One-Dollar FreezeWhen I think about this booking now, the part I like the most is actually how I paid. A few days before the trip, I suddenly thought that without the One-Dollar Freeze on QEEQ, my credit card that month would be in real trouble.
When I first made the booking, I was looking at my phone and talking to myself. I said, “Paying the full amount at once is too much for me.” Then I saw that they let me pay only 1 dollar first with One-Dollar Freeze. I thought, “This is so easy. I can lock the car first.” So I clicked confirm and just paid that 1 dollar. I felt much less nervous.
Later when the start date was getting closer, I did not stare at the payment or worry about it. In my mind I just felt that they would charge the rest by themselves before the rental. I did not need to count days or move money around. When I saw the final charge on my credit card bill, it just showed up very naturally. The amount was what I expected and there was no extra interest, so the pressure on my credit card was really small.
For someone like me who is still learning how to manage money and also wants a simple life, paying only 1 dollar to lock the booking feels very nice. The whole booking process felt light and easy.
Dedicated customer serviceI felt pretty bad at first because I already returned the car and then I saw a fuel charge that looked crazy high. I had picked up the truck in Halifax around noon on May twenty ninth. It was a Dodge Ram truck. The car was big and I actually liked driving it. On the return day, around the morning of June first, I was in a rush. I only put in some gas and did not fill it up before I went to the return spot.
A few days later I checked the bill and the fuel service fee was almost five hundred CAD. I just stared at the number. I knew I did not return the car with a full tank so I should pay something, but this amount felt like something was off. I contacted them and explained that I booked a pickup truck, but on the invoice from the rental counter it looked more like they treated it as a big van, so I felt the rate might be wrong.
The thing that surprised me was that the service staff replied pretty fast. The tone was calm and friendly. They did not blame me for not filling the tank. They just asked about the details and the numbers I saw. I told them what car I booked and how much I was charged. After they understood what I was worried about, they said they would help me check with the rental company if the fuel service fee was charged with the wrong car type.
In the next days they kept sending me updates. They told me they had reached out to the rental company. Later they told me the rental company insisted the charge was correct and it was based on their fuel service since I brought the car back with around three eighths of fuel. When I heard that I felt a bit disappointed because I hoped the fee could just be refunded.
Then something changed how I felt. They did not just stop there. They told me that even though the rental company would not refund the fuel service fee, they were willing to give me some money back from their side. It was about one hundred and thirty CAD. After that, the total fuel cost was still more than a gas station price, but it did not look so crazy anymore. I could feel they were not just brushing me off. They were really trying to make the result more fair for me.
I was in a foreign country and I did not really know the local prices. I only knew it felt too expensive. During the whole thing, they were the ones talking with the rental company for me. I did not need to explain the same story again and again. This saved me a lot of trouble. The fuel fee was not fully removed, but because of this one to one follow up feeling, I did not feel alone. It felt like someone was on my side when talking with the rental counter.
For me this experience was an annoying surprise. But with this Dedicated customer service, the situation did not turn into something worse. If no one had kept an eye on it for me, I think I would have given up and just stayed upset. Since I booked through QEEQ, at least I had someone to help me fight for a more reasonable result.
Dedicated customer serviceThings went wrong at the start. I booked my car in Vancouver through QEEQ and I planned to drive out of the city. I already made my road plan and I was pretty excited. I went to the counter around June thirteenth with my luggage and my booking. I was relaxed because my booking showed unlimited mileage so I thought I could just drive anywhere.
At the counter the staff told me the unlimited mileage was only inside the province of Vancouver area. If I wanted to drive to another province I had to pay around 200 CAD more. I was really confused. On my phone the booking page showed unlimited mileage very clear. I showed it again and again but the counter staff still said I needed to pay extra. I was in a hurry to pick up the car and I had plans after that so I finally paid the extra money with my card. I felt pretty bad and I was worried I was being cheated.
When I sat in the car I called their customer support right away. I told the whole story and sent screenshots of the unlimited mileage on my booking and also the payment record from the counter. The person on the phone did not push the problem away. They tried to calm me down and told me to just use the car first. They said they would talk to the rental company and keep following my case.
During the next few days when I was on the road my phone got messages from them. They told me what the rental company replied and asked if I needed to add more proof. I was traveling in another place and the time zone was a bit hard for me so sometimes I replied late. They never rushed me. They just waited and explained every step. I could feel someone was watching this problem for me and I did not need to fight with the rental counter alone.
