Terrible Zoomcar experience: Why I'd never use it again anytime soon

From an abused & dirty Mahindra XUV500, a cranky caretaker and unreliable customer service, we saw everything on this trip.

BHPian AnnaRocks recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

ZOOMCAR & an Old XUV 500 - A rattling combo

For a sudden trip to Mumbai, my friend and I found ourselves in a predicament with limited options and time constraints. Despite a previous positive experience with Zoomcar in their early years, this particular adventure turned into a series of mishaps and left us with a lasting impression. Buckle up as I recount the tale of our ill-fated encounter with Zoomcar and an XUV500 that seemed to have seen better days.

Getting the driver profile verified after installing the app was a headache. This was followed by car pickup fiasco. Throughout the process, I got a strong 'Golmal hai bhai sab golmal he' vibe from Hera Pheri.

The following was the car shown on the app for representative purpose (I wondered why the original pic wasn't shown then).

The Dirty Dilemma:

We headed straight to the parking lot after landing. As we approached the car, parked in the dark underground parking of BMC near Mumbai Airport, our enthusiasm began to wane. It was as if we stumbled upon the dirtiest car we had ever travelled in, surpassing even some of those leased unkempt Uber/Ola vehicles found in some metros. And to think that we had to spend the next 3 days in this. The level of filth was so extraordinary that my friend flat-out refused to touch the steering wheel, creating an instant bond of disgust between them.

Prior to this, I had used Zoomcar years ago, and if my memory serves me right, it was a relatively smooth process when Zoomcar managed the cars themselves. The cars were neat, had those Zoomcar stickers prominently displayed, white and yellow plates etc. However, I must confess that I haven't kept up with what happened to them since then, as I rarely used their services. On a couple of occasions while waiting for the delivery of my new car, I resorted to using EVMwheels, which turned out to be a pleasant experience.

The Never-Ending Handover:

The process of car handover turned into a lengthy affair, taking a whopping 45 minutes in the humid basement parking. The car itself was a sorry sight, with signs of severe abuse and a nonchalant caretaker who couldn't care less about its condition. As we waited for the car handover and completed the formalities, the combination of the stifling humidity and lack of proper ventilation created a near Sauna bath experience for us. To add insult to injury, he demanded a fuel deposit of Rs. 3500, making us feel like we were being taken for a ride before the ride even began. Nevertheless, pressed for time, we reluctantly transferred the money and embarked on our journey.

The Wallet Quest:

Shortly after our departure, the caretaker called in a state of panic, claiming he may have left his wallet in the car. We reluctantly pulled over in the chaotic Mumbai traffic to search for the elusive wallet. Alas, there was no wallet to be found. The caretaker, still flustered, promised to check with other cars he had rented out that day. We resumed our bumpy ride, with my friend expressing his colorful dissatisfaction with the XUV.

The Symphony of Warnings:

As we continued our adventure, the car treated us to a symphony of warning sounds and illuminated warning lights. Confused, we called the caretaker for assistance, only to receive an incredulous response claiming that the car was in perfect condition. We couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of the situation. Miraculously, the warnings gradually became less frequent and eventually stopped altogether, granting us a temporary reprieve.

The Bonnet Fiasco:

Just when we thought the comedy of errors had reached its peak, the caretaker called again, suggesting that his wallet might be there in the engine bay. Yes, you read that right. His high levels of hope and equal levels of sheer stupidity led him to believe that a wallet could survive a two-hour drive nestled within an engine compartment. Finding a suitable spot on the highway, we attempted to open the bonnet, only to be met with stubborn resistance. Even the boot had a secret trick to open it, which we learned during the car handover in the basement. We must have looked like amateur detectives trying to crack a case. We even consulted a mechanic at a petrol pump, engaging in video calls and troubleshooting over the phone. Time continued to slip away as we fell further behind schedule.

From Concern to Crankiness:

The caretaker's incessant calls became more aggressive, and that was the tipping point. We decided to put an end to the madness and refused to entertain his increasingly demanding requests. With no refund or apologies forthcoming, we returned the car post our journey to an unfamiliar face in the "Pataal Parking," bidding farewell to our unforgettable Zoomcar experience.

Post-trip, our attempts to address the refund issue with Zoomcar were met with automated bot responses in the app. It seemed like an endless loop of frustration until a glimmer of hope emerged. Finally, a human representative from Zoomcar replied and suggested connecting with the host to settle the refund matters. Unfortunately, the chat option was no longer available in the app since the trip had ended, and the provided phone number yielded no response.

