All I can do is laugh at the response posted by the rental agency owner. Instead of accepting responsibility and addressing the genuine safety concerns I raised, you have chosen to make baseless accusations against me and shift the blame onto the customer.
Firstly, sir, let me correct you: my booking dates were from **21st to 25th October**, not 25th October as you claim. At the very least, I would expect the agency to get its basic booking details right before publicly responding to a customer.
Secondly, I would genuinely like you to find even one experienced rider or mechanic who would agree that riding a properly maintained motorcycle from Kolkata to Siliguri should result in its brake pads reaching such a dangerously worn-out condition. Please stop trying to justify a serious safety concern by blaming the rider's experience or riding style. Brakes are one of the most critical safety components of a motorcycle, and there is absolutely no room for negligence when it comes to them.
Thirdly, please do not bring gender into this matter. If I had been a man, my response would have been exactly the same. This is not about gender; it is about accountability, safety, and the way you treat your customers. Being a woman does not mean I am expected to stay silent, tolerate irresponsible behaviour, or accept disrespect from a rental operator.
And sir, please do not assume that I will stop here simply because you have posted a lengthy response trying to defend your agency. I intend to use every legitimate platform available to me to share my experience and make other travellers aware of what happened. No amount of public justification or personal attacks will change the facts.
You have also mentioned that you generously provided me with two additional days of rental without charging anything. Let me make one thing very clear: facing a potentially dangerous situation in the mountains because of a motorcycle safety issue and then being offered two extra days of rental when I was already back home does not make the situation any better. It is not compensation for the inconvenience, stress, and safety risk I experienced. Presenting this as some extraordinary favour is simply ridiculous.
Regarding the chain issue, I would also like to clarify that I had to arrange for a mechanic to physically reach the location where the motorcycle had broken down. This was not simply a matter of finding a nearby garage and getting the chain tightened in 20 seconds, as you conveniently suggest. The mechanic had to travel to the breakdown location, and the additional charges were incurred accordingly. I am attaching the video of the mechanic as evidence so that people can understand the actual situation rather than blindly believe your version of events.
I would also like to mention the phone call I received from your side before you posted this response, during which I was asked to take down my previous review. That call itself raises serious concerns about how your agency handles genuine customer feedback. A business should focus on resolving customer complaints rather than pressuring customers to remove negative reviews.
As for the refund, getting my money back after repeated arguments and follow-ups does not erase the experience I had. A refund is not a favour; it is a basic financial obligation. Nor does it absolve the agency of responsibility for providing a motorcycle that raises serious safety concerns during a journey.
Honestly, looking at the way High On Wheels Rental has handled this entire situation, I feel sorry for the business itself. Instead of reflecting on what went wrong and improving its services, the management seems more interested in attacking customers who dare to speak up.
**I am sharing my experience, supporting it with evidence, and exercising my right to leave an honest review. You are free to defend your business, but you cannot dictate what customers should say about their experiences.**