I Face an Unfair €100 Charge from Sixt Düsseldorf — Forced to Take Wrong Car After Delay

On September 25, I made a reservation at Sixt Düsseldorf Airport (Flughafen) to rent a Volkswagen T-Roc (Reservation No: 9604819317). Due to a 40-minute flight delay, I arrived slightly later than planned. However, upon arrival, I was informed that my reserved vehicle had been given to someone else. The staff told me that no T-Roc or same-segment vehicle was available and offered a Volkswagen Golf instead — but only if I agreed to pay an extra €20 per day.

I specifically chose the T-Roc because of its larger trunk space, as I had extra luggage, and I clearly explained that the Golf would not fit my belongings. The staff still insisted that my only options were to take the Golf or pay €35 per day for a larger model. To make matters worse, one of the employees was rude and unhelpful, showing no effort to resolve the issue professionally.

In the end, I had no choice but to take the Golf, which did not meet my needs and caused significant inconvenience. Additionally, since my work ended early, I returned the car on September 29 at 16:07, but no refund was issued for the unused day. I ultimately ended up paying €100 more than my original booking.

I contacted Sixt customer service immediately after pickup and was told I would be contacted after returning the car — but I never received any follow-up. I have rented from several companies in Germany before and never had such a poor experience.

I request a refund of the €100 I was unfairly charged for a vehicle I neither requested nor benefited from. I also expect an apology and improvement in staff professionalism at Sixt Düsseldorf Airport.