Travel scams to avoid · Madeira

Outrageous and completely unacceptable experience with SIXT Funchal! JUNE 2026 During our trip to Madeira, we had pre-booked and prepaid a deposit online for a vehicle to pick up at the SIXT agency in Funchal via the "discovercar.com" website. Upon arrival, we were faced with an employee whose behavior was unacceptable, aggressive, disdainful, and completely contrary to what you’d expect from a hospitality professional. She outright refused to hand over the vehicle, claiming that my husband’s paper driving license wasn’t allowed under SIXT’s rules. The most shocking part is that the explanations given on the spot seemed dishonest and in bad faith. We’ve rented vehicles in several European Union countries with this same license without ever encountering any issues. If SIXT doesn’t accept paper licenses, this condition should have been clearly stated before booking—and especially before taking our money. We only discovered this so-called condition once we were there, after traveling and having already paid part of the rental. What followed was particularly painful: we had to return to the agency to get a refusal certificate. Fortunately, we had recorded the conversation, which allowed us to keep proof of the exchanges and push forward with our complaints. After many back-and-forths and three months of waiting, we finally got our money back thanks to discover.com’s customer service, who supported us in our efforts—otherwise, the SIXT agency would have continued to deny our visit, and we would have considered legal action. This situation is simply scandalous. When you arrive in Madeira for a vacation, you certainly don’t expect to be greeted with such aggression, disdain, and bad faith. We sincerely hope this person will no longer be in contact with customers, as her behavior was particularly shocking and seriously ruined our experience. We strongly advise against using the SIXT agency in Funchal. If you want to avoid bad surprises, conflicts, and a terrible customer experience, steer clear. For our part, SIXT Funchal: NEVER AGAIN!