SHOCKING! Avis charging me £370 for being 5 minutes late!

audioblackout

I MASSIVELY appreciate the replies guys. Thank you.

OK so the bit that says £370 per day is on the Rental Contract I signed. My Rental Costs are listed for the four days, and then at the bottom are 'Notes'. These notes say: Additional Day £370.Fuel Price £2.83. Collision Excess £1000. Max Damage £50.

shaun_from_Africa

audioblackout wrote: »

I paid about £40 per day for the four days .

audioblackout wrote: »

Now they've charged me £370 for returning it late.

"About £40" per day, which in reality could well be £37 and the £370 could be a typo or computer screw up with an extra zero added by mistake.
The money would be taken automatically so if someone did type in the wrong figure, it wouldn't get noticed when the payment was taken.

Biggles

I guess if they were to have needed the car for another customer who ended up going somewhere else because his car wasn't ready, they may potentially have lost a full week or fortnight's hire fees, rather than just one day.

InsideInsurance

Biggles wrote: »

I guess if they were to have needed the car for another customer who ended up going somewhere else because his car wasn't ready, they may potentially have lost a full week or fortnight's hire fees, rather than just one day.

Very rarely do hire companies run at 100% utilisation, particularly of their higher end vehicles.

More likely it results in someone getting a "complimentary upgrade" than them having to sub the job out

Marktheshark

Unenforceable contact penalty.
send them a letter before action ,if they ignore sue them on the basis that your agreement stipulates times and is within the clauses listed on said contract and that the £370 is a punitive Penalty charge contrary to case law (several examples available) and not a pre-estimate of loss.

Should be an easy win in my opinion .

FBaby

You mention both contract and agreement. Aren't they the same thing? Or did you sign an agreement previous to getting there and signing a contract?

Unfortunately, the clause refers to the time on the agreement, so if indeed, that piece of paper states 12pm, you have breached that agreement. Whether it is fair to charge you £370 for that delay is another matter.

Marktheshark

The one that matters is the one with your signature on.

photome

Marktheshark wrote: »

The one that matters is the one with your signature on.

On that basis could the Op have been 6 hours late picking up and 6 hours 10 minutes late returning?

Of course £370 is too much

macman

Ask them how the charge is calculated.

agrinnall

I suspect Shaun (#13) may have hit the nail on the head.