So do you think I was conned ?
Discussion
I will not say which supercar hire firm at the moment but please read my post and give your thoughts------
I have recently hired an Aston Martin vantage V8 and I got a great last minute price.
I collected the car and was shown over and a few marks on the various bumpers and seats were high-lighted and marked on the sheet before I paid a £3000 deposit in cash.
The car over the next 5 days was either being driven or in my locked garage at my home or a private carport at a hotel, it was for 45 minutes in a public NCP in brighton.
When I returned the car I was present at the inspection but not paying too much notice because I thought there were going to be no problems.
The inspector[who seems to be an owner of the compaany] alerted me to an "old"looking scratch on the drivers side front bumper, I was very surprised, in hindsight Im quite sure that he alerted me to this scratch before I drove the car away but its my fault that I didnt check the pre-hire inventry and this particular scratch was not marked on the said form[ so no leg to stand on really], just my fault for not being more vigilent.
However, as follows is where im struggling to not think I have been conned into losing some more deposit and Im asking you expierienced car people.......
I then walked to rear of the car and whilst my back was turned the inspector then announced that I must have had a souvenir hunter because the aston martin badge from the bonnet was missing, and was informed that obviously this meant withholding more deposit however I was lucky because there was not a scratch on the bodywprk where the badge was lifted from, I found this odd. Aston told me,when i phoned them that it would be nigh on impossible to get the badge off without scarcting it if a glue-reducing heat machine was not moved. Im sure the inspector knew it to be loosly on and a quick tug would remove it[whilst i was looking the other way.
He said hed keep back £400 that he then reduced to £300 and said hed forward any surplace after getting repairs done.
Deep breath ! so after all that -do you tink it is possible to remove an aston martin badge that was properly fixed to the bonnet without proper tools without scratching the surface ? and did supercar owner see me coming ?
Thank you for reading.
I have recently hired an Aston Martin vantage V8 and I got a great last minute price.
I collected the car and was shown over and a few marks on the various bumpers and seats were high-lighted and marked on the sheet before I paid a £3000 deposit in cash.
The car over the next 5 days was either being driven or in my locked garage at my home or a private carport at a hotel, it was for 45 minutes in a public NCP in brighton.
When I returned the car I was present at the inspection but not paying too much notice because I thought there were going to be no problems.
The inspector[who seems to be an owner of the compaany] alerted me to an "old"looking scratch on the drivers side front bumper, I was very surprised, in hindsight Im quite sure that he alerted me to this scratch before I drove the car away but its my fault that I didnt check the pre-hire inventry and this particular scratch was not marked on the said form[ so no leg to stand on really], just my fault for not being more vigilent.
However, as follows is where im struggling to not think I have been conned into losing some more deposit and Im asking you expierienced car people.......
I then walked to rear of the car and whilst my back was turned the inspector then announced that I must have had a souvenir hunter because the aston martin badge from the bonnet was missing, and was informed that obviously this meant withholding more deposit however I was lucky because there was not a scratch on the bodywprk where the badge was lifted from, I found this odd. Aston told me,when i phoned them that it would be nigh on impossible to get the badge off without scarcting it if a glue-reducing heat machine was not moved. Im sure the inspector knew it to be loosly on and a quick tug would remove it[whilst i was looking the other way.
He said hed keep back £400 that he then reduced to £300 and said hed forward any surplace after getting repairs done.
Deep breath ! so after all that -do you tink it is possible to remove an aston martin badge that was properly fixed to the bonnet without proper tools without scratching the surface ? and did supercar owner see me coming ?
Thank you for reading.
I know a couple of Aston owners who have got tired of having the badges removed by pillocks, so they have had the replacement Aston badges made with magnetic backs on them. They stick like s
t to a blanket on the move but are painlessly removed when needs be ( car parks and when left unattended for long periods). Sounds like this guy knows this, and does the "removal" to con punters.
t to a blanket on the move but are painlessly removed when needs be ( car parks and when left unattended for long periods). Sounds like this guy knows this, and does the "removal" to con punters.Thanks for your replies.
Interestingly, they wanted a 4k deposit but I only had 3k cash on me and no credit card. They apparently called insurance company who said for a £30 charge, they could accept 3k. however, he never changed the hiring contract form which still states i paid a 4k deposit.
Where the badge came off, i do remember it looking a little rusty....thoughts?
So far, he's made £330. nice
Reckon I should name and shame?
Will upload scratch photo later.
Interestingly, they wanted a 4k deposit but I only had 3k cash on me and no credit card. They apparently called insurance company who said for a £30 charge, they could accept 3k. however, he never changed the hiring contract form which still states i paid a 4k deposit.
Where the badge came off, i do remember it looking a little rusty....thoughts?
So far, he's made £330. nice
Reckon I should name and shame?
Will upload scratch photo later.
