When you thought car hire companies couldn't get worse

When you thought car hire companies couldn't get worse

Author
Discussion

PF62

Original Poster:

3,575 posts

172 months

Saturday 27th August 2016
quotequote all
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2016/aug/27/dela...

Person books and prepays a rental car.
Flight is two hours late, so he gets to the car hire desk at 4.30 pm not the planned 2.30 pm.
Car hire company tells him they won't give him a car as he is late, but they are keeping his £364.

NordicCrankShaft

1,721 posts

114 months

Sunday 28th August 2016
quotequote all
I really don't understand the part where they say they can no longer hold the car, even though it's already been paid for.How does that work?

I use HolidayAutos everytime I need a hire car back in the UK or abroad.......This will make me think twice now as it's a problem that can easily happen and is out of you're control.

I thought this was the main reason they ask for your flight number if you pre hire at an airport so they can keep an eye on the delays of hire passengers coming in? At least that's what it said when I recently booked a hire car at Gatwick airport.

Puggit

48,355 posts

247 months

Sunday 28th August 2016
quotequote all
We had a hire car through HolidayAutos a couple of weeks ago in Bordeaux. The hire company was Thrifty (part of Hertz).

A week before the holiday I spotted that Mrs Puggit had booked the car for 10am instead of 10pm. A call to HA resulted in the agent attempting to cancel our booking to make a new one. The only stock available meant dropping from a Polo to something smaller (!) with a £60 increase. She asked to speak to the manager who agreed it was plain stupid and called Hertz at BOD for us who said it was no problem and to call on the day at around 10am and they would sort it out.

We called and indeed it was no bother.

Moral of the story? I guess it's to go with a major hire company...

Our next holiday the car is booked through BA and it's using Avis...

Ste1987

1,798 posts

105 months

Sunday 28th August 2016
quotequote all
If you hire a car from an airport branch, don't they ask for your flight number for situations like this?

Mgd_uk

368 posts

103 months

Sunday 28th August 2016
quotequote all
Does that mean he could claim from his holiday insurance as the flight was delayed causing him the need to hire an £800 car instead of the one he booked?

Ste1987

1,798 posts

105 months

Sunday 28th August 2016
quotequote all
Mgd_uk said:
Does that mean he could claim from his holiday insurance as the flight was delayed causing him the need to hire an £800 car instead of the one he booked?
Probably didn't get travel insurance, hence why they've gone to the media about it

blueg33

35,590 posts

223 months

Sunday 28th August 2016
quotequote all
I certainly wouldnt use Holiday Autos if that is their policy. 2 hours is a minimal delay compared with many

baldy1926

2,136 posts

199 months

Sunday 28th August 2016
quotequote all
We hired a car in Sicily last year from one of the big companies.
When i was finishing the paperwork for our car the misses was waiting out side.
She pointed out to another couple a large dent that the staff member was leaning against in an attempt to hide it.
If she had not said anything they could have ended up with a large bill for a dent that was already there.

anonymous-user

53 months

Sunday 28th August 2016
quotequote all
Surely use a credit card and claim a chargeback. Gives you better protection, terms like that of holiday car seem very unfair and I am suprised not covered by the unfair consumer act.

anonymous-user

53 months

Sunday 28th August 2016
quotequote all
The Spruce goose said:
Surely use a credit card and claim a chargeback. Gives you better protection, terms like that of holiday car seem very unfair and I am suprised not covered by the unfair consumer act.
There's an 'Unfair Consumer Act'?

anonymous-user

53 months

Sunday 28th August 2016
quotequote all
I'm not a lawyer so bear with me but

''https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unfair_Terms_in_Consumer_Contracts_Regulations_1999

''Regulation 8 provides that an unfair term "shall not be binding upon the consumer".''


Edited by The Spruce goose on Sunday 28th August 21:08

Mr E

21,583 posts

258 months

Sunday 28th August 2016
quotequote all
I've turned up at the wrong airport (long story) and the major hire car company have had no issues with providing a car.

edo

16,699 posts

264 months

Sunday 28th August 2016
quotequote all
swerni said:
I love the wet teeshirt look
bitty

Glassman

22,501 posts

214 months

Sunday 28th August 2016
quotequote all
edo said:
swerni said:
I love the wet teeshirt look
bitty
rofl

was about to post something far more risque but you've prolly saved me from a ban rofl

downthepub

1,373 posts

205 months

Sunday 28th August 2016
quotequote all
I've arsed up, and have been arsed up thanks to airlines, bookings from Avis and Enterprise down the years. Both companies have been v obliging and happy to make it right. Especially Avis when it meant an upgrade from a booked Focus to a BMW 320d.

However that article when I read it yesterday did make me think twice about being so cavalier with my pick-up timings. My assumption being that it's pre-paid, it's my car and hence I can rock up whenever on the pick-up day to get the car. However I do book directly with the agency, dunno if that makes a difference.

bad company

18,484 posts

265 months

Wednesday 31st August 2016
quotequote all
We always use Hertz, Avis or Sixt and have never had a problem even when our flight has been delayed. Perhaps the moral of the story is that you get what you pay for.

RicksAlfas

13,355 posts

243 months

Wednesday 31st August 2016
quotequote all
My feeling is that the renters look after you much better when you have booked direct with them, rather than through Holiday Autos.

bad company

18,484 posts

265 months

Wednesday 31st August 2016
quotequote all
RicksAlfas said:
My feeling is that the renters look after you much better when you have booked direct with them, rather than through Holiday Autos.
Agree 100%. We mostly use Hertz and have the Gold membership etc. Never had a major problem.

edo

16,699 posts

264 months

Wednesday 31st August 2016
quotequote all
bad company said:
RicksAlfas said:
My feeling is that the renters look after you much better when you have booked direct with them, rather than through Holiday Autos.
Agree 100%. We mostly use Hertz and have the Gold membership etc. Never had a major problem.
This. Ditto using BA Avios.

Picking up a car in Malaga tomorrow from Avis, booked using BA Avios. Supposed to be a group F "VW Touran or similar".

Prizes for guessing what we actually get!

RicksAlfas

13,355 posts

243 months

Wednesday 31st August 2016
quotequote all
edo said:
Prizes for guessing what we actually get!
Fiat 500L.
biggrin

We've just had a car from Sixt. Very good service, but I did smile when I was collecting it. It had been booked and paid for a long time ago, usual Golf/Focus/Astra size. The girl said "how many of you are there?". "Three" I replied, but then quickly added "But we have a lot of luggage" in case she was trying to convince me a Yaris was the latest Golf competitor!