Hire Car Issue

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Fri 28 Jun 2013 15:51
Hire Car Issue - shark_e69

On returning a hire car to the depot, driving along a motorway, a huge lump of metal fell off the back of a lorry, creating a small dent in the front bumper and pushing the plastic grill through. Returning to the depot, I pointed out the damage to the attendant. Less than an hour later I received an invoice for £500, £200 more than my excess!

Is there any way of getting round this? Or reducing the amount to be paid? I didn't think quick enough at the time to take the lorrys regsitration. Has this ever happened to anyone?

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Fri 28 Jun 2013 15:57
Hire Car Issue - RT

If there's an excess, shouldn't the extra be covered by insurance already in place.

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Fri 28 Jun 2013 17:28
Hire Car Issue - Falkirk Bairn

>> Has this ever happened to anyone?

1/2 sheet of plasterboard from a skip lorry - broke number plate and dented edge of bonnet. Number plate replaced, bonnet dented and remained so.

Too big a shock to get reg number of lorry...the sheet of plasterboard flew through air... it could have missed me but it didn't.

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Sat 29 Jun 2013 00:59
Hire Car Issue - Ernied

With the smaller vehicle hire companies, profits are made from minor 'dings' and dents.

Main dealer prices are quoted, and the local man does the job for half the price. Insurers are aware - and adjust company premiums accordingly. At the end of the day, a minor scrape or dent generates a bit more money for the hire company, the repairer, and the Insurance company. All paid for by the hirer !

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Sun 30 Jun 2013 07:40
Hire Car Issue - oldroverboy.

Just went to Toulouse with swmbo and sister in law, picked up a nearly new polo diesel from the airport, shown to car and walked around it with agent, who was surprised when I asked if we could check the spare wheel and all the kit. Everything was there and car unmarked, but noted that there would be 25 euro charge for missing hi viz or triangle a 65 euro cleaning charge if car returned dirty and eye watering excesses for missing keys and damage. pointed out that I had taken their 0 excess policy, which in the overall rate wasn't bad, and they relaxed considerably. On return car was inspected minutely, and i pointed out the location of all the kit to the recption crew of whom there were 2. also pointed out spare wheel unused and in place. Told that they are going to introduce scanning cameras at entrance/exit to car park, sounds like another future moneymaker to me.

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Sun 30 Jun 2013 15:31
Hire Car Issue - IRC

"a 65 euro cleaning charge if car returned dirty!"

Like cleaning a car after a hire so the next client gets a sportless vehicle isn't part of the service?

I hate most car hire companies.

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Mon 1 Jul 2013 19:00
Hire Car Issue - Andrew-T

"a 65 euro cleaning charge if car returned dirty!"

Like cleaning a car after a hire so the next client gets a sportless vehicle isn't part of the service? I hate most car hire companies.

These clauses just give them an opportunity to deal with people returning a seriously dirty vehicle. We hired in NZ a few years ago and as the car looked pretty mucky, dutifully went through a carwash before returning it. The guy cheerfully said that we nnedn't have bothered.

But perhaps if we hadn't, he would have invoked the clause ...

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Mon 1 Jul 2013 00:53
Hire Car Issue - Avant

ORB, would you care to tell us which company that was at Toulouse? You didn't say anything that wasn't factual so no harm in naming them.

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Mon 1 Jul 2013 08:37
Hire Car Issue - oldroverboy.

ORB, would you care to tell us which company that was at Toulouse? You didn't say anything that wasn't factual so no harm in naming them.

It was Citer/Enterprise, the service was actually pretty good!

by the way the hire car had only 800kms on it when i got it, and admittedly it looked like it was new.

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Mon 1 Jul 2013 13:47
Hire Car Issue - brum

IMO Enterprise (an American company that have vulgar execs according to their crappy tv adverts) have always been a company to avoid like the plague. They have many contracts with insurance companies for courtesy car hire.

Their check out procedure is lax and their check back in procedure super over the top ridiculous. My son had a courtesy car for 24 hours - they tried to send it out with a semi deflated and damaged tyre and no spare - then he drove it to my house and back - 2 miles in total. On check in they spent over 10 minutes checking the bodywork ridiculously. Eventually they found a ding! Not one anyone could see with the normal eye - you had to look the length of the bodywork, crouched , with the sky reflecting in the bodywork to see a small depression in a door skin - no scratches etc.

They tried it on for £250, but we refused point blank saying that they didnt inspect the car when releasing it (no paperwork) and it was physically impossible to have happened in 2 short journeys along a dual carriageway.

After over half an hour, they eventually found paperwork showing the damage had been done several hires previously - no apology - I bet they charged everyone since £250 for that same "damage" - which they will never repair anyway.

I think they choose black cars deliberately because its easiest colour to claim "damage".

The whole experience makes me super critical now when accepting a hire car, though to be honest Enterprise is the only company that I've seen that scams on this level.

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Mon 1 Jul 2013 21:25
Hire Car Issue - gordonbennet

I know the damage situation can leave a foul taste in the mouth and i would always pay for the waiver when renting.

Regarding the threat of cleaning fees, i've seen and carried loads of rental cars in my time, due to my previous work.

Some people are no better than pigs at the trough, i've seen cars that have been used as skips, footwells seats and boot covered in wet mud slime and general detritus, piles of dust, coke cans pop bottles half eaten food spilled beer vomit chewing gum etc strewn all over and ingrained in the seats, you really have to see the state of some of them to believe it....some poor blighter on minimum wage has to get down on hands and knees and clean that filth up...if i ran a rental office you can guarantee that the maximum penalty would be applied in such extreme cases and those responsible hopefully never darken my doorstep again.

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Wed 3 Jul 2013 12:41
Hire Car Issue - oldroverboy.

..if i ran a rental office you can guarantee that the maximum penalty would be applied in such extreme cases and those responsible hopefully never darken my doorstep again.

Ok, we didn't get charged, was just a notice, but they were clear about it, and theoretically can they complain if it has been raining for 3 days and it goes back spotless inside.

But I must say I actually approve of the scanner cameras out and in. (when it happens)

Edited by oldroverboy. on 03/07/2013 at 12:42

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Wed 3 Jul 2013 13:45
Hire Car Issue - Hamsafar

I remember about 10 years ago in Spain, we hired a Pug 106 for €18 Euros a day, but had to give a €50 deposit. They just said the car is on the next street. We found it and used it and returned it and gave them the keys expecting them to check it over and they just thanked us returned the balance of the deposit and said bye. They didn't even ask where it was as parked!

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