Goa rental car breakdown leaves tourist chasing Rs 8,400 refund for days

A tourist has alleged that a self-drive car rental experience in Goa turned into a costly ordeal after a vehicle breakdown, an unreturned security deposit and a promised reimbursement that never arrived.

The claim was made in a post on Reddit's r/GoaTravel forum titled, "Goa self-drive rental nightmare. Faulty car, promised refund, Rs 8,400 still unpaid. We are scammed."

The Reddit user, along with his friends, rented a Baleno from a car rental service in Margao on May 29. During the trip, they filled the vehicle with petrol worth Rs 3,000. Two days later, the car developed a fault and became unusable.

The Reddit user claimed that the rental company acknowledged the issue and replaced the Baleno with a Swift. He said the company assured them that the petrol left in the original vehicle, along with other expenses incurred due to the breakdown, would be reimbursed.

However, the situation worsened on June 2, the day the replacement vehicle was due to be returned at Thivim Railway Station.

"We repeatedly called the owner and asked him to send someone to collect the vehicle and return our security deposit before our train departure. Nobody came," the user said.

With their train about to leave, the group said they had no option but to leave the vehicle in the station parking area and board the train. After returning to Navsari, they claimed the owner stopped answering calls and failed to settle the promised reimbursement.

The user listed a total pending amount of Rs 8,400, including a Rs 3,000 security deposit, Rs 3,000 spent on petrol in the Baleno before it broke down, Rs 200 in additional fuel expenses, Rs 1,000 in jump-start charges, Rs 300 for a puncture repair and Rs 900 for tube replacement.

"What frustrates me most is that the vehicle fault was acknowledged, reimbursement was promised, and we were left waiting at the station with our train departure approaching. Once the trip ended, communication virtually stopped," the user wrote.

The Reddit user said he has fuel receipts, repair bills, payment records, call logs and other supporting documents. He sought advice from fellow users on whether to approach Goa Police, the consumer commission or another authority to recover the money.

The post triggered a discussion among Reddit users, with many offering suggestions and sharing their own experiences with car rentals.

"If you have the transaction records, I would suggest filing a police complaint. Add fraud and mental harassment charges too. Chances are they will reach out for a settlement from their end only," one user commented.

Another user claimed to have faced a similar issue in the past and said recording a detailed video of the vehicle before returning it helped avoid a dispute over alleged scratches.

Not everyone agreed with the full reimbursement claim, however. One user argued that while the security deposit should be refunded if no damage was caused, petrol and tyre repair expenses may not necessarily qualify for reimbursement.

The allegations have not been independently verified, and the rental company has not responded to the claims made in the Reddit post.