HIre Cars & Stone Chips - Being charged.
Discussion
Just had a call from a mate who hired a Sirocco over the Christmas period. After he had returned it he was billed nearly £600 for repairs to a stone chip. After requesting pictures of said chips they then reduced the bill to £60 plus a £12 admin fee.
He's feeling a bit outraged at both the size of the initial bill and the fact that he's being charged for one small stone chip, smaller than a raindrop bead as he feels it's fair wear and tear. The chip is on the side of the car near the wing mirror, so it's not even as though he was tailgating someone and getting the car peppered with stones.
Has anybody else been charged like this or should he just tell them to take a hike?
Picture below.
He's feeling a bit outraged at both the size of the initial bill and the fact that he's being charged for one small stone chip, smaller than a raindrop bead as he feels it's fair wear and tear. The chip is on the side of the car near the wing mirror, so it's not even as though he was tailgating someone and getting the car peppered with stones.
Has anybody else been charged like this or should he just tell them to take a hike?
Picture below.
Tell them to take him to the small claims,I would,its little things like this that niggle me and I wouldn't let go.You hear time after time stories like this from hire companies taking the p5ss.If he left his credit card as deposit,also put a hold on his account with them too as a dispute
HTH
P
HTH
P
Why on earth would they try and make you pay for that!? It's not your fault it happened, it's just a consequence of driving! I don't know about you guys, but I would put stone chips down to wear and tear, and not lack of care. If the original, 100,000 mile clutch started slipping whilst the car was being hired by you, would they try and push the bill onto you also?
aucklander said:
i work for one of the big hire firms and its almost unheard of to repair little stonechips like that
I guess that's kind of my point. I can hardly see them reparing it every time there is a stone chip, so why the excessive charges!? I can't see them EVER repainting the car unless it is involved in an accident.
Use Avis at work all the time. If they had charged previous drivers £60, never mind £600 for every stone chip present on the cars they deliver to me then they would probably rake in more than the cars worth over a hire cars life in stone chips alone.
Afaik Avis only charge for marks over 2.5cm, Have to be careful as there is talk of changing to another company at work.
Afaik Avis only charge for marks over 2.5cm, Have to be careful as there is talk of changing to another company at work.
MarkyZer said:
Use Avis at work all the time. If they had charged previous drivers £60, never mind £600 for every stone chip present on the cars they deliver to me then they would probably rake in more than the cars worth over a hire cars life in stone chips alone.
Afaik Avis only charge for marks over 2.5cm, Have to be careful as there is talk of changing to another company at work.
Have you seen what they charge if you don't give the car back with a full tank? It was something like £3.02 a litre (exc VAT!) - not to mention their collision excess, which was £11,000. Afaik Avis only charge for marks over 2.5cm, Have to be careful as there is talk of changing to another company at work.
That said, they do have some nice cars in the fleet - have you driven one of their Giuliettas yet? I had one for a few months and it was a cracking car.
sebhaque said:
Have you seen what they charge if you don't give the car back with a full tank? It was something like £3.02 a litre (exc VAT!) - not to mention their collision excess, which was £11,000.
That said, they do have some nice cars in the fleet - have you driven one of their Giuliettas yet? I had one for a few months and it was a cracking car.
Yeah their refuelling charges are a little mental I gota agree. Easy enough to take it back full, 4 years of using them twice a month to get to/from the airport and I think I got stung once. All ours are insured on Company rather than using Avis Ins.That said, they do have some nice cars in the fleet - have you driven one of their Giuliettas yet? I had one for a few months and it was a cracking car.
Work always hires us Group B s
te, 207/polo etc even 4 up with luggage on a 300 mile trip. Last time we travelled 3 up we asked for a bigger car and got one from the group above, a frigging 1.4 Astra sport hatch. It was like the black hole of Calcutta in the back of that for 5 hours. Next time we get 3 cars and race 
Still, at least they have no nissan notes on their fleet now, that was a low.
I always feel sad driving past the Prestige rank on my way out of Avis Heathrow looking at the RRS, XKR's and sometimes R8's etc.
No way I would pay that. Complete bull s##t.
