You are charged immediately and there is a non-refundable component. If you try to cancel within 72 hours you are given a huge cancellation fee worth almost the whole booking. In comparison booking directly with Thrifty you are charged nothing up-front and can cancel your booking at any time. Since we couldn't change our booking, we ended up paying $120 more than if we'd been able to cancel our booking and re-book the day before.
They also will not provide you with an invoice until your booking completes despite taking your money months in advance.
The website we booked through looks like it's provided by Sydney Airport directly and not some third party company with restrictive booking policies. Seems like a scam to me and I don't understand why Sydney Airport endorses it. They need to make it clear that you're dealing with a third party and not the company themselves. When you make the booking it looks like only the Protection Plus is provided by Carrental Republic and not the entire payment.
Very disappointed – do not use this company!
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