Why did I suddenly get charged 83 dollars out of nowhere? I kept asking myself this these days. I booked my car through QEEQ and rented a Toyota RAV4 from Budget in Boston. It was an automatic SUV and it felt good for a family. I remember it was a morning in late May, around nine, when I picked up the car. My kids were a bit excited next to me and I just wanted to finish the process fast so we could go. The days with the car were normal. I went to Newark to return it about one day earlier than planned. I reached the office a little after eight in the morning and gave the keys to the counter staff of the rental company. He only took a quick look at the car and said it was fine. In my mind I was thinking maybe I could get some money back for the early return.
A few days after I got home I checked my credit card bill and saw an extra charge of 83 dollars. There was no sign of this fee in my booking. I felt shocked. I travel with my kids so my costs are already high. My first thought was why did they take this money and why did no one explain it. I contacted their customer support and told them the whole story. They did not just tell me to fight with the rental company alone. They started to help me talk to the rental company about this money. I felt nervous and kept thinking maybe I missed something or maybe I broke something without knowing.
After some time they told me the rental company said it was a damage fee. I felt confused and a bit angry because I used the car very carefully and the person at the desk did not tell me about any problem when I returned it. I asked what damage it was. The support team kept asking the rental company for more clear information and they always told me the latest update. For a parent like me this was really important. I did not need to call the rental company every day or read long legal terms while my kids were crying next to me.
Later they said the rental company sent a repair bill and it showed it was for a tire repair. The rental company rules say this kind of thing is not covered by their protection. I still felt it was hard to accept. In my head it felt like this was pushed on me without proof. So I asked the support team to help me ask for photos and more clear evidence. I was answering messages while my kids were noisy beside me and I felt tired, but at least someone was helping me sort this out. Until now the rental company still has not sent any photos. The support team told me this clearly and also said if I want to refuse this charge they respect my choice and I can come back to them if there is any problem later. I can feel there is someone always following my case and not just telling me to deal with the rental company alone. The whole communication feels smooth and for a parent traveling with kids this feeling of being looked after means a lot.
My story really started when I checked my credit card bill at home. I was sitting at the table, my kid was drawing next to me, and I was going through all the costs from our trip to Fuerteventura in Spain. I suddenly saw an extra charge of 79.17 EUR linked to the car rental. I frowned and said quietly to myself, this looks wrong. My kid looked up and asked, mom what happened. I just smiled and said, maybe someone counted our fuel money in a strange way.
Right away I remembered the day we returned the car. It was one evening near the end of June, a bit later than the real date, around June twenty seventh. The wind on the island felt so nice. We were driving the Peugeot 2008 back to the return point. I had booked it on QEEQ a few days before. We picked it up at Fuerteventura airport around noon on June nineteenth or so. My kid was super excited when we got the car and kept saying the car looked like one from a movie. Those days we almost went everywhere with this car and in my head there was one rule. Do not forget to fill the tank before we return it.
Before going to the car rental lot I made a small detour to the petrol station. My kid asked from the back seat, mom why do you have to make it full. I said, because we should be responsible when we rent a car. He watched the fuel gauge go up to full and said proudly, look it is really full. I checked the gauge twice. I remember that clearly and I felt safe about it. Then we drove to the Budget desk. The staff there checked the car, said okay and everything seemed normal. We grabbed our bags and our kid and left. I did not expect any trouble after that.
A few days after we came home I saw that 79.17 EUR charge. My first thought was that they treated the fuel like I did not fill the tank. I felt a bit angry and also worried because summer plans for my kid also cost money. I went through my memory again. I really did fill it up. Then I contacted customer service to explain what happened.
At the start I was a bit scared that they would think I was just complaining. What made me more relaxed was how they listened to every detail I shared. I told them the dates, the place, the car rental company name and what I remembered about refueling. My kid whispered beside me, will they trust you. I could only answer honestly. I am not sure but I told the truth.
