Atlas Choice and GreenMotion payment problems

MisterPleasant

I booked a car through broker Atlas Choice back in August and paid for it on my credit card at the time (23rd). The rental company was GreenMotion and we made use of the rental from Bristol airport in October without any problem.
However, today (6 weeks later) I've received an email from GreenMotion saying they are going to charge my credit card for the cost of the rental because they haven't been paid by Atlas Choice! This can't be right, can it? Surely I only have a contract with the company I've paid. I've contacted Atlas Choice and they've asked for a copy of the signed rental agreement (which, fortunately, I happen to have) and of my credit card statement showing the GreenMotion payment. They say they will take it up on my behalf.
Looking at the Atlas Choice Facebook page today I see there's a message on there from another rental company asking Atlas to contact them because, they say, they haven't been paid either from an October rental. Hmm, something wrong in the state of Denmark, methinks.

htmsousa

I got exactly same email from GreenMotion regarding a booking near Heathrow. I will call Atlas Choice tomorrow to clarify this. Please share any updates you have.
Thanks.

tenthlevel

I have the same problem. Purchased hire car through AtalasChoice who took the payment two weeks ago. Picked up hire car no problem and returned car no problem. Two days after returning the car the £2000+ hold on my account (excess deposit) is still locked out and I recieve an email from GreenMotion highlighting the following points:

• AtlasChoice parent company "Evershine Travel Limited" says that they are not in a position to pay for the services that AtlasChoice offered.
• That they have attempted to automatically take payment from my card which they were unable to do so to over he hire cost that AtlasChoice should have paid
• That GreenMotion are requesting I give them payment of the fees they were unable to take
• That I should contact my bank to request a charge-back for the fees already taken by AtlasChoice/Everyshine Travel limited.

Reading up on the multiple social media accounts of AtlasChoice, other car hire companies are also affected including Perth Rent A Car, GreenMotion in the UK, and Hertz that have now stopped honouring their contracts.


With hire car companies holding such large sums of money for excess cover back (effectively as blackmail) - what protection do us consumers have to get our money back and not have to paid twice for the same service?



Also Can the third party car hire pass this cost on to us if their contract was with a middleman - AtlasChoice have a contract with us to provide a service, and on the rental agreement with GreenMotion even reading the small print does not hint that they can pass charges on to us. The only reference to prepaid tickets states "8.4 If the client has pre-paid the rental price or made a deposit, every extra amount due under the rental agreement shal be requested to be immediately paid at the lessor office at the moment of return of the vehicle....". How does a payment request two days after return fit into this contract?

MisterPleasant

I contacted Atlas Choice via their website (attempting a phone call is pointless) yesterday afternoon and, to be fair, they replied very quickly. They asked me to provide a copy of the signed rental agreement (which, fortunately, I still have) and of the credit card statement showing the GreenMotion payment. As of right now GreenMotion haven't followed through with their threat to take payment so, until they do, I've no actual complaint. We'll have to wait and see but I note that Atlas Choice have taken down the comments page on their Facebook site - the one where people, including me, had started to post complaints.

htmsousa

In my case, I did the booking on Sep 25th, picked up the car on Oct 7th, returned on Oct 9th and then, 2 months later I got the email from Green Motion (Dec 5th).
They unlocked the excess deposit a few days later after I returned the car. How can they even charge my card without my authorization after all this time?

