Driving Around Madrid

We rented a car for three days, but after driving it for just one day, the car broke down on the highway due to a malfunctioning cylinder. We had to wait by the roadside for almost an hour before the rental company arranged a taxi to take us back to the hotel. On the third day, we were told to go to the nearest location that had the necessary replacement vehicle, which was a 50-minute drive away. The rental company arranged a taxi to take us to the Avis branch. After waiting for half an hour, the staff at the branch informed us that our reservation had been canceled the previous day. There was no car available for replacement and we would have to place a new order if we needed a vehicle. They claimed they had no idea why we were sent there and didn’t know who arranged the taxi for us. Essentially, nobody knew anything and nothing could be verified. The service attitude from the rental company depended on the representative; initially, one staff member told me that since our contract was with the branch, we needed to resolve any issues directly with them. But I had paid all the rental fees to the 'rent a car' app! Later, another representative called, claiming to be a customer service specialist, and said they would help coordinate a solution. As of now, aside from the full payment already made for the first car, we also paid entirely out-of-pocket for the second car. The rental period was from July 14th to 17th. To this day, I haven't received any response regarding the issue. Staff at car rental companies in Spain generally don’t speak English, and the 'rent a car' customer service doesn't speak Spanish. If I ever rent a car in Spain again, I would directly book with a major rental company to avoid unnecessary complications and to ensure faster resolution of any issues (since third-party services seem to be of no help).

A small scratch on the bumper costs over 300 euros!

It was extremely slow. There were only two people ahead of us, but it took about an hour and a half from the start of the queue to getting our car keys.

was downgraded from Audi A3 to a Peugeot 2008 i complained that i had paid extra for the Audi they claimed that it was comparable not to me.

Car was great, they gave us a bigger car, small SUV. Paid more in tolls in Portugal as they count small SUV's as class 2, which means 3 times class 1, regular sedan! Also there was an additional airport charge.

Worked well for us, overall... will use again!