not cause any damage because of where I was with the rental car. The scam works like this -- they don't offer you a listing of pre-existing damage when you rent (they offer to send the contract by email and you won't get it until you have left the lot). Then, when their goofy attendants fail to spot damage because it is dark, the car is dirty, or they simply aren't paying attention, the next poor sucker who rents the car gets blamed. Sixt claims it is up to the renter to inspect for damage. I did inspect for damage, and I did not see the wheel scratches because they could be easily overlooked in the poor lighting in the Sixt facility. The bottom line is that these guys are operating a scam that involves blaming people for damage to their cars that they did not originally catch. They then refuse to discuss it and claim that it was your responsibility to check for damage, etc. On this car with the wheel damage, I saw records showing that the car had rear end damage already (which could have involved the rear wheel) and that the passenger side wheels also had scratches. I asked Sixt for copies of the pictures of the damage to the passenger side wheels because I wanted to compare it to the scratches on the wheel that they were blaming me for and, guess what, Sixt refused to turn them over. Fishy? You tell me. By the way, I am honest. I have damaged rental cars in the past and I step up and admit it. I also have rental card rental insurance through my credit card, so I'm not out a dime and my auto insurance rates won't go up. Nevertheless, I am a person of integrity. When I know that I am being treated unfairly or am the victim of a scam, I stand on principle.”

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Posted 2 months ago

“Not really need to say much more. This company is really bad. Stay away or you will regret. Scamers.”

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Posted 2 months ago

“The reserved car at Denver airport, a compact SUV (Toyota RAV4), was not available. I was offered a minivan instead, which was unacceptable to me. The only car left was a Toyota Highlander, a 3-row family SUV, too big for my needs to drive on narrow mountain roads. I had no choice but to take it. When I got to the car, it was a heavily damaged one, with many scratches and dents. It was dirty inside and already had 32,000 miles on it. It should never have been rented out. During my trip, a warning came on that the RCTW and BSM was no longer working. It was due to the rear damage on the bumper that pushed sensors out of alignment. When I called SIXT, I was offended (by a heavily-Chinese-accented CR) to take a 7-hour ride back to Denver to exchange the car, which was unacceptable to me. I was left with no choice but to continue driving the unsafe car. I have rented many cars in the past, this has been the worst experience ever. I will post this feedback on review websites to warn off other potential SIXT renters.”

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Posted 3 months ago

“Do NOT rent from this company!!! I went against my better judgement after seeing these reviews and thought these were just disgruntled customers. These 1 star reviews are an accurate representation of this company. You are taking a big risk booking with them and giving them your credit card information. I was charged over $3000 for a mechanical breakdown after 3 hours of use. We got a manual car because my husband drives a manual truck at home. He has been driving manual cars for 2 decades without issue. It is not safe to rent a manual car from them because people drive them poorly, they don't service them and they are a ticking time bomb. We did not smell burning clutch when using it and when we tried to use it the following day, the clutch was fully depressed as if the clutch cable snapped. We called their roadside assistance and they got a 3rd party mechanic to tow it. The mechanic that picked it up said the cable appears to be broken and it was from wear and tear. He said it was not our fault. We talked to the SixT fleet employee regarding a replacement car while the 3rd party was towing the car and he said "We will give you an automatic car so you don't burn out another clutch". The fleet employee hasn't even looked at the car yet!! I smell SCAM. Instead of the 3rd party mechanic writing a report of the issue, SixT insisted on picking up the car themselves and reviewing the damage. Complete conflict of interest. They charged our credit card for the tow and "damage" before even giving us a receipt. We had to ask for it after the fact. They wrote on the report "burnt clutch". How can they prove this clutch was not already damaged before we picked it up. I asked for service logs of the car and they refused to provide me with them. It is clear that Sixt does not properly service their cars. When we picked up the car from the airport, we noticed a lot of additional exterior damage that was not logged on the pick up report. I was concerned so I took a video and asked an employee if this was enough proof incase they tried to charge us. The employee said "don't worry about it". I didn't even think they would charge us for a break down. We are currently disputing the charge with our Mastercard and will charge back. There is a class action lawsuit active against them. I will be joining that as well. I hope this review saves some innocent people from these con artists.”

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Posted 3 months ago

“Beware! Stay away from this car rental company! I had the most horrible experience with this company—they are nothing short of thieves and scammers. The car I rented was in terrible condition, and they charged me outrageous hidden fees that were never mentioned upfront. It’s clear that they are only interested in squeezing every last penny out of their customers. I strongly urge everyone to avoid this company at all costs. You’ll be doing yourself a huge favor by staying as far away from them as possible. Don’t fall into their trap!”

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Posted 3 months ago

“Rented a vehicle in Poland at Warsaw airport. Paid for and expected a compact luxury vehicle, but none available, so we accepted a larger, far less luxurious vehicle which had preexisting damages. Upon return of the rental no one present to inspect vehicle, but lo and behold after returning to the U.S. we received notification of over $500 in charges for scratches on the vehicle that we had nothing to do with. The only positive aspect of this transaction has been that their customer service did respond to my questioning the charge. They’ve done nothing to reverse the charge, but to their credit they did respond. Will never do business with Sixt again, in this country or elsewhere.”

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Posted 3 months ago

“Returned a car to West Palm Beach location, employee told me I was all set and I'd receive an email statement and I then received an email claiming rim damage that I did not cause. When disputed they said there's nothing to be done and they were pursuing a claim. Do not use this company.”

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Posted 3 months ago

“I was one of the thousands of airline passengers impacted by the Crowd Strike software update that triggered a global IT outage, beginning July 19, 2024. My July 21st flight was cancelled three hours before departure and re-booking options through the airline were not able to get me home in time for work on Monday. Greyhound buses were sold out so my only option was to rent a car. As expected, rental car options were limited. What was not expected was the price gouging by the rental car companies, including SIXT, with outrageous One Way-Fees. SIXT charged (and taxed @25%) a $700 One-Way Fee! I had my rental car for approximately 12 hours and paid $1601. You really know how to take advantage of desperate travelers. Shame on you. I contacted SIXT customer service and they basically said "too bad". I submitted a PRICE GOUGING complaint to the Minnesota Attorney General.”

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Posted 4 months ago

“Car supplied was defective (loose trim, not obvious until moving). On returning the car before the end of the rental agreement for reassurance. I was assured by Sixt that I would not be charged for the defects. I have just had £500 deducted from my credit card. A formal complaint was ignored. This is how Sixt make money out of you. Avoid at all costs and get your own excess insurance just in case.”

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Posted 4 months ago

Sixt rent a car is rated 1.2 based on 142 reviews