My bad experience renting a track car at Nurburgring
 

I had a very bad experience with RSR NURBURG on my recent trip to SPA & Nurburgring.

* I have edited my post to reflect changes and add additional facts and correct some statements.

I rented a Clio Cup package for 2 days that was advertised on their website. Did everything online and picked up the car.

There website clearly stated:

We have our own SPECIAL OFFER for all those people wanting to hire a car and also drive the Nordschleife on the 30th. We can supply you with a Clio 197 or 200 Cup for BOTH days from just €995.

€995 for a rental Clio Cup with track access for BOTH events (not including hotels)

When I picked up the car and signed the paperwork, I was never told of any mileage limits with my package or what my limits were.

After returning the car they proceeded to inform me that that "package I signed up for" did not apply to what I got..... yet it was exactly what I had gotten according to their website..... and.... even though it was the exact package I signed up for and requested.

RSR then stated that I need to pay 404 euros extra than the initially agreed 995..... for what they said was a different package... after a lot of arguing and after I showed them what it clearly said on THEIR website and that that was what I got exactly... ...They then decided that I still needed to pay the extra money but now it was not because I got a different package.. but now it was for excess mileage........so one second it was for a different package and now its for excess mileage... how convenient.

I then told RSR that it never said anywhere in my contract about how many miles were included in my package (to this and they said "oh.. whoops someone should have told you.. ), especially since I picked up the car in Nurburg and had to drive it to SPA and then from spa back to nurburg.

I asked...How do they tell how many miles I drove on the track and how many were on the street..............

According to RSR...(direct statement) They know exactly how many miles I drove ont the tarck and they know how many I "TRACK" miles I drove because they checked my mileage once i got to SPA before I got on the track and then after I got finished at the track... WELL THIS IS JUST A 100% UNTRUE....

The car was in my possession this whole time and was parked on the opposite side of the track from where the RSR group was.... where I was parked with a group of friends... also my car was locked anytime I was not in it on track because I had my helmet and hans device in the car and I was anal about it getting stolen.. and at lunch I drove the car to town with 3 people to get sandwiches.

So there is absolutly 100% no way this happened.

Also when I brought the car back to be check at RSR.. the tech told me I had only driven the car 47 kilometers total.. and I told him thats impossible as its 150km+ from Nurburg to Spa and he said "oh I must have written the mileage down wrong when you picked up the car yesterday"..s o this again showed me that they had no real record of mileage and they were just going from the seat of their pants with their "guestimates".

After discussing all this with RSR in person and via email and i disputed this with them and RSR still insisted that I have to pay this 404 euro extra fee.

At this point it was clear to me that they would try to say anything to get the money out of me and made me even more bothered with the whole situation.

There was also a lot of logistical issues with the whole event.

When I came to pick up the car from RSR and had to drive to Spa (remember I from the US and have never been to either place) I was given the car and directions in german (I dont speak german) and thats it. I had to make my way on my own with no help to spa.

After getting lost for 2-3 hours I finally made it, but was never given the name to my booked hotel so after driving around in circles I found a new hotel and booked a night for myself (11pm by this point).

After my day at SPA, I spent my whole second day at RSR waiting around for someone to help me... from 2pm (time I was supposed to go on track) to 7pm for my Nurburgring laps... which once i got on track at 7:00pm it had started to rain (after it being clear and beautiful weather all day). I was not happy with this either.

Suffice to say I was very unhappy with their service and how the handled my entire transaction.

The next day I ended renting another car at Nurburg to drive a 3rd day and I had a much better experience wit RENT4RING.de

It was a proper track car with full cage, seats, and toyo R888's... the car handled amazing for a 150 hp car.

Damn French. (sarcastic remark about the fact it was a renault)

Sorry you had a bad time!! I am traveling to the "Ring" in July and am planning on staying and renting a E36 from House Marvin, or should I say "Haus Marvin". They seem to come recomended from ring people, but if any one has any input it would be great.:cheers:

I rented a suzuki swift from: www.rent4ring.de

it was a great proper track car and price and service was top notch.. what a night and day difference from the thieves at RSR

Do a chargeback on your credit card, since they did not provide the contracted car. if nothing else it will give you satisfaction because it will tie up their money for a while and you might be able to negotiate a settlement with them.

Wow - that sucks and certainly is a genuine bait and switch.
I'm glad you were able to salvage the situation on the 3rd day.

Was the Clio Cup they give you the one listed on their website?:

http://www.rsrnurburg.com/index.php?...id=5&Itemid=65

http://www.rsrnurburg.com/images/sto...o200/seats.jpg

The Clio CUP IS a STREET Car, and as shown in the picture has no rollbar, no harness. Did you research at all? or assummed Clio Cup meant "Cup Car" or the Renault equivalent to the GT3 Cup?

and did you check the pricing (clearly noted limits on km)?

http://www.rsrnurburg.com/index.php?...d=53&Itemid=96

Have your cc company refute the charge (i.e. their account gets credited):

For the intial rental of the Clio "cup car". I'm not sure what a "cup car" is or what it should have. Compare what they rented to you and what you have on the invoice or order form. If you have documentation that has proof that you did not get as advertised then refute the charge for the car for a lesser rate.

For the overage charge - The contract should state the terms - not verbal commitments or implied items. It needs to be stated withing the contract. You should have a mileage limit for your rental term and you should have a checklist of mileage when you rented it and the miles you returned it at.

Hate to say it, but I agree. The renaultsport clio cup is a street car and the forms they have on the website all clearly state km limits and the cost of going over.

Lost in translation
 

Sorry to read of your disappointment to an otherwise "bucket list" experience.

Ring and Spa use of a track car rental is "traditionally" always limited by mileage (and time). Cars use up a lot of consumables on those tracks. Along with liability concerns, not really intended as a track car, such is the justification for the exclusion of Avis, Hertz, etc. from Ring use in many German rental locations.

The road trip from Spa to the Ring (and back?) seems like an odd use of a track car and may be the basis for the confusion.

The RSR folks seem to have a positive reputation in various forums and web sites that I have read.

But my only firsthand experience has been with rent-racecar.de, which had clearly defined limits spelled out in all correspondence, and was a good rental experience.

But if this was not made clear to you in the contract and their advertising, then you seem to have a basis for your discontent. When confronted with those facts, sad that RSR couldn't find a way to make it right with you.

Thanks for sharing the experience so others can be made aware.

All km limits on their site if for Nurburing rentals specifically, they do not apply to the package I got or else I would have ran out of mileage before I even got to SPA and did one lap.

Thanks for the heads up. We'll be in Germany for several weeks this summer and plan to spend some time on the track.

Really sorry to hear your misfortune at the ring. I, too, had much better luck w/ rent-racecar.de this past Oct. Hopefully, you'll get some relief from your CC.

But it sounds like the original poster changed his story a bit too, no?

And is trying to blackmail RSR by posting his side of the story across multiple web sites... yet he did bother to post videos of him doing handbrake turns in that same RSR car on public roads. (video now removed by user... LOL)

I guess he did not and will never get invited to the party at the end of his track day? :rockon:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3081/...9c1dd651_o.jpg

Changed my story.. no.. elaborated.

Your comments are awfully one-sided.

BTW it was not raining when i drove the car to and back from spa... so you are making wrong assumptions as to the video.

But they are your assumptions to be made...

and have fun at your party... i care more about driving anyways.