SURPRICE RENT A CAR - Catania Airport Information, Car hire Instructions & Policies

This place is a scam. Let me warn you. 1. Even if you buy your own insurance, they force you to purchase their expensive insurance (200-300 euros); 2. They confiscate your passport and credit card; 3. The staff is very rude; 4. The car provided was not the one I reserved and was dirty (see picture), it was old and filthy with bird droppings all over the trunk, and the staff couldn't care less; 5. They trap you when returning the car, asking me to pay for small dents and scratches from previous users; 6. They especially target foreigners, if you don't speak Italian, they will scam you in various ways; 7. I have lost a lot of money to this scam, and I saw other foreigners facing the same issues, arguing was useless.

Satisfied.

Avoid at all costs! Besides the terrible attitude, I was shocked to see the car's condition when picking it up. The front bumper was already damaged badly, and the tread on the tires was nearly worn out. Giving customers such a car is a recipe for disaster. I reported it to the front desk, and they offered a free upgrade, but the new car was still in poor condition. I immediately contacted the rental car booking company for help, saying I'd take a smaller car as long as it was in good condition and wouldn't affect my trip, but they said there were no other cars available. They suggested I use the no-show protection to cancel, but there has been no resolution since February 17th. Moreover, their deposit is excessively high at €1200, which is unreasonable, especially given the poor service. Lesson learned. Don't fall into this trap, everyone!

It was quite good, no queues upon arrival. The process started immediately. I read in other reviews that there could be up to a 3-hour wait, but there wasn’t any. The prices were very cheap, and although they did try to sell insurance, you just need to tell them you don’t need it. The staff were also nice; they understood we didn’t need the insurance and didn’t push further. I didn’t see any signs of racial discrimination as some reviews mentioned. Everyone finds their own car, and it seems like they don’t have many staff in the first place. The cars given out were all SUVs; the person before me, who was white, got the same. The deposit was 1200 euros, which was just a hold and not an actual charge; as long as the car was returned in good condition, the deposit was refunded directly. I was quite worried after reading the reviews, but everything went very smoothly, and the vehicle was also good.

It was pretty good, no queues upon arrival. The process started right away. I had seen comments about a 3-hour wait, but that was not the case. The prices were very affordable. They did try to sell insurance, but you just need to say no if you don't want it. The staff was decent, understood we didn't need insurance and didn't push it. I didn't notice any racial discrimination as some comments suggested. Everybody finds their own car, and it seemed like they didn't have a lot of staff. Everyone got SUVs, including the white person in front of me. The deposit was 1,200 euros, but it was just a deposit, without charges. The car return inspection was smooth, and we got our deposit back without issue. I was a bit worried after reading the comments, but everything went smoothly, and the car was in good condition.

This has been my worst car rental experience abroad in the last ten years! 1. Difficult to find the store. The actual brand and logo of the store were completely different from what was shown on the rental platform! It took me half an hour just to find the place! 2. The staff were extremely inefficient! A local Italian ahead of me said they had been waiting for an hour and a half without being served, despite there being only three staff members serving just two clients. The staff were joking around instead of working. While I understand that Italians can be laid-back, I’ve visited Italy four times and never seen such behavior at a customer-facing position! I also had to wait about an hour and a half to get my car! 3. The staff were rude, their English was poor, and they talked roughly. Since I didn't buy their insurance, they deliberately gave me a large car. I booked an Audi A1 class vehicle but received an Opel Grandland SUV instead. Other white customers received small cars. It felt like deliberate harassment or racism. The roads in Sicily are narrow, and driving a large car is difficult. They did this because I refused their insurance. 4. The staff accompanied other white customers to pick up their cars and informed them of existing damages. When it was my turn, they just handed me the keys and told me where the parking lot was. Other customers after me were also accompanied by the staff, but they skipped me! 5. The most disgusting part! Because I didn’t buy their insurance, they charged me a deposit of 1200 euros. I picked up the car on April 11 and returned it on April 17. On April 13, I found out that the transaction had been processed, not just pre-authorized! I immediately contacted the rental platform's customer service, who contacted the car rental company, and they said the deposit would be refunded upon return. When I contacted customer service again on April 16, the car rental company claimed the deposit had been refunded on April 16, which is impossible since I hadn't returned the car yet! The staff were lying and acting like a bunch of scammers! When I returned the car on April 17, the staff said there were no problems with the car and that the deposit would be refunded in 2-3 days. It’s now April 28, and I haven't seen any trace of the deposit! I contacted customer service multiple times; now the car rental company insists it was a pre-authorization, not a charge. They don't acknowledge the screenshot and bank statement I provided showing the amount was deducted. This is completely false. If it were a pre-authorization, they would need to cancel it, but they can't because the amount has been charged. This has been going on for half a month! Is this rogue car rental company trying to swindle my 1200 euros???!!! I reserve the right to expose this in the media, report to 12345, and file a police report!

This has been the worst car rental experience I have had in the past ten years abroad! 1. The store was hard to find. The actual brand and logo of the store were completely different from what was shown on the platform! It took me half an hour just to locate it! 2. The staff were extremely inefficient! An Italian customer ahead of me said he had been waiting for an hour and a half and still hadn't been served, while there were only two groups of customers being attended to by the three staff members. The employees were chatting and fooling around while customers were left waiting. I can understand a certain level of laid-back attitude in Italy, but this was my fourth time in Italy, and this was the first time I'd seen such behavior! I also waited about an hour and a half to get my car! 3. The staff had bad attitudes, poor English, and were very rude. Because I refused to buy their insurance, they deliberately gave me a large car instead of the A1-level car I booked, and I believe it was an act of racial discrimination. All the other white customers got smaller cars. They know the roads in Sicily are narrow, making large cars difficult to drive. To make it worse, they didn't accompany me to inspect the car while they did so for other customers. 4. When I saw other white customers, the staff would accompany them to pick up the car and point out any damages. When it was my turn, they just handed me the keys and told me where the parking lot was. Even after me, customers were being accompanied, but for some reason, I was skipped. 5. The absolute worst part! Because I didn't buy their insurance, they charged me a 1200 Euro deposit. I picked up the car on April 11 and returned it on April 17. On April 13, I noticed the transaction was already processed, not just pre-authorized! I contacted the platform's customer service immediately, and they said the deposit would be refunded after the car was returned. When I contacted them again on April 16, the rental company claimed they had already refunded the deposit on April 16, a day before I returned the car, which is impossible! On April 17, when I returned the car, the staff said there were no issues and that the deposit would be refunded in 2-3 days. As of today, April 28, I still haven't received my deposit. Despite multiple contacts with customer service, the rental company now insists it was a pre-authorization, not a charge. Even with my bank statement showing the amount has been debited, they refuse to acknowledge it! This is outrageous and dishonest. If it was a pre-authorization, they should be able to cancel it, but they cannot because the transaction was an actual charge. This has been going on for half a month! Does this scammy rental company intend to steal my 1200 Euros??!! I reserve the right to expose this in the media, file a complaint, and report to the authorities!