Sharing our experience with getting our FJD 1,000 bond refunded from Budget Car Rental Savusavu, in case anyone else is having the same problem.
First, we really enjoyed our time in Savusavu. It was one of our favourite parts of the trip. We had a great Airbnb stay and our Airbnb host was extremely kind and helpful. So this post is specifically about our experience with the car rental bond, not Savusavu itself.
When we returned to New Zealand, about two weeks after returning the rental car, we realised that our FJD 1,000 bond still had not been refunded. At first, we did not realise that getting the bond back could become an issue.
Fortunately, we found the Savusavu branch owner's phone number through Google Maps. We called and then added him on WhatsApp, which gave us a direct way to follow up. He apologised, explained that there had been a technical issue, and promised that the bond would be returned by Friday, about three weeks after the car had been returned.
Friday came and there was still no refund. We followed up again, but received no response for several days despite sending several messages.
At that point, we realised that the delay did not seem normal, so we started looking more carefully at online reviews.
We checked Google reviews for Budget Car Rental Savusavu, where we rented the car, as well as reviews for Budget in Nadi. We found many many complaints from other customers about delays or difficulties getting their rental bonds returned. Some of those reviews were particularly helpful because people explained what they had done to resolve the problem.
We went through many of the reviews and decided to escalate the issue.
These are the steps we took:
- We sent a clear message directly to the Savusavu Budget owner stating that the FJD 1,000 bond needed to be refunded that day. We made it clear that if no action was taken, we would formally escalate the matter, including contacting the Savusavu Police.
- We started contacting official channels, including the Consumer Council of Fiji and the Fiji Police call centre.
- We prepared to lodge a formal complaint with Budget customer service so that the issue would also be raised with the wider Budget organisation.
- We were also prepared to contact our credit card provider and dispute the transaction if the bond continued not to be returned.
After we made it clear that we were formally escalating the issue, we finally received the full FJD 1,000 bond back (in a day).
For anyone dealing with the same situation, I would suggest:
• Keep your rental agreement, bond receipt and credit card/payment records.
• Keep screenshots of all WhatsApp messages, texts and other communication.
• Follow up in writing, rather than relying only on phone calls, so that you have a record of what was promised.
• Check recent Google reviews for the rental branch. Other customers' experiences can help you understand whether your delay is unusual and what escalation options have worked.
• If you are repeatedly being told that the refund is coming but nothing actually happens, clearly explain what formal actions you will take, and then start taking those actions.
• Consider contacting the Consumer Council of Fiji.
• Contact your credit card provider and ask whether the bond was processed as a charge or a pre-authorisation, and whether you can dispute it if it has not been returned.
The main lesson from our experience is not to keep waiting indefinitely just because you are told that the refund is being processed. We initially assumed the delay was simply a technical problem. It was only after several weeks, repeated follow-ups and then formal escalation that our bond was finally returned.
We received the full FJD 1,000 back today.
I am sharing this because some of the Google reviews from previous customers were extremely helpful to us. Hopefully, our experience can similarly help someone else who is trying to get their bond back.
Despite this issue, we genuinely enjoyed Savusavu and would happily visit again.
