Shevchenko T.
Never rent a car from this company – they left us stranded on the highway!
Never rent a car from this company – they left us stranded on the highway! We rented a car from United Rent a Car through the CarJet platform in August 2025. The car overheated due to a technical malfunction — the coolant was leaking. We immediately reported this to the company, and their employee instructed us to add coolant and continue driving. We followed their instructions exactly. Shortly after, the car overheated again and broke down directly on the highway. We called the company, and they promised to call back within 5 minutes — but no one ever did. We waited 45 minutes until the police noticed us and stopped to help. If not for the police and the roadside service they called, we would have remained stranded in a dangerous situation. The roadside technician confirmed that the car had a mechanical issue and contacted the company again. They promised to send a mechanic, but instead, a tow truck arrived. Thankfully, the driver kindly agreed to drop us off at the nearest town, or else we would have been left alone, without a car, without help, and without any way to move forward. Afterward, we received a message from the company demanding that we pay for the repairs, the tow truck, and a new rental, claiming that we didn’t purchase their insurance. All of this despite the fact that: • we didn’t violate any rental terms; • we immediately reported the issue; • we followed all their instructions; • multiple professionals confirmed the issue was mechanical; • and we were abandoned on a highway with zero support from the company. After this, the company stopped answering our calls, communicated only via WhatsApp, refused to connect us with a manager, and tried to shift all responsibility onto us. We are now filing official complaints with: • the Greek Consumer Protection Authority, • the European Car Rental Conciliation Service, • and the Greek Tourist Police. This is not just bad service — this is dangerous negligence that puts the health and safety of clients at serious risk. Never rent a vehicle from United Rent a Car. If it weren’t for the police and the kindness of strangers, we would have remained stranded on the highway in 40°C heat, without assistance.
Response from united-rent-a-car.comAug 6, 2025
Dear customer, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We are sorry to hear about your experience and regret that the situation caused such frustration during your rental. However, after reviewing the case with our local team, we would like to clarify several important points. The issue with the vehicle was immediately addressed when it was reported. Our team advised adding coolant based on the information provided at the time, which is a standard first step in such situations. Unfortunately, it appears the issue escalated, and we understand that this led to further inconvenience. We would like to clarify that you were not left without assistance. Roadside support was contacted as soon as possible. Although there was a delay in their arrival, which was beyond our direct control, assistance did reach you and the vehicle was towed. We regret if the waiting time did not meet your expectations, but it is not accurate to state that we failed to respond. Regarding the repair charges, we must emphasize that the booking did not include our full insurance coverage. When a breakdown or damage occurs without full coverage, and the incident is not due to a proven mechanical fault, the customer is responsible for the associated costs according to the rental agreement. That said, our technical team is currently reviewing the details of the case and the roadside report to determine if an adjustment is appropriate. We also want to address your concerns about communication. We apologize if our follow-up via WhatsApp felt insufficient. We always aim to maintain clear and timely communication with our customers and regret if this was not your experience. We respect your right to escalate the matter and are confident that any formal investigation will show that we acted within our policies and made every reasonable effort to assist. Should you need any additional documentation or clarification, we remain at your disposal and are committed to resolving this matter fairly. Kind regards.