When I returned the car around the afternoon of June twenty first I checked my credit card bill again and sent a screenshot of the extra 200 plus CAD payment to support. They replied fast and said they got it and would keep helping me apply for a refund. At that moment I felt much more relaxed because I was not alone against the rental company.
The counter experience was not good and I really did not like how the staff talked to me. But during the whole thing the support team stayed with me all the way. From my first complaint to the updates in the middle and then the reminder after I returned the car they always checked on my case. As a tourist renting a car in another country I felt taken care of and this feeling was even more important to me than the 200 CAD.
Dedicated customer serviceI remember that morning very clearly. My kids were rolling around on the hotel bed and I was packing their small backpacks while staring at my phone bill. I booked the car through QEEQ and my credit card suddenly showed what looked like an extra charge. My head went blank for a moment. I just kept想 about one thing. If I read this wrong it is fine. If this is really a double charge our budget for the next few days will be a mess.
A few days before that we came from the US to Ottawa in Canada with the kids. We arrived around the afternoon of June 5. On the next day around June 7 at about 3 pm I went to the Avis counter to pick up the car. It was a Toyota Corolla with automatic transmission and four doors and five seats. For a family with kids it was just right. The staff at the counter worked at a normal speed and nothing felt strange. I was pretty happy at that moment and only wanted to get the luggage and the kids settled in the car.
The real problem showed up after we returned the car early in the morning on June 9. That day it was a bit after 7 am. I parked the car and woke the kids up and checked that we did not leave anything in the car. Then I gave the keys back to the rental staff. It was quick and simple so I did not think much. When we got back to the hotel I checked my credit card and saw that the charge from the rental side did not match what I remembered from the booking. The more I looked at it the more it felt wrong and my chest got tight. It really looked like I was charged rent twice.
I checked my emails and screenshots again and again. I even went through my photos to find the old booking page. The more I compared the more sure I felt that something was off. Traveling with kids is already harder than traveling alone. The kids were asking for food beside me and I had to calm them while my eyes stayed on the numbers on the screen. I felt annoyed and also a bit tired. In my head I was saying to myself that maybe I should not have used any kind of prepay.
Later I reached out to their customer service. From the start they listened to my story and stayed patient. I sent every payment screenshot I could find. I could feel that they were trying to sort out which money I paid in advance and which money the rental company charged me later. For me this was much easier than trying to argue with the rental counter myself especially when I still needed to watch the kids.
In the next days I felt that one person was always watching this case for me. One time I had just put the kids to sleep when I got a message from them saying they had confirmed that the money I paid when I booked did not seem to be used by the rental place to lower the final bill. They told me not to worry too much and that they would try to get the extra part fixed. I felt a big wave of relief at that moment. At least someone was on my side and working on it so I did not have to stare at the bill alone and guess.
Later when I finally saw the refund notice I was playing with the kids in the room. They were jumping on the bed and I was sitting at the table with my phone. When I saw the message I felt calm again. I know this kind of problem does not get solved in a few seconds. During the whole process the person who talked to me always explained things in simple words and told me what might happen next. As a dad that made me feel more in control and I did not stay nervous all the time.
After this experience my biggest feeling is that when you travel with kids small problems become bigger and more annoying. When someone helps you watch one important problem like money you can put more energy on the children. The extra rental charge being handled in the end was important for our budget. I did not lose money and I did not need to spend more days arguing with the rental company. For a parent this kind of one to one follow up made the whole trip less stressful even if everything else was still busy.
