Dear Altroconsumo:
I am writing to formally complain regarding my car rental at Milan Malpensa Airport of SIXT Car Rental (Booking Ref: 9608190311) and request the refund of unauthorized and undisclosed hidden extra charges. I confirm that I have used the vehicle and am willing to pay the legitimate rental cost and fees I explicitly agreed to, but I refuse to accept any unauthorized penalties or hidden charges.
Facts
1. I booked and prepaid EUR 1,258.26 for a fuel SUV.
2. I changed the pickup time via SIXT official App. After the change, I received the confirmation email and discovered the car model had been unilaterally changed to an electric vehicle without my consent. I was already concerned at this point.
3. Upon arrival, SIXT could not provide the booked fuel SUV. SIXT did NOT notify me in advance, nor ask if I would accept an alternative. You simply assigned a BMW i4 electric car without my approval. This is highly unprofessional and a serious violation of rental standards and consumer rights.
4. I refused this alternative immediately and requested a free replacement with the same SUV category, but staff said no cars were available and I was forced to upgrade.
5. During payment, I paid via Apple Pay. The staff only informed me of two items: ◦ Extra upgrade fee: EUR 360 ◦ EUR 500 as deposit (fully refundable upon return) No other fees, penalties, or extra charges were mentioned, explained, or shown. I only agreed to pay these two amounts.
6. I never knew, never approved, and never agreed to be charged a total amount of EUR 1,368.80.
7. When I discovered the charge of EUR 1,368.80 on my card, I had already left the airport. I called SIXT Italian hotline +39 02 94757 979 to make an inquiry. I spoke to three different agents.
8. None of the three agents provided effective assistance. Only one agent gave me a case number: 14830084.
9. During the call, one agent stated that the extra EUR 500 was a penalty for changing the time. I didn't question this at that time because I was not yet aware of SIXT official website policy.
10. Afterwards, I checked SIXT official Italian website terms, which only state that the maximum penalty for changing or canceling a booking is EUR 99. No terms justify any higher penalty. Charging me EUR 500 is clearly inconsistent with your published terms and completely unreasonable. Official Website Terms Evidence: The maximum penalty for changing/cancelling a prepaid booking in the EU region is EUR 99 (including tax). There is no official term published on Sixt website that supports a penalty charge of EUR 500 for any booking modification. Charging EUR 500 as a modification penalty is inconsistent with the published terms and violates EU consumer protection regulations.
11. All three agents asked me to wait a long time during the call and then hung up on me without reason.
12. I clearly explained that I had to check in for my flight immediately and could not return to the airport, but I still received no proper help. My position I am willing to pay:
• Original prepaid rental fee: EUR 1,258.26
• Agreed upgrade fee: EUR 360
• The deposit is acceptable
However, I DO NOT accept:
• Unilateral vehicle change without notice or consent • Charging EUR 500 as a penalty when your own website states a maximum of EUR 99
• Any undisclosed, unjustified penalties
• Any unauthorized hidden charges
• Any extra fees not informed in advance Such practices violate EU consumer protection regulations. Demand Please refund the unfair penalty and unauthorized hidden charges (EUR 500 and other undisclosed fees) within 48 hours and provide a full itemized bill. If I do not receive a reasonable response within 48 hours, I will: 1. Start a full chargeback via Hang Seng Bank (Hong Kong) 2. Lodge a complaint with ECRCS 3. Report to ECC-Net and Italian consumer authorities I have already submitted all the evidence to my bank. Please resolve this matter immediately.
Yours faithfully
Name: Teddy Wai
Contact number: +852 96815707
Booking Ref: 9608190311
Case No: 14830084
