SIXT Autovermietung - Zürich Flughafen (ZRH)

Reviews

• BK

  Brandon Krajewski

  1 day ago
  2.0
  I want to share an unpleasant experience renting from Sixt, Zurich Airport. We reserved a "luxury van" (Renault Trafic Combi or similar) to accommodate my wife, two kids, and parents on a 10 day trip around Switzerland. Upon arrival, I was informed that the type of van available only had air conditioning in the front seats, which was not disclosed at all when reserving the vehicle. The only option available to accommodate our group size if we did not want to force our young children and elderly parents to endure a late-season heatwave in an unconditioned vehicle was, surprise, an upgrade to a Mercedes Benz V-Class, for an additional CHF $758.40. With jetlagged kids and parents and an itinerary to keep, I accepted. But this felt very much like a bait and switch, and it is not unreasonable to expect that any passenger rental vehicle, van or not, would have climate control for all occupants in 2026. Had that been the end of it, I would not have written this review. The upgraded van was pleasant, we enjoyed it on our trip, and I would have written this off as an unanticipated but ultimately enjoyable upgrade expense. Upon returning the vehicle, I drove through what I now know is an automated scanner and dropped the keys with an attendant. I asked about walking the vehicle and signing off, and they indicated it was unnecessary and everything was all set. Several days after returning to the US, I received an email that the automated, AI scanner detected damage to the rims of the vehicle. The accompanying photos are inconsistent and I cannot even make out what damage is alleged to have occurred based on the photos. I had taken a few photos of the van before leaving, but had no reason to take close-ups of the rims, and thus could not prove the presence or absence of any damage. Sixt has now sent a charge for over $1,400 based on a "repair estimate." Sixt did not provide any invoice that any such repair has occurred, nor will it, given the nature of rental companies business practices. Upon investigating, it seems this is a common practice for this location, with numerous people reporting claims of a "5-10CM scratch" somewhere on the rims, reported after the fact by their automated system. I'll be contesting the charge both through Sixt and through my credit card company and will update this review upon resolution. I've rented from Sixt in several other locations and have had nothing but wonderful experiences. Sorely disappointed with the Zurich Airport experience.
• A

  小周周

  Oct 3, 2026
  1.0
  I believe the high ratings for this rental location may mostly reflect the experience of local customers. If you are a foreign traveler, especially an Asian traveler, I strongly recommend being very careful. In our case, we originally booked a Benz Vito. The staff told us they would arrange a “more comfortable Benz Vito” for us.The way they explained it made us think it was simply a more comfortable version of the same model, and it also gave us the impression that there would be no extra charge. However, the rental price was actually increased without being clearly explained. When we signed the contract, the whole process moved very quickly, and the extra charges were not clearly explained verbally. The staff skipped over the price details, making it difficult to notice on the spot that the rental amount had already been increased. In many cases, you may only realize the final price has gone up after you have already picked up the car and received the electronic documents from the system. The most outrageous part was that the so-called “more comfortable Benz Vito” was actually still the same Benz Vito we had originally booked. In my opinion, this was misleading and even felt deceptive. I believe this puts foreign travelers at a particular disadvantage because they may face language barriers, tight travel schedules, and unfamiliarity with the local complaint process. Asian travelers in particular may find it even more difficult to seek help, file a complaint, or know who to contact when a dispute happens. And even if you are very careful when signing the contract, that does not necessarily mean there will be no problems when you return the car. Afterward, I checked some of the one-star Google reviews and saw other travelers mention additional charges such as traffic fine handling fees, cleaning fees, administrative fees, and vehicle damage repair charges. One of the most important things to watch out for is pre-existing vehicle damage. Some scratches, dents, or other damage may already be on the car before you receive it. If you do not take detailed photos and videos when picking up the car, you may later be blamed for damage you did not cause and charged a high repair fee. Conclusion: If you are an Asian traveler, or a foreign traveler who is not familiar with the local car rental process, I personally recommend avoiding this rental location.
• A

  張馨之

  Oct 3, 2026
  1.0
  Update: Customer service just replied via email and refused to take any action or resolve this issue for us. ------ My family has rented vehicles from your company across various countries multiple times, but this car rental experience with SIXT in Zurich during our 7-person family trip was terrible and severely affected our mood for the 14-day journey. The representative who served us was Pac***. He told my family member that he had prepared a more comfortable car in the same category (WVAR). We had already paid the 2,300 CHF rental fee in full when booking, and Pac*** then charged our card 2,315.79 CHF at the counter, stating it was a deposit. Everything seemed normal until we were on the road after picking up the car. It was only when we received the automated confirmation email that we discovered an additional upgrade fee of over 1,500 CHF listed in the breakdown. For a 2,300 CHF rental of what was clearly the same vehicle category, we were charged over 1,500 CHF in upgrade fees, bringing the total to 3,800 CHF. We only saw this upgrade fee after receiving the system email. We were stunned at the moment, but by then we had already driven far away and could not resolve it on the spot. My family member noted that when it came time to sign, Pac*** quickly scrolled straight to the signature box without letting her review or verify the actual numbers, evidently to conceal the extra 1,500 CHF charge. After discovering the discrepancy in the numbers, my family emailed customer service to inquire. Pac*** responded claiming that he had informed us of the numbers and that it was a different vehicle model, which is completely untrue. After that, when we followed up by email, there was no response at all. Ultimately, when returning the car, we managed to recover over 700 CHF after having our booking agency speak with the counter. However, Pac*** still insisted on overcharging us 782 CHF, claiming the manager was on leave and his authority only allowed him to refund half. Just like that, we were overcharged by 34% for renting a car in the same category (from 2,300 CHF to 3,082 CHF). Fearing we might not get any money back at all, we reluctantly accepted this settlement. At that moment, other family members standing behind saw Packal smiling smugly, but there was nothing we could do then. We had always regarded your company as having the highest credibility, but this experience was both disappointing and distressing. We hope your company will take this issue seriously, penalize, and weed out employees with such unethical conduct.
• FW

