We hired a vehicle from Avis in Cape Town in November, 2005. Upon our return, an additional charge was made to our credit card. We were informed this was an 'administration fee' in respect of a fine incurred. Supporting evidence was promised. After many emails pursuing this, we received a copy of a printout on plain white paper. This cited a speeding offence in a make of vehicle which we did not hire, in an area we did not visit, on dates we were not in the country and was, in fact, a second reminder for for an offence which had occured eighteen months' before. After a correspondence lasting five months, AVIS agreed to refund this charge but have still not done so for the full amount! - Lesley McAllister, Bristol
In December, 2004, we paid for and booked two cars with Hertz to collect in June, 2005, at 9am at an airport in Spain. We arrived with four adults and three children and joined in a queue for one hour to be advised that our cars "had not been returned yet" along with three or four other couples equally as impressed as we were. We had to sit on the floor as the airport was busy, but four hours later one car was made available - but none car for my sister, husband and three children. So I paid to arrange a car through Europcar at twice the price. We did get the money back for the Europcar hire and the difference in price to the Hertz car was refunded after many phone calls upon our return. We have 40 "dollars" compensation to each of the for parties and this year we will investigate if you can use that on the web site bookings. Watch this space - Karen Leader, Sevenoaks, Kent
At Stockholm Arlanda Airport, I had a pre-paid voucher for car hire, was given an Avis car and returned it without any problem. A week later I received a letter from Avis stating that they had deducted the full cost of hire as I had not paid. I had apparantly had not passed in the voucher, but as I pointed out, would they have let me take the car away without it? I managed to get a duplicate voucher from the poeple I hired the car from and sent it to them. They then agreed a refund was due, many weeks later. The latest with Avis was in March when I hired a car from Tenerife airport - a small "scratch" on the body work cost me £187. So I agree with your advice, inspect in full daylight, that side was close to the next car and in the shade! Another time at Florence airport, I returned a car with a full tank. A week later, I received a letter saying that £48 was being deducted for not returning a full tank. Apart from it being full, how could they justify what would have been two or three full tanks of petrol for the size of the car? - Jeanette Nicholls, Plymouth
Last Christmas I hired a car from Alamo/National at Faro airport. I was asked if I wished to purchase the excess insurance at a cost of €93. As the car had cost €106 for one week's rental, I declined. Twenty minutes later in Vilamoura, I found an internet cafe and purchased excess insurance for an annual cost of €70 (regardless of number of trips) - Angela Shuttleworth, Preston
I have come across the 'scratch' problem a number of times over the last few years. I hired a car from Avis last Saturday. In the relative gloom of the multistory car park at Manchester there were no visible scratches anywhere. Later in broad daylight a very small scratch on the driver's door was just visible in sunlight. It will be interesting to see if they try to charge me for it. I have hired cars for over 50 years now but this 'scratching for a living' problem has become far more prevelant this last 15 years. I once demanded to see the receipt for the 'repair' from Hertz but I never got anywhere - Mike James, Ramsey, Isle of Man
Congratulations on your recent 'End of the road' article which gave good advice and was also succinct and apt. On the advice of a friend I started to use www.carjet.co.uk to hire cars at Almeria airport. In the past 18 months I've hired on eight occasions and I've had no problems. What irks me however is the following: in November last, the car-hire firm insisted I paid by credit card - I had always paid in cash previously, but now all carhire firms at Almeria airport insist on credit card payment. (B) The general policy is that the rental car comes with a full tank which is paid for by the rentee and brought back empty. My own unscientific check suggests that the rental firm charges about €10 more than the actual/real cost of a fill-up (sometimes the 'fill-up' barely reaches the red 'full-up' line) and of course, they also gain when the car is returned as it's unlikely that the rentee will return the car without a few litres of juice left. Keep up the good
work - Dermot, Roscommon, Ireland
Having booked our holiday to Mallorca this year I thought we should hire a car so we could get to see more of the island in June. Unfortunately we will be stuck to taking public transport, as not one car hire firm will let us hire a car without a credit card. Now i have never had one, don't need one and certainly don't want one. Why can't these companies accept a debit card as they are more than happy to do so in the UK? I'm not going to get a credit card just to please a car hire firm - Dave Barker, Ashford, Kent
I was interested to note the letter from Ian James concerning being charged for fuel after the hire car had been returned full. It appears the scam is extending throughout Southern Africa. In February this year I returned a 4x4 to the airport in Windhoek. I double checked it was showing full and this was confirmed by the car returns controller. I was surprised to find the amount of £27 (equivalent to 52 litres) charged to my credit card. On complaining I was given various excuses, including the sudden existence of a second tank. On taking the complaints further, to the regional management and customer relations in South Africa, I was told that the fuel sheet showed that a refuelling had been assigned to the vehicle and nothing more could be done. I’m not certain where the fuel went, but there was certainly no room in the fuel tank of my returned car - Alan Bull, Cheltenham, Gloucs
On returning from Tasmania, I found an extra £176 debited to my credit card by Europcar at Launceston airport, which said was for two dents in the driver door. I disputed this because I had insisted that a representative inspect the vehicle with me at drop-off and she had confirmed all was fine. Then they alleged the damage was only revealed during the 'final inspection when we wash the vehicles'. I challenged this as there was no clause in the contract referring to any 'final inspection'. I adamantly refused to accept their allegation and they refunded the amount. At least the drop-off inspection by their staff strengthened my case, but usually at airports there is no one available to inspect the vehicle with you (and little time). This leaves the customer in a very vulnerable position - Dominic Dennis-Browne, London
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