One-Dollar FreezeI will start from the most stressful moment. I landed with my kid at Liberia airport in Costa Rica, carrying luggage, and my child kept asking where the car was. Inside I was a bit nervous. Before the trip I booked through QEEQ and I used One-Dollar Freeze. I only paid 1 dollar to lock the car and the rest was taken automatically before the rental started. At that time I already felt pretty relaxed because my credit card was not hit by a big charge at once so the pressure was smaller.
The real start was around midday on May 19. I suddenly remembered that I had only paid 1 dollar before and I got worried if there would be some problem with the rest of the payment, maybe a failed charge or something. I checked my card and saw that the money had been taken in the day or two before and everything was fine. I felt calm right away and I was glad I chose this plan.
Around noon on May 20 my family and I were at Liberia airport ready to get the car. We were supposed to go to the shuttle pick up. I called the rental office but the call did not go through and the line seemed busy. I thought this is bad and my kid is waiting here and this may turn into a mess. Then I tried again using the number they gave. I finally reached the staff at the office. They told me to go to the international exit where a worker in light blue clothes with the company logo would pick us up. I was pulling the bags and looking at the crowd and in my head I just kept thinking please let me find this person.
After a short time we got on the shuttle bus and my kid was happy right away. I finally felt relaxed. When I think about this trip from paying only 1 dollar to book to the later automatic charge and then getting to the car it was really easy on the payment side for a parent traveling with a child. I did not need to block a lot of credit card limit in advance and my mind was not so stressed.
One-Dollar Freeze"You only pay one dollar now to hold the car." I saw this on the QEEQ page on my phone and I kind of froze for a second. Then I got a bit excited and thought this feels really easy.
I was traveling alone to San José in Costa Rica. Around May 3rd 2026 I was at home planning my trip and I needed a car. I was a bit worried that my credit card would get hit with a big charge at once. I was going away for a few weeks and I had already paid for flights and hotels. I kept doing the math in my head and I felt some pressure. Then I saw an option called One-Dollar Freeze. It said I only needed to pay 1 dollar first to lock the booking and the rest would be charged before the trip started. I just thought this means my credit card will not be pushed to the limit right away.
I chose a Hyundai Santa Fe from U-SAVE. It was automatic and with seven seats. That day I was sitting at my computer and I hesitated for a few seconds. In my head I was thinking is this really okay. The page looked clear. I checked the price a few times and it all made sense so I clicked confirm. On the payment screen it only charged one dollar. When I saw my bill I almost laughed because it was just one dollar. It felt like I reserved my car with almost no cost. For me the main point was I did not have to put the full rental amount on my card right away so I felt a lot more relaxed.
Around May 6th I flew to San José to pick up the car. By that time my trip had already started. Later I checked my credit card bill and I saw the rest of the rental fee was charged automatically. Everything was normal and there were no extra costs. I quietly let out a sigh of relief and felt glad I chose this plan. I did not need to worry about missing a payment and I did not have to think about any interest because there was none.
The whole booking process felt smooth to me. At the start I only paid one dollar and I could keep my money for other things like flights hotels and activities. When it got close to the pick up date the rest of the money was charged automatically and all I had to do was check my statement. For a solo traveler this payment style is really friendly. I can control my budget in a more flexible way and I do not crush it all at once.
When I look back the car booking part was actually one of the least stressful parts of my trip. I just clicked a few buttons and used one dollar to hold the car and I did not need to worry about the rest. For someone like me who has to plan everything on my own that feeling is really valuable.
Dedicated customer serviceThe scene I remember most is me sitting at my desk at home staring at my phone. There was an email saying the money was sent to my account and the case was closed. I finally let out a long breath and felt glad that I booked through QEEQ.
A bit earlier in time it was around the beginning of April. I was in Costa Rica and picked up the car around noon on April 1 in San Jose. I had booked a Mitsubishi Montero Sport with Avis with automatic and seven seats. I wanted a big car to drive all the way to Liberia. When I reached the counter the car they gave me looked smaller than what I booked. It really felt like a downgrade. I was confused and not happy but I also did not want to lose time so I just took the car and left.
