Melbourne Self-Drive

Acceptable

Due to a lack of understanding of the vehicle model, the seven-seater model booked on the reservation page could only accommodate 5 people if it carried four large suitcases. Upon arrival, we had to upgrade the vehicle at an extra cost, initially quoted as $90 per day but negotiated down to $45 per day. This was not a good experience for the user, and there was also aggressive promotion of additional insurance. However, the car we eventually used was very good, and the return process was quite convenient.

The service was good. I bought an additional roadside assistance plan. Returning the car was very convenient, taking only a few minutes. On the second day after picking up the car, I noticed that there was no front license plate and there were scratches on the body. I called and the issue was resolved satisfactorily.

Extremely bad experience. I booked a Jeep Grand Cherokee, and everything was OK during the paperwork. But when I got to the parking lot, I saw they had charged me an extra $67 for fuel. I went back to ask them why, and they said I could return the car with an empty tank. In the US, gas costs only $2.43 per gallon, yet they charged me for 120 liters. After arguing for a while, they refunded me the $67. In the parking lot, there wasn't a single SUV of the same class, let alone a Cherokee. Free upgrade? No way. The guy gave a straightforward answer: 'You have two choices, one wait, but I don’t know how long, two you take a minivan.' With no other option, I ended up with a Dodge Minivan which had over 60,000 miles (100,000 km) on it. It was nerve-wracking to drive it through the national park. Other than having a 3.6 engine, the car was in terrible condition. The wipers were worn out, making it impossible to see when it rained in LA. At 70 mph, the steering wheel shook when braking. It nearly caused an accident on Highway 1. It was terrifying. When returning the car, it was early morning, the parking lot was nearly full and there was still no Grand Cherokee, not even a Ford Explorer. Basically, Dollar doesn’t have these cars, so be aware. With the same engine size, whether you rent an SUV, a minivan, or a sedan, the result is the same. So, when renting a car, choose based on engine size and go for the cheapest option, it makes no difference.

The additional insurance options were listed in English, making it difficult to choose, so I ended up buying all of them, which felt a bit costly.