Italian car hire company keep charging my credit card for a flat tyre :(

simonp

I recently booked a car hire through Alamo's UK website for a short break to Sicily. On arrival, it became obvious that they'd simply passed this booking on to a local car hire company who made me signs loads of forms in Italian and took my credit card details.

During the trip, I got a flat tyre. There was no spare wheel so I had no choice but to use their recovery service. I then had to pay €110 to get a taxi to their nearest hire location to get a replacement car.

I've since been charged €87.40 for the replacement tyre (fair enough) but also €70 'damage compensation' plus €120 for the 'tow truck' as well as €42.70 'refuelling service' for the original car (plus the cost of the fuel - again, fair enough).

This all seems really unfair and as it's an Italian company, I have no way to dispute anything. I'm annoyed with Alamo as I deliberated booked with a UK company.

Any ideas what I can do? Do I just suck it up?

pinkshoes

Well you didn't have to use their recovery service. You could have contacted a local garage to repair or replace the tyre.

What did your contract with Alamo say about car damage costs?

Aylesbury_Duck

Without knowing the terms of the hire, specifically what insurance cover was in place, it's difficult to advise.

born_again

Did you take up the damage waiver?

Even if you use the likes of Avis or Hertz for a booking oversea's odds on it will be a local hire co that provides the car.

MyRealNameToo

simonp said:

I recently booked a car hire through Alamo's UK website for a short break to Sicily. On arrival, it became obvious that they'd simply passed this booking on to a local car hire company who made me signs loads of forms in Italian and took my credit card details.

During the trip, I got a flat tyre. There was no spare wheel so I had no choice but to use their recovery service. I then had to pay €110 to get a taxi to their nearest hire location to get a replacement car.

I've since been charged €87.40 for the replacement tyre (fair enough) but also €70 'damage compensation' plus €120 for the 'tow truck' as well as €42.70 'refuelling service' for the original car (plus the cost of the fuel - again, fair enough).

This all seems really unfair and as it's an Italian company, I have no way to dispute anything. I'm annoyed with Alamo as I deliberated booked with a UK company.

Any ideas what I can do? Do I just suck it up?

Alamo is an American company not a UK one and a subsidiary of Enterprise (also US based). 

"Damage Compensation" is presumably for the time they couldn't hire it out whilst getting the tyre fixed. How much was your daily rate? 

born_again

https://www.ecrcs.com/

Is your hope if they are a listed co.