Very disappointing experience
Very disappointing experience.
I would not rent from Mercury again.
The booking was originally made through Wheego, but the local rental provider in Zakynthos was Mercury Rent a Car, who provided the vehicle and handled the rental locally.
The problems started at pick-up. My debit card was not accepted for the €1,800 deposit, as a credit card was required. The alternative offered was an additional non-refundable charge of approximately €245, which significantly increased the actual cost of the rental.
I was also charged €35 for an additional driver, even though I clearly stated at pick-up that I would be the only person driving the car. The second driver's licence was not even checked or registered. When I later requested a refund, Mercury refused, saying they could not verify whether the additional driver had been used. I find this explanation difficult to understand considering they never verified the second driver in the first place.
The vehicle itself already had multiple areas of existing damage, and its overall condition was not what I would expect from a well-maintained rental car.
The return was the final disappointment. Because of an early flight, I informed Mercury in advance that I needed to return the car at approximately 7:00 AM, one hour before the office opened. I was told that an early return would cost another €49.60.
I refused to pay another fee simply to return their vehicle and emailed them asking for instructions on where to safely leave the keys. I also explained in advance what I would do if nobody came to collect the vehicle.
Mercury did not reply.
At 7:00 AM nobody arrived, and I had received no instructions about the keys. I therefore left the car outside their office, with the keys in the location I had informed them about in advance. The vehicle was returned with the fuel refilled.
Afterwards, I received only a vehicle condition/damage report, with no response or explanation regarding my previous communication.
My disappointment is not about one individual fee. It is about the overall experience: additional charges, the condition of the vehicle, lack of flexibility and, above all, poor communication when a simple problem needed to be resolved.
Based on my experience, I would not recommend Mercury Rent a Car Zakynthos.
If you decide to rent from them, I strongly recommend checking all conditions regarding credit/debit cards, deposits and out-of-hours returns very carefully, getting any additional charges confirmed in writing, and taking detailed photos and videos of the vehicle both at collection and return.




