Auckland - Hobbiton Movie Set

Terrible car rental experience. For some unknown reason, the car rental staff (Joe) who picked us up had a sour face, didn't greet us, and didn't smile. This isn't a big deal since some people just don't like to smile or be overly friendly, which I can understand. On the way to pick up the car, we politely asked with a smile if there were any tips for driving a right-hand drive car for the first time, or anything we needed to watch out for. He answered, 'No, just follow the traffic rules yourselves, there's nothing else to say.' He was completely unhelpful. We had reserved a specific model (a 2009-2011 7-seater Alphard), but he showed up with an older 8-seater model. I pointed out that we had reserved a 7-seater, not this 8-seater older model, and he tried to fool us by saying, 'This is an upgrade for you (7 seats to 8 seats)'. When I booked, there was an 8-seater available on the system, which was cheaper, but I specifically chose the newer 7-seater model. In the end, he insisted there were no other cars available. But here's the kicker!! When we arrived at the rental company, we saw the exact car we had reserved. I questioned why we weren't given that car. He said, 'That car isn't on the list, we can only give you this one. If you want it, take it; otherwise, we will refund your money.' This was infuriating. We had a confirmed booking, and they didn't honor it. They suggested canceling our order and rebooking ourselves, clearly taking advantage of us since we were unfamiliar with the area. We chose this company believing it would be easier to communicate in case of issues, but it was a disaster from the start. We had no other options after just landing. Later, I said I would call the rental company, and he said go ahead. His partner called him and told him to give us the car we had booked. We eventually got the specified car, but the whole process was unpleasant and we wasted nearly an hour waiting for him to refuel and process the vehicle return. I strongly recommend against renting from them. I trusted them due to the positive reviews but had a terrible experience. With elderly parents and kids in tow, and when asked for hot water, they said no. In hindsight, I booked half a year in advance at a low rate. During the bustling New Year's season, they could rent out the car at a high price if I canceled. They could rent out the reserved model at an even higher price. I understand making a profit, but cheating customers and conducting business in such a rude manner is unacceptable. It's about making money, not at the expense of integrity. We don't expect you to go the extra mile in a foreign land, but at least don't take advantage financially!