It’s best to avoid this rental company at all costs. Despite being in my own country, I was a victim of discrimination simply because I hold a British driver’s license. Panek charges the highest additional insurance fees if you don't have a Polish license, which raises the price to that of a premium vehicle. I rented a car from them only because it was late, and no other rental companies at the airport had any cars available. There’s no mention of the requirement to purchase their full insurance anywhere in the rental agreement. It’s simply a scam.
As for the car, there was another surprise. I always rent cars with a manual transmission because I've never driven an automatic. But in the middle of the night, in the center of Warsaw, I had to learn how to drive one because they didn’t have any manuals available. It wasn’t safe or pleasant.
The car had no windshield washer fluid, but it was full of trash inside. Embarrassing. Another issue was the car's appearance. The vehicle was covered in a hideous Panek car-sharing advertisement that was simply revolting. They should pay people to drive around in something like that, though I wouldn’t take the offer – an adult looks ridiculous and laughable in a rolling ad.
Lastly, their logo. Have you seen Panek’s logo and mascot? What is it? A chicken? A penguin? Whoever is in charge of this company’s marketing should rethink this. Panek? First and last time. Well done. You certainly know how to do business and attract customers.
