u/Big_Song1666 — reddlx

Hello fellow redditors,

I rented a car in Germany through a third-party booking platform and prepaid online.

At pickup(Frankfurt intl. airport), the rental company debited a large security/payment amount from my debit card. I also bought additional insurance at the counter.

After returning the vehicle, the company issued a final invoice showing:

final rental charges deducted
refund due to me
no outstanding balance

However, months later I still have not received the refund.

Important points:

The money was actually debited from my bank account (not just a card hold).
No refund transaction appears in my account statements.
I have the final invoice clearly showing a refund is owed.
I also have booking receipt, bank statements, and email history.

I have already:

emailed customer service multiple times
tried calling many times without success
prepared a formal written complaint by email and post

My questions:

What is the best next legal step in Germany?
Should I first do a bank dispute/chargeback or send a Mahnung?
Is Verbraucherzentrale / European Consumer Centre worth contacting for this?

Any advice appreciated.