Auckland - Hobbiton

Terrible car rental experience. For some unknown reason, the rental staff (Joe) picked us up with a sullen face, without greeting or smiling, which isn't a big deal since some people just aren't friendly or chatty, and I don't mind. However, on the way to pick up the car, we smiled and asked if there were any tips or things to note for first-time right-hand drive drivers. He bluntly said, 'No, just follow the traffic rules, nothing else to say.' He was completely indifferent. We had reserved a specific model (2009-2011 7-seater Alphard), but he picked us up with an older 8-seater Alphard, not our reserved model. I pointed out that we reserved a 7-seater, not this older 8-seater model, and he tried to deceive us by saying, 'This is an upgrade (7-seater to 8-seater).' When booking, the system showed an 8-seater, but it was cheaper than the 7-seater, so I chose the newer 7-seater. He insisted that was all they had. But the key point is: upon arrival at the car rental place, we saw the car we reserved. I asked why we couldn't have it, and he replied, 'That car's not available, you can only have this one. If you don't want it, we'll refund your money.' It was infuriating. We had a confirmed booking, but they wouldn't give us the reserved car. They said they'd refund the booking, forcing us to book again ourselves. It's ridiculous, taking advantage of us being new to the area, typical of fellow countrymen exploiting their own. We chose this rental company thinking it would be easier to communicate in a foreign country, but were mistreated from the start. It was impossible to find an alternative immediately, as we had just landed. When I said I'd call the booking platform, he said go ahead, he didn't care and offered to refund the booking. A call from what seemed his partner prompted him to give us the car we reserved. Though we finally got the right car, the process was extremely unpleasant, wasting almost an hour for them to refuel and let us return the old car. Strongly advise against renting from this company. Trusting the many positive reviews turned out to be a mistake. We had elderly and children with us, needing hot water for the child, which he didn't provide. Analyzing later, I realized they could rent the car at a higher rate during the peak season if I canceled. Understanding the desire to profit, but deceitful practices and rude behavior are unacceptable. We don’t expect extraordinary help, just to avoid being cheated. Business shouldn't come at the cost of losing one's conscience!