I had the badges levered off my Elise by some And whilst there were no marks around the badge, there were underneath. Badge theft is very common - I didn't notice till the day after when I was washing the car. Not that I'm saying the guy didn't lever them off whilst you had your back turned! Then again, there's no way to prove it either way (unless you have photos?).
And whilst there were no marks around the badge, there were underneath. Badge theft is very common - I didn't notice till the day after when I was washing the car. Not that I'm saying the guy didn't lever them off whilst you had your back turned! Then again, there's no way to prove it either way (unless you have photos?).WasEYEconned said:
Thanks for your replies.
Interestingly, they wanted a 4k deposit but I only had 3k cash on me and no credit card. They apparently called insurance company who said for a £30 charge, they could accept 3k. however, he never changed the hiring contract form which still states i paid a 4k deposit.
Where the badge came off, i do remember it looking a little rusty....thoughts?
So far, he's made £330. nice
Reckon I should name and shame?
Will upload scratch photo later.
I hate it when I only have 3k cash on me.Interestingly, they wanted a 4k deposit but I only had 3k cash on me and no credit card. They apparently called insurance company who said for a £30 charge, they could accept 3k. however, he never changed the hiring contract form which still states i paid a 4k deposit.
Where the badge came off, i do remember it looking a little rusty....thoughts?
So far, he's made £330. nice
Reckon I should name and shame?
Will upload scratch photo later.
Are hire car companies (at all levels) regulated in any way?
Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but I'd suspect that there are a lot of cars circulating out there that have the same scratch "appear" each time that the car is hired by someone, and an additional charge made.
Is there any body that could get access to previous return inspection forms to ensure that this damage is new to this period of hire, and never recorded on any previous form?
Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but I'd suspect that there are a lot of cars circulating out there that have the same scratch "appear" each time that the car is hired by someone, and an additional charge made.
Is there any body that could get access to previous return inspection forms to ensure that this damage is new to this period of hire, and never recorded on any previous form?
This is why I would never hire an exoctic motor. Seems to be a con of offering a cheap deal only to stitch you up on the return.
A hire car company took £600 holding deposit off my bank current account. Being on holiday this posed a slight issue. A quick call to my bank and it was removed.
You can then contest anything after the event, but trying to negociate when they have you cash is impossible.
They sent me a letter charging for fuel, obviously they could not take it from my card so sent an invoice. A quick letter stating the fact it was returned as I received and no one was at the airport to check it in, they waived it. As well as the fact which I found more surprising they had not picked up on is that I had a 0mph smack with a bus driver who simply drove off. The offside bumper had been bent outwards!!
A hire car company took £600 holding deposit off my bank current account. Being on holiday this posed a slight issue. A quick call to my bank and it was removed.
You can then contest anything after the event, but trying to negociate when they have you cash is impossible.
They sent me a letter charging for fuel, obviously they could not take it from my card so sent an invoice. A quick letter stating the fact it was returned as I received and no one was at the airport to check it in, they waived it. As well as the fact which I found more surprising they had not picked up on is that I had a 0mph smack with a bus driver who simply drove off. The offside bumper had been bent outwards!!
Edited by UncappedTag on Thursday 10th December 13:17
WasEYEconned said:
So do you think I was conned ?
Probably, yes.But I will thank you for bringing it to my attention as I was considering hiring a F430 next summer and if I do I will now make sure I take a video of the collection/pre-existing dent ceremony and also of the return. In any event I'd ensure the deposit was on plastic.
A salutory lesson and I'm sorry (but grateful) that I might benefit from your loss here.
AB said:
I'd be saying listen mate, I gave you £4k cash (get rid of this post ASAP) and demanding it back. Tell him he signed for receipt of the cash and that there is an easy way and a hard way to rectify this...
Because conning him instead of him conning you makes it right...
I appreciate that the OP has been conned (IMO!), but screwing him doesn't make it right.
I'm surprised nobody has suggested what I am now going to say.
Wait till he confirms how much or none of the £300 is left after the repair, maybe even give him a week or two to get it done and then contact him being nice. When he confirms its sorted ask him for copies of the receipts for the badge and repair. If he is genuine he will let you have them no probs, if he wiggles you know he is having your leg up.
then tell him politely you are going to trading standards to start shouting, he wont want that.
Wait till he confirms how much or none of the £300 is left after the repair, maybe even give him a week or two to get it done and then contact him being nice. When he confirms its sorted ask him for copies of the receipts for the badge and repair. If he is genuine he will let you have them no probs, if he wiggles you know he is having your leg up.
then tell him politely you are going to trading standards to start shouting, he wont want that.
LukeBird said:
AB said:
I'd be saying listen mate, I gave you £4k cash (get rid of this post ASAP) and demanding it back. Tell him he signed for receipt of the cash and that there is an easy way and a hard way to rectify this...
Because conning him instead of him conning you makes it right...
I appreciate that the OP has been conned (IMO!), but screwing him doesn't make it right.
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