I know this is a known issue when renting cars in Europe but I still want to share my experience on this specific location at National/Enterprise/Alamo Zurich Airport, and can't stress enough to warn people to stay away for this location if possible. I suspect they are running a systematic scam on travelers. (Especially international) There is a long TripAdvisor forum started from 2016 and still very active until today, where people shared their troubling experience in this location and there are too many similar posts before mine indicates this is an existing issue. As always to protect yourself, make sure your CC includes primary rental insurance and decline all the CDW coverage. Otherwise, suck it up and pay for the most expensive collision damage waiver insurance.

Adding my comments and experience:

1. They downgraded my reservation from a Elite Compact SUV (FDAR), listed as Audi Q2 or similar to a lightly spec VW T-Cross. I mentioned but there were no other options on the lot that day.

2. At the time of inspecting the car with the staff I took a full 4 minutes video walkthrough and multiple pictures at each angle, since I had read tons of horror stories renting in Europe. The garage was dark and not well lid, I even asked the car to be moved to a better lid location. They probably noted my more thorough inspection with videos in the internal system. When I returned the car, the staff came out and first thing she checked was the antenna.. claiming animal bite marks and informing to charge 80 francs for the damage. Of course my video and photos did not even took a clear shot at the antenna during inspection and they know it. It’s super hard to see unless you are one feet away. There were several dents and paints chips on the car that they obviously knew my video captured it during inspection and she simply just quickly brush through those noted damages.

3. This is the first time I’m using company code for better rates and since it comes with basic CDW, I’m out of luck on claiming CC insurance. My lesson learned.

4. I checked several other VW T-Cross on the lot and even from other rental companies all had the similar so called “bite marks” at the very tip of the antenna. Again, the black rubber plastic which is super hard to tell unless you examine within a feet. I’m suspecting its either from the factory like this and it was done in purpose to scam damages from customers from multiple rental companies.

5. I asked for the printed final receipt so hopefully no surprise 1-2k charge a month after like other people. I do took photos of the antenna on all other cars.

I’m consider myself a rather avid and careful traveler and had rented in multiple Europe countries from mostly Sixt / Europcar, always taking pictures of the car at pick up in front of the staffs. Countries like Croatia, Greece, Denmark.. and never had any problem like this before(yet, knock wood). Even the times I simply dropped off the car and left to catch a super early flight. Unfortunate to see this kind of scam running in a economy stable country like Switzerland to make some quick bucks. I'm in the process of disputing the charge from my CC company, worse case it's only 80 francs I will just absorb it myself.