SIXT Ireland Reviews 

Very disappointing experience with Sixt in Ireland.
Our holiday was overshadowed by a series of problems that should never have happened with a rental car.
The first vehicle we received had no functioning air conditioning, despite travelling during a heatwave. We spent hours driving in uncomfortable conditions and repeatedly contacted customer service. The situation became even worse when the infotainment screen stopped working completely, leaving us without navigation, music or the reversing camera.
Although Sixt eventually agreed to replace the vehicle, the replacement process was extremely frustrating. We waited several hours longer than promised, losing valuable holiday time.
The replacement car was then delivered with only half a tank of fuel, even though we had already paid €80.37 for the Fuel Purchase Option, forcing us to spend an additional €28.63 on fuel ourselves. It also had pre-existing tyre damage that was not initially recorded on the rental agreement, and we had to insist that this be documented to avoid being held responsible.
Throughout the entire process, we remained patient, polite and cooperative. We reported every issue immediately, provided photos and videos whenever requested, and followed every instruction given by Sixt.
What disappointed us the most was the lack of transparency afterwards. We were repeatedly passed between departments, had to chase for updates ourselves, and the final invoice still does not clearly explain the charges, discounts or the refund calculation. Even after asking for clarification, we have still not received a detailed breakdown.
Mechanical problems can happen. What matters is how a company responds. Unfortunately, in our case, the communication, customer service and follow-up fell far below the standard we expected from an international company such as Sixt.
We cannot recommend Sixt based on this experience.

I rarely leave negative reviews, but my experience with SIXT was so disappointing that I feel others should be aware before renting.

From the moment we collected the car, the experience felt geared towards upselling additional products and insurance. The vehicle we were expecting wasn't even available, and the overall customer service left a lot to be desired.

After returning the vehicle, we were shocked to receive a damage claim of almost **€800** for what appears to be nothing more than a tiny fingernail-sized scratch. We have repeatedly asked SIXT to provide evidence that this damage occurred during our rental, but they have been unable to do so.

What makes this even more frustrating is that their own documentation already records a scratch on the same rear driver's side of the vehicle before our rental began. Despite this, they are attempting to hold us responsible without explaining how they determined this is different from the previously recorded damage.

When we requested proof, we were simply told that SIXT does not take pre-rental photographs of its vehicles. Instead of providing evidence that we caused the damage, they relied on their internal policy and sent photographs that are so unclear that I genuinely cannot identify the alleged damage.

Communication has been incredibly slow throughout the process. Responses take days, questions are ignored, and instead of addressing the concerns we've raised, we've received threatening emails demanding payment. Rather than investigating the matter fairly, it feels as though the assumption is that the customer must pay first and ask questions later.

To make matters worse, the staff we dealt with were dismissive and unhelpful. We were treated as though we were inconveniencing them simply by asking reasonable questions about a claim for hundreds of euros.

Overall, our experience included:

* Aggressive upselling.
* The requested vehicle not being available.
* Hidden or unexpected charges.
* Extremely poor communication.
* Unhelpful and rude customer service.
* An €800 damage claim for a tiny scratch that SIXT has not demonstrated we caused, despite a scratch already being recorded on the vehicle before our rental in this area.

Based on our experience, I would strongly advise anyone renting from SIXT to inspect the vehicle in meticulous detail, take comprehensive photos and videos from every angle before leaving the car park, and do the same when returning it. Without your own evidence, you may find yourself trying to defend against a damage claim that you believe is unjustified.

This has been one of the most stressful and frustrating car rental experiences I've ever had, and I won't be using SIXT again.

Great service by Billy, really appreciate his efforts.

Previously used Sixt on a trip to Australia where the end-to-end experience was excellent. Unfortunately, now (mid morning 13/07/26) I am in a very lengthy and very slow-moving queue for the Sixt desk at Dublin Airport. Estimate overall wait time will easily exceed an hour. Other car hire firms' desks also pretty busy but no queues. This experience will detract from whatever service they provide subsequently.

