courtesy car (damaged)

[littlelady]

My son was given a courtesy car to use for a couple of weeks due to an accident which was not his fault ,his own car is a right off,it is due to go back soon and cleaning it out i have discovered a large cigarette burn near the head rest on the passenger seat ,he said it is nothing to do with him ,and he did not notice it ,when the car was delivered i was not there to check the inside so i cannot say one way or another,however the deposit of 50 pounds came from my account ,its back in now but when they check it over they can take what ever for the damage , ,i am quite concerned that they will say he is responsible and take the cost for a new seat from my account has they have the account details,dont know what to do?

[Pew Pew Pew Lasers!]

If they say he is responsible then ask them to prove it, with the pre-handover inspection they would have performed and asked your son to sign.

If they don't have that, they can whistle. They can't take anything from your bank account without your permission.

[littlelady]

Thanks for your reply ,when the car was delivered the man had a electronic notepad which my son signed after checking the car ,he went around the outside and then opened the driver door to show my son the controls ,as far as i know they did not check seats ,now my son is 20 yrs old and would not think to point out or to even look at the interior of the car for fag burns etc but inside the car is a no smoking sign.
I had to give the card details so with them having this they can ask for any amount of money cant they?
The worry is in this account is a cheque for a largest amount which i am waiting to clear and i am going away in the next couple of days for two weeks ,i will not be here when they come for the hire car,so dont know what to tell my son to do ?does he after sign for the car when it is picked up?
Can i do anything concerning my account?advice please from anyone .:eek:

[Happychappy]

Lady, If it concerns you, you can cancel your card and ask for a new card, just ring your bank and explain or say your card is damaged, lost etc and you will receive a new card. They will not be able to claim off your old card as it will no longer exist on the system.

[littlelady]

Happychappy,If i call my building society and say i have lost my debit card when i receive my new card will it have a different 16 digit new card number ?

[Happychappy]

Happychappy,If i call my building society and say i have lost my debit card when i receive my new card will it have a different 16 digit new card number ?

The card you gave will have an issue and expiry date, a three number security code on the rear, as well as your account number. When you are issued with a new card, the only thing the same is your account number, the old card for which the company may try and bill you on will be cancelled, they will not be able to bill it ? they will be given a refer to purchaser note and not paid out on that card. You will need to have it cancelled prior to returning the car ?

[Iamthesmartestmanalive]

The card you gave will have an issue and expiry date, a three number security code on the rear, as well as your account number. When you are issued with a new card, the only thing the same is your account number, the old card for which the company may try and bill you on will be cancelled, they will not be able to bill it ? they will be given a refer to purchaser note and not paid out on that card. You will need to have it cancelled prior to returning the car ?


Whilst all this will make collecting the money harder it wont change the fact legally your son will be liable for these damages

He was given opportunity to inspect the car, and signed for the car to say it was all ok therefore he has signed to say that wasnt their

His own ignorance wont be a legal defence and if you take the action above it makes you look guilty

approach the company and be honest, you never know they may know about it, if they dont and do go down the money route, at least it will be cheaper and less hassle than them setting debt collectors on him etc

[Pew Pew Pew Lasers!]

Thanks for your reply ,when the car was delivered the man had a electronic notepad which my son signed after checking the car ,he went around the outside and then opened the driver door to show my son the controls ,as far as i know they did not check seats


If they didn't check the interior with your son, its their problem. They have to prove the damage wasn't there.

[h901]

replacement cards when claiming for a damaged card usually have the same number on the front of the card
only difference is the 3 digit number on the back
and start/end date

[cyclonebri1]

I would expect that when they collect it they will have to sign to say it is undamaged? or would there be a disclaimer for them to hide behind?I don't know for sure.
Your son either needs to collect this signature or be very clear that they had the chance to examine the car on pickup so will accept no responsibility after. (all this assuming they don't spot the damage).

Does the car smell of smoke? Does your son smoke? These questions may govern how hard you feel you should argue your case.:confused:

[Tojo Ralph]

If they didn't check the interior with your son, its their problem. They have to prove the damage wasn't there.

In all honesty, we don't know what the OPs sons signed for, however it is a fair bet that he signed for the car and accepted the condition of the car. Now, if the cigarette burn was not noted at the point of collection and the son signed to say the car was free from damage at point of collection, the garage will have all the proof they need. :)

[MarkyMarkD]

Falsely declaring a card lost or stolen is stupid and pointless. For one thing, it's lying to your bank. For another thing, the transaction was authorised when the card details were provided and the bank *will* pay the amount if requested irrespective of you lying about the card having been stolen.

[Pew Pew Pew Lasers!]

In all honesty, we don't know what the OPs sons signed for, however it is a fair bet that he signed for the car and accepted the condition of the car. Now, if the cigarette burn was not noted at the point of collection and the son signed to say the car was free from damage at point of collection, the garage will have all the proof they need. :)

They will only have proof the damage was there upon return - if they do not have proof it wasn't there upon delivery then her son cannot be held responsible - this is why people have to sign receipts.

Otherwise they could hold him responsible for any number of things he realistically has no chance of proving.

