credit card used for car hire abroad

AW85

Hello,
I recently hired a car for a holiday in Portugal. I booked and paid for the hire in advance on line, with a broker. The car was damaged on the last night of our holiday, and was towed to a garage.
I paid the full 1250 euro excess at the suppliers desk (faro airport) the next morning, but the car was still in the garage. Since returning home, the supplier has (unbeknown to me) taken a second payment of the deposit amount (1250 euros) from my credit card.
I understand that the deposit may not cover the full cost of damage, and i have since discovered things like windscreen, tyres etc were not covered by the standard insurance, but i was not provided with an itemised repair bill, which would show what i was liable to pay, and i was not provided with any warning the supplier was going to charge a second time. Therefore i feel this second payment was taken illegally. Is anyone able to confirm this is correct? Before i dispute the second transaction with my credit card supplier? Or do i have no rights in this instance?

Thanks in advance!

A bit more information if it is helpful -
[*]The supplier has confirmed the second charge was made by them intentionally to recover the additional costs, it was not an error.
[*]I have since blocked my credit card
[*]I think the running cost of repair is over 4000, based on an invoice from the supplier, however as stated i am yet to receive a breakdown of costs from the garage.
[*]We had standard insurance through the online broker.
[*]I had taken out excess insurance cover with AXA as part of the policy, so i am hoping to get the initial damage deposit / excess of 1250 back.
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[Deleted User]

Chase up the breakdown of the costs. If they're not forthcoming, dispute it with the credit card.

Cancelling your card won't prevent any further transactions if there any due, as authorisation was already given.

AW85

Thank you - I had understood that my credit card could no longer be used for *any* payments until I lift the block, but i will check again.

eDicky

AW85 wrote: »

.
I paid the full 1250 euro excess at the suppliers desk
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It's not clear why you would pay anything, if the excess amount was already pre-authorised on your card and available to be taken in case of any damage.

If your rental contract included CDW (Collision Damage Waiver), which is almost certain, you should only be liable for the excess amount, apparently 1250€ if that was the deposit taken.

This is regardless of how serious the damage sustained, and there should be no 'additional costs'. So unless your contract specifies otherwise, you can present it and the facts of the case to your card provider for redress on the additional charges.

chattychappy

Deleted_User wrote: »

Chase up the breakdown of the costs. If they're not forthcoming, dispute it with the credit card.

Cancelling your card won't prevent any further transactions if there any due, as authorisation was already given.

Agreed cancelling the card wouldn't prevent further transactions.

But if the OP told his CC not to allow any further payments to the merchant, shouldn't that be enough? (Under the PSRs, in the same way you can stop a CPA..)

AW85

eDicky wrote: »

It's not clear why you would pay anything, if the excess amount was already pre-authorised on your card and available to be taken in case of any damage.

If your rental contract included CDW (Collision Damage Waiver), which is almost certain, you should only be liable for the excess amount, apparently 1250€ if that was the deposit taken.

This is regardless of how serious the damage sustained, and there should be no 'additional costs'. So unless your contract specifies otherwise, you can present it and the facts of the case to your card provider for redress on the additional charges.

Thanks very much for the reply -

I had standard vehicle insurance (incl. CDW) with the online broker, not direct with the car supplier. The CDW didn't cover windscreen, tyres, mirrors, undercarriage.. and there was damage to these parts of the car. As i understand it, the excess amount (1250) only applies to the cost of repairing the parts covered by the insurance. And the cost for repairing other parts e.g. windscreens, falls outside of this. My issue with them taking the second payment, is that i have no idea which parts of the cost of repair were insured and which weren't.

I'm no expert so please do correct me if i have the wrong understanding..!

AW85

chattychappy wrote: »

Agreed cancelling the card wouldn't prevent further transactions.

But if the OP told his CC not to allow any further payments to the merchant, shouldn't that be enough? (Under the PSRs, in the same way you can stop a CPA..)

Thanks for this - i have checked my credit card balance and the supplier hasn't taken any further payments. I will contact the credit card company to cancel my card. I only opened the CC to enable the car rental! Easy come, easy go...

[Deleted User]

Deleted_User wrote: »

Cancelling your card won't prevent any further transactions

chattychappy wrote: »

Agreed cancelling the card wouldn't prevent further transactions.

AW85 wrote: »

I will contact the credit card company to cancel my card.

Why? Only do this if you have other cards and definitely don't want this one.

But remember you'll still need to check for any future statements if any transactions come through. Closing the card can sometimes make this problematic.

AW85

Deleted_User wrote: »

Why? Only do this if you have other cards and definitely don't want this one.

But remember you'll still need to check for any future statements if any transactions come through. Closing the card can sometimes make this problematic.

Sorry i wasn't being very clear. At the moment my CC is blocked. I thought if i cancelled my account i would be able to stop the car supplier taking further payments without my consent. I do have other cards i can use, so i don't need it. But now I am unclear whether i can actually stop a company taking payments, even through i dispute them, when i have previously given consent.

[Deleted User]

As chattychappy said, a specific request to your card provide to block payments to an individual retailer may work.

But cancelling the card never does, as any authorised transactions will will flow through. It could also complicate any refunds.

Leave the closure until after you have sorted this out. No point in adding to your problems at this stage.

AW85

Deleted_User wrote: »

Leave the closure until after you have sorted this out. No point in adding to your problems at this stage.

OK. Credit card supplier (Post Office) said they cant block individual payments as i have previously given consent to the retailer. They said they could put a block on the card.

I just haven't got another grand to spare once my CC bill comes through. Clutching at straws i guess. Thanks for the advice - very much appreciated.