AddCar (Easy Rent) Car Hire fraudulently take payment from Credit Card

TizerBunny

Please ask questions, I can barely make sense out of this, any advice appreciated. Sorry it's so long.

12th March 2020 pick up hire car at AddCar, Sofia, Bulgaria (also called Easy Rent). I’ve probably rented cars 50+ times from various companies, apart from car being unusually old and scratched up everything went normally.

A few days later the damage deposit (approx. £665) appeared as a payment on my card. I sent AddCar a message because any other Car Hire would have put a hold on card not a payment. Message was received but ignored.

21st March 2020 returned car. I asked about damage deposit being made as payment. He said that was how they did things, he said car was fine so give him my card and he’d refund the payment for damage deposit. First time he tried card a receipt came out but he couldn’t get a signal in the car park. He tried again and asked me to enter my PIN. He said refund could take up to a month.

Later when I was in airport I seen an email from Halifax Fraud. I called the number and was told of a declined payment of £665. We discussed what had happened and he said I should contact AddCar and inform them refund wasn’t made. He asked if I had another card on me so he could block the Halifax card in case they tried to do another transaction. Unfortunately I didn’t have another credit card on me. Presumably it wouldn’t have made any difference.

AddCar desk had no staff so I send a message. Maybe 10 minutes later when I got no answer I called them. Operator gave me an email address. I sent email but still have no answer.

A couple days later I called Halifax fraud, cancelled card and did charge back on 12th and 21st March payments of £665 each.

Days later new card came but it had same number on it as old card and both payments were still showing on online banking. I called Halifax fraud again this time the payments were taken off my account and I got new card and number.

Happy Days…

29th May 2020 I get email from Halifax (Lloyds Banking Group). AddCar have sent them 12th March contract I signed when picking up car and I confirm I’m liable for damage. TRUE.

Halifax received signed paperwork saying car was damaged. LIE, I’ve never been informed of any damage and I certainly didn’t sign anything. Due to lockdown car only went into city and back.

Credit Card Receipt from 21st March signed, £665 to pay for damage. I have the “refund” receipt from the 21st, it’s in Bulgarian so I assume now it says payment approved or something and not refund as I was told. It wasn’t actually signed but I entered PIN so same thing I guess.

Halifax say with these 3 documents make payment on 21st valid and it’ll be added to my credit card.

I emailed Halifax back (29th May) explaining again everything that happened and asking to see documents AddCar sent them.

I haven’t heard about 12th March payment yet. It would have been approx. £665 as well.

I also emailed Carrentals.co.uk with what happened (on 30th May) as I booked through them.

Summary:

12th March AddCar take damage deposit as payment. £665

21st March AddCar take “refund” as payment. Another £665

I do chargeback on both payments.

29th May Halifax tell me 21st March payment is valid and will be added back to card due to sketchy documents from AddCar.

Aylesbury_Duck

Putting aside all the card back and forth, isn't this simply a case of disputed damage?  It seems that the company are claiming you damaged the car and the excess (£665) is payable. 

When you received the car, you probably signed something acknowledging existing damage.  When you returned the car "he said car was fine".  Were you given a receipt to say so?  Did the guy inspect the car with you present?  

TizerBunny

Aylesbury_Duck said:

Putting aside all the card back and forth, isn't this simply a case of disputed damage?  It seems that the company are claiming you damaged the car and the excess (£665) is payable. 

When you received the car, you probably signed something acknowledging existing damage.  When you returned the car "he said car was fine".  Were you given a receipt to say so?  Did the guy inspect the car with you present?  

When picking up the car they marked all the damage on the car. I walked around car with the guy adding the stuff they'd missed and taking picture. I signed this document and still have it yes.

On returning the car, he walked around the car whilst I was present. He said it was fine and would need card to do refund of damage deposit. I wasn't given anything except the Bulgarian receipt that came out of the card reader.

Aylesbury_Duck

Ok, then that creates a potential problem because you have nothing to prove the car was accepted with no additional damage.  If the company has evidence of additional damage, that would explain why your card company won't intervene. 

TizerBunny

Agreed, to the Halifax it looks like I made a payment for damage when I returned the car. Hopefully Halifax will send me the documents AddCar sent them. I have a bad feeling my insurance won't believe the documents are legit.

To me it doesn't make sense why anyone would make a payment when returning the car, a deposit was already taken at pickup. How could the damage be the exact same amount as the damage deposit and how would AddCar know the cost of the damage when I returned the car.

shaun_from_Africa

TizerBunny said:

How could the damage be the exact same amount as the damage deposit and how would AddCar know the cost of the damage when I returned the car.

The  deposit of £665 is an excess and is the maximum that you would be liable for so if the cost to repair the claimed damage exceeds this figure, you will still only pay the £665 agreed to.

TizerBunny

shaun_from_Africa said:

TizerBunny said:

How could the damage be the exact same amount as the damage deposit and how would AddCar know the cost of the damage when I returned the car.

The  deposit of £665 is an excess and is the maximum that you would be liable for so if the cost to repair the claimed damage exceeds this figure, you will still only pay the £665 agreed to.

I appreciate your point, I just checked the original contract for hiring the car, it says a €300 excess will be blocked on my card on pickup. What actually happened was a £665 debit was taken on pickup and another £665 debit on return.

TizerBunny

UPDATE: Halifax have emailed. Unless I can provide proof the signature in the damage report isn't mine they are going to remove the temporary credits from my account. So both the pickup £665 and the return £665. They suggest contacting www.ecrcs.eu (EDIT: I just checked website AddCar are not a a participating company so there's nothing they can do.)

The email also says they've attached the documents AddCar send them but they haven't. At least I can't find any attachments in my email or the Lloyds Banking Group Web Email Protection website (I've to use to send secure emails).

I will try calling Halifax to get the documents AddCar sent them, should I just ask them for a deadlock letter as well? I'm not sure how to proceed.