[Iamthesmartestmanalive]

They will only have proof the damage was there upon return - if they do not have proof it wasn't there upon delivery then her son cannot be held responsible - this is why people have to sign receipts.

Otherwise they could hold him responsible for any number of things he realistically has no chance of proving.


He signed at delivery to say it was free of damage though

As for the bank card , prev poster has a good point, the hire company will already have reserved the funds and will ammend the voucher to the affect of the sum they want, so pointless

[MarkyMarkD]

They won't amend the voucher as such, they'll simply put it through as a "cardholder not present" transaction.

[Tojo Ralph]

They will only have proof the damage was there upon return - if they do not have proof it wasn't there upon delivery then her son cannot be held responsible - this is why people have to sign receipts. Otherwise they could hold him responsible for any number of things he realistically has no chance of proving.

As already stated, the son signed an electronic notepad.

IF, that signature was to state that the vehicle was free from damage on collection, then the garage has sufficient evidence that the car was free from damage when collected.

[cyclonebri1]

As already stated, the son signed an electronic notepad.

IF, that signature was to state that the vehicle was free from damage on collection, then the garage has sufficient evidence that the car was free from damage when collected.

Sorry, but I don't agree. If that is the case when does the liability end? Could be damaged in transit back, or anytime before anyother inspection.

If the hiring company have asked for a signature that the car was supplied undamaged, then the hirer has the right for it to be signed off his responsibility on collection.

If this is a genuine case then trust the damage won't be spotted

[MarkyMarkD]

I don't think anyone's disputing that. But if the vehicle is inspected on collection, and the problem identified, he's in lumber.

[Pew Pew Pew Lasers!]

As already stated, the son signed an electronic notepad.

IF, that signature was to state that the vehicle was free from damage on collection, then the garage has sufficient evidence that the car was free from damage when collected.

The electronic notepad was almost certainly just to cover the exterior of the car.

I have hired many cars, and not once have the hire company staff ever checked the interior for anything other than to record the mileage, and to show me where the various functions are.

I have never once been asked to sign off on the interior of a car, in this country or any number of countries in Europe (and the USA for that matter).

[dolby21]

I agree with pewpewpewlasers. I really dont think whoever collects the car will look on the inside. I too constantly hire cars from airports over uk and europe and they ONLY ever inspect outside and milage.

If they do spot it. no one has smoked in the car!!!!!!!!!! have they

[Tojo Ralph]

I really dont think whoever collects the car will look on the inside. I too constantly hire cars from airports over uk and europe and they ONLY ever inspect outside and milage.

You may well only see the hire company employee confirming the mileage and giving the car the quick once over for car park dinks when you collect it, but I can assure you that the interior of a hire vehicle is covered by the rental agreement and damage over and above normal wear and tear can be charged for if noted when the vehicle is returned. :)

The electronic notepad was almost certainly just to cover the exterior of the car. I have hired many cars, and not once have the hire company staff ever checked the interior for anything other than to record the mileage, and to show me where the various functions are. I have never once been asked to sign off on the interior of a car, in this country or any number of countries in Europe (and the USA for that matter).

As I don't feel I will be able to convince either of you otherwise, I won't bother with more than a couple of quick links which confirm that which I have stated. :)

Avis Blog
http://wetryharder.co.uk/?p=378

Budget T+Cs confirming interior not even covered by CDW
http://www.budgetrent.co.uk/terms.php

[Pew Pew Pew Lasers!]

You may well only see the hire company employee confirming the mileage and giving the car the quick once over for car park dinks when you collect it, but I can assure you that the interior of a hire vehicle is covered by the rental agreement and damage over and above normal wear and tear can be charged for if noted when the vehicle is returned. :)

Never had a hire car interior checked. Ever.

Show me a hire company that checks the interior of a car upon delivery to the customer, and I'll show you a moon made from cheese.

[Riq]

Never had a hire car interior checked. Ever.

Show me a hire company that checks the interior of a car upon delivery to the customer, and I'll show you a moon made from cheese.
Sounds like a challenge to me.

[dolby21]

As I don't feel I will be able to convince either of you otherwise, I won't bother with more than a couple of quick links which confirm that which I have stated. :)

Avis Blog
http://wetryharder.co.uk/?p=378

Budget T+Cs confirming interior not even covered by CDW
http://www.budgetrent.co.uk/terms.php

Its all good and well producing T&C. My point is, I have NEVER once had the inside of a car inspected, and this is for somewhere between 200-300 different rentals.

There is no point in me saying dont worry....as it will not make the slightest bit of difference. Also, it is not about being able to convince us, we are STATING what has happened to us on past experiences. Best of luck.

Probably best not to start a thread if you do not want peoples opinions and experiences as you seem to know it all already

[specialK]

When I had my courtesy car last year, the only inspection was external when it was delivered. On collection there was no inspection whatsoever, only to my car?

[Tojo Ralph]

Probably best not to start a thread if you do not want peoples opinions and experiences as you seem to know it all already
Tis even better to make sure you know who started a thread before suggesting they did. ;)