Car Rental Nightmare: Urgent advice needed

zizu73

Dear all;

Need urgent advice on car hire matter.

I needed to hire a car for my cousin's wedding just outside Guildford on Friday (yesterday). I went through several companies but only had a couple available to me as I have only had my licence since July 2012, and many of the firms do not hire cars to people who's licence is less than 12 months old.

I found a local company (just down the road actually) and booked via their website a megane and paid in full via Paypal. Having not received any confirmation I called the company and asked for a receipt as well as details for the hire the next day. In the package I also requested a car seat and a sat nav and these were charged per day (Hire for 3 days, Friday through to Monday morning).

I then needed to have a bigger car as some family members needed a ride and checked their website again to see what other cars they had available and found the Zafira. Checked their quote and availability and called them to book it instead and offer to pay the difference upon collection. They then told me that it wasn't available as it was in the garage. I in turn then said that I would therefore need to cancel the initial booked car as I now needed to accommodate 4 people plus car seat. Within ten minutes of being on hold i was told it would be available. I then referred to the "garage" and they said that it was simply routine after each rental. They also mentioned that I would need to put down a £750 deposit and in cash as their card machine was not working due to a flood! I didn't think anything of it as I know for them a credit card is more security (perhaps I was wrong).

I insisted that I needed to collect the car for 9am as the pick ups would be in North West London, Wallington Surrey then proceed to the wedding venue in Guildford (ceremony 2:45PM). They insisted the car would be ready.

Arriving just as the office was opening (9AM), i saw the car and it was filthy on the outside and looked quite grubby on the inside. We then proceeded to go through the paperwork, payment, and was asked to move the car in order to go through the condition of the car. The car simply did not start, and the 18 year old assistant was at a loss and the car inside was disgusting to say the least.

The assistant then proceeded to jump start the car after speaking to her supervisor, which took about 30 minutes (??). According to the supervisor the car was fine but she had forgotten the lights the night before and it was the battery.

Ok the car started to run, and it was now 10am, the car needed to be cleaned as it was too grubby to be sat in, car cleaners next door, it was sent round and was finished by 10:30Am. Now the navigator..... It was not charged so went to put it in the cigarette lighter and lo and behold it was broken. Nearly had a fit as I was running extremely late and was beginning to see us all missing the ceremony and my daughter being flower girl!!! How could i use a sat nav that was not charged with no cigarette lighter for 3 days??

The supervisor arrived and "offered" me a refund but I told her that I would never find a hire car in time, that I had honored my side of the car hire deal and their company had not and the people who relied on me would also miss the event. She then began charging the sat nav in another car and said it would last for the 3 days. As i was in a desperate situation I decided to take the navigator once I'd picked up the people living closest to me and would use a friends car to charge it once at location.

Upon getting into the car I was looking for the handbrake and could not see it anywhere. They told me that it was a small light switch like button just by the automatic gear stick. I thought ok...thats a bit different but didn't really argue as I really needed to get the hell out.

Armed with Sat nav, we barely made it half a mile when it died and had to rely on our mobiles. When using the brakes there was a grating noise and truly felt terrible as we had in the end missed the ceremony and hated every second of the drive in this S****y car.

Arriving at our hotel car park, the back door on the right side did not lock therefore we had to empty the whole of the car's contents as we couldn't risk it.

Today at 9:30am I called the company and told the receptionist that there was an issue with the door not locking and the noises when braking. The worst things were, that having googled the interior of a Zafira 2007 model I found that the handbrake was a substantial thing more than the button and it was not actually/physically there and that the button is something to do with the lighter and the car rolls backwards as well as moving forwards without the need for stepping on the gas.

We made sure to come back into London as soon as the blooming traffic allowed and I insisted on returning the car as I did not want to be responsible for any break in due to the door not locking.

The supervisor told me that there was never an issue with the locking system, and it must have been my two year playing with the door (??????!!!!!!):eek: And very very grudgingly acknowledged the "broken" handbrake or lack of, and blamed me for taking the car in the first place. (I have not stopped kicking myself since yesterday).

I have told her i want her to refund me the sat nav cost as it was mainly in my bag since yesterday, the cost of Sunday's hire and my full deposit which I won't get for another 28 days (28 being not mentioned in the contract I signed, but was aware of, their reason being in case of unpaid tickets..) She tried to insist I keep the car till monday parked outside my house, and if anything were to happen it would still be my responsibility!! Had it not been for the last minute nature of the trip I would have told her to stick her car straight on a bonfire.

She is to take the car to the garage that supposedly dealt with the brake and handbrake problem and to check this issue with the locks on Monday morning. She told me to email the management (no numbers) and tell them my plight and that upon checking the vehicle's condition post hire she would perhaps give me a 10% discount (Total hire £275 + Deposit £750

Am seeing her on Monday and need to know if I have a leg to stand on as Im sure she will turn around and find all sorts of things wrong with the car and try to blame me and keep most of my deposit. Is there any hiring/consumer body that I can turn to as am sure she is not a member of BVRLA and whether I can guarantee that I get my full deposit as the car is the same state as when I got it apart from more than half a tank of diesel! (It was empty!! She had only put in £10 worth!!!!) Have taken pictures of the inside of car. How can i put them in a corner? The car is definitely not road worthy and is it even legal to rent out a car that has no handbrake??? They have completely not fulfilled their part of the deal, and to be honest care more about my deposit that knocking off the hire cost.

I am officially an idiot I know but your sound advice is needed as I am on the verge of a divorce already because of this!!!

Apologies for the long post!!! Thanks in advance

forgotmyname

Not really. Its a pay your money and take the risk.

There was a programme on TV a while back. Garage renting out dangerous cars.

They contacted the police and the driver would still be responsible for all defects.
If its faulty then they said dont drive it. If you do its your fault.

The big mistake was changing the car so close to the day you needed it. And when they said its in the garage but it will be ready. That should have rung alarm bells.

Other than writing a complaint letter i think its a big lesson for the future but its not worth wasting months of letter writing and complaining.
If anyone mentions them. Then slag them off and tell everyone you know not to use them.

Sgt_Pepper_2

Name and shame!

zizu73

HBC car rentals west London branch, they also have an office in Kent.

arcon5

I don't think this a case of you pay the money and take the risk.

I would expect them to provide a vehicle that was road worthy, clean and as described. I would argue it was not fit for purpose, both the vehicle and the sat nav. The Sat Nav in particular as it could not be used and the vehicle as it was not roadworthy (the handbrake alone would be an MOT failure).

The fact you returned the vehicle early will act in your favour, you can now argue you didn't accept the vehicle and rejected it.

I would be seeking at the bear minimum a refund for the sat nav and at least 2 days hire and the immediate return of the deposit in full.

Sgt_Pepper_2

They look a right shower from their website.

Licence pass date. !!!!!!.