Car hire as a courtesy car rip off

bigbadbaz123

Hi, I took my car in for a service and cambelt change on a friday. The agreed price was £660 and a courtesy car. When I dropped my car off, the dealer explained that they use Enterprise to supply the courtesy car as it works out cheaper for them. Enterprise picked me up from the dealer and took me to their unit where i signed the forms and had their car. The dealer paid for the rental, but I had to leave a credit card deposit of £50.

By 5pm I had heard nothing about my car so phoned the dealer, but the owner wasn't there, I was told he would call me back. The rental place closed at 6 and I was 30mins drive away, I had still not heard from him at 5:45 so i phoned again and he answered straight away. He said my car wasn't ready and I could pick it up in the morning, i told him I was working saturday to 2pm, and could not come in until then. He said that would cause a problem with the hire car, but he would sort it. I dropped the hire car off at his on saturday and picked my car up, again he wasn't there.

I spoke to the hire people Monday morning in response to a message left by them, as the dealer hadn't phoned them at all. They have charged me £50.37 from my credit card for the additional 2 days hire. They are sympathetic to me, but the dealer has declined to pay. He will not return my calls, so i have been unable to speak to him.

I believe he should pay as my car wasn't ready at the agreed time. I also wonder if Enterprise have any right to charge me, as I didn't pay the original hire, although as the driver I have signed their contract.

Any advice as to where to start please, can i cancel the credit card payment, would that be wise?

Tilt

£660 seems pretty steep for a service and cam belt change in the first place to me! Your contract is with the garage if they arranged the car hire. Not sure on the position about Enterprise charging you though as they normally take a deposit anyway.

Write to the garage explaining that the erxtended car hire was not your fault as your car wasn't ready at the time agreed and therefore you require a refund of £50.37 within the next 7 days to avoid the necessity of you taking further advice. Send by recorded delivery and let us know if you get a response or not.

bigbadbaz123

Hi, thanks for the advice. I'll write a letter over the weekend. So you don't think I should contact the credit card company at all?

The service was £790 at main dealers, I then rang 3 independent Alfa dealers, which were all around the same price and then went with this one in Tamworth, seems a mistake now. Think this is really poor way for him to treat a customer, I won't be using him again, back to the main dealers for me.

Tilt

Which model are we talking about? And yes, you could contact your card co and say that you havn't authorized the payment. really Enterprise should take it up with the garage.

marlot

Tilt wrote: »

Which model are we talking about? And yes, you could contact your card co and say that you havn't authorized the payment. really Enterprise should take it up with the garage.

The problem being that the forms that were signed would probably have included payment authoriation

bigbadbaz123

Its an 08 159 JTDm Lusso, 1.9 diesel. 84k service including belt and waterpump change.

The rental people have been sympathetic, they tell me they asked the garage to pay but they wouldn't, so they have no choice but to take it from the £50 deposit taken on my card. They say they rent to the driver, even though the initial payment was paid by the garage. Pennies i know but they have also taken the 37p from my card, which i would have thought they needed my permission to do.

Tilt

Mmm, seems the going rate for that model with an independent Alfa 'specialist' is between £550 and £650 in cam belt. But the schedule says 90k miles.

Here's one I found; http://www.alfaworkshop.co.uk/alfa_romeo_servicing.shtml In anyevent, thats not the issue. As I see it, if the garage didn't have the car ready in the time stated and their 'service' includes a courtesy car, then the responsibility for the exteded rental is the garage's. Obviously Enterprise are entitled to charge for the extra rental but as their 'arrangement' is with the garage, then I would of thought it is them they should be charging and not you; their customer. Legally I think, (as I mentioned before) your contract is with the garage so it is them you persue if you have no joy with your credit card provider. The paperwork (rental agreement) you signed with Enterprise would be to cover insurance, road traffic vilolations and fuel. I'm assuming that as you didn't have to leave a deposit for the excess (which I beleive is £600 at Enterprise), then this is taken care of by the garage. All in all therefore, it appears that Enterprise have used the £50 'fuel' deposit to cover the extended rental instead. Have you checked the RA to see if it mentions a charge for late returns from the customer's card (customer of the garage that is)?