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MrTee - it might be worth reading the 'parking fines from private companies' topic (one of 5 topics above the various threads on here) if you haven't done so. Perhaps you haven't got much running around to do, as they'll have to prove who parked the car there, and would appear to have an uphill battle from the facts you've revealed.
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If this is a private parking co., which it sounds like, then the hire firm are not obliged to tell the PPC who the driver was in any case. Insist that they do not give your details to the PPC.
The rules on private parking still apply as per the specific thread at the top of the forum.
It may be the car reg was almost correct, My son had an earlier Golf and we often saw others with similar numbers, maybe one or two different....Clone more likely tho'.
Is it not possible to block a credit card payment ? I have no experience of this situation.
Ted
Edited by 1400ted on 03/11/2009 at 22:43
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Is it not possible to block a credit card payment ?
Don't think so.
Might still be a misread number plate. Colleague once got a NIP for a time he was out of the country. When he asked the SCP about the photo they admitted they couldn't really read the plate and couldn't be sure of the colour. Maybe because he drove a BMW M3 they assumed they'd got it right!
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Just to clear up a point. The car hire company are not going to charge my credit card for their admin charge of £35. They were never apparantly going to charge me the £738 anyway.
I have told them that this is a scam and I have no problem at all in facing up to these crooks. I don't doubt I will receive all manner of threatning letters in an attempt to extract money but they have a snowball in hells chance of getting any from me.
Doing a search on Google for this company turns up the fact that their registered address is a council house in Leeds.
Someone is committing fraud here .
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'a council house in Leeds' !!!!
Surprised the mods didn't alter this one, prejudice comes in many forms, after all!!!
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Not prejudiced, merely a comment that it was likely to be a fly by night company as it didnt have a normal business address.
Plus its not racially or religeously motivated to expect the more undesriable elements of our society to occupy social housing in a bleak northern urban conurbation.
Edited by Altea Ego on 04/11/2009 at 09:59
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registered address is a council house >>
Can you explain: How do you know, or how can you tell, that the address is a "council" house?
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Can you explain: How do you know or how can you tell that the address is a "council" house?
Google Earth shows a Sky dish on the front? :)
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Either that, or you can make out The Jeremy Kyle Show on the 60" plasma in the living room... :-)
I hope the OP gets things sorted, quickly and easily.
Edited by Badwolf {P} on 04/11/2009 at 11:23
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Bill Payer and Badwolf:
;-)
I take it you are intimately familiar with the subject to be able to tell me:
What is a "Sky dish" and what is "The Jeremy Kyle Show" ?
:-)
Edited by jbif on 04/11/2009 at 11:28
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A "Sky dish" is an airline meal, I don't know what a "Jeremy Kyle" is. And council houses have lights like AUDI DRL's, (motoring link). :-)
Edited by Old Navy on 04/11/2009 at 11:39
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A "Sky dish" is an airline meal I don't know what a "Jeremy Kyle" is.
I think a jermy Kyle is rhyming slang for haemorrhoids as in
"me old jeremies are playing up today"
Edited by Altea Ego on 04/11/2009 at 11:43
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Thanks AE, I'm a bit dull today, I blame my geriatrics flu jab.
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I suppose a jeremy Kyle show is a form of mooning?
Edited by Altea Ego on 04/11/2009 at 11:48
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'The Jeremy Kyle Show' is a thinly-disguised freak show for those who lack some, or indeed most of their teeth. The general idea seems to be to get them to expose their inner-most secrets on national television. They are then led off stage to be put down, humanely. I think...
Anyway, back to motoring......
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I was right then
No you weren't. Rhyming slang for varicose veins in the anus is one of the presenters of the One Show. Fellow who looks like a bewildered goldfish doing something unspeakable to the Invisible Man.
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Oh, dear Lud!!!
Thanks to you, I've just pebble dashed the screen on my laptop with a lovely mix of tea and Hob-Nobs!
A wonderful description of Mr Chiles, and terribly accurate.
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 04/11/2009 at 19:13
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I was going to ask what the One Show was and it's televance to botty misery. Now I know.
Always referred to them as Chalfonts or Nobby's in the past...Can't think of a motoring link apart from painful on a bike...I would imagine !
Just enjoying my cuppa and seeing what Rachel isn't wearing on Countdown !
Pebbledashed my screen a week or so ago by a vigorous sneeze...didn't notice for a couple of days....too much information.
Ted
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Is it not possible to block a credit card payment ? I have no experience of this situation. Ted
Believe it is
Ring up the card company and tell them it is a disputed charge.
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"Plus its not racially or religeously motivated to expect the more undesriable elements of our society to occupy social housing in a bleak northern urban conurbation"
When I was working as a Social Worker, in just such a northern area, we found incidents of sexual abuse of children to be slightly more prevalent in private housing.
And that some larger private houses facilitated abuse by their very size and the `privacy` this provided.
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Believe it is Ring up the card company and tell them it is a disputed charge.
You can't dispute it until they have charged it
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You can't dispute it until they have charged it >>
.... and on top of that, you will probably find that buried in the small print of the agreement, you authorised the rental company to bill you unlimited amounts for unlimited periods in to the future for these kinds of fines and charges associated with that rental, and that you cannot unilaterally cancel such credit card authorisations.
Edited by jbif on 05/11/2009 at 18:26
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When I've had to hire a car I've found that they will only take payment by credit card. I pay, and then report the card lost thereafter, telling the credit card company what my last payment was. The car hire company can then whistle for further unauthorised payments.
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Fraudulent though - Bank might be a little annoyed at you and you may end up being locked up.
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And woodster, claim the card is stolen and charges to it are still possible. And new credit cards often have the same number as the old one.
