re: Zoom Car Reviews - Self Drive Rentals in India The inevitable just happened, my Zoomcar bubble finally burst today.
I had booked an Ecosport from their BSK 1st Stage location weeks in advance, for a week-long vacation beginning today. Pickup was scheduled for 0730 AM. Here's the sequence of events: (ZE: Zoomcar executive, ME: yours truly, CC: Customer Care executive/manager) 0600 AM
ZE: Hello Sir, this is XXXX calling from Zoomcar, good time to talk to you?
ME: Sure, what's up?
ZE: Called to inform you that we have a shortage of vehicles at your selected location. The car you've booked is due for service today, so we won't be able to allot it to you. Would you mind picking up a car from a different location?
ME: Why am I being told about a scheduled gap-of-service at the last minute? If you had had a breakdown or something, I can understand, but a scheduled service surely isn't a last-minute thing given my booking was done weeks in advance?
ZE: My apologies sir. Would you pickup from another location?
ME: Where exactly?
ZE: JP Nagar, Rajajinagar, Garuda Mall. You pick a spot.
ME: It's Monday morning and rush hour will begin around my pickup time, and all these places are a good 10+ kms away from where I am so the round trip will take at least a couple hours, if not more. Can't you arrange a drop?
ZE: Sorry Sir, pickup/drop is a paid service and I can't arrange at the last moment. I'll arrange an XUV for you at the original location. You'll get details via app/sms shortly. 0645 AM
Zoomcar SMS with vehicle details received. 0700AM At pickup point:
ME: I've come for a pickup.
ZE: Your name and driving license please.
ME: Here you go.
ZE: Please provide the pickup checklist OTP you've got.
ME: I've sent unlock instruction through app already, I'll fill it myself.
ZE: You can do it, just give me the OTP.
ME: My pickup checklist just vanished, what happened?
ZE: We completed it for you.
ME: When? I'm standing right here and you haven't even looked at the car.
ZE: The OTP completes the checklist, we've already inspected our cars so no need to do it again. You can take the car.
ME: No I won't, I'll inspect it myself.
I sort of knew at this point how this will go, but I approached the car hoping in vain this can still be salvaged. Oh well!
Issues with the car (XUV reg# KA-03-AC-0064):
1. The exterior was dinged, scratched and damaged in multiple places, with pieces of cladding and other bits missing from multiple spots.
2. The interior was grimy and looked like it hadn't been cleaned in ages.
3. The interiors stank like a damp dungeon, and there were multiple cigarette butt holes/spots on seats and trim.
4. One of the rear seats was ripped to shreds.
5. The rear right tire was nearly bald, with barely 1-2 mm of tread depth left. All FOUR tires were of different make/tread pattern.
6. The spare tire was PUNCTURED with a nail sticking out of it.
I didn't bother looking further and pointed out my concerns to the ZE. Here are his responses to my issues:
1. Damaged exterior: No major damages saar, this is regular wear and tear. I'm not convinced but fair enough. It's the least of my issues anyway.
2. Grimy interiors: I just cleaned it saar, dust comes in, can't help. When I inquired how the speedo/center console is covered with enough grime that I can't even read the dials, he just shrugged.
3. Stink: What stink? The car is absolutely fresh.
4. Ripped rear seat: Do you need the seat?
5. Bald rear tire: It's totally fine. People take this vehicle all the time. Never been an issue.
6. Punctured spare: You won't need it, but I'll swap it with another car since you insist. When I asked him what about the other car needing a spare, he said it's booked for a city drive so no need for a spare. Nice!
He swaps it with another XUV (KA-03-AB-8112) while I call customer care. This isn't over yet. 0720AM
ME: I'm calling regarding a booking. I'm not satisfied with the car provided and need to sort this out.
CC: Please provide your details (name, DOB, email, reg. phone#).
ME: Here are my details. I have several issues (list provided), can you please help?
CC: Let me check with our team and call you back, give me 10 minutes. 0740AM
ME: I was expecting a call back, what happened?