  Fran Wang

  Oct 3, 2026
  1.0
  The most unacceptable part of this rental experience was not the vehicle itself, but the way a costly vehicle upgrade was handled. We had booked the vehicle about a year in advance and had already paid the full rental amount. At pickup, P*cka* told us he had prepared a “more comfortable” vehicle. However, he did not clearly tell us that this was an upgraded vehicle or that we would have to pay an additional upgrade fee. He then charged us an amount equivalent to around 65% of our original rental cost and told us that it was the security deposit. As this was our first time renting a vehicle of this size, we did not know what the normal deposit amount should be. It was only after we had left the rental location and received a system notification that we discovered that more than CHF 1,500 had been added to our charges, including a substantial vehicle upgrade fee. The basic issue is very simple: if a customer is being offered a paid upgrade, the customer should be clearly told before signing and paying: “This is an upgraded vehicle, and the upgrade costs CHF XXX.” Then the customer can decide whether to accept it. That did not happen here. What makes this even more concerning is that when we questioned the charge, P*cka* later claimed that he had already informed us of the amount and that it was a different vehicle. This does not match our actual experience. When we signed the documents, he also navigated directly to the signature section rather than allowing us to properly review the charges first. This raises serious concerns about whether the customer was genuinely given a clear opportunity to understand what they were paying for. After the matter was handled through the agency, we recovered part of the amount, but we still ended up paying CHF 782 in additional charges. In my view, this goes beyond a simple communication problem. It raises serious concerns about employee training, transparency, and the company’s procedures for informing customers about additional charges. The circumstances also understandably raise concerns about whether the upgrade fee was intentionally withheld from us or whether the transaction was handled in a misleading manner. I have rented vehicles from this company in different countries several times, and this is the first time I have experienced something this concerning. I strongly hope management will investigate what happened, especially whether customers are actually informed of both the upgraded vehicle and the exact upgrade cost before signing and paying. Customers have the right to decide whether they want an upgrade and whether they are willing to pay for it. But that choice is only meaningful when the cost is clearly disclosed beforehand. The biggest problem here is that we were charged a substantial amount without knowing that we were accepting a paid upgrade. This should not happen at an international car rental company.
• SC

  shihying chang

  Oct 3, 2026
  1.0
  PLEASE READ BEFORE RENTING HERE — DO NOT LET THIS DISHONEST STAFF SCAM YOU! I have rented with SIXT across multiple countries, but this branch was an absolute nightmare. Empty Counter & Rushed Service: When we arrived, the desk was completely unattended (unlike Hertz and Europcar next door, which had staff ready). When the agent, Pacxxx, finally rushed back, he was impatient and acted like our basic questions about vehicle controls and Swiss highway tolls were an annoyance and a waste of his time. The "Sneaky Upgrade" Scam: I booked and prepaid over 2,300 CHF for a Mercedes-Benz Vito (9-seater, WVAR) a whole year in advance. He told us he prepared a "more comfortable vehicle in the same WVAR category." He swiped my card for another 2,300+ CHF, claiming it was strictly a security deposit. Since this was our first time renting a large van, we trusted him. Only after driving away did we receive an email receipt showing an unauthorized 1,500+ CHF upgrade fee (a 65% markup!). The "Upgrade" Was Actually a Base-Spec Car: It was the exact same model we originally booked (Benz Vito 9-seater). Worse, it had virtually no modern features: no cruise control, no adaptive cruise control, no 360 or blind-spot cameras, no auto-hold, non-adjustable passenger seats, and a fixed third row. Charging an upgrade fee for a base model is pure deception. Hiding the Screen & Blatant Lies: When asking for my signature on the terminal, he quickly scrolled straight past the numbers down to the signature box. When we later confronted him, he outright lied and claimed he had informed us of the extra costs and model difference beforehand. He also deliberately refused to wear a name badge the entire time. Through our booking agency, we managed to get ~700 CHF back, but SIXT still stubbornly kept 782 CHF—forcing us to pay a 34% upgrade fee for a base-level Vito. When we reluctantly settled, my family even saw he smirking smugly in the background. Car rental desks are the front door for international tourists. An employee with such poor ethics ruins not only SIXT's reputation, but also the image of the country. Check every single digit on the screen before signing anything at this counter!