Enterprise Downgrades Automatic Booking to Manual and Retains $287 Deposit
I rented an automatic transmission Golf-class vehicle from Enterprise through Booking.com, scheduled for pickup at the Bonn Beuel location. When I arrived at the Beuel branch, I was told they did not have an automatic vehicle in this category and that the Cologne Airport branch would assist me. Consequently, incurring extra time and travel expenses, I went to the Cologne Airport branch.
Upon reaching the airport location, I was informed that they also had no automatic vehicles available and could only provide a manual transmission car, leaving me with no choice but to accept the manual vehicle. Despite this, I was still charged the fee for an automatic transmission vehicle. I paid a total of $539, which included a $287 security deposit and a $29 automatic transmission fee ($6 per day). On the reservation screen, the daily vehicle rate of $43 and a total of $170 including taxes are clearly visible.
Although my vehicle return date was July 29, 2026, the $287 deposit amount—which normally should be refunded within 5 business days—has still not been credited to my account. As of today, August 17, 2026, neither my deposit has been refunded nor has any adjustment been made for the automatic transmission price difference.
On August 11, 2026, I sent an email to Enterprise explaining the details of the issue I experienced, but nearly a week has passed with no response. I am experiencing significant hardship due to being provided the wrong vehicle class while being charged an automatic transmission fee, the delayed deposit refund, and customer inquiries being left unanswered.
I demand that Enterprise issue a full refund to my account for the $29 automatic transmission fee charged for the manual car provided, along with the delayed $287 security deposit, and provide a written explanation regarding the disruption experienced.
