auto9

I had a wonderful trip to Albania, where I met kind, generous, and good-hearted people and made some great new friends.

My only issue with my trip to Albania was that it was good except for one thing: my experience with Auto 999 and my final day of departure when dealing with nothing more than what was extortion.

I've decided to notify the authorities, my credit card company, and Albanian travel blogs and warn others regarding my experience with Auto 999.

The owner, whom I had no contact with the entire time, a man I had never met, seemed satisfied and pleased with gaining his extra charge of 3500 LEK. At the same time, I listened to him yelling at his wife, whom I had been communicating with the entire time and was subjected to his unprofessional, poor behavior.

He thinks he gains by treating foreign tourists this way. On my way to the airport, he charged me an extra LEK 3500, and after I called him out, he opened the cash drawer and gave me back a LEK 500 note. I'm sorry about this experience.

It isn't about the money. It's about the principle, the behavior, the lack of transparency, and putting a foreign tourist in this pressure situation.

There are hundreds of car rental companies in Albania. Take your business elsewhere and be forewarned.

In addition, the car I rented for 11:00 was never delivered, and another car was delivered after 14:00, which I didn’t reserve.

Finally, I was to return the vehicle on the 14th but was tricked into keeping it until the 15th under the agreement that I wouldn’t be charged.

Then, I received a surprise LEK 3500 pressure from this man, whom I had never spoken to, while on my way to the airport in the early morning.

Again, it’s not about the money but the situation I was put in, the pressure, the yelling over the phone to the wife I was communicating with. It was about more money in the morning on the way to the airport, the stress, the switch of vehicles, my contract from the 8th - to the 14th, ready to deliver the car on the 14th very quickly; the communication was ongoing from the 13th and 14th, I was prepared to provide the vehicle, the misrepresentations, the charge—just a terrible feeling in the end.

It could have been straightforward to make this all work well with clear communication and no surprises. However, it left a feeble impression, so I can’t recommend this company to anyone, and I warn you.

I have rented vehicles all over Europe for over twenty years. Unfortunately, this is my worst experience. As I mentioned, take your business elsewhere. Also, again, Albania is a beautiful, welcoming country!