Car rental - Credit card fees excessive

As of 2018, you should not be charged extra for paying by credit card. However, it is well worth paying for at least part of the cost of hire by credit card so that, in the event of something going wrong or the service not being as expected, you can claim a refund from your credit card company as well as the rental company. It can be unclear what fees will be charged to your credit card when hiring a car and you should always make sure you read the small print to ascertain what charges may be taken from your card. These typically include late return charges, damage to the car not covered by insurance and fuel surcharges. You should always make sure the car is checked over thoroughly by a member of staff on returning it to the depot as, in resolver’s experience, it can be very hard to challenge extra charges if this has not been done. Check your credit card statement carefully and if you do not agree with the charges, you should firstly check the terms and conditions of the insurance to see what you were covered for and then contact the rental company to voice your concerns and ask for an explanation. If you feel that charges for something like a new tyre are excessively high, ask to see documentation as evidence. If you are unhappy with the rental company’s response, resolver recommends you contact one of the bodies that deal with car rental disputes. If you booked your car direct with a hire company, the European Car Rental Conciliation Service (ECRCS) provides a free service to deal with Europe-wide disputes. There is also the European Consumer Centres Network which will investigate any breaches of European contract law free of charge. For UK rentals, the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) provides free assistance with complaints about companies which adhere to its own code of conduct. resolver recommends that you submit your concern in writing to any of these organisations (see their websites for contact details) and resolver can assist you in submitting, recording and reminding you when and who to escalate to. It can be extremely frustrating when you are asked to pay credit card fees, or hit with extra charger to your credit card. resolver can help you resolve this issue quickly, free of charge and without the hassle. We can also help you with the next step of writing your complaint. Click on the link below to create your email.

Car rental companies have to give clear terms and conditions, transparent pricing info, and a full explanation of their liability and waiver cover. In fact, all charges should be made clear to you upfront.

You should always take a full inventory and get the car hire company to sign off on everything – even if the company tells you it isn’t necessary.

If you decide to take out extra cover, it’s best to make sure that the cover is in the same name as the lead driver. This could avoid a number of potential pitfalls in the future.

Car hire companies should invoice you for any charges incurred. In some cases, they may debit money directly from your account – they should make efforts to notify you beforehand.

If you do have to dispute a charge, you should always try to do it within 14 days.

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