Booking.com Car Rental Denied Despite Valid License – No Refund Provided
For our trip to Italy, I booked both a hotel and a rental car through Booking.com, paying in full before departure. The car rental included pickup at one airport and drop-off at another. Upon arriving at the rental company’s office, the staff began discussing something in Italian, then requested my driver’s license and ID.
After inspecting my documents, they asked if I had an international driver’s license. I explained that my license is valid internationally and that I had recently rented cars in Europe multiple times with the same license. Despite this, they refused to provide the car and closed their office, leaving us stranded at 10 PM with our 20-month-old baby and luggage.
In desperation, I rented a car from another international company on-site, which accepted my license immediately. However, due to the last-minute booking, it was significantly more expensive. After contacting Booking.com multiple times, they refused to refund the payment for the initial rental.
This experience is unacceptable, and I demand that Booking.com refund my payment immediately. They must take responsibility for their partner companies' unprofessional behavior.
