Experience with Zoomcar by Pradeep Marwaha in January 2019

Experience with Zoomcar (self-drive car company) in India, as narrated by Pradeep Marwaha on Facebook on Thursday, 2019-01-17.

We rented a Zoomcar (Tata Tiago) under booking ID JPS6FU7HR on 12 January 2019 and returned it before the due time of 3 am on 16 January 2019.

It had a diesel leak which was spraying diesel into the bonnet over the battery etc creating a life endangering situation for us including 3 senior citizens and two youths, almost all through our trip for 4 days.

We were concerned about the excess diesel being consumed since we got diesel filled for 1360 + 1330 + 1330 + 1360 + 500 and only while filling the diesel on our last leg at Sarjapur Road did we realize that diesel was leaking dangerously. We reported this to Zoomcar from whom we had rented the car and on their advise slowly drove home in Kaverrapa layout. We obviously asked for a refund of the amounts we had paid for the rented car since they had given us a unfit car.

The payment acknowledged in their mail is : Cost Breakup

Booking fee ₹ 7881
Discount ₹ 1350
First 930.0 Kms
₹ 8 will be charged for each excess km
FREE
Total Cost ₹ 6531
Refundable Deposit
Refund after the completion of the booking
₹ 3000
Paid ₹ 9531
₹ 9531. 

Strangely Zoom Cars sent us intimations stating that we should pay them additional 10,000 towards a damage to the car. Very ironically this was before we reported the problem in mail and before any of the people from Zoom Cars had even inspected the car. After discussing over the phone with their helpline, we were told that their team would investigate and process our refund on 17th January 2019.
Imagine our surprise when we got an intimation from them that the total bill was for 21,947.

Kindly initiate suitable action against them and ensure that they pay back charges taken from us for an unfit car which could have caused death of all 5 of our family members; and also refund Rs. 3,000 taken as a deposit from us; and pay us a suitable amount for cheating us with a faulty vehicle and for harassing us an amount of Rs. 2 lakhs at least. Any other detail needed to close this case will be provided by us as best as we can. Thank you for your support.

This is the complaint we wrote to Zoom Cars which they acknowledged as  [CASE:1128128] (Query Related to Billing and Charges -> Damage Charges related)  :: We had rented a zoom car on 12Jan. During our trip we have found that we have been issued an internally unfit car by zoom. The car has some internal issue due to which all the diesel (including which we have refueled) has leaked out and is currently constantly leaking from below the bonnet. We have already contacted Zoomcar helpline and have received 2 calls, one from them and one from Tata Motors breakdown team. They have instructed us to leave the car and that they will be sending a towaway team to the car. We have followed their instruction and parked the car and locked it before 3am today in Marathahalli, Bangalore. The diesel which we had refueled is still leaking drop by drop. Since we have been handed over an unfit vehicle which had internal issues (not possible to be detected by us while it was being issued to us) which spoiled our trip, put our families lives in danger and caused all the fuel to leak, I request you to pay for our damages and cancel the ride and take the car back.'

Thanking  you in anticipation,

Pradeep Marwaha
Kaverappa Layout,
Panathur Road, Bangalore