COMPLETE AND UTTER SCAM
COMPLETE AND UTTER SCAM — AVOID AT ALL COSTS
We experienced what amounts to outright fraud with this car rental company, and we want to clearly warn future customers.
The insurance extortion: I didn't have my physical credit card with me, only on my phone (Apple Pay / Google Pay), a payment method accepted absolutely everywhere in the world — except, apparently, at this rental agency. He immediately seized on this as an opportunity to force us into purchasing insurance at €450 for 10 days, roughly half the price of the base rental itself.
We clearly stated that we did not want this insurance and insisted multiple times on declining it, as we already had our own personal insurance covering this type of rental. It made no difference: he made it clear he would not hand over the vehicle unless we paid for this insurance. This was flat-out forced selling, with no valid justification, for a product we neither needed nor wanted.
We then offered to put the rental contract under the name of another member of our group, who did have his physical card with him. Flat refusal: not possible, he said, or he wouldn't receive his commission from Discover Cars. Except — as if by magic — the moment we agreed to pay the imposed €450 insurance fee, that same person's card was suddenly accepted without any issue whatsoever. Clear proof that the whole "physical card" story was nothing more than a pretext to extort this money from us.
This man knew full well that we had no alternative: traveling as a family with children, no other rental option available on site, and no refund whatsoever if we cancelled at that point. He knowingly exploited our total dependence on him to force our hand. This is a dishonest, calculated, and purely predatory practice.
The vehicle itself was a hazard on wheels: the bodywork was damaged all over, the engine warning light was on the entire time, and fuel consumption was staggering — two full 80-liter tanks for barely 600 km driven. When we raised the issue of the engine light, the response was as absurd as it was insulting to our intelligence: apparently it was due to "poor fuel quality in Albania." Having worked as a mechanic myself, I can say without hesitation that this explanation simply doesn't hold up: an engine warning light indicates a genuine mechanical or electronic issue, full stop. A vehicle is either roadworthy or it isn't — and this one clearly wasn't.
We literally put our family's safety at risk driving this poorly maintained vehicle, with no choice in the matter.
In summary: a rental agency that practices forced selling, payment extortion, openly lies to justify its practices, and puts vehicles on the road in an unacceptable, even dangerous mechanical state. We strongly advise against using this agency, especially for families with no backup options.
