I am still furious with Budget Cars in Eilat, six years on. When I returned a car to them one beautiful evening they couldn't have been nicer. They even ran me back to my hotel. I was too British to demand documentation and it wasn't until I was back home a week later that I discovered they had overcharged me by one and a half days rental. The correspondence that followed was bizarre; they had my money and could afford to say whatever they wanted. Nowadays, everytime I rent a car I write and tell them about it. That reminds me - I owe them an email! - Peter Denenberg, Wigton, Cumbria
I would recommend that everyone hiring a car should check that the tool kit and spare wheel are present. I hired a car from Budget at Stansted and suffered a puncture on the M25 at 5am while returning to the airport. The car had alloy wheels with a locking nut but no tool to remove it. The RAC were also unable to remove it but checked the car to ensure that the tool hadn't been put somewhere other than in the tool kit. The car had to be towed to the airport and we missed our flight. We spent three hours waiting for the Budget manager to turn up, then he dismissed our complaint. With overnight accommodation and rebooked flights, our additional outlays was £700. We eventually sued and recovered our outlay plus court expenses in full. Lessons learned are firstly check wheels and tools-jack, wheelbrace and stud removal tool if there are alloy wheels. Secondly, keep receipts of all expenses and be prepared to sue using the on line court system. It is easy to do and doesn't involve vast expense - John Percival, Edinburgh
Many credit cards, particularly the expensive Premium/Gold ones for which we pay through the nose in some cases, claim that their associated insurance policies offer CDW excess waiver charges, but I have yet to find a car rental company, anywhere, even in the country of issue of any of the credit cards I use, which accepts such cover as valid. One is then forced to either act as one's own insurer for the excess amount, or pay for expensive top up cover to eliminate the risk. Clear answers are never given by either the car rental operators or the credit card companies as each 'passes the buck' to the other. It is this obfuscation and lack of clarity which irritates me more than anything else about the car rental industry. It has improved in the last few years. Congratulations on what you are doing to further improve things - Michael Preston, Cape Town, South Africa
Another scam costing the hirer money came to my attention. I hired a car at Holiday Autos Girona Airport. Shortly after my return I noticed a €600 debit by the hire company. When I checked with Mastercard they told me that it was common for this debit to be made immediately on hiring in case of damage noticed at the end of the hire. There had been no damage and Mastercard were able to tell me that my next statement would be credited with €600. This seemed OK to me and did in fact occur, however what no one had explained was that the initial charge was converted at the sell rate the refund was at the buy rate costing me about £25. I dont know who profited - the car hire company, Mastercard or some intermediate bank but it certainly cost me - Thomas Band, Perth
1. why not state at enquiry stage what is and what is not covered in the deal offered. 2. I have been told when asking for contract details that I can read it on arrival - that's too late and is it not an "unfair term of contract"? 3. Avis USA. I hired a car (booked in UK) for four weeks from Boston last summer on an all inclusive deal - no extras - nor were there any on arrival and no attempt to conjure up any on return. We flew AA and got 10% deduction. Rates competetive. 5. I applaud your efforts to clean this up. I have often hired from small local companies and so far found them OK. Have I just been lucky? 6. www.insurance4carhire.com does not cover beyond 74th year - so this is my last year with them. 7. Some hire companies will not hire to over 60 or 65 - this nothing to do with local laws, just cherry picking! Keep up the pressure - Malcolm McLean, Farnham, Surrey
For two reasons, it is with great interest that I read the customer comments on your "clean up car hire" campaign. Firstly, my efforts to pay only what I am quoted on a car hire has been an ongoing unsuccessful mission. Pushy representatives convince you that the add-on insurance policies are a must, and in some cases compulsory, and fuel must be paid for up front. They rarely check the car when you collect but seem very quick do a microscopic inspection when you return. My favourite experience was a charge to my credit card of £16, when I called to query I was told it was for £1 of fuel £15 refuelling/admin charge. It seems that they will get you one way or another. My second reason for the interest is that living near Bergerac, south west France, I continually heard complaints from visitors about the car hire scams, so much so that from March 1 2006, I formed my own car hire company, buggs car hire. We quote a price to our customers and this is what they pay. Judging by our website hits and order books, we're on the right track. Simon Parr, Bergerac, France
I hired a car from Enterprise at Heathrow airport a couple of years ago. It was late at night and my cursory inspection had to be done in the dark. I drove from the airport to Bath and noticed a wheel trim was damaged when I got out of the car. When I returned the car they wanted to charge me £30 for the damage, which I challenged. They were pretty insistent as it had not been recorded on the outgoing inspection report, but I was equally insistent. Eventually they checked on their computer and found that the previous hirer had been charged the £30 for a damaged wheel trim. I just wonder how many other people were charged for the same wheel trim. Andy Haines, Bath, Somerset
I hired a car from Avis in Los Angeles from April 5 to April 17. Picking up Burbank Airport dropping off LA airport. I am pleased to say that I did not encounter any problems or extra charges on my credit card (although I have kept your article on avoiding car rental scams for future reference). Jimmie MacNamara, Dublin
Just a small addition to your excellent article based upon my own experience of petrol rip-offs. If you go for the "full tank on collection and return" option, you may well find although the fuel gauge registers as full, there is usually space in the tank for a further five litres or more. This reflects the tolerance of most fuel gauges - you may have noticed when the tank is genuinely full, it is possible to drive 30-50 miles before the needle moves off "full". This situation is exploited by car-hire staff to underfill tanks and rip-off customers to the extent off about £5 per hire. I am not sure whether it is the car-hire companies or the employees who are the beneficiaries but the potential scam runs into £millions. Alan Austin, Llandrindod Wells, Powys
Mark Hodson's advice is well received, but of course nullified if the hire car company justs debits your credit card what it likes. This happens to me regularly even after the car has been checked and confirmed OK. The last time was Avis Auckland on April 8. Is there no solution? For instance prepay on the internet and not give them a credit card number before renting? I would feel a lot less stressed on renting a car if I was not forced to give them a blank cheque, i.e. credit card! Patric Cogan, Hailsham
You do not have to venture overseas to be overcharged. My credit card was charged 60 litres at approximately £1 per litre to fill up the car I had returned full - I wrote and complained and played my ace card - the tank capacity was only 45 litres. Accidental damage to a spare tyre/alloy wheel (£300+) claimed 10 days after the car was returned. Again successful as I had had an operation that made it impossible for me to change a wheel so soon after the op. The charge was dropped by return of post - W Stevens, Scotland
I hired a car from Alamo through Carhire3000.com, and paid £2.50 daily excess insurance. When I picked up the car, a man drove it to the door, left the door open and the girl helpfully guided me in. Very polite I thought. On returning the car five days later, having driven it from Bradford to my elderly mother’s in Newhaven, Sussex, I was informed that the driver’s door was dented, this they said must have happened in a car park - although I had not been anywhere near a car park, had parked in my own drive in Bradford and in a parking bay outside my mother’s sheltered bungalow. I was charged the small sum of £35 for the repair. What I find totally amazing was the uncanny speed with which the girl in the office found the dent - in fact she homed in it without looking at any other part of the car - psychic or what. To cap it all I am still, two months later, trying to get my £35 back from carhire3000.com, despite sending an invoice, a copy of my credit card statement, the accident report which was hard to complete as I had not had an accident and a print out from Alamo. I think I’ll buy an old banger next time I want to visit my Mum! - Frances Smith, Bradford, West Yorkshire