This was the available options in chat which got responses from bot. I saw no other customer service contact number.

Frustrated but resigned, we ultimately decided to let it go, vowing never to embark on another Zoomcar adventure anytime soon, and my friend declared a temporary ban on Mahindra cars in his automotive aspirations.

As we bid adieu to Zoomcar, we couldn't help but reflect on the importance of reliable customer service and the role it plays in shaping our perceptions of a brand. Although this adventure had its fair share of frustrations, it gifted us with a humorous story and a cautionary tale about the perils of last-minute bookings and overlooked car maintenance.

Here's what BHPian Thad E Ginathom had to say about the matter:

Beautifully written, and very entertaining. The Caretaker guy really is like something from a horror story!

I am sure that the experience was absolutely not entertaining. Although you might have had to laugh a couple of times just to keep your sanity.

Thank you for the great read --- but, more seriously, thank you for giving these scamsters the publicity they deserve.

Oh, and I think I might have left my wallet in your car…

Here's what BHPian Gupts007 had to say about the matter:

I don't think anyone can have a good experience with this scam company. I have had multiple dealings with them and each experience was terrible. You might ask why did I go back to them? The thing is I had no choice and the earlier experiences, I thought were just a one off thing but the last one was terrible.

I booked a vehicle with them for delivery in Whitefield, Bangalore as I had to go for a holiday to Chikmagalur. Delivery was around 7AM. So I get this call that the vehicle is on the way and then despite repeated calls it didn't come until 10AM. At that time the guy just gave up and said we don't have a vehicle, call up the call centre. One can keep calling their number but they don't respond. In the end they just said they don't have a vehicle. I had hotel bookings and all done prematurely and all that was about to go to waste. Last minute I had to get an ola outstation cab at an atrocious pricing. The story didn't end there. The refund was such a pain to get.

I can't imagine how this company is still running. They have no systems, no checks, no staff in place. I guess the only reason they are surviving is that the demand is so high people just overlook their appalling service.

The cars they provide are not even roadworthy. The tyres mostly look like worn out tyre tubes and I once tweeted with the tyre pics of a vehicle they gave to me. However nothing seems to shake them or wake them.

Here's what BHPian prithvi53 had to say about the matter:

I had a bad experience with Zoomcar about 4 months back. I had booked a relatively new Nissan Magnite. It was easy to locate in the Coimbatore airport parking lot and I was pleasantly surprised with the automated process. I just used my app to unlock the car and the keys were inside the car. The fuel gauge showed full and everything seemed okay.

I was returning the car three days later and about 20 kms before reached the airport I filled up the car. As usual, I told the attendant to fill up the tank. I had asked them to stop when the auto cut-off stopped the fuel supply. I paid and started the car and to my horror, the fuel gauge did not show a full tank. it was showing 5 out of 6 bars. This was weird but I thought it might come up in a km or so and went ahead.

About 3 or 4 kms before the airport, it still showed only 5 bars out of 6, so stopped again and tried filling more fuel. As expected the auto cut-off happened after about Rs100. Since the fuel gauge was still not showing full, I insisted that they keep putting in more fuel. The attendant kept putting it little by little and slowly it took Rs700 worth of fuel. This itself was weird as usually, cars don't take this much fuel after the auto cut-off. At this point, there was literally no more fuel that could go in and I could literally see the fuel right on top. Even the fuel gun couldn't go in without causing an overflow.

After all this, the car is still showing only 5 out of 6 bars. So I called the customer executive at Coimbatore through the app and I told him my issue. He told me that it's a common problem with this Magnite and not to worry. He said when you leave the car just mention the tank is full. So I did just that. However, a day later I get a mail saying that I didn't fill the tank and they demanded Rs750 as a penalty for the same. I tried telling them the issue but after about 25-30 emails, trying to explain the issue and asking them to contact the Coimbatore team to verify this, they refused to budge. There was definitely a problem with the car's fuel gauge and the local team probably knew about it but at the end of the day, I was forced to pay them the extra money.

The worst and most frustrating part is that there is only an email address and no phone number of anyone who I can speak to. I couldn't even speak to the customer service team at Coimbatore as the app doesn't let you call after you terminate the booking. I ended up paying and telling myself that if I ever have to take a rental car, I'll look for other options.

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