Car Hire

[millerman]

Just a word of warning to anyone hiring a car. This does not just apply to Italy, although my problem originated in Sardinia. Three weeks after returning from Sardinia, I received my credit card bill with an extra £54 charged by the car hire company dated one week after I had returned the car. I immediately contacted Argus Car Hire who I originally booked with, but they didn't want to know. Argus is an agent who take a booking fee then contact companies abroad to hire your car. I must admit I didn't realise this and would not normally deal with agents, I normally contact the company direct or use international companies. Argus have taken my fee and after a couple of emails have not bothered to reply!

When I picked up the car there was quite a few extra dents not recorded on the hiring paperwork. I asked the Sardinian car hire company Auto Europa (Cars by Sicily) to include these and sign for them. When I returned the car the gent took my agreement and looked at the car checking the usual and gave me my final check out paperwork with the bill for £0.00. All in order or so I thought. I now have a letter from the company Auto Europa with pictures saying there is a wheel trim missing. This letter has been sent 4 weeks after I returned the car, along with a copy of the original damage section I signed in the office, minus any of the dents etc I asked the agent to sign for. The agent took my copy when I returned to the office to hand back the car! I have therefore no paperwork detailing the extra damage as evidence.

I phoned my credit card company who informed me that car hire companies can keep their contracts open for 6 months after you return the car in case they need to charge you for damage.

Even though I have the final paperwork with zero costs, and that the car hire company charged me one week after I returned to the UK, my credit card company says I don't have much chance of getting the money back.

Next time I will make sure I do not sign the paperwork in the office until I have seen the car and I will certainly retain all the agreements given and not give my copy to the agent. I must admit this is the first time this has happened after around 15 visits to Sardinia. I normally use a local company and have had superb service everytime. I was encouraged to try Argus after seeing their adverts on Sky but never, never again. Absolutely no customer service and certainly no after sales service.