Please read before booking... I booked a car with Drivalia having previously used them at Bristol and found it a good experience and seeing largely positive reviews on here. However I feel thoroughly let down by my recent experience where I can only describe myself as being victim of a scam. I had booked direct through the Drivalia website and prepaid to ensure that I was best placed to have success based on reviews here. However my flight was 2 hours delayed. I rang the contact number whilst on the plane waiting to take off to inform them of this.When I arrived at the branch I was told I was more than an hour (90 mins) after my booked pick up time so the 'car had been returned to the pool', although my 'booking stayed open because I had called'. After much back and forth, I'm told that the car I had booked and paid for already wasn't available and I had to pay a 'late upgrade fee'. This worked out at another £200 (original rental was only £120!). When searching for a new booking their website only charged £220 and still offered the car I booked.I had the choice of lose what I had already paid and go somewhere else to find a car, or pay this additional fee. I told the agent I felt like he was robbing me. He did his best to placate me with a free half tank of fuel and a free additional driver but that does not replace me £200 out of pocket. This policy is absolutely ludicrous for an airport car rental where customers will regularly be delayed. And whilst the policy is printed out and front and centre on the desk in their office, it is buried in the terms and conditions when you book with nothing explicit in any communication. It is an absolute scam to extort more money from people.Main issues:1. Regardless of if a car is picked up or not, if it is fully paid for it should not be 'returned to the pool'.2. When calling to advise of the delay the agent who it appears wasn't at the branch should have updated the booking to a new estimated pickup time and informed me of this policy.Ultimately I would strongly recommend anyone flying in not to use Drivalia Gatwick, or at the very least, book a pick up time a long time after you think you will actually arrive.Terrible policy!
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