Gerben (21) rental car locked up with keys: “Thanks to a grumpy car dealer, my vacation was immediately €200 more expensive” | My guide: money

Where were you on summer vacation?
Gerben: “Every year I go on holiday with a group of friends, we’ve known each other for many years now and we try a new destination every time. It was Crete three years ago.”

Was the rental car really necessary?
“When we got to the apartment, it turned out that we were about an hour away from the center. During the day you could still walk on foot, but at night we didn’t think it was a good idea. At first we thought about renting a scooter, but we were advised not to.” Do this. You often get a type of motorcycle that you’re not allowed to ride without a motorcycle license. If you get caught, then you really have a problem.”

Where did you rent the car?
“On the same street as our apartment. They had a bright red car. It costs between 50 and 100 euros per day for two weeks. But if you share that with the four of us, it’s not so bad.

What happened?
“One day we drove to the other side of the island. A two-hour drive. At some point we stopped at the top of the road to drink some water and enjoy the view. We had water bottles in the back of the car. So we got off and marveled at the beautiful view. Almost no houses, with the sea as a backdrop.” We opened the back door for the water. One of us put the car keys in the car for a moment, put the bottle back in the back of the car and closed the cap. And he knew right away: This is no good.”

because?
“All the doors on the car are closed, the back door is now locked and the keys are in the car. There is usually a button that allows you to open it, but that wasn’t the case with our car. When all the doors are closed, they lock automatically. We stood there, in in a lost placeThe car was locked.

What have you done?
“To squeeze. There was nothing in that area at all. We tried to stop the cars, but no one would. We stood there and stood in the blazing sun with the view of water bottles we couldn’t reach. We were about to eat. A car pulled up and those tried to open The car is with us. That didn’t work either.”

Then we decided to contact the car dealership. The range was bad and the guy barely understood English. At such a moment, you have nothing to do with your hands and feet. Luckily he finally got it and came to get us spare keys. It cost 200 euros. We had to wait another two hours.”

Was that car dealer really angry?
“Only on his day off did he have to fetch the keys. He had never experienced the situation before and didn’t think it was funny.”

What did you do when you were able to leave?
“We were so relieved and immediately took a few sips of water! Then we went to a restaurant where we ordered some beer and a large pizza to forget about for a while. How good that was. And from a different point of view, we were happy with that too.”

Are you still angry at that friend who put the keys in the car for a long time?
“For now yes. After hours of waiting in the hot sun, you both get tired of each other anyway. Especially if you think with every car: There’s a car dealer. And then it’s not. We made comments, but that friend can put up with it.” We’re such a close group of friends, we could have a lot from each other. It could happen to any one of us.”

“Now we agree that the four of us will first test drive a rental car before we close the doors. And of course we split the 200 euros that joke cost. This friend still hears it every year. Of course, we keep that in mind.”

Karina (57 years old) spotted a beautiful service, the cost of which is 2,000 euros, at the checkout: “It’s in the cupboard, I’m afraid to drop a plate” (+)

money later. Eric will never start chicken at home again: “For almost 1,000 euros, we haven’t even tasted a single fresh egg” (+)

money later. Peter accidentally ticked the wrong box on the application form: “I can now forget about my dream trip.”