More than impressed

I specifically chose a rental company with Chinese language support because, although I can handle basic English communications like ordering food or booking hotels, renting a car involves signing a full English contract with lots of details and technical terms I may not understand. A fully Chinese service process is crucial for avoiding misunderstandings. However, both pickup and dropoff services were in English. I even asked if they had staff who could provide service in Chinese, but the answer was no. While the rental process was smooth, the lack of Chinese service was still concerning.

Budget is the rental company I use the most. It has never let me down, very reliable!

I originally rented an SUV, but I was given a tiny car, smaller than a compact Corolla. The service from this company is worse, mostly handled by Indian staff who only smile at white people.

Picking up the car took about 10 minutes. They asked if I wanted to buy insurance, and I said I already had another insurance policy. They said that was fine. The car had about 24,000 kilometers on it and some scratches. The front bumper had significant scratches, probably from entering and exiting underground parking lots, but I didn't mind much. When returning the car, the signs for the return area at Adelaide Airport were too small, and I had to circle around twice to find it. Returning the car was very convenient; the staff just recorded the mileage and the fuel gauge and told me 'It is OK!' I mentioned the car seemed old because I drove it a lot. They replied it was a new car that had only been rented 16 times. Overall, the experience was very good. 8 days, over 1,000 kilometers, from Melbourne - Great Ocean Road - Adelaide.

The final rental payment should have only been around 600, but I was charged over 300 AUD after returning to my home country. I am very frustrated and still investigating the reason. I incurred no additional fees with Hertz.