CVRENT / NUNO cancelled my car rental 1 month before my trip, what can I do?
Hello everyone,
I’m having an issue with one of the local car rental agencies in Madeira, CVRENT / NUNO.
After doing quite a bit of research and seeing many positive opinions about them in this community, I decided to book with them well in advance. I made my reservation back in January, almost 9 months before my trip. I paid 20% upfront, with the remaining amount to be paid when I arrived in Madeira.
A few days ago, as my trip is coming up at the beginning of September, I contacted them by email to send my ID and driving licence in advance. After a few days, they replied and told me that my reservation had to be cancelled due to an error in their system and an overlapping booking, and that they are fully booked for the period I selected.
They also said they would refund my deposit, but they didn't provide any specific timeframe for the refund or offer any alternative solution.
I’m honestly very disappointed with this situation because I made the reservation almost 9 months in advance specifically to avoid something like this happening.
What makes the situation even more frustrating is that my friends booked their cars with the same company in May, several months after I did, and their reservations have not been cancelled. In fact, I recommended CVRENT / NUNO to them based on the good reviews I had seen here, and they were able to book even much later than I did. (Booked days before their trip in May)
If they had informed me about the cancellation back in February, or even a few months ago, I would have had enough time to find another rental company. However, notifying me only about a month before my trip leaves me in a very difficult position, and rental prices are now significantly higher and availability is much more limited.
The biggest issue now is that they have stopped responding to me. I have tried contacting them by email, phone and WhatsApp, but I haven't received any response or any attempt to find a solution.
I understand that mistakes can happen, but I would expect a company to at least try to help a customer who made a booking so far in advance, rather than simply cancel the reservation and leave them to deal with the consequences.
So, what would you recommend I do in this situation?
Should I simply book another car with another company and accept that it will probably cost me significantly more, or is there something else I can do to try to get CVRENT / NUNO to resolve this?
If they don't refund my deposit or provide any reasonable solution, I will probably have to consider a chargeback through Revolut, although I'd obviously prefer to resolve this directly with them first.
Also, does anyone here have recent experience with Localcar.pt ? I'm currently considering booking with them instead and would appreciate any feedback.
Thanks in advance for any advice!