Later the service person told me that a fuel receipt would be very helpful. In that moment I really regretted not keeping the paper. I opened drawers at home and tried to find it but I just could not. I had to tell them that I did not have the receipt anymore. I started to feel that maybe I would have to accept this charge and give up.
What impressed me was that even when I could not provide a full tank proof they did not talk to me in a cold way or say there was nothing they could do. Instead they explained in a patient way that my credit card bill could show I was charged and then we could try another way to solve it. I checked my online statement and talked with them at the same time. My kid listened to me speaking English and quietly repeated the words fuel charge. At that moment I felt grateful. As a mom with a kid, I really do not like facing problems with no one on my side.
I remember I asked for updates more than once. I knew these things do not get fixed right away but each time they answered me with clear progress. They told me what changed and what step we were at. I did not feel like they were just making me wait with no info. I felt like someone was actually pushing this case forward for me. My kid saw me chatting with customer service again and asked, are they helping you again. I nodded and said, yes, it feels much easier when someone helps.
In the end I sent them a screenshot of my credit card bill. When I saw that 79.17 EUR line there I still felt upset but at least I felt I had done my part. After a short time they told me they could help me apply for compensation. When I got that message I felt like finally someone stood on my side. The money amount will not change my whole life but for me it meant I was not treated like a person who can be charged extra without reason.
When I look back at everything, from driving around Fuerteventura in that Peugeot 2008 to sitting at home with my kid and following up on the problem, the main feeling is not only about saving some money. The main feeling is that when there was a problem I was not alone facing the car rental company. My English is not perfect and I also have to take care of my kid, so I am afraid of long and confusing talks. The way customer service followed my case, gave me options and told me the next step made me feel looked after. I always knew I was not just left there with no help. For a parent like me, this feeling is more important than the number 79.17 on the bill.
If I rent a car again in some other place I know I might still make small mistakes like losing a receipt. But with this kind of support I will not feel so nervous. To me a rental platform should not only appear when I make the booking. It should also stay when there is a problem. That is what happened this time and it turned this fuel charge issue into a story about someone helping me clean up the mess, instead of just a painful line on my credit card.
“Dad, why did they take so much money?” My daughter asked me this when we were back in the UK and I was sitting on the sofa looking at my card bill. I was already a bit stressed. I thought this rental I booked on QEEQ went fine. A few days after I dropped the car in the US, I saw there was an extra fuel charge. The amount was much higher than I expected.
I got the car in early July in San Francisco. It was an Avis Toyota RAV4, automatic, four doors. It felt like a good car for a trip with kids. That day at the counter, the staff did not say much. He just gave me the key and went to do other work. I hurried with the kids and luggage to the garage. When I sat in the car, I noticed the fuel tank was not full. My kid in the back was already hungry and talking. I felt rushed and did not walk back to the counter to talk about it.
On the drop off day in Fresno, it was very hot. My kid kept asking when we would get to the hotel. I went to fill up the tank before we returned the car. I looked at the fuel gauge and felt pretty sure I did the right thing. At the drop off place nobody really talked to me. They just checked the car quickly and we left. Later when we were back in the UK and the bill came out, I saw it should be around a bit more than fifty pounds but it turned into more than seventy. Then I understood they had added a fuel charge.
At that moment I remembered the tank was not full when I first picked up the car. I felt very annoyed with myself. I had been too busy with the kids and did not check it properly. My daughter asked me if I made a mistake. I had to calm her and at the same time contact the support team. I was worried they might tell me to deal with the rental company by myself. I did not even have a paper contract. The counter staff just handed me the key and I had no time to read anything.
When I reached the support team, I shared all the details I could remember, plus the photo of the fuel gauge at pick up and the charge record from my card. They did not push the problem back to me. They asked simple questions and helped me sort the situation. They reminded me what information might help. I know they also had to talk to the rental company in the background, but from my side it felt like someone was staying on this case for me.
