Woodford: (ab)use of my deposit and their lack of transparency
Transparency. Specifically, lack of transparency. This is the issue I have had with Woodford Car Hire. Specifically, related to my R4,000 deposit, of which R262.50 was returned to me. 
When I took back the car a month ago on January 10 (I have spent a month trying to understand/resolve this and to get transparency/clarity) there was a small compression dent outside, on the left rear door. Just a small dent that could almost have qualified as normal wear and tear. No paint damage. I have no clue who did it or how, but I signed off on it and acknowledged it on returning the car. 
I asked at the time about the repair and the likely cost. I had presumed they would have their own body shop, but was told no, that Woodford, as is standard for any claim, would get three quotes and take the lowest. 
I asked the man, who as agreeable and reassuring, how much it likely would cost. He said about R500. This seemed fair. I was impressed, happy at the service. 
A day or two later I had an email asking me to review them on Hello Peter (this is my first review here). I thought I would wait till I got my deposit back. 
An email came after three or four or five days with an invoice with a figure of R3,737.50. I thought this was my refund and waited for it to be paid into my account. 
Long story short, what was paid back to me was R262.50. I have, since then, asked for clarity. To see the quotes. 
I was told at some point, something that seemed to say that during the repair, the shop had done something to the paint and they'd had to repaint. I have asked for the quotes. Have been told now there are no quotes, they use a tried and trusted provider. 
At one point a few days ago I was offered, via WhatsApp, a R500 extra "refund", "good will" it seemed, (which, when I last checked, day-before-yesterday, was not in my account). I mention this because I have tried all their "customer service" options (including Twitter, where there is no "direct message" facility — their Twitter seems to be a private account, so I should probably say "excluding" Twitter). 
It does not seem right that a company should be able to use a deposit like this and not give a clear, transparent account of where one's money has gone. This is what I've been asking for. Clarity. Transparency. To see the documents. Seems reasonable, I think?!
I am giving 3 stars and not 1 star, as the last thing I want to be doing at this time, with so much negativity around, is adding more negativity. The car was fine. The customer service person replied and re-directed my requests. But really, to no avail. 
Why a small pressure dent on a l/r door should cost that much, and that it should be fine for a company to use one's deposit, with no transparency, seems wrong. They may be in a tight spot financially, but aren't we all? 
Funny thing, a friend here in Durban from the US picked me up in a hired car last evening and thanked me for telling her about Woodford. She'd hired a car from them at the airport after I told her I had hired from Woodford. This was before the lack of transparency and this issue that Woodford has not clarified / addressed. Well there you go...