After my previous post about Europcar helping themselves to an unauthorised amount from my Nationwide credit card 3 months after my final invoice for hire, and failing to get it refunded I rang my Nationwide Credit card customer service to report this unauthorised transaction.

I was put through to this department where a lady listened to my claim for a refund after I explained this matter had been closed and paid in full as per their emailed invoice received. I was asked for all evidence I had to back up my case.

When I told her I had emails to prove what I was saying was true, I was asked to send all these emails in by being given a reference number and email address to send in all my emails evidence to. I receive a reply that all has been received and a stop has been placed on this amount and they will be contacting Europcar for them to explain why they had taken this amount in dispute.

I replied stating if this is a fuel charge it had been agreed due to a danger of a smell of burning from the rear and this hire car which had also been breaking down I had made the safety decision not to take it into a fuel station to return it full and returned it half full. So if they were claiming the fuel cost and a penalty fee as I received an invoice by post after this charge written in german and charged in euros which was sent in also by email then this should not be charged!

I had gone through all this on the phone to the lady in the disputed transactions department and she agreed and promised me their investigation would make sure what this charge was made for and if it was for fuel etc they would explain why it had been agreed by Europcar this would not be charged due to the car faults and breakdown so no further amounts was due on this hire.

I was hopeful of getting my money refunded as I was told to wait for the disputes dept at Nationwide credit card to carry out their investigations and contact me again in due course.

Can you imagine my horror when I receive a letter in the post from Nationwide Credit card disputes department enclosing the same invoice copy I received from Europcar stating in English this time the amount charged was for Fuel as the car was not returned full as per their contract it included a penalty fee as I had failed to do so.

The letter continued that therefore they have released this amount to Europcar and if I disagree to this decision I have 14 days to let them know by letter in the post my reasons for doing so.

As it was now clear the lady on the phone had not listened or made any notes of what I had told her, the department although they had sent notification of receiving all my emailed evidence no one had bothered to read them and had just waited for the German car hire company Europcar to send back an invoice of what they had made this extra charge for 3 months later after saying the matter was closed to Rerntcars.com who told me there was no need to change my credit card number as no more money was due so would not be taken from my card? So as well as Rentalcars.com not bothering to get my money back my Nationwide bank credit card company who I have been with for a very long time didn't bother either.

Is this really the state of this country now that customer service is a department that is there to fend off customers and a couldn't care less attitude is the norm now.

What do you think? Too be honest I was so disappointed in Nationwide Credit Card disputes letter I haven't bothered to answer it. But am seriously thinking of changing my card provider but are any of them any better I doubt it?

Thanks for reading and please reply Soundguy:???:

Link to rental car....

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?475327-Rentalcars.com-Employee-Error-Ignored-by-company

Hmm, could you just summarise what it is your having difficulty with?

And if you could put paragraphs in it's makes it much easier to read, rather than big blocks of writing.

Have you done a visa debit chargeback and they refused?

Have you lodged a formal complaint and exhausted their complaints procedure so you can escalate it to the FOS?