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Can I expect refund for car hire downgrade?
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I booked a hire car for two weeks via ArgusCarHire.com. Confusingly the acutual booking was with Centauro, although it was handled by Car Trawler (??).
Anyway, we had booked and pre-paid for a group F4 (VW Touran or equivalent), but were given a VW Caddy (group E1) as there was apparently no other car available. According to the Centauro website, this should have been about 60 euros cheaper for the two week booking. Also, the Car Trawler confirmation document states that in the event of the booked car group not being available, we should be upgraded free.
Firstly I don't know who to complain to (Argus, Car Trawler or Centauro) and secondly if it is worth it. Has anyone managed to get a refund in this sort of situation before?
Anyway, we had booked and pre-paid for a group F4 (VW Touran or equivalent), but were given a VW Caddy (group E1) as there was apparently no other car available. According to the Centauro website, this should have been about 60 euros cheaper for the two week booking. Also, the Car Trawler confirmation document states that in the event of the booked car group not being available, we should be upgraded free.
Firstly I don't know who to complain to (Argus, Car Trawler or Centauro) and secondly if it is worth it. Has anyone managed to get a refund in this sort of situation before?
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Comments
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The key word in your post is "equivalent" and the hire companies' cop out.0
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I booked a hire car for two weeks via ArgusCarHire.com. Confusingly the acutual booking was with Centauro, although it was handled by Car Trawler (??).
Anyway, we had booked and pre-paid for a group F4 (VW Touran or equivalent), but were given a VW Caddy (group E1) as there was apparently no other car available. According to the Centauro website, this should have been about 60 euros cheaper for the two week booking. Also, the Car Trawler confirmation document states that in the event of the booked car group not being available, we should be upgraded free.
Firstly I don't know who to complain to (Argus, Car Trawler or Centauro) and secondly if it is worth it. Has anyone managed to get a refund in this sort of situation before?
If you have been down graded you should be entitled to a refund on the difference in price between the two groups.
If you pay for a group 1 vehicle you should be given any vehicle in that group you can never specify a particular make of vehicle ie a Renault Clio 3 door.
That is just not possible with any car hire company.
You do usually get upgraded not downgraded in my experience.
I know its too late now but I would have stood my ground at the car hire desk and insisted on an upgrade to an even higher group car.
Complain to whoever you paid you money to ie whos name does it shown on your credit card statement.
If you get no joy contact your credit card company and let them sort it out....you will get a refund
best of luck0 -
The deposit was paid to Car Trawler and the balance at the pre-booked rate paid to Centauro on collection of the car.
I agree that we should have stood our ground at the check-in desk, but when we were handed the keys and told it was the only car available, we had already been waiting in the queue for 2 hours (they were apparently waiting for late cars to be retunred) and were just thankful to be getting going as we had a fairly long drive to our villa. It is only when I was looking through documents whilst my husband was driving that we realised that we had been given lower grade car.
The documents actually state:
Booked car group: F4
Car group supplied: E1
Car group charged: F4
We returned the keys in a drop-off box as we had a late night flight, so there was no opportunity to complain there either.
I have raised a query on the Car Trawler website and now have a 'ticket'.
Thanks for suggesting following it up with the credit card company - I wouldn't have thought of that.0 -
If you don't ask you don't get0
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Credit card should give you a refund. If they didnt supply you with an equivalent vehicle (which would be F or above) then you could argue its a breach of contract as they did not supply what was agreed and paid for.matched betting: £879.63
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Just thought I would give an update on this.
I opened an enquiry with Car Trawler about this on their website - and heard nothing back. To be honest I thought that they had forgotten about it.
However, credit card statement arrived today with a £51 credit on it from Centauro - so it was worth enquiring in the end.0 -
If you wanted to transport 5 people about, ie using a VW Touran or similar. Of what use would a VW Caddy be?! Seeing as it's a van...0
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