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.
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