Dubai Car Rental Scams
I’m honestly a bit disappointed with Dubai and the lack of action when it comes to things like this.
I moved to Dubai with my family from Europe in May. When we arrived, I rented a car from Fleet Master Car Rental because it was one of the first companies that came up on Google, and I couldn’t find any bad reviews.
Long story short, they appear to run a scam where they take a deposit and then simply don’t return it after the rental period. They either ghost you or tell you the money has been sent when it hasn’t.
I’ve now visited their office twice over the past 3.5 months, and every time I’m told that the refund will be processed “that day.”
Today, when I went there again and demanded my money, another man came into the office but was immediately told to leave. I suspected he might be there for the same reason. When I left the office and went towards the elevators, he approached me and asked if I had also been scammed.
It turned out he was from Bangladesh, and the money meant a lot more to him than it does to me. He looked completely defeated. What bothered me even more was knowing that he probably doesn’t have the same resources or leverage that I do to deal with a situation like this.
As I was leaving the building, the receptionist asked if I had found the office I was looking for. I said, “Yes, they’re a bunch of scammers.” He then told me that he already knew and that at least 20 people come there every day trying to get their deposits back.
I was honestly shocked.
What frustrates me most isn’t even losing the deposit. It’s the feeling that, as a consumer, you can’t actually feel safe here.
When you rent a car, hire a company, buy something expensive, or pay a deposit, you should be able to trust that there are consequences if a business simply decides not to give you your money back. Instead, situations like this make you wonder whether you’re protected at all if a company decides to take advantage of you.
You start thinking twice about every transaction: Is this company legitimate? Will I actually get my deposit back? What happens if they just decide not to pay me? Who is going to help me?
That shouldn’t be something you have to worry about every time you spend money.
I did report the company to Consumer Rights, but unfortunately I was in Europe at the time and provided my European phone number. They apparently tried to contact me through a different number, couldn’t reach me, and closed the case.
I really like living in Dubai, which is why this is so frustrating. Dubai has such a strong reputation for being safe, well-run and business-friendly. But consumer safety is also part of that.
If a company can apparently have 20+ people showing up every day demanding their money back and still continue operating, it makes you question how protected you really are as a consumer.