Routes Car Rental
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Manipulative Upselling and Hidden…
Manipulative Upselling and Hidden Charges During a Family Tragedy We booked a Kia Seltos (SUV with AWD) for $109.24 via Trip.com/ Skyscanner, with insurance included. When we arrived at Routes Car Rental in Denver, we were grieving the loss of a close family member the night before and shared this with the representative, Kalki. She told us the car didn’t have AWD (false) and wasn’t an SUV (also false). She convinced us to pay $108 more for an “upgrade” and had us sign a new contract with Routes directly, instead of using our original Trip.com reservation. She never told us we were buying extra insurance—she just asked us to initial the contract, and we were never sent a copy. Later, we realized we were charged nearly $500. Before we left, Kalki asked us to leave her a 5-star review immediately, while still at the counter. Later we learned reviews couldn’t be edited, which made her behavior feel even more manipulative. Trip.com warns rental companies not to upsell or pressure customers into extra insurance, but that’s exactly what happened. The timing and tactics felt exploitative, especially during our time of grief. We will never rent from Routes again.