Sixt charged me extra for insurance but I never asked for that!

Q. I recently rented a car from Sixt through Auto Europe near Lisbon. A few days after returning the car, my credit card was charged an additional $513. I was shocked by the amount. I was only expecting charges for the transponder ($17) and tolls ($20).

The extras were for optional insurance. Sixt and Auto Europe said that I had signed the contract and was therefore responsible for this amount. I called Sixt’s customer service department because I felt I had been charged this amount in error. Sixt agreed to review my complaint and respond to me by email. Today, I received a response saying “the extras were presented at the cash register” and that I signed the document stating that I accepted this declaration.

No one advised me on optional insurance. If I had wanted this extra insurance when ordering a car online, I would have paid for it. When I made my reservation online, I specifically chose to opt out of insurance coverage. Can you help me get my money back?

DAVID DEGAGNE, Angus, Ontario, Canada

A. Sixt should have explained what you signed when you arrived in Lisbon. Although both Sixt and Auto Europe appear to have signed contracts in which you agreed to pay the extra $513 for insurance, I believe you never considered accepting the extra cover. You even said a representative offered you $50 insurance, which you declined.

What happened? From reviewing the correspondence between you, Auto Europe and Sixt, it appears that you initially denied this coverage online. But there was a misunderstanding at the counter (where the agents are trained to sell you on extras).

According to Sixt, the agency offered you optional insurance. Sixt says he accepted this and signed a contract to this effect. You say you’ve never said “yes” to expensive insurance and you never will.

I initially thought there might be a language barrier, but you say the agent speaks fluent English. This sounds more like a variation of the “sign here” scam; a car rental agent will scan through many pages you probably won’t be able to read, assuring you that this is what you’re discussing. You then sign without realizing that you are agreeing to pay more. It’s hard to know because I wasn’t there.

It appears that you have tried to reach both companies to appeal this decision. Remember, I publish the names, numbers and email addresses of both Auto Europe and Sixt executives on my consumer advocacy site. Elliott.org. A quick email to one of them could have reversed these charges.

Let’s be clear: If you signed something, you are responsible for it. And you should always read the entire contract before you sign, even if someone stands in front of you and tells you what’s in it. This is where problems arise. However, I think there was a misunderstanding, if not a scam, regarding your rental and I wanted to give Sixt a chance to look into it. So did I.

“First of all, we would also like to apologize on behalf of our franchise partner in Portugal for the inconvenience,” a representative told me. “We regret that David Degagne had a negative experience with Sixt and have reviewed the situation in detail with our local colleagues.”

Sixt refunded your insurance costs as a “goodwill gesture”. You told me you were happy with this decision. “I hope this serves as a reminder to your other readers to make sure they fully review their lease before pulling their rental car out of the garage,” you added.

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy (elliottadvocacy.org), a non-profit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him/her [email protected] or get help by contacting him at: elliottadvocacy.org/help.