The real problem showed up on the bill. Back at the hotel I checked the paper and the amount looked wrong. It seemed like they charged me for a bit more days than we planned and there were some extras that I never wanted. Things like extra roadside help and glass and tire cover. I remember I only agreed to add one extra insurance at the counter. For the rest I said no. So when I saw the details I was pretty upset.
I first tried to deal with the rental company myself. I sent emails and said I only accepted one extra insurance and that the car was not the same level as my booking. The rental company basically said they would not return any of the extra charges and they did not admit any downgrade. Their reply felt very firm. At that time I was already back in the States and the time difference made everything more tiring. I felt angry and also kind of powerless.
Then I contacted their customer service and that was when I felt there was someone walking through the whole thing with me. From my first call there was one person who kept following my case. It was not a new voice every time with a new story. He checked with me which insurance I really accepted and helped me organize my side of the story. Then he went to check the amounts and the rental days with the rental company and with their own team. From how he talked I could feel he also thought it was strange that the contract charged around eleven days like that.
For a few days I checked my phone almost every day to see if there was any update. Every time there was progress they reached out to me first. They told me what the rental company said and what they planned to do next. One time the rental company sent me an email and said clearly they would not refund the extra fees and they copied them in the email. When I read that email I felt kind of crushed and thought this was the end. Then the support person contacted me again. He calmed me down and told me that since the rental company refused they would try another way to help me.
At the end they offered a payout of about one hundred dollars so I did not have to keep fighting over all those weird charges. I felt that at least someone was on my side and was willing to clean up the mess a little so I agreed. After that there was the usual step of filling my bank details. I even made a mistake with the account name and the payment got rejected so we had to do it again. They sent me a new link and patiently explained what I should put as the account name. It did not feel like cold canned answers. It felt like they really wanted to help me finish this.
From picking up the car in San Jose to returning it around April 10 in Liberia my feelings about the rental were mixed. On one side the extra charges from the rental company made me really annoyed. On the other side there was always someone from their side watching this case talking to me and giving me updates so I did not feel abandoned. When I knew the rental company would not give any money back and they still decided to pay part of it themselves I felt respected.
So when I sat at home and saw the compensation finally arrive I thought that if I had fought with the rental company alone I would probably just lose that money quietly. The whole process was long and a bit tiring but having one person follow up from start to finish and explain and coordinate step by step slowly brought things to a result I could accept. For a visitor from abroad going to Costa Rica this kind of dedicated help mattered more to me than the exact car model I got at the beginning.
Dedicated customer serviceI have to say if I did not book through QEEQ at the start I would probably be very mad about this rental. I booked an SUV in Liberia Costa Rica for a work trip. It was a Mitsubishi Montero Sport with Avis. My plan was to rent it for about a week. On my booking it showed that I would pick up the car in the middle of February around 3 pm and return it a week later around 2 pm. I arranged my meetings around that time.
On the pick up day I reached the Avis counter a bit early. It was around two something in the afternoon because I wanted to finish the paperwork and then go to my meeting. The staff at the counter was okay at the beginning but soon he started to talk about many extra fees. He said I had to pay a few hundred dollars for more insurance and some services and said this was how it worked there. He spoke very fast and kept pointing at the contract. I felt nervous because this was a business trip and my schedule was tight. I did not want to argue at the counter. I remember I clearly refused the full coverage because my credit card already has that type of insurance. But he kept saying I still must pay for some extra things. I felt something was wrong but I was afraid to be late for my plan so I just paid and left with the car.
The real problem started after I returned the car. I went back to the Liberia location a bit earlier than I planned maybe after one in the afternoon. I parked the car there. To me the car was fine and the fuel was basically at the level they asked for. The staff did a quick check. I thought everything was done. A few days later when I was back in the United States I checked my credit card bill and saw a huge extra charge. I was shocked. There was more than one thousand dollars of extra fees. On the bill it showed third party insurance extra driver road assistance glass and tire cover one tank of fuel and something called Miscellaneous Charges with a very big amount. I did the math. I only agreed with a small part of the cost that was about forty dollars. The rest I never clearly accepted.
