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Might I call on the wisdom of this collective on the basis of a hire car experience last night?
Landed late evening in Italy with car hire booked via Expedia, prepaid for 10 days. Only booked a few days ago and there was very limited availability. Didn’t recognise hire company name and it was a shuttle service from the airport – I was uneasy about this at the time of booking, but on the basis that it was through Expedia I thought it’d be ok. Unfortunately my misgivings were justified.
At check-in was asked for an International Drivers Licence – which I don’t have as it isn’t needed for UK photocard licence holders in Italy. Was told they wouldn’t give me the car and would cancel the booking. However, if I took their “Copertura” insurance product, they would ‘overlook’ the lack of it and give me the car. Went as far as to tell me that ‘if the Police stop you just tell them you lost it and we’ll say we saw it when you hired’. My contention that this wasn’t required in Italy was met with the response that ‘they’ required it. It was pushing 11pm on a remote industrial estate and I was by myself. I tried to contact Expedia but as the only option was through a webchat I couldn’t get to anyone fast enough. On the basis that the alternative would be ending up back in the Airport with no car, probably in a hotel because it was so late the other desks would be closed, and without any guarantee Expedia would find me another car, I took the pragmatic route of least resistance and paid up. EUR 280,26 (£236.32 at last night’s exchange rate).
I got to a person on the Expedia chat shortly thereafter. Took about an hour but their position is “As this insurance is directly with rental they are the only one who can make any exceptions for you. For this inconvenience from my end I can only issue 25 GBP of one key cash as a good will”. No doubt they are legally correct – but I must say I’d hoped Expedia’s partners and suppliers were more reputable that this.
So any thoughts as to what I should do? Suck it up; try and find an Italian authority to complain to; attempt to dispute the transaction with my Bank (presumably they’ll just say ‘you signed for it’)? I just see this as fundamental dishonesty so any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Should add for background – I am a dual Italian citizen and visit every two months (hiring a car each time, generally via Expedia – never again!). Never encountered this before.
Police report and credit card claim?
Which company and what location?
Recently booked through Booking.com in Romania with “Direct Rent!”. Arrived to pick up the car and was asked to present a credit card that would be “embossed”. Without it, they said they could not take a deposit or block the money. (this was hidden on the t&cs but even if I had seen it I would have ignored it as a legacy requirement from the 90’s)
They were however very happy to propose their own full cover insurance for EUR 200 (for 2 days).
Booking refunded me the money but I still had to pay for a cab and had no car for my stay (we landed at 2am so this was going to be a convenient way to move around, there were no option at the time and they knew it). I do not think there us much you can do other than getting your money back. Direct Rent! has a 3* google reviews and 1* in Trustpilot but on booking it had a 9.9 score!
During the booking process or in the confirmation emails (or linked T&C) what were you advised to bring to the collection counter? Did they specify UK/Int’l license or offer any guidance?
Police report and credit card claim?
This.
Arrived to pick up the car and was asked to present a credit card that would be “embossed”. Without it, they said they could not take a deposit or block the money.
I think that’s a formal complaint to Amex, MasterCard & Visa (if you hold all three) on the basis that the firm required an additional payment as a consequence of your card not being embossed.
Just checking my wallet and I have just two cards left that have the classic embossing. A Halifax Visa Debit card that expires in July and my First Direct Visa Credit Card that is valid to 2028.
Arrived to pick up the car and was asked to present a credit card that would be “embossed”. Without it, they said they could not take a deposit or block the money.
I think that’s a formal complaint to Amex, MasterCard & Visa (if you hold all three) on the basis that the firm required an additional payment as a consequence of your card not being embossed.
Just checking my wallet and I have just two cards left that have the classic embossing. A Halifax Visa Debit card that expires in July and my First Direct Visa Credit Card that is valid to 2028.
The embossing is purely a cosmetic thing that allowed people in the 90’s to easily copy the card details. If I gave you a non-embossed card you could simply take a pen out and copy the numbers down.
This company is a scam and they know very well what they are doing. Embossing is not a feature in any way shape or form that would stop you from blocking a deposit amount.
I cannot fault Amex/Visa/Mastercard for the scam Direct Rent! has going on in romania (a visit to their trust pilot website quickly shows they do that to everyone).
In terms of the questions: It was in Bergamo. The booking process was through Expedia and I just received the standard Expedia hire car email with their usual wording on booking (same as the last several times I’ve used them) – i.e. check and ensure you comply with local requirements. The T&Cs linked in the confirmation email are Expedia’s standard T&Cs. I recall it was only on receipt of the confirmation email that it became clear that the renting company was called “SurPrice Car Rentals” (irony is not dead!). They have a website of sorts but I don’t see any T&C’s on it – looks like a franchise operation.
