Fighting rental company for repair charges

Soldato
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3 Apr 2007
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South of the Watford Gap!
Anybody done this and won?

My daughter and her friend went to Milan a few weeks ago, booked hired a car from here at the airport. I had told them to be careful especially to ensure that any existing damage was marked on the paperwork, which my daughter states they did.

On returning the car, the lady booking the car back in points to a scratch on the side of the bumper to which my daughter and her friend said it's already listed on the paperwork but according to the lady as only the front of the bumper is marked this is damage that they must have caused. Now when they took the car out they queried the condition and another lady told them don't worry the bumper is noted on the paperwork.

So they asked for pictures of the car before they took on the rental, they produced pictures showing an unmarked bumper but the picture was taken back in February.

As they had a flight to catch they noted on the paperwork that they aren't agreeing to the scratch on the bumper and that the evidence pictures were taken back in February and left.

Back in the UK they have now been charged 250 Euros. Talked to the credit card company who asked them to contact the company to ask for a breakdown of the costs, emails sent but no reply, so they rang up and were assured the breakdown costs would be sent, I also asked my daughter to get evidence that the repair had actually been carried out as well.

To date the credit card company seems to want to pass the buck which I can't understand, so has anybody successfully challenged and won and how?
 
Associate
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My father-in-law recently had something similar, except nothing was stated on the day, he gave the hire car back, nothing was said etc, then a week later his credit card was charged 400 euros, he managed to get the money back but took a few weeks and numerous emails/calls.
 
Soldato
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I hate hiring cars abroad because of this. I take loads of photos of the car before I get in it and nearly always feel compelled to buy the extra insurance.
 
Soldato
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This is surely only certain countries (europe?), ive hired cars in USA and theres never been any problems like this.

Why would only be certain countries? It's usually the same companies all over the world.

The difference abroad is having to deal with stuff abroad once you come back. I've hired loads of cars all over and never had a problem, but there's loads of this sort of thing going on. And do usually buy the coverall insurance.

Some of my best experiences hiring cars have been in Europe to honest. I hired one in Greece once where the fella just threw me the keys and said 20 euro a day, bring it back full. Was a small island though. Easy. Another time in Portugal, they had no cars left at the airport and the desk clerk lent me her car!
 
Soldato
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Pay using a temp/preloaded credit card so the they cant help themselves after. Take date stamped photos from every angle.
 
Soldato
OP
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South of the Watford Gap!
It’s just strange that even though the bumper is circled the women claims that hat only means the front. I guess it must be a nice little money earner. Have told my daughter to leave a crap review on both the booking site that she used and if possible in the actual hire companies website.

I like others above have hired cars in Europe and touch wood have never had a problem. I remember in Lanzarote I got handed the keys to a Seat, got to the car and it’s covered in marks, dents and scratches so I went back and the women just wrote on the paper dented all over without so much as a care.
 

ADT

ADT

Associate
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Hampshire
Watch this to see just what a bunch of pricks car rental companies can be:


Genuinely staggering.

Wow This is the same branch me and my father dealt with a few years back.

Tried to charge us 135 x 2 for alloy wheel damage! Took us several months of emails and calls to get it resolved. Had to involve the CC company too for them to realise that the damage was already on their “database”
 
Soldato
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23,304
But then couldn't you get around that by opening a new account+debit and only transfer money to it when you need it? Doesn't matter what system you use, they can't help themselves to money which isn't there.
 
Transmission breaker
Don
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I once returned a car in Frankfurt airport, whilst in a hurry to catch a flight after using about €20 of fuel. I had no time to refill it.
They tried to charge me well over double that quite some time later (like over a month)
I accepted, provided they could provide me with the receipts of the purchased fuel, noting the pump price and how much was filled.
They never responded.
Demand proof the bumper was undamaged at the time if hire, and refuse the old pic.
Just tie them up in knots till they give it up :D
 
Soldato
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Aquilonem Londinensi
Any time I hire a car in Europe I walk round it filming on my phone telling the sales person all the defects I see out loud while getting them in shot and saying their name repeatedly. No help here I know by experience with Hertz in Italy taught me to be careful :(
 
Soldato
Joined
8 Nov 2006
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Location
London
I once returned a car in Frankfurt airport, whilst in a hurry to catch a flight after using about €20 of fuel. I had no time to refill it.
They tried to charge me well over double that quite some time later (like over a month)
I accepted, provided they could provide me with the receipts of the purchased fuel, noting the pump price and how much was filled.
They never responded.
Demand proof the bumper was undamaged at the time if hire, and refuse the old pic.
Just tie them up in knots till they give it up :D

They've already taken the money though. They can sit around and do nothing, unless you plan on taking them to court in Italy.

Also it is pretty normal to charge quite high rates to refuel as they have to employ someone to go and do it.
 
Soldato
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Cheshire
They've already taken the money though. They can sit around and do nothing, unless you plan on taking them to court in Italy.

Also it is pretty normal to charge quite high rates to refuel as they have to employ someone to go and do it.

That's where you become the credit card companies problem. If the hire company wont listen, you hassle the credit card company and they'll do something about it.

Particularly if, as it sounds, the damage is already marked on the paperwork.
 
Soldato
Joined
26 Sep 2007
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4,137
Location
Newcastle
I once returned a car in Frankfurt airport, whilst in a hurry to catch a flight after using about €20 of fuel. I had no time to refill it.
They tried to charge me well over double that quite some time later (like over a month)
I accepted, provided they could provide me with the receipts of the purchased fuel, noting the pump price and how much was filled.
They never responded.
Demand proof the bumper was undamaged at the time if hire, and refuse the old pic.
Just tie them up in knots till they give it up :D

BMW specifically state in their loaner T&Cs that they'll refill the car at something like £1.80+VAT/litre, so being overcharged for fuel isn't anything new. As Muon said, someone has to physically drive the car there and fill it, that takes time.
 
Soldato
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7 Dec 2012
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17,494
Location
Gloucestershire
I'm hiring a car in Malaga later this month, my first time hiring abroad.

Went with a company that seems to be reasonably well reviewed - a couple of the really cheap ones were terrible. I'm a bit anxious about it, though have taken out comprehensive hire cover which, it says, covers me for any charges the hire company makes for damage.
 
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