North Island, New Zealand: Auckland - Hobbiton - Waitomo Caves - Thermal Park - Hell's Gate - Auckla

Lovetrip rental company is filled with traps, charging us NZD 900 more than other platforms. 1. They refused to provide a receipt upon request. 2. They demanded an exorbitant prepayment of NZD 1000. 4. Although we filled the tank and kept the receipt, they claimed we didn't and charged us an extra NZD 20. A full tank allows us to drive 140 km. Where did the missing fuel go? 5. They delayed the cancellation of the pre-authorization. 6. They arbitrarily fined us NZD 250 for smoke smell in the car. 7. Why are they delaying the cancellation of the pre-authorization? Are they using our money for cash flow? Thankfully, we inspected the car thoroughly upon return and found no issues. On September 28th, we rented a car from Lovetrip through Zuzuche for three days. After arriving, we contacted their staff to pick us up and take us to the office for the paperwork. The car was inspected thoroughly, new with only 3000 miles, albeit with a strong new car smell. We returned the car on September 30th at 19:16, and performed a detailed handover. The employee then drove us to the airport in the same car, which took about 10-15 minutes. 16 minutes later, we received a call claiming that the tank was not full and demanding NZD 20. Despite our assertion that we had filled it up and kept the receipt, we had to pay the NZD 20 to avoid further complications. They also asked for a positive review in exchange for cancelling the pre-authorization. On October 1st, Monday, I reminded them to cancel the pre-authorization. At 12:04, they deducted NZD 250 for a supposed smoke smell in the car which is unlikely as my father did not smoke inside the car. Why didn't they mention this upon return or the ride to the airport? After disputing this, we understood that Lovetrip is a fraudulent company designed to exploit customers. We urge future customers to be cautious with Lovetrip. Larger companies like Hertz, Europcar, Budget, and Avis are much more reliable and even have Chinese-speaking staff. Please don’t choose Lovetrip just to avoid potential language barriers, as it’s not worth the trouble. Lastly, as a Chinese rental company, Lovetrip should prioritize providing convenience and fair service to fellow countrymen, not exploit them. Trust and transparency are vital for long-term business success.