There was a period when I felt quite worried. Looking at the bill made me upset and I was scared that in the end nothing would be fixed. Every few days I would reach out again. They would patiently tell me what stage we were at and that it might still need some time. Sometimes I was cooking in the kitchen while my kid watched TV. I was holding my phone, talking to support, thinking that if I had to face the rental company alone I might have given up already.
One moment I remember clearly is when I said I really did not know what exactly happened at the drop off because I just wanted to let my kid rest. They did not blame me for missing some proof. They kept checking the fuel and time details, and they looked at the refill receipt I sent. It felt like someone sitting next to me, going through the story step by step, instead of just saying “this is company policy” and stopping there.
After some time, one day on the train, I saw a message on my phone. It said the fuel charge of about fifty pounds had been refunded. I read it a few times and then opened my card bill to double check. I slowly realized the problem was finally solved. I felt a lot lighter. In the evening my daughter joked and asked if “the money came back.” This time I could explain the whole thing to her with a calm tone.
What stayed with me most from this case is not only the money. It is the feeling that someone kept an eye on this problem with me. They did not use big words. They did not throw long process terms at me. Every time I had a question or felt nervous, they replied and made it clear that things were still moving. For a parent traveling with kids, already tired and busy, this feeling of being looked after matters a lot.
Now when I think about that day in San Francisco, picking up the car, I still remind myself to check the fuel gauge early and give myself more time. At least this time I had people who stayed with me and followed the issue from start to finish. A stressful experience slowly turned into a story I can accept. It was not perfect, but the result makes me feel that booking through them was a good choice in the end.
I booked my car on QEEQ and went to pick it up in Miami around July tenth in the afternoon at the ACE counter. I was feeling pretty relaxed. I just wanted to get the Volkswagen Jetta and start driving. Then the guy at the counter told me that the insurance proof I brought only showed collision. He said there was no liability part and that I must buy another insurance or they would not give me the car. My mind went blank for a moment. I felt stuck and a bit scared that I could not get the car. I also did not want to argue too hard at the desk. In the end I paid for that extra insurance and walked out feeling really annoyed. I kept thinking maybe I did something wrong when I booked. Back at my place I contacted their customer support and explained what happened. I did not really expect a big result. I just wanted someone to listen to how bad it felt to be forced to pay. They kept following up with me and that surprised me. It was not just one short reply. They asked me for the bill and the rental agreement and told me to send photos. There were a few days when I was busy outside and my emails were slow. They still kept checking in with me and the tone was patient. It made me feel the problem was still moving forward and I was not alone with it. At one point they told me they had talked with ACE and checked the booking. They said the money I paid before already included the liability insurance and the staff at the counter still made me buy more. When I read that I felt a lot better. It was not my mistake. The problem was on the rental office side. Later they asked me to look at the items that were charged and see if road assistance was added and other extra stuff. They helped me check the details. After some days, around mid July, they sent me an update that the rental office had refunded the forced insurance. They also sent me the refund paper. When I opened that email I really felt like someone was standing up for me. That bad moment at the counter was changed. Looking back, the whole thing took some time, but because dedicated customer service kept following my case I was not so stressed. When there was a problem I felt taken care of, not just pushed around by a very strong rental desk. For me that feeling is very important.