At that moment I was angry and also stressed because I was on a business trip and I did not want my energy to go to this kind of problem. I contacted their customer service right away. In my mind I was ready for a long fight. The person who replied to me surprised me a bit. They went through my situation step by step and did not push the problem back to me. They said they would ask the rental company and asked me to share what I remembered about the times and what fees the counter staff told me about. I was pretty emotional. I said I only accepted that small ADR fee and all the other parts should be refunded. They did not cut me off. They helped me make my story clear.
In the next days I could feel that someone was really following my case. From time to time I got emails with updates about what the rental company said and what each part of the cost meant and what I could still do. For example they asked me if I had proof that the fuel was full when I returned the car and if I had any photos of the car with the time shown. They explained that these things could help in the talk with the rental company. I later realized I did not keep many photos so I knew that put me in a weaker position but at least I understood why it was harder to argue and I did not feel left alone.
They also broke down the money for me. They told me which part was the one I knew like the fuel and the ADR fee and which part was a damage cost that the rental company claimed. They also explained that the big Miscellaneous Charges was actually connected to the damage. When I heard the words damage fee I felt very upset because in my memory the car was fine when I brought it back and I even talked to the staff about it there. I remember I told them I did not agree with that cost. But after the customer service helped me check everything I learned that the rental company gave them a repair bill. So it was not just some random fee.
This whole story was not easy and I did spend time writing emails and explaining things. But during the process I always felt there was someone on my side. They turned a very confusing and scary bill into something I could understand in simple words and then told me what choices I had. For a business traveler this feeling of being taken care of is very important. Some of the fees did not end up exactly how I wanted but without this one to one follow up and explanation I would only keep a memory of being charged a big amount for nothing. Now at least I know where the money went and why this trouble happened in the first place.
AXA Full CoverageCan you really get your money back when a rental car is damaged in another country? I only truly relaxed when I saw the claim payment arrive in my account. I had booked the car on QEEQ for a business trip to San José, Costa Rica in mid March. I picked up a Mitsubishi Asx from Europcar around the morning of March 11. The air was hot and heavy when I walked out to the parking lot with my carry on. I saw the silver car and felt pretty happy. I thought this car would carry me through all the client meetings. Near the end of the trip, the accident happened. One evening I was driving back to San José. A car next to me suddenly changed lane. I turned the wheel fast and my car scraped the barrier on the side of the road. The sound of the brake was sharp and harsh. When the car stopped I froze for a few seconds. My hands were shaking. I got out and checked. There was a big scratch on the bumper and a dent. The street lights were slowly turning on. The air smelled wet and heavy. My first thought was I am in trouble now this will cost a lot. I returned the car about the afternoon of March 20 at the San José office. The desk staff walked around the car slowly. His face turned serious. He started taking pictures and brought out some papers. He tried to explain the damage cost. His accent was a bit strong. I only caught that it was over one thousand dollars. My heart sank. I saw my travel budget breaking in my head and also thought about how I would explain this in my expense report. I had bought AXA Full Coverage from them before the trip because it said it could cover damage, theft, glass, tires and so on and the cover could go up to fifty thousand dollars. Standing at the counter I felt lucky that I bought it. At the same time I was worried the claim might be a mess and maybe they would not pay at the end. Back at the hotel I took clear photos of the damage one by one. The light on the car paint was too bright. I had to squat down to find the right angle. My trousers got dust on them. In my head I kept blaming myself for not being careful. I also kept thinking if this claim does not work this trip will become a loss for my company. When I reached the customer service team I sent them all the photos. The wording on the policy was a bit hard for me so I just kept asking one thing. Can this case be covered. They told me to send all I had and said they would help deal with the rental company and the insurer. As someone who flies a lot for work the last thing I want is to fight with a rental counter alone and argue about terms I do not fully understand. Over the next days I went back to my normal work. I joined meetings and replied to emails. In the back of my mind I was still thinking about the claim. From my side I