Help and advice with rip off car rental company ( not stag related)

[paulbell6]

Hi all I am after a little help or advice from the oracle that is the forum please.
My son came home from Germany last weekend for Mother's Day and had to hire a car from Heathrow to get to Nottingham. The car was brand new with only 8 miles on the clock but unfortunately somehow it got scratched just on the back wing. It was a small scratch which looked like it had been done with a hand bag as it was quite high. On its return the rental company instantly charged his credit card to the sum of £750 and told him that they would work out the actual costs to make the repair, and refund him the difference.
Their quoted costs are
Panel repair £287.50 plus vat
Blend and paint panel £184 plus vat
Damage service fee £40 plus vat

total cost £613.80

to me the scratch looked as if it may t cut out but even so £600 plus for a small scratch repair!

i get the feeling that this company are trying it on and my son has had quite a few contradictory e mails from them trying to validate what they are claiming. First they claim the money is for repairs and then they say it is for compensation for loss of value when they send the car back.

So my internet buddies does anyone know what we could possibly do?
I would like to hire the same car again and have it repaired but I am sure that will not be allowed.
would there be any legal action we could take against this company who seem to be in a position where they can make up any figure that they like and we just have to put up and shut up.

thanks in advance guys

[Guest]

Paul, I suppose it all comes down to the smallprint in the T's & C's your son signed. Often the hirer asks if you want to pay an additional payment against accidental damage - assume that wasn't the case here?

[GDPR]

One of the reasons why I use a company that begins with E. They class any damage under 3 inches non-damage.

Another reason, apart them not caring in the case of your company, is to scare you and everyone you know into their extortionate extra CDW....

Tell them you want an independent estimate and if they don't, offer them £100 in full and final settlement, then take up the charges with your credit card company - always worth a punt....

[paulbell6]

We have asked for copies of the details regarding the repairs but as yet they are not forthcoming. Unfortunately they have taken the £750 straight off the credit card and having spoken to the cc company they cannot help!
Might just go and smash the place up!

thanks

paul

[saffronstag]

Paul,

Having worked in the rental industry in years gone by, they won't repair cosmetic damage until he car is returned and if the damage is minor like you say it will either be classed as 'fair wear and tear' or a 'smart repair method will be used at a much lower cost than they've suggested.

Is the rental company a member of the BVRLA? If they are they will use their guide on what is damage and what is not, have a look at their website http://www.bvrla.co.uk/advice/consumer-advice there is a code of conduct for members and a conciliation service.

The guide states that scratches and abrasions up to 25mm are acceptable, relative to the vehicle’s age and mileage, and provided the primer or bare metal is not showing. You can download a PDF of the guide for reference from various lease companies http://issuu.com/bfwsn67/docs/fwt_20...001091/6265927 and I believe it also applies to rental companies.

Good luck
Andy

[Stagsongas]

Paul,

I recommend you alsotake advice from the Credit Card company involved, after doing some homework. Any use of a CC is strictly regulated by the Consumer Credit Act, and you have the right to dispute any charges made to your card. I won't go through all details here as the 'net will give you plenty of info. on the Act and how it applies (or not) to your grievance. Carefully chosen Google words will get you where you need to be both in terms of your rights and how to progress.

Good Luck with this, I dislike rip-offs of any kind and this seems to measure up from what you wrote.

Regards

Steve

[SaskStag]

What a nightmare. I hate renting cars because of the extortionate CDW, but usually don't select it and end up spending the entire time worrying about the car. I will also be picking a rental car up on Tuesday from Heathrow. For peace of mind, I checked with my cc company to see if it covered a rental car outside of Canada, and the answer was no. As Steve says, might be an idea to check your cc company when renting a car outside of your home country.

My bank offered a cc which explicitly describes CDW coverage and what to do if the car is damaged, but came with an annual fee. The card blurb tells me not to select the rental company's insurance. I decided to go for the annual fee cc to get the CDW, and they waived the annual fee for the first year.

Hopefully, no such hassle, but we'll see....
Tanya

[paulbell6]

Thanks for the replies everyone, Andy, some good info there to have a look at on those two sites, and Steve I will try the cc company again.

many thanks

paul

[Stagsongas]

Thanks for the replies everyone, Andy, some good info there to have a look at on those two sites, and Steve I will try the cc company again.

many thanks

paul

Paul,

Just remember that it may be cheaper and far less work for the CC company to fob you off with some excuse or other, but they are firmly bound by rules under the Consumer Credit Act and (probably) the Latest Banking legislation. You may find that by simply registering a dispute of the charge with them, the process will be activated - but you need to be on firm ground.

Better to establish your rights in Law and be able to confidently quote them when next speaking with the CC rep. in a calm manner. You'll do that by internet research and printing the info. and sources beforehand.

Regards

Steve

[KansasCityMilkman]

pm sent

[MissMoppet]

NEVER buy insurance via the rental company. Book in advance with someone like www.icarhireinsurance.com priced from £4 a day, £40 a year. Admittedly I've never had to claim but reports are very good - and you can easily save £200 for say 10 day's hire.