Recently went t Finland on business and hired a car, rented a Focus got a Opel people carrier
Three days later I returned the car to the airport, the man on the desk accepted the keys
Now my credit card has been charged for an extra £135, as a switch in the rear was damaged and the aerial was missing.
OK picked the car in the dark, checked it best I can but the only time I opened the back door was to put a jacket on the back seat and to take it out again. The aerial was there when I left it
It is the firs time I ever been charged by a rental company.
But how can they get away with retro charging
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You need to check the vehicle over with them present when it is returned. And check it carefully when collecting it. Anything damaged or missing needs noting.
Last time I did a private hire I noted damage (remote car park) so phoned them to ask what to do. They said all was noted so I took pictures just in case.
Last time I had a car via work in the UK, there were problems which I made them aware of before I drove off. Then saw more and phoned them later.
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Just call the credit card issuer and ask for a chargeback to be placed on the unauthorised transaction.
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Before the company would have any chance of claiming, they'd have to produce a document showing you had inspected and noted any defects present at the time you took the car.
Without this they can whistle.
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Hamsafar, somewhere in the document you sign you will be authorising them to charge your card with almost all and any of the charges which may arise from your hire of the car.
Lygonos, simlarly I think that by signing the hire document you are signing that you have inspected and agreed the damage to the car, before you are anywhere near it or have seen it.
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AS, been there and done that and had the excess of the written off hire car charged.
When you accept the vehicle and sign you need to check it over. If you don't then you're accepting it surely?
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"picked the car in the dark, checked it best I can "
Onus is on the CHC to prove the car was clean before the hirer got it.
Any reasonable company will physically go round the car with you before you sign.
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AS been there and done that and had the excess of the written off hire car charged. When you accept the vehicle and sign you need to check it over. If you don't then you're accepting it surely?
I have hired many cars over the years and yes you point out the obvious defects, body scratches, missing number plates, ripped seats, but you can not check everything
Surly the opposite is also true the car hire company should check the car back
Even if it did break while I had it, occasionally things break on cars. surly I can not be held responsible for that, the car is under warranty, they should take it back to Opel, although I have no idea how it was broken.
Another thing is why can you not choose your make of car with car hire companies.
I have long since given up asking, but recall once asking for a mondeo "oh no, we can not guarantee you the car you want". On arrived in Poland and was handed the keys to a Peugeot, which was parked next to a Mondeo. Out comes the guy who was stood behind me in the queue and gets into the Mondeo.
Edited by julie page on 06/11/2009 at 00:24
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Out comes the guy who was stood behind me in the queue and gets into the Mondeo.
And he was probably casting envious glances at the Peugeot which you were given.
I don't know why other agencies don't adopt Alamo's policy of letting you choose any car they happen to have in the appropriate category.
However, on one occasion, Hertz in Munich Airport offered me a choice.
Since it was Fiat Panda or Peugeot 107 it wasn't that exciting.
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>>Even if it did break while I had it, occasionally things break on cars. surly I can not be held responsible for that, the car is under warranty, they should take it back to Opel, although I have no idea how it was broken.
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I have had faulty cars abroad from the major hire companies.
e.g. 25 miles from JFK airport New York I found a headlight pointing at the ground. It had been bodged.
Aircon failed on a brand new car.
I adjusted the boywork on hire car last year. £30 admin fee was the cost to me but days off the road and a body shop for the hire co.
I know someone , ill advised, opted out of CDW in the USA.
After her return her card got hit with megga $$$s for damage and loss of car hire earnings.
I agree a price in UK that includes all extras ( hence just £30 if in an accident). I always hire from one of the big two.
>>Another thing is why can you not choose your make of car with car hire companies.
It depends what brands they have on the fleet on the day or that year etc.
I had a choice of three brands last month and chose a lemon. I changed it after 24 hours.
Every year I hire from the same office and every year the fleet can be any brand(s)
I suspect a regular customer is more likely to get a car of their choice.
A few years ago I had the choice of ONE car only - the only one left out of a big fleet.
