Firefly/Hertz South Africa: surprise 15k (ZAR) deposit on our honeymoon, a late refund, and fine invoices that were overdue before they arrived
We prepaid a Firefly (Hertz) rental in full through Booking.com for our honeymoon on the Garden Route in May. At the counter on day one, we were told for the first time that we had to pay a R15,000 deposit. It wasn't on the booking anywhere. We had no other options, so we paid it.
Staff told us the refund would take 7 business days max on a credit card, and less on a debit card, so we used debit. It took about 25 business days, more than four calls, two formal emails, and a promised callback from a senior manager that never happened. In the end it was never even reversed to the card. I had to send them my banking details so they could pay it by EFT.
Three months later, four R400 "fine handling fee" invoices showed up. Each one was due on the day it was issued and emailed to me a day or two later, so every invoice was overdue before I'd even seen it. Their statement says invoices not queried within 30 days are "deemed correct."
I'm paying the actual fines to the municipalities. That's fair. But when I asked Hertz to review the fees given all of the above, the reply was one line: no waiver. I've asked for a manager review, and if that goes nowhere, it's going to the Motor Industry Ombudsman (MIOSA).
Has anyone else had invoices from Hertz/Firefly SA that were overdue on arrival? And has anyone had any luck getting a manager to actually look at a complaint?