Paresh Bhimani, a Cargill executive, has accused Zoomcar of providing a hazardous vehicle and refusing a ₹10,200 refund after trip cancellation. Despite proof and support tickets, Zoomcar has not responded. Full story on Choice4Voice.com
🚨 Zoomcar Faces Public Allegations Over Car Safety and Refund Refusal
Date of Complaint: August 6, 2025
Complainant: Mr. Paresh Bhimani, COE at Cargill
Platform: Zoomcar
Nature of Issue: Unsafe vehicle, early return, refund not processed
Amount Disputed: ₹10,200
A respected corporate professional has publicly accused Zoomcar of serious service negligence, risking customer safety and denying a legitimate refund despite supporting evidence.
📌 LinkedIn Source of Complaint
This complaint was originally published by Mr. Paresh Bhimani on LinkedIn.
Original Post URL
👤 About the Complainant : Zoomcar Under Fire: Cargill COE Executive Returns Car Early Due to Safety Issues, Refund Denied
| Name | Paresh Bhimani |
|---|---|
| Current Role | Commercial Excellence (COE) |
| Company | Cargill |
| Previous Employers | Deloitte, KPMG |
| Education | MBA – FMS Delhi, B.Tech – Nirma University |
| Platform Used | |
| Complaint Made Public On | August 6, 2025 |
📋 Summary of the Complaint
Mr. Bhimani booked a self-drive car via Zoomcar from July 27 to August 4, 2025 for a family trip starting from Bangalore. However, due to multiple safety related faults in the car, he was forced to cut short the trip on Day 2 and return the vehicle.
Despite providing substantial evidence and Zoomcar’s initial promise of a refund, the company denied the ₹10,200 refund and closed multiple support tickets without investigation.
🔎 Vehicle Issues Identified by the Complainant
The complainant highlighted multiple issues that made the car unsafe and non-compliant with Indian road laws:
- Headlights were non-functional, making night driving hazardous
- Dipper lights not working
- Extremely hard clutch, difficult to drive on long trips
- Loose, rattling body parts indicating poor maintenance
- Interior was dirty and unhygienic
- No valid PUC (Pollution Under Control) certificate
The host had allegedly assured Mr. Bhimani in advance that the car was in excellent condition, but these issues were discovered only during the drive.
🚗 Early Return and Zoomcar’s Verbal Promise
Due to the serious nature of the defects, Mr. Bhimani returned the car on Day 2 of the 8-day booking, sacrificing the rest of his family trip.
He contacted Zoomcar immediately, and they initially acknowledged the issue and verbally assured him of a refund for the unused rental period. However, no refund has been issued since, and all six support tickets were closed without resolution.
🧾 Evidence Submitted by the Customer
Mr. Bhimani provided Zoomcar with the following:
- Photos of the vehicle’s condition at pickup
- WhatsApp chats with the host admitting to the issues
- Timestamps showing the host was aware of problems beforehand
- Proof of expired PUC, where the host allegedly told him to “get it done on your own”
🛠️ Ticket Numbers Raised (All Closed Without Action)
- 1817987
- 1817733
- 1824382
- 1821421
- 1821416
- 1821404
All these tickets were closed with vague policy references, without proper inspection or resolution.
🔍 Bigger Problem: Systemic Loophole in Zoomcar’s Host Model?
Mr. Bhimani’s experience has highlighted serious systemic flaws in Zoomcar’s peer-to-peer host model:
- Hosts often shift responsibility for repairs or legal compliance to either Zoomcar or the rider
- Zoomcar fails to enforce standards on its hosts
- There is no mechanism for customers to verify vehicle compliance before pickup
This model leaves customers vulnerable to fraud and safety risks with zero accountability.
📢 Public Appeal from the Complainant
In his original LinkedIn post, Mr. Bhimani stated:
“This is not just about money—it’s about safety, transparency, and responsibility. Zoomcar must take ownership of the problems in its host model before more customers are put at risk.”
He urged Zoomcar leadership, including Deepankar Tiwari and Uri Levine, to take swift action and address these gaps.
🏢 About Zoomcar
Zoomcar is one of India’s leading car-sharing platforms operating across 40+ cities. It allows individuals to rent cars from private hosts. While the platform claims to provide “safe and convenient self-drive experiences,” repeated customer complaints like this one raise major concerns over:
- Vehicle quality control
- Verification of legal compliance (e.g., PUC)
- Fair resolution of customer disputes
📝 Disclaimer
This article is based on publicly available information from the verified LinkedIn profile of Mr. Paresh Bhimani, which can be reviewed via the provided link.
Choice4Voice.com is a neutral consumer advocacy platform that amplifies genuine complaints and supports those who want to raise their voice against poor service or negligence.
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