Price Drop ProtectorThat day I was at home packing for my trip to Toronto. My laptop was open on the table and my flight email was on the screen. My coffee was already a bit cold. I suddenly remembered to check my car booking again, so I opened the confirmation from QEEQ. I saw the rental company was Avis and the car was a Chevrolet Impala. It was automatic, with four doors and five seats. I felt it was a good size for driving in the city and around the area. I started to count the cost in my head. From the end of June to the middle of July, the price did not look very cheap. I told myself it was high season so it made sense. Later I was on a video call with a friend and I told him about the car. He asked me if I checked prices again and if maybe it was cheaper now. I laughed and said I did not check because I was too lazy. After I said that, I still thought about it in my mind and felt that if the price dropped I would never know. A few days later I was on the subway. The signal was weak and my phone kept losing connection. Then a new email notification popped up. I opened it and saw it was about my car booking. My first thought was that maybe something was wrong with my trip. I read it more slowly and then I noticed they were telling me that because of the Price Drop Protector they found a lower price for the same car. They already made a new booking for me and they would give me the price difference back. I just stopped and stared at my screen for a moment in the train. I had only one thought in my head. I did nothing and still saved money. When I got home I sat down and opened the email again. I checked the old order number and the new one. The pick up and drop off were still in Toronto. The time was still around the afternoon a bit after three, from about June twenty sixth to mid July. The only change was the price. I do not care a lot about exact numbers but when I saw the difference was more than one hundred fifty zloty I felt much more relaxed. It was like my travel budget suddenly became a bit more free. I poured myself a fresh coffee and thought about it. If there was no such service I would never go back many times to check if the price went down. I am the type of person who forgets after booking and only checks again right before the trip. Now they noticed the lower price by themselves and changed my booking to the cheaper one. It felt like they did a lot of work for me. One time I even opened my bank account to look at the charge. I wanted to be sure they did not take more money. I saw that the final amount was actually lower than I remembered. I smiled at the screen and told myself that they just gave me money for a nice dinner. For a short moment I felt a bit nervous. I saw the new order number and I was afraid that the staff at the Avis counter might not see it or get confused. So I opened the email again and checked the pick up time and place. It was still in Toronto at the airport in the afternoon and still at the Avis counter. I even read my own name out loud to practice saying it slowly for the staff. My worry was not because they did something wrong. It was because I am the kind of person who checks the passport, phone and ticket many times before leaving the house. When I read the email again I saw they did not send any long or complicated explanation. They just told me in a simple way that the new booking was ready, the price was lower and the difference would come back to me. In my head I could see the moment I arrive. I walk out of the arrivals area with my suitcase and go to the Avis counter. I say my name and show my booking. The staff finds the new order and the car is ready. In the end I pay the cheaper price, not the first one. Thinking about this, I felt like someone was looking after me in the background. It was like they were watching the price for me and saying we changed it to a cheaper one for you. I usually do not write stories like this, but this time it felt a bit special. I did not argue about the price and I did not keep refreshing any page to find the lowest deal. I just made a normal booking and followed my plan. Then one day my phone told me that I saved money. As an overseas traveler I already have many things to worry about such as flights, visas, plans and hotels. It was very nice that at least one thing was handled by them in this way. It was not only about comfort. It turned into real money that stayed in my pocket. Later I talked with another friend and he asked if my budget for Toronto was very tight. I told him it was okay because the car rental became cheaper by surprise. He asked me how I did that. I said that when I booked, I chose a service called Price Drop Protector. When they found a lower price they changed my booking and sent the difference back to me. When I said that I also laughed a bit. In my head the name sounded like a shield in a video game but this time it worked on my wallet. I am usually a bit careless and lazy and I did not expect that this kind of service would cover for me. It felt like someone gave me a small push from behind at the right moment.
Dedicated customer serviceOn that business trip to Canada everything was going fine at first and I booked the car through QEEQ. I picked up an Avis car in North Vancouver around the morning of May 30. The fuel tank was not full when I got the car. I even took a photo of the dashboard. In my head I thought this might be useful later. A few days later I returned the car in Victoria around June 7. Before I went to the return lot I filled up more gas so the fuel level was higher than when I picked it up. I took another photo and I felt I did everything very carefully.
When I checked the bill at the hotel I was really confused. There was a fuel charge of over 100 CAD on it. My first thought was this makes no sense because I brought the car back with more fuel. As a business traveler this kind of small problem can really hurt my mood and it also makes expense reports harder. I was a bit upset and also worried that it would be very hard to talk to the rental company.
I organized the photos of the dashboard from pickup and return and then I contacted their customer support. At first I was thinking maybe they would ask me to deal with the rental counter by myself. They did not do that. They listened to my story carefully and asked me for the photos then they started to follow up for me. I felt a bit nervous during that time and I kept thinking if they cannot explain this for me I will be in trouble. They kept giving me small updates so I knew the case was moving and I did not feel ignored.
After some time the support team told me they had got a refund for the fuel charge and the amount was almost all of what I was charged by mistake. When I saw the 100 plus CAD back in my account I felt a huge relief and I was really glad I took those photos. During the whole process I felt someone was speaking for me and helping me explain things clearly. I did not have to spend a lot of time and energy arguing with the rental company and for a business traveler who is always flying around this means a lot.
