Green Motion International - Reviews and experiences

I saw the Green Motion deal as an add‑on on Expedia and almost skipped it. The rental was listed at CHF 5 a day. That looked too good to be true. My partner and I debated it for a few minutes. We usually rent right at Zurich Airport for CHF 40–60 a day and it's simple. Still, the price won. The booking said a shuttle would take five minutes from the airport. That was the main catch for me — off‑site pickup. I was wary that extra time or fees would appear later. Those doubts didn't fully go away.
We landed. The shuttle showed up, but the ride took about 20 minutes. Fine, not ideal. Then we waited in line at their small desk for over half an hour. The agent asked for a CHF 400 credit card hold. He also mentioned an extra CHF 290 for what sounded like insurance or a vignette, and said there might be an age fee because I’m over 75. I told him I didn't want the extra cover and he said they wouldn't charge it. I left the counter still uneasy but hoping it was sorted.
The car itself was okay. Small facility. No damage noted when we handed it back. The staff inspected it and said all good. Back home, though, I got an email from Green Motion claiming CHF 2,015 for a small scrape at the rear edge of the driver door — a 7 cm mark in their photos. They said CHF 400 was already debited and added a CHF 100 admin fee. I disputed the debit with my credit card company. The bank refused the direct charge, which helped. I’m still chasing the CHF 400 hold and the admin fee.
So, the rental worked in the basic sense — car moved, trip continued. But the process felt messy. The price was tempting. The experience left me cautious. I’ll think twice before trusting very low third‑party deals that require off‑site pickups.

the agent at the counter was genuinely helpful, friendly, and got me into a car quickly, no drama, which mattered after a long travel day. I’ve had worse with other companies where staff act like you’re a bother, so that was a pleasant contrast. Still, the fee was poorly communicated — not mentioned during either phone call or on the confirmation I had. It felt like a small bait-and-switch, and it put a dent in what started out as a smooth experience. I decided to pay because I needed to get going, but I also asked for a written explanation and a refund review. So, it’s mixed: efficient pickup and decent people, but transparency around prepaid bookings needs work. If they simply told me up front, I might have cancelled or rebooked differently, and that would’ve been fine. Overall I’d say it works — especially if your plans are firm — but be warned: if your flight is at risk of being cancelled, double-check policy on delayed pickups. I’ll probably try them again because the staff were so helpful, but I’ll definitely be extra cautious about the fine print next time.

we show up, bags, kids tired, and the rep says our New South Wales driver’s licences aren’t acceptable because they don’t show an issue date. Say what? I mean, that caught me off guard. There was nothing in the booking emails about an issue date — just “bring your original licence and rental receipt.” The Green Motion terms online even list Australia as accepted, so naturally we assumed those licences would be fine. Turns out, not for them that day.
For a good ten minutes I was half convinced this was just a misunderstanding, then annoyed, then properly stressed. No vehicle, no apology, no clear alternative from the desk. Sixt couldn’t help — no 7-seaters — so we ended up booking two cars with Enterprise at a much higher price, last-minute. Strange thing: Enterprise and Sixt had zero problem with our NSW licences. That was the tipping point where my scepticism turned into relief — when the Enterprise agent waved us through and handed over the keys, I finally relaxed. Weirdly, that small moment of getting the keys made the whole trip salvageable.
I’ll be honest: I’m still irritated about the lack of transparency and the extra cost and stress, and I’d expect at least a clear apology or refund for the insurance we paid unnecessarily. I’ve told the original coworker and a few friends about it; they were surprised too. So yeah — mixed feelings. Happy we didn’t miss our itinerary, but annoyed that it had to happen at all.

take photos, lots of them, front and back and close-ups — and insist on a signed return report. Don’t rely solely on the booking platform’s trust in them; check independent reviews too. I’ve disputed the rest with my card issuer and I probably won’t rent from that location again, but I’m glad there was at least a partial refund instead of them keeping everything. Little wins, I guess. If you decide to rent there, be hyper-vigilant and don’t assume verbal “okays” are worth anything without a paper trail.

45 p.m., I braced for the worst because, honestly, who wants to argue with four tired kids in tow? But credit where it’s due: once we got talking with the staff, things turned around faster than I expected. At first there was confusion about our reservation, and I won’t sugarcoat it — I felt annoyed. The agent was a bit flustered, looked inexperienced maybe, and I had to repeat details a couple of times. Still, someone else nearby stepped in, checked the system properly, and within half an hour we had a minivan sorted, keys in hand, and the kids were smiling again. It wasn’t perfect — there were gaps in communication and I had to ask for a manager — but the manager handled it with calm, offered a small courtesy for the inconvenience, and actually apologized in a way that felt real. Delivery of the vehicle was smooth after that; the van was clean and ready, fuel level checked, and they walked me through everything. I’m glad I pushed a bit instead of walking away. I ended up recommending them to a friend after the trip (I mean, once the dust settled), because the fix and the way they treated us afterward made a big difference. So yeah, not flawless, but the customer service recovery was impressive and I appreciated the practical solution more than dramatic words. Happy we gave them another chance — grateful it worked out for our family in the end.

if you ever book with them, double-check licence rules well in advance and get anything in writing. Emotionally, it was a letdown — I’ve rented cars for 20+ years, never been stranded like that.