Car hire firms accused of charging 'extortionate' repair bills abroad
CAR HIRE firms abroad are charging “extortionate” amounts of money for repairs that never take place, a survey reveals today.
Some drivers suspect firms of charging multiple customers for the same minor damage
They are also fleecing customers for more than double the going rate.
Some drivers suspect firms of charging multiple customers for the same minor damage.
Others are charged for repairs they know nothing about.
In one case, Europcar billed a customer renting a car in France £1,154 for a small windscreen chip that could have been fixed for as little as £35, according to Which? Travel.
Europcar billed a customer £1,154 for a windscreen chip that could have been fixed for £35
It’s outrageous that car hire customers are being made to pay extortionate amounts for repairs that never take place. Car hire firms now need to clean up their act
Investigators collected photos of damage to hire cars across Europe.
These were then shown to three Which? Trusted Trader garages who, in two-thirds of cases, quoted less than the car hire companies charged.
Which? Travel editor Rory Boland said: “It’s outrageous that car hire customers are being made to pay extortionate amounts for repairs that never take place. Car hire firms now need to clean up their act.”
Europcar said their customer had been incorrectly charged and refunded.
They were also undertaking a thorough investigation into repair costs.