“My experience with the customer service of Sixt was extremely disappointing.
I contacted them with a simple general question about their cancellation and refund policy. The inquiry did not involve any booking or personal data.
Instead of receiving assistance, the representative behaved in a very unprofessional manner. They repeatedly interrupted me, refused to let me explain my question, and eventually raised their voice and shouted during the call.
Invoking data protection as a reason to avoid answering a general policy question was completely inappropriate. This interaction was unnecessarily confrontational and left a very negative impression.
Customer service should never treat customers this way.”
“Do not rent from this company. We had made reservations to Orlando and jetblur cancelled our flight because of weather so we called the Sixt car rental and explained what happened and they said it didnt matter who cancelled but they would charge a $100 cancellation fee which is crazy that they would not honor that request. No matter what we tried they did not want to reimburse us fot that cancellation fee even though it wasnt our fault. I will NEVER rent from this company ever again.”
“I sincerely appreciate Mrs. Zamora Lisette for her dependable support. She resolved my withdrawal issue promptly and ensured the entire process was smooth and stress-free.”
“Where do I start? I picked the car up (as booked) at Gatwick North Terminal.
I was given the paperwork and was told to check the car over before I left, as they had noted previous chips and damage on the paperwork that they had given me, and that I would be charged for any additional damage upon returning the car.
Fair enough.
Except it was dark and raining and the card had been reversed right up to a wall, with cars parked no more than 2 feet away on either side. So I would have to trust them. Big mistake!
As I was returning the car at 5 am, the "agent" told me to leave the car in one of three marked bays and to put the key in an adjacent box.
I drove off.
Ten days later I returned the car, fully refuelled, and parked up at 0500 in one of the indicated bays. I removed my case, put the keys in the indicated box and went into the airport.
The gate for my flight closed at 0645 and I was in the air by 0725. When I landed and switched my phone on it started shouting at me.
The first message said I was being charged £12 as the car had been returned late - at 0727 instead of 0500.
Hello? How could I be returning the car at 0727 if I had taken off 2 minutes earlier?
The next text said I hadn't fully filled the fuel tank (another lie), and then I received an email stating"
"New damages:
Tire front Passenger side Crack"
I knew I hadn't damaged the tire and out of curiosity checked the list of previous damage listed on the rental agreement.
And there it was, the first item of damage recorded -
Tire front. Passenger Side. Crack.
First question.
Why did they supply me with a car that had a tyre with a crack in it?
Cracks in tires are extremely dangerous as they indicate the tire's structural integrity is compromised. Driving with a cracked tire is generally considered not to be safe, and poses a high risk of a dangerous, potentially fatal, high-speed blowout.
So, I ask again, if they knew that one of the tyres had a crack in it, why did they knowingly compromise my safety by hiring me a vehicle that was potentially not fit for purpose?
Second question.
Given that they knew that the tire had a crack in it (and the paperwork proves they knew), why did they send me an email in which they recorded this damage as new damage?
It could only be because they were going to try and charge me for a new tire, a tire that they had probably already charged another customer for.
And then six days later I received another email from SIXT. This time advising of:
"New damages
Tool missing complete."
So now they were accusing me of stealing a tool.
Six days later! One of their employees could have nicked it!
I checked the return summary. It said:
Return Summary
No change in the vehicle's condition was detected.
Vehicle condition.
Vehicle condition changes detected at return that were not present at pickup.
No change in condition.
Vehicle equipment.
No issues.
Physical Extras.
No issues.
So according to their own paperwork there was nothing wrong.
Yet I was being falsely accused of returning the car late, not filling it right up, damaging a tire and stealing a tool.
And SIXT had hired me a car that they knew was potentially dangerous and were trying to get me to pay for a damaged tire that someone else had probably paid for.
And customer service? Forget it. They have not answered my calls, have not called me back and have not responded to my emails.
I have only used SIXT once and have been left with the feeling that if you hire a vehicle from this bunch of cowboys and con artists, you do so, quite literally, at your peril!”
“I rented a car from Sixt at Zurich Airport location at the end of January. I was now contacted by Sixt regarding a tiny scratch on the lower front spoiler, with an astonishing CHF 4,191 (US$5,407) repair estimate. This estimate is beyond ludicrous, a scratch of this type would cost approximately $150 to buff out in the US. Sixt has previously been subject to class action lawsuits for this type of behavior. I would strongly caution ever renting from Sixt.”
“It should be called scam rental instead of sixt .Absolutely terrible experience. I was charged for a flat tire that was clearly defective, not something caused by driving. To make it worse, the car didn’t even have a spare tire in the trunk, which made the situation unsafe and completely unmanageable.
Instead of taking responsibility for providing a poorly maintained vehicle, the company blamed the customer and slapped on extra charges. No spare, no help, no accountability—just fees.
This is not how a professional car rental company should operate. If you value safety, fairness, and basic customer service, I strongly recommend renting elsewhere.”
“Scam
Do not use this company
Cars advertised never available then forced to upgrade to similar vehicle
No roadside assistance or after sales support.
