HEATHROW AIRPORT CAR RENTAL REVIEWS

The car provided did not match the photos. Upon arrival, I found that the car arranged was not a Renault, but a smaller model, which was completely inadequate. I had to pay extra to choose another car.

I booked a Tucson but got a Skoda instead. Fortunately, it was a smaller car, which was better since many rural roads in the UK are single-lane and larger cars can be difficult to drive. The rental company was easy to find. We stayed in London for a few days, then went to the airport to rent the car, and finally returned it at the airport. The rental agent was very kind; he asked if we needed insurance, we said we already had it, and he didn't push us to buy theirs. Returning the car was even simpler; they just did a quick inspection.

Average

Shouqi Car Rental's partner in the UK is Europcar. When the vehicle had issues, they couldn't provide adequate assistance, and the phone number listed on the order was always an automated voice system, making communication difficult. I hope they can change their partner company.

The rental company was great, no unnecessary upselling. They adjusted their speaking speed to match my English level.

They couldn't solve problems at all. The phone call got transferred four or five times and they couldn't clarify anything even after half an hour. They cancelled the reservation on a whim and just took the money. We had to buy train tickets from York to Manchester at our own expense. They told us in York that they had communicated with the Manchester office and there would be a car. But when we arrived, they said they had received no such notification and there were no cars available. While our whole family was stranded at the airport worrying about our accommodation in Edinburgh that night, they just cancelled our order and left us to fend for ourselves. Terrible service!

The actual car provided was different from the one in the order. I booked an Audi, but got a Skoda.

At pickup, they said no cars in the same category were available, we had to upgrade. If not, we would have to wait for four hours, but I arrived at 8 PM, so I had to upgrade and ended up paying an additional £1000 for the 16 days.

The car was different from the one we booked.

They did not push insurance sales. The car pickup was quite fast, with two cars to choose from. We had more luggage and took some time to decide which car to take. I rented a RAV4 but ended up with an Eclipse, which had significantly less space. Overall, though, I was satisfied.

It's great to rent from a big company.

Good vehicle condition

There were only two or three staff members, the process was complicated, and I had to wait more than an hour to get the car. I reserved a BMW 5 Series Touring but was given a Land Rover Discovery Sport, which is a completely different model.

There were staff members onsite to guide and arrange.

They downgraded my selected car without prior notice. When I complained, customer service responded that the price difference between the two models was minimal.

They gave me a car with a broken headlight and told me to fix it myself. They promised a reimbursement when I returned the car, but instead, they said they could only mail a £15 British cheque to my address in China.

The staff in the UK were very polite, and the return process was quick as well.

Forced pressure to buy insurance.

The sales method at Avis in the UK is very problematic. At T2, the staff told me that the Opel Crossland X I rented was unavailable, and I could only rent a small Vauxhall Astra, which could only fit one large piece of luggage. When I got to the parking lot, I saw several SUV-like Opels. After discussing with the manager at the store, they finally gave me a Vauxhall Mokka X.

I prepaid the full amount when I booked through Zuzuche, but when I arrived at the store, the staff said I hadn't paid. The money was taken by Zuzuche but not given to the car rental company! Using the lack of prepayment as an excuse, they refused to give me the car I originally reserved and downgraded it to an Audi A5. I couldn't reach Zuzuche for help. After arguing at the store for 2 hours, the staff reluctantly gave us a Mercedes E-Class (which should have similar space as an Audi A6). It wasted a lot of our time and ruined our mood.