I've had them try and charge me £500 for a missing spare wheel that wasn't there on the first place.
I rent cars about 4 times per month.
I believe there are a number of employee scams that go on which I've only experienced in the UK.
Contact head office and complain.
If they don't want your future business for the sake of £72 pounds then they are a joke. Not to mention your recommendations in the future to friends, family and work colleagues.
I've had them try and charge me £500 for a missing spare wheel that wasn't there on the first place.
I rent cars about 4 times per month.
I believe there are a number of employee scams that go on which I've only experienced in the UK.
Contact head office and complain.
If they don't want your future business for the sake of £72 pounds then they are a joke. Not to mention your recommendations in the future to friends, family and work colleagues.
Desiato said:
Just had a call from a mate who hired a Sirocco over the Christmas period. After he had returned it he was billed nearly £600 for repairs to a stone chip. After requesting pictures of said chips they then reduced the bill to £60 plus a £12 admin fee.
He's feeling a bit outraged at both the size of the initial bill and the fact that he's being charged for one small stone chip, smaller than a raindrop bead as he feels it's fair wear and tear. The chip is on the side of the car near the wing mirror, so it's not even as though he was tailgating someone and getting the car peppered with stones.
Has anybody else been charged like this or should he just tell them to take a hike?
Picture below.
Spain, Italy, Greece or England?He's feeling a bit outraged at both the size of the initial bill and the fact that he's being charged for one small stone chip, smaller than a raindrop bead as he feels it's fair wear and tear. The chip is on the side of the car near the wing mirror, so it's not even as though he was tailgating someone and getting the car peppered with stones.
Has anybody else been charged like this or should he just tell them to take a hike?
Picture below.
I always take photos of every panel on a hire car when I first get it. I just don't trust these companies to play fair. Trying to extort £600 for a stone chip is ridiculous. I returned a contract hire vehicle with a broken bumper bracket once and they took £340 off me to fix it. Will never do business with them again which has cost them a lot more in the long run.
I work for one of the big firms and will give you my suggestion of both sides of the story:
Hire firm: he will have signed a contract stating no damage to that panel. Now there is visible damage which has been found at the end of the rental it is his responsibility. That much will be pretty watertight and all dealt with by legal and binding contracts which your mate will have signed. They are not under any obligation to repair minor damage so long as they can prove that the damage will negatively impact the value of the car when it is removed from fleet - and it will.
Your mate: tiny damage, doesn't look worth noting, would probably be overlooked by 90% of rental agents (before all you crazy self professed PH experts chime in with your taking pictures and you're all out to charge customers for damage attitude). The 600 was his excess which they've now taken down to a minor damage charge realising how pitifully small the damage is. It's not a huge sum of money and is less than your solicitor would charge for a letter that serves no purpose.
What now? Speak to the branch / area / risk / loss control manager and argue your case. Ask for previous contracts to be checked and confirm it hasn't previously been marked on a rental agreement. Kick up a small stink if you like, but don't make up.stuff and don't pretend that it couldn't possibly have happened whilst in your care - they might refund the charge for an easy life.
I would.
Hire firm: he will have signed a contract stating no damage to that panel. Now there is visible damage which has been found at the end of the rental it is his responsibility. That much will be pretty watertight and all dealt with by legal and binding contracts which your mate will have signed. They are not under any obligation to repair minor damage so long as they can prove that the damage will negatively impact the value of the car when it is removed from fleet - and it will.
Your mate: tiny damage, doesn't look worth noting, would probably be overlooked by 90% of rental agents (before all you crazy self professed PH experts chime in with your taking pictures and you're all out to charge customers for damage attitude). The 600 was his excess which they've now taken down to a minor damage charge realising how pitifully small the damage is. It's not a huge sum of money and is less than your solicitor would charge for a letter that serves no purpose.
What now? Speak to the branch / area / risk / loss control manager and argue your case. Ask for previous contracts to be checked and confirm it hasn't previously been marked on a rental agreement. Kick up a small stink if you like, but don't make up.stuff and don't pretend that it couldn't possibly have happened whilst in your care - they might refund the charge for an easy life.
I would.
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