It was not a good vehicle but the other hire cos were also out of cars.l
Government members had hoovered up all the others.
Last year, in spite of checking, my free ugrade almost new MB A class, it only moved five feet and an eagle eyed lad spotted a small bulge in on of the run flats.
I had to turn down, to the horror of my teenage son, a free upgrade to a BMW 3 series well equiped convertible. This was after two previously presented cars with significant faults were obvious rejects before I had sat in them.
( I had to point out that yes it did have four seats and yes it was fantastic but only one of our four cases would fit in the boot)
happy hiring.
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"But how can they get away with retro-charging ?"
Car rental firms, just like hotels, are allowed by the credit/charge card companies to put through what's known as a "late charge" after the customer has left.
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And sometimes hotels forget to charge your card properly (despite chasing them) - i.e. they pre-authorise but then mess it up.
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Nobody moans then do they ?
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I did - and chased it a few times.... company expenses which I got paid for and the hotel kept failing to take! I wonder how long it would have been before they never could take the money?
But no - nobody likely to complain normally.
I hope my hire van goes back okay tomorrow after clearing the cellars and garage.
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I hired a van to move some stuff around - it was a Renault Master - 57 plate LWB - very dinged about. Every ding was duly noted and I added a disclaimer to any pre-existing damage on the roof (as it couldn't be seen !) Brought the van back and it was inspected, the hirer chap said he knew his van's and handed back my CC voucher. I have a Tesco CC with a reasonably low credit limit of 2.5k - I keep it low to reduce it being scammed either in person or on the net....
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My hire van is a lowly Renault Kangoo. Unladen height is 5' 11". Barrier at the tip is 6' 1". Yes you could ask them to move it to get a transit in but I'll make a few more trips.
I say lowly though .... it seems to drive well. Very car like.
Good idea about the limit for CC and scammers. Mine are low anyway - I try not to use them apart from online shopping and booking holidays (extra protection).
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The Renault was a very very good drive as well. The other option would be to get one of these pre-paid Credit Cards I suppose. I'll try and find a link.
www.what-prepaid-card.co.uk/
Edited by Pugugly on 07/11/2009 at 21:54
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I imagine that the car rental firms are applying rules on damage etc to the utmost degree in order to earn extra cash from rentals.
The big firms' profitability has been hit by the economic downturn which has led to fewer rentals. They have also faced difficulty in raising cash from the banks to pay for new vehicles.
It means that in the UK (and some mainland European too, I believe) rental fleets have become smaller and the cars are remaining in service for longer.
Go back a couple of years and a major UK firm might only keep a vehicle on its fleet for six months. Now it's a year or more. One multi-national firm based in the UK keeps its vehicles on the fleet for 18 months or even longer.
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My hire van is a lowly Renault Kangoo. Unladen height is 5' 11". Barrier at the tip is 6' 1". Yes you could ask them to move it to get a transit in but I'll make a few more trips. I say lowly though .... it seems to drive well. Very car like.
The Nissan-badged Kangoo I hired this summer drove well too. But it was a very hot and sticky day, and the wretched thing had no aircon, and I did 500 miles that day. NowWheels became NowVerySweaty :(
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I rent cars frequently and always check the car out thoroughly when I collect it and have it checked over on my return. When I have had the most problems is when the car is returned dirty. When I have returned the car clean, any queries are always given in my favour as they have no need to 'service' the car before the next renter.
When I have had an after charge, I have always queried with the credit card co and got my money back.
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My Kangoo has not air-con.... not much use today. Although windows steamed up a bit. My car wouldn't do that with climate.
But I'd not have put what I have in this car in mine - but I usually. Increased size was useful too. Company car drivers eh.
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- very dinged about.
To my mind that's the best kind of hire vehicle. My heart sinks when I'm given something that looks brand-new - any little mark will stand out.
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This firm has a fleet of shiny new Transits - I was rather relived when the Renault stepped out of the ranks - despite its appearance a solid van which returned good economy. (A tenner's diesel for 65 miles)
Edited by Pugugly on 08/11/2009 at 10:59
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