Reply to: Hired car scam

[DS23]

Well, you shouldn't have been such a ejit and taken the car they were offering. If it was that tulipe, you should have left it there.

wcms

[SneakySimon]

Credit Card

The key thing in your favour is that you paid via your credit card. I worked on credit card for around 8 years so know a fair amount about the process, especially chargebacks.

What your credit card company has done is called a chargeback - essentially they are disputing the transaction(s) with the company.

Next steps from here are car company can either accept the chargeback and it disappears from your card. Or, they can say the transaction was correct, they have to provide more infomation (signed contracts, info on what happened etc). At this stage your credit card company will then consult you and you can either reject what they say and they charge it back again or accept the transactions.

If it goes back to the car company, they have a final opportunity to defend themselves, otherwise it goes up to Visa / Mastercard to decide upon where the transactions should go. They usually tend to favour the cardholder and the fact your credit card company have taken on the chargeback is a good sign as there is a risk to them that they may end up taking the hit.

The above can take a bit of time as each stage, the side has (I think from memory) around 21 days to respond and in my experience, will try to take the 21 days.

Sounds like it is going to get sorted and you will get the money back.

[cailin maith]

The car was riddled with panel damage and scratches, the bumber was not secured correctly, but now noticed that not all are noted on the contract form (as there are too many damages to get correctly logged!!)

Well, you shouldn't have been such a ejit and taken the car they were offering. If it was that tulipe, you should have left it there.

[Wilmslow]

WHS. I always go for a fook off big 4x4, biggest they have. I wouldn't want to be amongst Spanish drivers in a Fiesta. Death wish.

All sorted - Managed to speak to somebody from the company who was happy to give me her email address.

Sent the pics I ok of oil filled engine bay to Company Director who agreed to refund all charges. They wrongly assumed clutch neglect, instead of getting mchanic to inspect the car.

Just a case of waiting to see if the money does indeed materialise into my account.........

[DimPrawn]

Who hires a fiesta-class car anyway? Surely that's a sure sign that you're a loser, and that they can dump any old carp on you?

I had absolutely no problems with the E-class that I hired in S.A. this year. Other than it wasnt a 5-series as requested.

WHS. I always go for a fook off big 4x4, biggest they have. I wouldn't want to be amongst Spanish drivers in a Fiesta. Death wish.

[v8gaz]

Who hires a fiesta-class car anyway? Surely that's a sure sign that you're a loser, and that they can dump any old carp on you?

I had absolutely no problems with the E-class that I hired in S.A. this year. Other than it wasnt a 5-series as requested.

[PAH]

Have any stories involved spaghetti yet?

Why do it for real when you can make it all up.

[eek]

One word: permie.


[Contractors: Looking down on permies since the word was invented. ]

Nah: one word: story

He does stupid things to generate stories to talk about. While most people use proper companies and so don't have to worry about possible disasters he seeks them out to provide tulip to post on here.

[PAH]

One word: permie.


[Contractors: Looking down on permies since the word was invented. ]

[Mason Boyne]

Why on earth did you drive it away? Surely the airport where you landed had numerous other options for car hire?

Good point.

It was a pre-paid voucher so would have meant shelling out another couple of hundred on top of the 70 already paid.

Should have done that though with hindsight.

Why fly to spain and then drive to Perpignan?

You can get a direct flight from Manchester.

Surely an international jet-setter like yourself is a member of Hertz #1, Europcar etc. why piss about with mickey-mouse companies?

[Lockhouse]

Sorry to hear about your experience. Hope you get a result.

I am paranoid about hiring cars - I always get the insurance where I don't need to check for scratches and stuff as it's already covered. They just give me the car and I drive off. When I get back I just give them the keys. The only thing I won't do is drive off in a car I'm not happy with, I'll always try and blag an upgrade even for the slightest problem.

[Freamon]

Good point.

It was a pre-paid voucher so would have meant shelling out another couple of hundred on top of the 70 already paid.

Should have done that though with hindsight.

A pre-paid voucher means you've bought a service, if the only car they were offering you was a complete shed they weren't really providing the service promised. Assuming you bought the voucher with a credit card I would have disputed it through them.

[Wilmslow]

Why on earth did you drive it away? Surely the airport where you landed had numerous other options for car hire?

Good point.

It was a pre-paid voucher so would have meant shelling out another couple of hundred on top of the 70 already paid.

Should have done that though with hindsight.

[Freamon]

The car was riddled with panel damage and scratches, the bumber was not secured correctly, but now noticed that not all are noted on the contract form (as there are too many damages to get correctly logged!!)

Why on earth did you drive it away? Surely the airport where you landed had numerous other options for car hire?

[PAH]

You cannot offer advice before the fact after the fact? Unless. Anyone have a time machine???

My hot tub's in transit. Currently in the 1970s at some playboy mansion full of bunnies, apparently.