The internet reviews are informative. Clearly Expedia are only interested in their commission.
Pushing overpriced excess insurance is a classic shakedown from these dodgy outfits. Which? wrote about this though they didn’t mention the OP’s ‘surpricing’ company.
I guess calling the police from the rental desk would have spooked them, but you would need good Italian to pull that off.
So agree with @Aston100 on police and credit card.
It appears that the car hire company are within their rights to request an IDP in Italy
https://www.gov.uk/driving-abroad/international-driving-permit
Expedia are useless, I had an issue with a hotel that they had no interest in trying to help resolve, they just offered me £25 to try and shut me up. Only advise I would give is try once more to get Expedia to resolve it, so you can evidence this to the credit card co when you raise the claim as they will want to see you have at least tried
Is pointless contacting the Italian police, they won’t do anything
It appears that the car hire company are within their rights to request an IDP in Italy
https://www.gov.uk/driving-abroad/international-driving-permit
Hmm. What is actually says is “You do not need an IDP if you hold a UK, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey or Isle of Man photocard licence. If you’re hiring a car, you should check if the car hire company says you need an IDP.”.
The second sentence (‘If you’re hiring a car, you should check…’) is repeated next to every single country in the European Union. So watch out folks, if you’re going to Spain, France, Germany, Italy… it’s open season to ransom UK licence holders.
@sloth – yes I agree with you about Expedia. And I suspect the Italian police have got better things to be doing with their time unfortunately.
@masaccio – aggressive insurance sales tactics have, indeed, always been prevalent in dodgy car hire outfits. However my view is that this goes just a little further than that, hence my use of the work shakedown.It’s also pretty easy to avoid these companies if you look at the reviews on google maps. Advice given one the Avis at Ace thread is relevant everywhere.
It’s also pretty easy to avoid these companies if you look at the reviews on google maps. Advice given one the Avis at Ace thread is relevant everywhere.
Indeed – not a mistake I will make again. And I certainly will never again think that booking via Expedia, a leading international travel company with a turnover of $13.7 billion, offers any sort of protection from some of the sharper operators in this market.
Sounds similar to DoYouSpain – my nephew just got scammed this morning with this at Malaga airport!
They didn’t read the multiple reviews about the same issues cited above, and when they got to the desk were told the broker hadn’t paid and they would have to pay again if they wanted a car!
I think they’re hoping now to do a charge back for the original payment but not totally sure where they stand.
*We always use malagacar .com, not the cheapest but have never had a problem.
Indeed I am! And even at 175,000 points plus EUR 280,26, there is probably still value there!
Anyway, better off at my in-laws in Piemonte being able to take advantage of that opportunity this morning, than stuck in Bergamo airport trying to resolve this – no doubt with a steep hotel bill and no prospect of a replacement hire car.
The price of pragmatism! Lesson learned – grateful I didn’t make it any worse. Don’t believe in karma but the Silverstone Hilton tickets suggest maybe I should! Enjoy your weekend everyone.
OTAs are only interested in taking their commission and nothing more.
Do a chargeback on your Credit Card – and if you didn’t use your card or give them your driving licence during that visit just say you weren’t even in Italy.
Play them at their own game.
And remember, when your spider sense suggests a possible problem then go with it.
I don’t understand the recommendations to address this 1) with the Police as this is a civil matter and 2) with the credit card as there is no breach of contract or misrepresentation in relation to the additional payment required on site, nor apparently by the prepayment to Expedia because it hasn’t promised anything, it’s normal for extras to be dealt with locally and they are an agent so the link with the local firm is broken to engage s75. On what basis is anyone suggesting one could make a chargeback? The OP paid, albeit understandably with great reluctance, feeling there was no alternative, but that’s just not what chargebacks are about.
The car hire firm has behaved appallingly and the OP has been right royally rooked, but pursuing this with Expedia is the right route by embarrassing them into dealing with the matter on a goodwill basis.
It’s also pretty easy to avoid these companies if you look at the reviews on google maps. Advice given one the Avis at Ace thread is relevant everywhere.
I’ve been studying reviews for my upcoming rentals in Iceland since @davefl !
@pedro on the brighter side you’re off to Silverstone !Well yes I am. And even at 175,000 points plus EUR 280,26, there is probably still value there!
Certainly better in my in-laws house in Piemonte this morning with all that opportunity, than stranded in Bergamo airport trying to sort this, whilst no doubt saddled with a hotel bill and no hire car.
That would have been an object lesson in futility and, whilst the price of pragmatism still rankles, the weekend awaits.
Enjoy it everyone.
@pedro – enjoy the weekend in wonderful Piemonte and don’t fret about SurPrice while you are away. On return, when you have time read the riot act to Expedia; they will fix/reimburse you after likely initial standard resistance.
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