I am writing this review to warn other travellers about our deeply disappointing experience with Sixt at Dublin Airport. What should have been a memorable honeymoon trip was overshadowed by unauthorised charges, misleading assurances, and a complete lack of accountability from Sixt's team.

What Happened:

We prepaid our rental in full through Trip.com on 23 May 2026 for approximately €105.86. Upon collection at Dublin Airport, the counter staff member, Dolores, insisted we had not yet paid – despite our telling her otherwise. As our mobile roaming was not working and we were rushing to keep up with our honeymoon itinerary, we reluctantly agreed to place an additional €295.67 block on our credit card under protest.

Dolores explicitly assured us that this was merely a temporary block – comprising the rental charge (which would be waived once our prepayment was verified), and a €100 deposit. She promised that the entire amount, less the toll of €4.70 would be refunded – a refund of €290.97.

Why We Trusted Her:

Just days before this rental, we had rented a car from Sixt in Edinburgh from 15–19 June 2026. During that rental, Sixt Edinburgh placed a temporary block on our credit card – and true to their word, they reversed the full block amount promptly upon our return, with only the legitimate charges deducted. Naturally, we assumed Sixt Ireland would operate with the same level of professionalism and integrity. Unfortunately, we were wrong.

What Actually Happened:

Instead, the €295.67 was fully charged to our card. It was later revised to €200.37 (reflecting only the €100 deposit refund less the toll fee of €4.70), leaving us with an unexplained and unauthorised charge of €195.67 on top of our prepaid booking. This meant that our booking of a VW T-ROC car type cost us a ridiculous €301.53 for 3 days rental.

When we raised this with Sixt, we were told the charge was for a "comprehensive insurance package" – which we never requested, authorised, or even knew about. The insurance was silently added at the counter without explanation or disclosure of its cost. Crucially, this charge was presented to us under the pretext that Sixt had not received or sighted our prepayment made via Trip.com – which was the very reason we were asked to place the additional block on our card in the first place. Only later did we discover that this "temporary block" was actually a charge for insurance we never agreed to. To make matters worse, Sinead Long (Branch Manager) and the Sixt Helpdesk have ignored multiple emails and failed to provide any meaningful response.

The Most Alarming Part:

We were charged €195.67 for insurance on a rental that only cost €105.86 – that's nearly 185% of the base rental cost. No reasonable customer would agree to this. If we had been properly informed, we would have declined immediately.

A Lesson Learned:

I will admit – I placed too much trust in the verbal assurances given at the counter, and in hindsight, I should have insisted on a printed breakdown before signing or paying anything. I have also rented from various car rental companies across Asia, Australia, and Europe over the years and have never encountered anything like this. This experience has certainly taught me to always verify charges in writing - no matter how trustworthy a company may seem.

Our Warning to You:

If you are renting from Sixt at Dublin Airport, please be extremely careful. Review every charge on the payment terminal carefully, even if the staff assure you it's "just a deposit" or "fully refundable." DO NOT trust verbal assurances. Take photos of the payment screen. Ask for a printed breakdown before you sign anything.

We hope this review helps other travellers avoid the same experience.

Shocking, they are thieves. When I rented the car from Dublin airport and asked the gentleman at the front desk if I needed to extend it or bring it back early, if there was a charge. THE gentleman told me that there would be no charge and that to extend it would be at the same rate as I hired it. I called to find out and a rude man who was not helpful at all, basically told me I was lying and charged me the new rate of the day. He would not let me speak to the supervisor and told me they were too busy.

Very easy to reserve vehicle. Very smooth check in and collection of the vehicle. No issues with vehicle. Good value.

The agent at the rental desk was outstanding. He very patiently explained the insurance coverage and went out of his way to ensure we know how to operate the vehicle. He even drove us to the nearest gas station so that we began our trip with a full tank of petrol.

Great service from start to finish, everything explained in a manner we understood, service with a smile all the way

Really helpful, friendly staff.

