Car Hire Company - Can anyone help?

[Sarah5318]

I wondered if anyone would be able to help with this....A few weeks ago I booked to hire a car to get to work and back because my own car would be in the garage for a while so I decided to go onto the Internet and find out the cheapest deal locally. I managed to get a special deal for three days and they charged me the full rate for the other two days which I was quite happy about so I booked it.

 

When I went in to pick the car up they charged me the full rate for all of the days that I was hiring the car but I didn't notice because unbeknown to me I was suffering from glandular fever and felt a bit poorly!!! I did question the amount with them but they said that I couldn't possibly have got a different rate from the internet!

 

Anyway, the saga continues......I had to extend my car-hire for a further two days because my car wasn't ready from the garage and with glandular fever I couldn't have walked my little boy to school. When I did take the car back I had all the original paperwork with me to show them and they said that they would get the manager Simon to telephone me about it because I was unhappy. I told them that I wasn't unhappy with the service that I just felt that I was being overcharged because they had quoted different rates on the internet. However Simon called me, told me it was a glitch on their website and he would speak to the relevant people. Nothing since!

 

It is only for around £40.00 that I was overcharged but if I had known that they were going to charge that amount I would have gone somewhere ekse for car hire. Should a company stand by their quote especially as I booked it over the internet? Does the fact that I extended the car hire make a difference?

 

Would like to hear what anyone else thinks?

Many thanks,

Sarah5318

[Rob S]

Sarah,

 

Did you actually book the car over the internet? And do you still have a copy of the quote you obtained?

[blacksheep1979]

a quote is just a quote though, unfortunatley when it came to the transaction you agreed to what they were charging then. I think any refund will be more of a good will gesture than due to legal reasons.

[Sarah5318]

Hi there! Yes I still have all the documentation including the price that they gave me on the internet. I actually booked it there and then over their website with my Visa so that I could pick the car up the following day. I thought that when they gave you a price on the internet they had to stand by that. I have checked their terms and conditions also but I don't see anything about extending your car hire.

 

I know it is only for a measly £40.00 but I think that it is the principle of the thing..... Sarah5318

[Rob S]

If the car was booked and paid for over the internet then they should honour the price you paid. What company was it Sarah?

[Sarah5318]

Hi Rob S,

 

The car hire company was Enterprise Rent a Car. As I said before I do have all the documents from the internet but when I questioned it they said it was a glitch on their system and I shouldn't have been charged the special rate for five days, the special rate was only for weekend car-hire for three days.

 

I did think the same as you though. I thought if I was quoted and then booked something on the basis of that quotation they should stand by it.

 

Any thoughts/

[Rob S]

I would suggest you write to them, point out that you were able to book the car for the relevant period and payment was accepted at that rate on their internet site and ask them to reimburse you the extra amount you have had to pay.

 

The difference is that you have not just had a quote, but you have also paid up front for the car hire on their internet site, and the system accepted your booking.

[Sarah5318]

Thanks for your help on this matter Rob. I was under the impression that this was the case however I just wanted confirmation really that I was right!

 

Onwards and upwards with Enterprise then.....will keep you informed.

Sarah5318

[powelll]

Good luck with this - letter asking for refund is definitely the way forward but send it to head office rather than a branch. Also make sure you keep a copy and send it recorded delivery - then if you still have either no response or an unsatisfactory response you can approach trading standards for help. Also give them time to reply - something like 14 days is reasonable.

[Sarah5318]

Apologies for not keeping you up to date with this!

 

After all of the advice that I received on this case I decided to go with it and eventually after nearly two years of fighting they refunded my card with the amount that they owed and also a goodwill payment! They did not however write to let me know of this, they just refunded everything to my card.

 

Thank you to everyone who helped me!

[london_lasher]

hi, just had smilar thing happen to me with enterprise. got a quote off the internet, reserved the car with my credit card at that point, but actually paid for the rental when i picked the car up,at which point price was different.

 

unfortuneately only noticed a couple weeks after rental. is only for small amount £30 ish but its the principle of the thing that annoys me.

 

sent a complaint to customer service will let people know what happens.