I don;t think this is a good idea at all! And it would not avoid charges anyway. The hiring company have a contract with you and if they cannot charge to the credit card (they probably could even if you cancelled it) they'd pursue you.
But your logic is a bit flawed.
Edited by rtj70 on 05/11/2009 at 21:38
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And woodster, ... your logic is a bit flawed. >>
Dittto. As per Pugugly and rtj70.
Many people do not realise the extent to which signing a car-rental credit-card commits them. The agreement stays in force even though the card may be cancelled. I have heard it said that even if the cardholder dies and the account is cloed, their estate can be held accountable by the rental company for any charges arising from the period of rental.
Edited by jbif on 05/11/2009 at 23:46
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But doesn't logic dictate that in most cases these charges are a scam because its so easy for them to dip your card. Should they actually have to do some work then they wouldn't bother and move on to easier pickings?
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I`ve actually stopped renting cars due to these concerns. The last time I rented a car (cash) was in Spain around 8 yrs ago (paid almost double for a cash price) and a Transit 5yrs ago to clear my fathers house. The latter was the first time I was `forced` to pay by credit card. I took multiple round the van photo`s with the guy renting it in the pics.
Paranoid or what?
I now either take our own vehicles or pay out large sums of money for taxi`s.
But then, I have the mentallity of being prepared to pay out larger sums of money, to avoid being tricked over smaller sums of money. Sad, but true. I blame it on my upbringing, here in Yorkshire. ;-)
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Many people do not realise the extent to which signing a car-rental credit-card commits them. The agreement stays in force even though the card may be cancelled. I have heard it said that even if the cardholder dies and the account is cloed their estate can be held accountable by the rental company for any charges arising from the period of rental.
Don't the "Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts" Regulations apply to car hire contracts?
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>> You can't dispute it until they have charged it >>
I have had cards that do, they put a note on the account.
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Well, today we received another demand, direct from the Scammers and the amount is now £780.
I was going to name the company but fear this would contravene the Back Room rules.
I have sent them a "stiff" letter setting out the proof that their "invoice" is bogus and fraudulent.
I made it clear that if they want to pursue this matter further, then they should start legal proceedings and that I look forward to attending court, where I shall apply for the costs incurred for us to defend.
I also stated that should I receive further demands, I shall be contacting Millgarth Police Station to complain.
We shall see what happens next !
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Don't waste your time writing to them.
Only be concerned if Court papers turn up but check that even these are genuine.
Edited by daveyjp on 06/11/2009 at 15:47
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Seems a stupidly large amount to try and scam someone out of.
Surely these people rely on victims just paying up, but no-one is going to just pay £7-800.
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no-one is going to just pay £7-800.
Scam was against a hired car.
Hired cars are very often part of some corporate activity. No expense is spared on things like car hire and hotels (and don't come the poor mouth and tell me it isn't like that any more. It is for plenty of people).
If the demand finds its way to the accounts department of a big firm with a bunch of crazed spivs in marketing or the boardroom or whatever, £800 will seem like peanuts and may just be paid to get it out of someone's hair.
That's my take on why it may be worth trying.
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Pugugly - exactly what fraud would I commit? Under the 2006 act a prosecuting authority would have to show that I had made a gain, or caused another a loss. If the hire company think I owe them some more they can quite legitimately ask me for it and pursue me in the normal manner if I decline to pay. Given the circumstances set out by the original poster, I'd be declining to pay for sure. I'd also decline an 'admin fee'. They would have to state exactly what the fee was for and we could argue that one. So, what fraud on my part? Falsely reporting the card lost does not amount to fraud.
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Falsley reporting almost anything must be some sort of criminal act - I would have thought. "Attempting to obtain a pecuniary advantage by deception" could be one. If you put it writing there must be some statute covering written falsehoods I would have thought but I defer to PU in all legal matters!
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Potentially Evasion of liability - Section 2 Theft Act 1978 - one of a range of Criminal Deception offences. Even if you don't pull it off you could be looking at an "Attempt" under that act or Criminal Attempts Act.
I just don't get it - you hire a car in your own name and address provide your credit card details - then report the card stolen to avoid charges be they legitimate or otherwise. I don't see how you think it's going to work....
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So does attempting to get me to pay £780 count as criminal deception and would/should the police be interested ?
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May well be. I'd certainly want to know the why and wherefore if I was you.
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"Potentially Evasion of liability - Section 2 Theft Act 1978 - one of a range of Criminal Deception offences."
Replace by Fraud Act 2006 ??????????
Section 2 Fraud by false representation
(1) A person is in breach of this section if he?
(a) dishonestly makes a false representation, and
(b) intends, by making the representation?
(i) to make a gain for himself or another, or
(ii) to cause loss to another or to expose another to a risk of loss.
(2) A representation is false if?
(a) it is untrue or misleading, and
(b) the person making it knows that it is, or might be, untrue or misleading.
Having said that it could be argued that it was a crime prevention tactic to stop someone stiffing your card without your knowledge.
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Thanks Fullchat. What do I know?, I only work with the law every day...
Pug, there aren't any 'deception' offences anymore!
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You're right I'm still working in the old money !
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There's method in my madness. If I report the card lost it would be the banks liability if they accept a payment on it, not mine. It stops the hire company (usually abroad for me) from behaving in an unscrupulous way and taking any 'excess' charges. But you all do what you want!! I'm the man that's quartered a solictors divorce fee, halved a conveyancing fee and got £500 compensation from the banking ombudsman for my banks error that they failed to recognise. Oh, and £100 for a tyre from the council for their pothole. I'm certainly not a serial complainer, but don't think I've been had over, and it ain't gonna start with some car hire company!
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