We had a great service from the team at Sixt, This may have due to the time we landed, but they were prompt and very helpful at the front desk. They made picking up the car easy and without worry.

Great customer service. Very friendly and helpful staff. All Problems with my credit card solved in short time. Car upgrade for free.

I’m not sure why I still haven’t received my €100 security deposit. I purchased the full insurance coverage, returned the car without any scratches or damage, and also paid for the full fuel package. As of today, I still don’t know whether the problem is due to the bank or Sixt.

I booked a prepaid 7-day rental for a Skoda Scala from Sixt Dublin South Dun Laoghaire, originally for pickup on 30 June 2026.
I did not have my credit card with me on the first attempt. My card was declined for the €2,000 deposit. Staff advised/pushed me to take a one-day hire for €77 until I could get the card. I followed their advice.
When I returned the one-day car with the credit card now available, staff refused the full rental, claiming there was insufficient money on the card. They amended the dates to 1–8 July.
I never received the main rental vehicle. Despite this, Sixt has only offered 50% of the rental fee back and is retaining the rest of my money. They blame the “prepaid rate” and my supposed failure to meet requirements, even though the problems started at their branch.
I also lost the extra €77 I paid for the one-day hire. Customer service has been unhelpful and is refusing a full refund.
This experience caused me unnecessary financial loss and additional stress. I strongly advise others to avoid Sixt Ireland, especially prepaid bookings. Poor service and very unfair refund policy.

Hired a car through our Travel Provider and paid premium insurance . On arrival to pick up our car in Zadar Croatia we were offered a free upgrade . We got all the paperwork and asked if we were going to be charged any more money and was told no. It was a total lie. We were charged for the upgrade plus premium insurance that we did not request as we already had it on our original car hire. Annoyed with myself to see that 440 extra euro charge on my debit card and when signing for the car the extra charges were on it and I didn’t check it. Don’t assume with Sixt that they are telling you that “Dont Worry it’s a free upgrade’ or “ No there are definitely no more money due” other than a fuel reharge that I knew about . I will never use Sixt again . It’s back to the honest Car agent for me. I always used Enterprise for car hire and only went with Sixt originally as the deal looked good. Don't always believe what you are told. Leaves a bitter tastes and ruined a really great holiday.Shameful.

Awful experience, our flight had been delayed so we were a little flustered when dealing with the agent at the Sixt desk. Our rental had been arranged through a broker with the level of insurance that suited us.
However with obvious misrepresentation the agent added a premium package and stated don't worry it will 'drop off' when the final invoice is generated.
Despite notifying them initially within 12 hours and numerous times since that we were uncomfortable with this addition to our cover .
The additional cover was on the final invoice, I have tried dealing with Sixt customer service on many occasions and have advised them of misrepresentation, I have received no response. The matter is now with our Credit Card provider. All in all a very disappointing engagement with a company that have acted better.

We rent a car for four days but in the third day we had an accident. We had take a "full insurance" and the accident was reported and handled in accordance with Sixt's procedures. The vehicle was no longer drivable and was taken into the care of Sixt and its service providers. No replacement vehicle was proposed by SIXT.
Although the rental period initially agreed was four days, Sixt subsequently charged us for nine days. Their justification is that the rental agreement remained open until the damaged vehicle was physically returned to their parking area several days later.
We made a reclamation arguing that we had no control over the recovery, transportation or processing of the vehicle, the delay resulted solely from Sixt's internal procedures and Sixt's terms and conditions do not appear to provide a clear contractual basis for charging additional rental days in such circumstances.
No answer from SIXT, we are requesting the assistance of the European Consumer Centre.

Very nice and kind staff and easy procedure. Very good service

Friendly, efficient service. Thank you, Anastasia, and to the staff member who gave me the car key and directed me to the car. You were all so friendly and helpful, and your service was much appreciated.
Peter

The car I had was really fantastic. I was lucky to get an upgrade to an Audi A3 which was a nice surprise.
Everything went smoothly from picking up the car to giving it back.
Brilliant service.