only saw that they kept following up. When they needed to confirm an amount or a currency they contacted me and asked in a calm way. There was no feeling that I was bothering them. When I first saw the number it was a little over one thousand US dollars. I checked it with what I remembered and also with my card pre authorization. I confirmed I wanted it in US dollars and I told them how much I expected to be covered. For a business traveler every amount is part of the cost control so I was ready for the worst outcome. One morning at the office I turned on my laptop and an email popped up. It said the claim was approved and the payment would be 1184.74 US dollars. I read the number twice then checked my account. When I saw the money really there my shoulders finally relaxed. It felt a bit like finishing a big project overnight and the client saying yes. The stress just drops away. When I think back the main thing I feel is this. Without AXA Full Coverage I might still be arguing with the rental company or I would have simply paid the one thousand plus dollars myself. First I was scared at the counter when I heard the damage bill. Then step by step I got that money back. As someone who travels to many countries for work a small accident on the road can break a whole budget. This time the car damage was fully reimbursed and that gave me a lot more trust in this kind of extra cover from them. Next time I drive in a country where I do not know the roads so well I will feel less nervous.
Dedicated customer serviceI booked my car on QEEQ and went to San Jose in Costa Rica with my kid. The plan was to pick up the car around ten in the morning on March 17 at Routes and drive a Toyota Rush or a similar car for my family. That morning the sun was very strong. My kid was a bit restless beside me while I dragged our bags to the counter. I felt a bit nervous and hoped I did not miss any document.
At the counter the staff told me that my personal insurance did not meet their rule. They also said I arrived late so they could not promise the car I booked. They only had a smaller car for me and they would add extra insurance fees into the contract. I was confused right away. My kid asked me why we had to wait so long. I just told the kid to sit and rest first.
I tried to explain that my insurance was from Canada and it was full coverage. The staff kept shaking their head and said they did not accept this kind of overseas insurance. Their tone was very firm. I did not feel safe but I still had to sign and take the car. On the road I felt I paid more money than I should and the car was smaller than I planned. It was hard to fit the stroller and all our luggage.
When we got back to our place I felt worse and worse about it. I decided to contact customer service and told them everything that happened. I told them about the added SLI and ERA and the downgrade of the car. At the start I probably sounded a bit angry because I felt it was very unfair. I had checked the rules before the trip and still ended up like this.
The customer service person who took my case was very patient. They did not blame me for being upset. They asked me step by step what happened and asked me to send photos of the contract, the invoice and my own insurance papers. For quite some time I got messages from them quite often. They kept telling me how the communication with the rental company was going and what the new progress was.
I remember clearly that this person did not just push all the blame to the rental company or to me. They explained the terms in simple words. They told me that local rental companies have their own rules for overseas insurance. Even if my Canadian insurance was full coverage they might still not accept it. They also reminded me that when you arrive late the car model cannot be fully guaranteed. When I heard that I still did not feel very happy but at least I finally knew what was really going on instead of being pushed back and forth.
One night I was putting my kid to sleep and I saw a new message from them. They said they had gone back again to ask if there could be some kind of compensation or discount. The whole thing was not easy but at that moment I felt someone really remembered my problem and cared about it. It did not feel like the kind of support where they answer once and then disappear. The way they wrote was not very formal. It felt more like a friend who knows the local rules and helps me think about my choices and what they mean.
In the end they sent me a coupon and also walked me through the whole story again. They gave me some tips for next time in similar countries such as checking early if my insurance is accepted and leaving more time so I do not arrive late. When I read those messages I felt that even though the start of this rental was pretty bad and the rental counter experience was not good, at least during all the days after that there was someone following my case and trying to keep my loss as small as possible.
As a parent traveling with a kid this kind of one to one follow up feels very important to me. When something goes wrong it helps a lot when someone is really listening to you, helping you understand the problem and not forgetting you in the middle of the process. That support took away a lot of my stress during this trip.