This rental really made my feelings very mixed. At the start I was pretty upset, later I felt a bit taken care of. I was in Kigali in Rwanda with my kid and I rented a car there. Around July tenth in the morning I went to the Europcar counter to pick up the car. I had booked a Toyota RAV4 with automatic transmission. When we walked to the parking lot and I saw the car, I felt worried. The body had many marks and scratches and it looked like it had been fixed many times. In my head I asked myself if this car was really safe. My kid was waiting beside me and I did not want to waste too much time, so I just took the car and drove out. Soon after leaving the city I noticed the brake felt strange. I had to press a bit harder before it reacted and the car did not slow down in a clean way. I looked again at the dashboard and the engine warning light was on. My heart became very tense right away. I asked myself if I should drive back and change the car or just try to use it for now. My kid was sitting in the back seat and I did not want him to feel scared. So I tried to look calm and I drove very carefully. I kept more distance from the car in front and I lowered my speed. After a while I asked myself again if I was maybe too sensitive. But that warning light stayed on all the time and my mind stayed nervous too. There was another thing that bothered me. When I picked up the car the fuel tank was not full. I took photos and checked the pickup paper and they showed the same level. It was just not full. I told myself that I should return the car with similar fuel, otherwise I would feel it is not fair. When the two days of using the car came to an end, I returned it in Kigali around the afternoon on about July twelfth. On the road I had added fuel and when I brought the car back the fuel level was actually a bit higher than at pickup. I stood by the return spot and looked at the gauge. I wondered if I should tell the staff and ask for some compensation. My kid was already tired and I did not argue with the rental counter. Inside I still felt it was not right. Later when I thought more about it I felt even less safe about the whole experience. The car body was in bad shape, the brake felt slow and the engine light was always on. I had my kid with me and I really did not feel relaxed. With the fuel problem too, I felt I should at least get something back. So I contacted QEEQ customer support and sent all the photos I could find. I explained step by step how the car looked like it was put together many times and how I felt not safe while driving. In my mind I kept asking if they would think I was too picky or if they would say this was normal. They did not brush me off. They kept following up with me. Every time I talked again about my worry, the support team answered and reminded me that when I returned the car I could match the fuel level. They also told me that if the car condition made me feel unsafe at that time, I could have asked the rental staff to change to another car. I also asked myself why I did not change the car right away. Maybe it was because I had my kid, I was new in that place and I felt unsure. Later they talked with the car rental company. The rental company insisted that the car passed their check and they showed their own fuel photos, saying my return fuel was the same as pickup so they did not want to give a refund. When I heard this result I felt disappointed again. I had been driving under stress and in the end it looked like I would get nothing. One thing surprised me. The support team did not simply stop there. They kept explaining the situation to me and talked about how I felt. Then they gave me a cash compensation offer and said this would be the final solution. I asked myself if I should accept it and if this showed they were really taking my problem seriously. After thinking for a bit I agreed. For me this money was not just money. It made me feel that someone stood on my side in this bad experience. They did not only listen to the rental company. During the whole time they kept following up with me. Even when I repeated my story and my anger, they still replied with patience. I did not have to fight alone with the rental counter. As a parent with a kid, this feeling of being followed up and cared for is very important. That car still did not feel very safe to me, so I could not fully relax on the road. But when the problem was handled later, I felt that I was not alone. Someone was helping me explain what happened and trying to make up for the loss I felt.
I booked my car through QEEQ for a solo trip to Kuala Lumpur. I picked up the car around four in the afternoon on May 26. It was a seven seat car from R and R Rent A Car and it looked pretty clean. At the counter they told me there was a deposit. I paid with my card. It was about one thousand ringgit. I did not think too much at that time. I returned the car on May 29 in the afternoon. The staff checked the car quickly and said I could leave, so I felt everything was fine. A few days later I checked my banking app and looked at the deposit record. I saw the money was still not back. It looked like a real charge. I called my bank first. They confirmed it was not a pre authorization. I started to feel a bit nervous because I was traveling alone and my budget was not very big. Then I reached out to the customer support from the platform and explained the situation. I sent them the screenshot of the charge. They replied pretty fast and said they would ask the rental company. After that they kept giving me updates. They told me the refund time from the rental company would take a while and told me not to worry too much. I was still a bit anxious but I felt better because someone was watching the case for me. I asked them a few more times and they always answered with patience and told me what was going on and that the money was on the way, only the process was slow. Even though the deposit did not come back right away, the feeling that someone followed my problem and kept me informed was quite important. It made me feel taken care of even when I was out there alone.
