HELP! Can someone give me urgent advice on a car hire confirmation

The_Edge

Hi Guys,
Yesterday I flew into Birmingham Airport. I needed to hire a car but hadn't done anything previously so went online to get the best deal I could at that late notice.

Anyway, I found a deal through CarRentals.co.uk that took me to CarDelMar. It was considerably cheaper, (my rental is for 5 weeks) but everytime I clicked through I got an error on the CarDelMar site.

So, I thought maybe it was the fact I was trying to book a car within the next hour, so I tried a later pickup & whilst I got a quote it was more expensive.

My initial thought was, I need a car so I filled in all the details,clicked through to the the final stage (Summary) but did not Hit Book Now.

Anyway, whilst doing this I thought maybe there is a better way & opened other windows, called my girlfriend etc. for 15 minutes or so looking at all options. We decided I could probably do without the car, so I left it - closed the windows & jumped on the train instead.

When I got home, I had Confirmation emails confirming my Car Rental! I immediately called them (in Germany) and told them I didn't make the booking - and all I basically got was you must have clicked Book - but I am adamant I did not!!

What is my position here?? They are saying I made the Booking, I am saying I didn't. They say the Cancellation policy states that I am not entitled to any refund. But as far as I am concerned I never made the booking!!! I admit entering all my details (including card) but I did not hit Book!!!

I have never collected any car, or made any attempt to.

I have tried to recreate this, but I am unable to. The only thing I have come up with is I left the laptop for a minute to get a coffee and its feasible that someone else clicked it - that or I had short term memory loss for 5 minutes!!

What should I do?? I understand maybe this sounds like I changed my mind & don't want to pay the cancellation (which is all of it!!) but honestly this is not the case - I was in total shock to see the booking when I got home!!

Thanks!!

Captain_Flack.

The_Edge wrote: »

Hi Guys,
Yesterday I flew into Birmingham Airport. I needed to hire a car but hadn't done anything previously so went online to get the best deal I could at that late notice.

Anyway, I found a deal through CarRentals.co.uk that took me to CarDelMar. It was considerably cheaper, (my rental is for 5 weeks) but everytime I clicked through I got an error on the CarDelMar site.

So, I thought maybe it was the fact I was trying to book a car within the next hour, so I tried a later pickup & whilst I got a quote it was more expensive.

My initial thought was, I need a car so I filled in all the details,clicked through to the the final stage (Summary) but did not Hit Book Now.

Anyway, whilst doing this I thought maybe there is a better way & opened other windows, called my girlfriend etc. for 15 minutes or so looking at all options. We decided I could probably do without the car, so I left it - closed the windows & jumped on the train instead.

When I got home, I had Confirmation emails confirming my Car Rental! I immediately called them (in Germany) and told them I didn't make the booking - and all I basically got was you must have clicked Book - but I am adamant I did not!!

What is my position here?? They are saying I made the Booking, I am saying I didn't. They say the Cancellation policy states that I am not entitled to any refund. But as far as I am concerned I never made the booking!!! I admit entering all my details (including card) but I did not hit Book!!!

I have never collected any car, or made any attempt to.

I have tried to recreate this, but I am unable to. The only thing I have come up with is I left the laptop for a minute to get a coffee and its feasible that someone else clicked it - that or I had short term memory loss for 5 minutes!!

What should I do?? I understand maybe this sounds like I changed my mind & don't want to pay the cancellation (which is all of it!!) but honestly this is not the case - I was in total shock to see the booking when I got home!!

Thanks!!

And where did you leave the laptop unattended?

Doing so having entered your card details is plain stupidity and leaves you liable.

The_Edge

In theory, yes - but I think this is a highly unlikely scenario. I have no idea what happened.

I am adamant I didn't book the thing, they say I did - I honestly have no recollection.

Am I covered by any distance selling regulation (just searching online transactions now), I did (allegedly) make the booking on my credit card - but if they prove that button was clicked how likely am I to get anywhere??

Captain_Flack.

The_Edge wrote: »

In theory, yes - but I think this is a highly unlikely scenario. I have no idea what happened.

I am adamant I didn't book the thing, they say I did - I honestly have no recollection.

Am I covered by any distance selling regulation (just searching online transactions now), I did (allegedly) make the booking on my credit card - but if they prove that button was clicked how likely am I to get anywhere??

You'll get more help if you were honest and say you changed your mind.

The_Edge

But honestly, that isn't what happened!! So, no I won't!!

forgotmyname

If you didnt book it how come you entered your credit card details?

Book now is before the payment pages, I just tried it.

Captain_Flack.

forgotmyname wrote: »

If you didnt book it how come you entered your credit card details?

Book now is before the payment pages, I just tried it.

As I said.

Captain_Flack. wrote: »

You'll get more help if you were honest and say you changed your mind.

goonarmy

So if you didnt click book now how did you get to the payment pages and enter your payment?

Captain_Flack.

goonarmy wrote: »

So if you didnt click book now how did you get to the payment pages and enter your payment?

He won't tell us that.

He booked it then changed his mind and now wants a way out. A better thread would have been round his rights to cancel.

arcon5

If as someone says the book now is before payment page - then card details page - you entered your details, then the form was somehow submitted, otherwise quite simply they wouldn't have your card details.

You left the laptop and somebody must have clicked submit, why would somebody do that? Makes no sense at all!!!

Short term memory loss? Not their problem.

One of the strangest threads I've seen in a while. May as well go get the car now

marleyboy

There is NO WAY you inserted your bank details without first making a booking. That just does not happen, indeed it cannot happen.

Put it this way OP. If we on an open forum don't believe you did not book it prior to paying for it, there is even less of a chance the car-hire firm will.