Nil communication or replays to emails correspondence”
“They would not refund my money on a car I never used I had an emergency come that forced me to cancel my trip and they lied to me about refunding my this is a low class operation I would advised anybody to stay away from them and Expedia”
“I rented a car in Paris and more than a month later they are trying to charge me almost 500€ for supposed minor damage in the wheel which does not exist. Horrible service”
“DIRE, We hired a car in Innsbruck with the flight landing at 6:50 the office told us on booking it waits until all bookings are fulfilled before closing, now with 2 days to go they have said it will close at 7pm, and if we arrive after 7 we would have to get a 90kl taxi and come back the following day, with a wife in a wheel chair!!”
“SIXT are criminals and scam rented a car with them in Zurich, guy at the counter put extras for hundreds of pounds without telling us, they started charging my account 2 days after drop of, double charges for things you have paid already on invoice. Avoid they are scam”
“Best quality cars around. However, my train into Aix, FR TGV station was delayed by an hour or two, and Sixt had given away the car I reserved. They did eventually get me into a car, but it sure wasn't worth the hassle and stress. Return service was an even worse experience: positively, dreadful, in fact. There was no clear indication of where to leave the car; no parking area attendants to help, etc. When I finally made my way to the Sixt desk in the station, they told me not to worry, everything was fine. Six weeks later I receive an email from Sixt noting damage to the car. The photos they eventually sent at my request were time stamped well after the return and appeared to be of a different car entirely. Even then I couldn't see any damage. To date, there has been no resolution. Suffice it to say, I WILL NEVER RENT FROM THEM AGAIN. Frankly, it feels like a scam, and upon reading reviews it appears there’s been at least one class action suit against them for precisely this sort of fraudulent activity. RUN away from this company.”
“Beware of Damage Scam! Take PICS before and after!!! My fault for not taking pictures of before and after – and trusting a rental car company (won’t make mistake again). Upon return I was notified there were scratches on the driver door and passenger door – they were at the seam and there was no way I caused the damage. I did some research and learned that on February 26, 2025, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida preliminarily approved a settlement in the case Philippe Calderon, et al. v. Sixt Rent A Car, LLC, Case No. 0:19-cv-62408-AHS, for claims related to Sixt’s billing and credit reporting practices. The lawsuit alleged that Sixt Rent A Car improperly charged customers vehicle damage related charges and, in some instances, reported those charges to credit agencies without sufficient investigation or notice, potentially harming consumers’ credit profiles.”
“Car rental scam... Avoid Sixt.
I have taken the car from Munich Ostbahhof office, there were scratces all around the car and the guy said it is written. I did not take extra photos. On my return, there was nobody to receive the car so I left it there. Then 1 day later they sent me an email saying there is a 10cm scratch. I went to them asking them to show me the scratch and they said they rented the car. Now they ask 1100euros for the repair and when I said I did not make any accident or scratch, they said I could go to court. Very unprofessional and never will use them again”
“Sixt tried to illegally charge me over £1200 for damage that was already on the car before I picked it up. I was not informed about the attempted charge and only found out by chance. If it weren’t for my photos and videos taken when I received the car, they would have simply taken the money. The claim was eventually waived, but the process was very stressful. Based on this experience, I do not recommend using this company. I advise everyone to take detailed photos and videos of the car when renting.””
“Do not rent from Sixt in Dublin!
We picked up the rental car at the Dublin Airport parking garage at 10:30pm. The garage was poorly lit, making inspection difficult. The vehicle was parked between other vehicles - this prevented us from viewing the side of the vehicle from more than a few feet away. As instructed, we walked around the vehicle and took photos of any visible imperfections. Though we took photos of minor scrapes and dents, no significant damage was apparent at the time.
Two days later, while parked in good daylight and from a distance and slightly below the vehicle, we noticed a large gouge on the lower body panel beneath the driver’s side door (the right side of the vehicle in the UK). The damage was only visible when standing a significant distance from the car under bright light. Knowing we had not caused this damage, we immediately contacted Sixt customer service to report it. The representative told us a note would be made on our rental file. We also sent them photos of the damage for their records.
Sixt responded stating that they had no record of this damage prior to our rental and that we would be held responsible. We asked whether they systematically take photos of all parts of all vehicles at check-in/check-out. We were told that photos are only taken if damage is noted by staff, and unfortunately, no such record existed in our case. We were also told that someone would follow up with us to discuss the matter further, but no follow-up ever occurred.
Due to our early flight home, we returned the vehicle to the same garage without interacting with any Sixt staff. We took photos and dropped off the key as normal. Later that morning, we received a message from Sixt acknowledging the vehicle return and stating boldly that “No new damages were detected.” This led us to believe they had recognized the damage was pre-existing.
Two weeks later, and without any further communication or documentation, we were charged $1,177.60 for damage to the vehicle. Sixt claimed the damage was discovered during a more detailed inspection.
Apparently, they get two weeks, good lighting, and a trained professional to look at the vehicle. While they could not prove that we caused the damage, we could not prove that we didn't.
