Christchurch - Lake Tekapo - Queenstown - Dunedin - Christchurch

Budget and Avis are the same company. Overall, the process of picking up and dropping off the car was pretty convenient. Since there were no special circumstances in between, we only interacted with the rental company during pick-up and drop-off. Booked a Kona, but got an 80,000 km Mitsubishi ASX instead.

The process was very smooth, both pick-up and drop-off were quick, and the staff upgraded our car for free. We had a great time throughout the trip.

The service from the New Zealand lady was markedly different for Chinese customers compared to foreign customers. Her expressions, language, and attitude completely changed. We had a question about an insurance fee, and she was extremely impatient and asked the Chinese-speaking gentleman nearby to translate instead of explaining it herself.

Very satisfied

I booked a Toyota RAV4 with basic insurance for 15 days through Zuzuche at the total price of 1355.85 NZD. When I went to pick up the car in Christchurch, I showed the Zuzuche order. The Budget representative glanced at it briefly, then added full insurance on their own initiative and billed me in USD. The final price was 1504.25 USD. You can calculate the difference. Why didn't they follow the order and use local currency for billing? Everyone can understand the reason. After I questioned them, they responded rudely, saying either rent with these terms or go somewhere else. There were other details, but to keep it short, stand up for your rights in such situations. In the end, they had to follow my original order, note the final price in NZD, and we settled in cash to avoid the 2% credit card fee. This experience is for my fellow Chinese to avoid being overcharged by these foreign companies. It's better to deal directly with local companies in New Zealand. Don't trust big names like Avis, Hertz, or Budget, as many Chinese have been overcharged this way. Also, avoid intermediary platforms; book directly on the rental company's website.