MisterPleasant

I wrote to GreenMotion telling them I didn't think they had the right to charge me for Atlas's failure to pay them. Received a response this morning assuring me they are still trying to resolve it with Atlas Choice and that they would NOT pass a charge to my credit card without my authority. They didn't make that very clear in the original email.
I'm still going to keep an eye on it, though.

victoriarenee9

I have also been battling Green Motion and Atlas choice over payment issues. I booked a rental through Atlas Choice for 29 Sept through 13 Oct out of LHR with Green Motion. My credit card was charged on August 27th. All went well with our booking and we were actually very happy with Green Motion. Then, two months later, I received the same email as you all, from Green Motion threatening payment. As I live in America, I have been back and forth with both companies via email. I have saved and attached the emails from Green Motion where they say Atlas Choice is not financially able to pay them, so Atlas Choice has seen this, but still has chosen not to do anything. I have gotten a lot of 'non-answers' from them. I think they are hoping I will just forget about it and go away. Green Motion are telling me to go to my credit card issuer to refund the payment. Atlas Choice have said I should contact my card issuer in case Green Motion take payment and to say it's a fraudulent charge. Both sides pointing fingers! While we are all stuck in the middle! It seems, however, that Atlas Choice is actually the one at fault as other car rental companies are not being paid. My biggest frustration is that the consumer is even being involved in all this. Green Motion should be dealing directly with Atlas Choice, or go to a court to get their money.

I look forward to updated from others!

dsds

I had booked a car with Atlas Choice beginning of October. everything was fine and I returned the car. 6 weeks later I receive an email from easirent (vendor) that they have already charged my credit card for the rental whereas I had already paid Atlas Choice. Got on the phone with Atlas choice and the agent on the phone was aware of the issue that Atlas Choice is not paying any of their vendors some internal error. She asked me call my bank and issue a chargeback.
my question is how can easirent charge me when I had an agreement with Atlas Choice and already paid them..from the other threads what I am reading Atlas Choice is in deep trouble.

neilg40

We had an email today from Target Rent in Italy, saying much the same thing. According to my bank, they have tried to take money this morning. My Rental was via Atlas Choice back in August!
The wording of the email states that Evergreen trading as Atlas Choice have informed them (Target) of their insolvency.

easirenter

Same issue for me only between AtlasChoice and Easirent for a rental in October. Was 'leaked' the email below.

From: Management Team [mailto:management.team@atlaschoice.com]
Sent: 01 December 2016 16:30
Subject: Evershine Travel Limited t/as Atlas Choice ("AC")
Importance: High
Sensitivity: Confidential

Evershine Travel Limited t/as Atlas Choice (“AC”)
We are aware that a small number of providers are currently refusing to accept AC vouchers when customers are arriving to collect their vehicles.
We fully understand the concern this is causing and the disruption that this is causing to both our businesses and your goodwill with the individual hirers.
We are currently in a process working closely with Deloitte LLP to urgently seek a purchaser or a funder for the business and have the following proposal as to how to manage our liquidity issue in the short term to enable a solution to be delivered.
We are, at present, able to meet all commitments for hire charges from 1 December 2016 but unfortunately at this time do not have the financial resources to make payment towards any arrears owed to you.
It is our objective, in the event that we cannot obtain funding in short order, to sell the business as a going concern to a willing buyer to minimise disruption and this will require the goodwill and co-operation of all our suppliers to achieve. The clear priority is to ensure that vehicles continue to be made available to customers without them being asked to pay again for the hire on collection to maintain business operations.
AC will therefore ensure that you are paid in advance on a weekly basis for all hires from 1 December 2016 as they arise to cover this exposure.
Without such an arrangement, there is a very real risk that the business will be forced to close down, which will be value destructive to our creditors and also cause substantial customer disruption.
Our short-term strategy is designed at the very least to leave you in no worse a financial position with AC as you were on 30 November 2016 and aims to provide the necessary breathing space required to seek a sale of the business.
We hope to have made substantial progress in achieving a sale within the next 10 days and will keep you regularly informed.

You will understand that this is a sensitive matter of non-disclosure and I would therefore request that you keep this information confidential and within your offices. This matter should be kept to high-level management during this phase.
If you have any queries regarding the above please contact us directly in response to this email. We are also happy to arrange a discussion with our advisors, Deloitte LLP, if desired so they can explain to you how they are advising us.

richardw

Er best to anonymise your post easirenter and do it quick.