Sixt does not take systematic photo documentation of all vehicles from all angles at pick-up and drop-off (as most rental companies do.) They only save photos of damages. This means renters are wholly responsible for proving they didn’t create the damage, placing unreasonable burden on renters who experience sub-optimal conditions for inspections (low light, tight space) and who are not professional vehicle inspectors.
Rent from anyone else!”
“I rented a Volvo XC40 from Sixt Rent A Car from October 10–13, 2025, and returned it in perfect condition. No one at the return desk mentioned any issues, and I received no inspection report or photos at drop-off.
Weeks later, I got a letter from Sixt’s claims department demanding $566 for supposed damage they say occurred during my rental. They provided photos of the vehicle but no time-stamped proof the damage happened while I had it, and no pre-rental photos showing the car’s condition when I picked it up. There is simply no evidence connecting me to this damage.
After researching Sixt, I discovered thousands of similar complaints from other renters across the U.S. and Europe — all describing nearly identical experiences: post-rental “damage” claims, missing pre-rental documentation, and aggressive collection attempts. This appears to be a widespread and deceptive business practice, not an isolated error.
I have filed complaints with the Better Business Bureau, the Nevada and Florida Attorneys General, the Oregon Department of Justice, and the Federal Trade Commission. Consumers deserve transparency and honesty, not post-rental surprises backed by unverified photos.
If you rent from Sixt, take extensive photos and video before and after, and keep every record. Better yet, rent from a company with an honest reputation.”
“We rented a car from SIXT at Houston one day prior to an event for which we took a flight and travelled to Houston.
We waited for 1.5 hrs to get a car. They gave a car which was low on oil. We missed half the event we were at Houston for when we presented at SIXT rental.
The manager - Lesley was rude and unhelpful. Said we have to stand in another long line before they could help us which resulted in us missing the event that we travelled for . A huge waste of our time, money and vacation. Please do not rent a car from SIXT”
“DON'T RENT FROM SIXT UNLESS YOU WANT TO RECEIVE A CLAIM FOR DAMAGE DAYS, WEEKS AND I'VE READ EVEN MONTHS AFTER YOU RETURN THE CAR. Should be zero star review. I've been a customer for over a decade, never had an issue but just recently became a victim of their damage claim scam. Read the complaints on the Better Business Bureaus website. You'll wonder how are they getting away with this. All complaints on there are legit. SIXT answered all of them and I'll guess they close around 90% of them. It's clear here that SIXT uses this to increase profits while stealing from their customers and ruining their credit if they refuse to pay for the bogus claims. I read where people that got the extra insurance through SIXT and they still sent them a claim for damage. If you received a claim and you know you aren't responsible for the damage, you MUST file a claim on BBB.com. Here's what happened to me and I'll try to make it short. Returned my rental, did a walk around, no issues. SIXT employee did a walk around and I'll assume didn't find anything because only hours later I received an email stating the rental contract was now closed, balance owed was $0.00 and I will receive my security deposit 3 to 10 business days. Security deposits are to cover damage so it was telling that I was getting that back meaning they found no damage. Over four days later they sent me an invoice for $980.50 for a scratch on a bumper and told me I must pay it. The pics they sent were blurry which is something I read in nearly every complaint. You really can't make out the damage, it's hard to see. With today's camera quality, this is also telling. There's something shady going on there. These days cameras are always clear. If you refuse to pay the claim, SIXT tells you right up front, they'll send the outstanding balance to collections so again, if you care about your credit, they are really holding you hostage and I'm sure people fold and pay it knowing they aren't responsible for it. That's what gets me. SIXT is literally stealing from their own customers. If you receive a claim for damage, make sure you file a complaint BBB.com. There was a class action lawsuit recently that SIXT lost and paid out over $11 million due to bogus claims. Hard to believe they're at it again. Guess the profits gained are worth stealing from their customers. Companies like this will eventually fail and go out of business. I did file a claim with the BBB and two days later received a reply from SIXT that the claim was closed and I owe nothing. SCAM for sure. If I didn't file a claim, I think I would have been forced to pay or have them ruin my credit through collections if I refused to pay since I certain I didn't cause the damage. Really sad to treat customers like that, especially loyal customers like myself who WAS a customer for over a decade but the last rental was the last time I'll ever rent from them. I used to highly recommend them now I'll highly advise to stay away from this fraudulent company. I feel the amount of people I know rented a vehicle from SIXT because of my recommendations plus my owns rentals was good business for SIXT. Now, because of this one incident with me, they will lose a good number of customers.”
“Sixt = Hidden Fees & Misleading Practices
We booked at €207.94, with insurance and border crossing support it came to €351.76. Car was returned on time and in perfect condition. Shockingly, Sixt billed us €550 in total.
25% “premium location fee”: They say it’s “mandatory” so they don’t need to disclose it — extremely misleading.
900 km mileage limit: Never mentioned during booking, yet we were charged €108 for exceeding it.
VAT applied on top of hidden fees.
Sixt lures customers with competitive rates, then piles on hidden charges later. This feels like a scam, not a reputable rental service.
⚠️ Recommendation: Don’t rent from Sixt. They will find every way to rob you with hidden costs. Choose a more transparent company instead.”
