Natalia Da Costa’s first trip to Saskatchewan has been an “awful” experience, not just because a relative is dying but also because a Canadian car rental company allegedly treated her poorly.
Da Costa’s husband’s aunt lives in Moose Jaw and is terminally ill. The couple is the executor of the woman’s estate, so Da Costa flew to The Friendly City from London, Ont., on June 29 until her husband could join her.
The flight was smooth to Regina, but DaCosta’s problems started after renting a vehicle from National Rent-a-Car at the Regina International Airport.
“Right from the get-go at the airport was horrible,” she said recently. “I left in tears already at the airport when I (picked) up the car.”
The employee seemed to ignore Da Costa, which affected her emotionally since she was already anxious about her relative. After receiving service, she attempted to pay with a debit card since that is her preferred method, but the company would only accept a credit card; she begrudgingly used her credit card.
After being given the keys, Da Costa’s next challenge was to find the car since she was unfamiliar with the airport. She later returned to the desk for help since she couldn’t find the vehicle. However, the employee seemed dismissive of her concerns.
Da Costa called the company on July 2 with her concerns and was promised that the district manager would reach out to her and potentially apologize; that never occurred.
The woes continue
Because they were still in Moose Jaw, the Da Costas called the airport kiosk on July 5 and attempted to extend their vehicle rental. However, this produced more headaches since they spent 90 minutes getting nowhere — either the mailbox was full, or no one picked up — and were forced to call other car rental companies.
Meanwhile, another National outlet in Regina called Da Costa four times between July 6 and 7, wondering why she hadn’t returned her car since it was due July 5. She thought this attitude from the company was unfair. It also didn’t help that they couldn’t understand the return number.
“It’s just awful, awful. And when you ask to speak to customer service (when you get through), some people do not understand (the problem) … . This is not what customer service is about,” she continued emotionally.
“I worked in customer service for 32 years for the federal government. I would never, ever speak to someone or treat someone in the way I feel I’ve been treated here in (Saskatchewan). It’s just not acceptable. I feel I’ve been given the run-around and no one cares (and) no one listens.”
National responds
National Rent-a-Car only accepts credit cards since it is a rental company and needs a secure way to charge customers, Liara, a manager at the Regina Broad Street location, told the Express. She spoke with the couple “multiple times” and offered to bring back the vehicle.
“… we were going to give her a different vehicle but under a different credit card because she has one that’s maxed out,” Liara alleged. “The vehicle has been overdue since the 5th … . Nobody will let you keep a vehicle for over a week with no payment (since that’s company policy).”
Liara also offered to stay open late so Mr. Da Costa could pay with a different credit card, but the couple declined and chose to rent a vehicle in Moose Jaw from Enterprise. She added that the district manager position is currently vacant.
Flight plans
Da Costa’s husband flew home on July 9 since he had a meeting but planned to return on the 19th.
Natalia planned to stay in Moose Jaw until July 21 before flying to the United States to see her three-year-old twin grandchildren, whom she hasn’t seen in 18 months. She plans to return to Moose Jaw around Aug. 2, based on the health of her husband’s aunt.
“The folks (at Enterprise) were so very, very helpful,” said Da Costa. “I can’t thank them enough.”
