South Island Loop

The car was delivered later than the scheduled time. We arranged to pick it up at 9 AM, but by 9:31 it still hadn't arrived. While driving, the car made a loud noise and couldn't be driven properly. They claimed it was sand in the brake pads. We drove on regular roads, not gravel, and requested a repair. They demanded a credit card for security and blamed us for the issue. When we reported this to the rental company, their staff insulted us, questioning our integrity. We didn't make up the problem; the car had an issue and the rental company should inspect it to determine responsibility. Instead, they asked for our credit card with unclear intentions. This almost ruined our plans. With such an attitude and service, who would dare to rent from them? Cars can have issues, but this approach and attitude are unacceptable.

In early March, we rented a car from a Chinese company in Christchurch through Zuzuche. The car we rented was a 2005 Toyota hatchback. When we picked up the car, we noticed it was very old and the engine didn't sound right, but considering it was only a little over 100 RMB per day, we decided to rent it. From March 2nd evening when we picked up the car until March 10th, we drove it without major issues until we were heading to Lake Tekapo from Queenstown. Around 11 PM, while driving through a mountain, a high temperature warning suddenly appeared. We immediately stopped the car by the roadside. Since there was no mobile signal, we had to add water to the radiator. We added about 2-3 liters and the warning disappeared. However, after driving for 5 kilometers, the high temperature warning appeared again, and there was a persistent burning smell. We stopped by the roadside and flagged down passing vehicles for help. It was past 11 PM, and luckily a couple from Israel in an RV picked us up.

The staff were polite and responded quickly!

Avoid renting from this company at all costs. The car was extremely old, had been driven for thousands of kilometers, and was covered in scratches. Shortly after we drove it, it wouldn't start. When we asked about it, we received vague responses. We had to put up with it for our trip. After returning to our country, they informed us of a speeding ticket, which we paid directly on the official website. They still charged us a handling fee. Very dishonest. Don't be tempted by low prices or Chinese companies. It's better to rent from a large company in New Zealand.

The wait time was a bit long, couldn't find the store, ended up picking up the car at a supermarket entrance? Felt very unprofessional.