CC: Our team is busy, please wait another 15 mins.
ME: I've already been here nearly an hour, can you please hurry up?
CC: Will call back ASAP. 0810AM
ME: What happened to the call back?
CC: They're still tied up Sir.
ME: Can I speak to your supervisor?
CC: She's busy too. Can I arrange a callback?
ME: No thanks. I don't mind waiting, just patch me through.
CC: (One minute later) My supervisor is now available, I'm transferring the call.
ME: Hello, do you have all the details or you need me to go again?
CC: No need sir, we're sorry for the inconvenience. I'll have our field agent call you within 10 mins. 0820AM
ZE: Hello Sir, this is XXXX.
ME: I should've refused your offer when you called me the first time at 0600. This has turned into a nightmare.
ZE: Sorry for all the inconvenience. Would you mind picking up a car from another location? I can arrange a car at Garuda Mall or Rajajinagar.
ME: You still want me to run around after paying for a car and being treated like a beggar for 1.5 hours?
ZE: No compulsions sir. You can refuse.
ME: What happens then?
ZE: Either take the car at your location, or we can give you a refund.
ME: That car isn't in good condition, as I've repeated on multiple calls after giving them my bio-data on each one.
ZE: It's perfectly fine, I just spoke to my onsite ZE.
ME: A bald tire and a punctured spare is good condition to you? I won't even mention the other bits. I guess my definition of good differs from Zoomcar's, lets leave it at that. How am I supposed to get to the other location?
ZE: I'll have another ZE take you there. Give me 10 mins, I'll call you back.
ME: Ok. 0845AM - 0920AM
ME: Your field agent was supposed to call me.
CC: They're busy on another call.
ME: Get me your supervisor please.
CC: Should I...err...
ME: Don't even think about it, get her on the phone however long it takes.
CC: She's online now Sir.
ME: This has been going on 2.5 hours now. Can I just have my money back and we can both consider this closed?
CC: Let me check again Sir, we don't want to lose a regular customer.
ME: Too late for that Ma'm, you've lost this one already.
CC: Give me one last chance Sir, I'll talk to my team and call you back. 0935AM
CC: Hello, this is the supervisor. You can handover the key to ZE and leave. We'll initiate a refund. So, after booking weeks in advance:
1. I'm denied the car for frivolous reasons (scheduled service is not a last-minute event)
2. Offered a terrible replacement car with 61K+ kms on the ODO (could've been 600K+ for it's pathetic condition. Poor car!)
3. Conned out of an proper checklist assessment
4. Dismissive attitude at the pickup point throughout, plus on some of the calls.
5. The other XUV was delivered to another customer, without informing him that the UNSECURED spare hanging under his car is punctured. If this doesn't count as gross negligence and unprofessional behavior, I have nothing to say. Who is responsible if that unsecured spare comes loose and injures/kills someone while the car's being driven?
6. Asked to run around town to pick up another car at my own expense, as they can't be bothered to make up for an unfulfilled order paid for in advance. A drop grudgingly offered to another spot never materialized after an hour's wait.
7. I noticed their 'cleaning' methods first-hand. All they do is go over the car's interior and exterior with a Jopasu duster lookalike, followed by cleaning glass portions with a spray can and a dirty rag. This is irrespective of the car's initial state. Ain't that great!
8. Absolutely no regard for wasting a customer's time and ruining their plans. Even though they parrot 'my apologies' faster than a trained bird, there's absolutely no drive to actually remedy the situation.
While I was leaving, two onsite ZEs left in a hurry to attend an RSA call for a customer whose car had broken down just 5 kms from the pickup spot.
I must be stupid to think I shouldn't own a car if I only need it sparingly, relying on service providers instead and do my bit to reduce the traffic mess. My one year experiment without a car is done, I'll pop over to the Test Drive & Reviews section to contemplate which contraption I'll add to our choked roads.
Thanks for NOTHING Zoomcar.
Last edited by Chetan_Rao : 18th April 2016 at 16:24.
Reason: Grammar and typos
|