Car-hire creates problems for consumers around Europe annually. The most common problem occurs when the car-hire firm afterwards charges extra costs which the consumer deems to be totally unjustified.
The European Consumer Agency Network handled a total of about 1,500 car-hire cases in 2008-2009. At the same time the Finnish branch of this Network was contacted 50 times with issues regarding car-hire.
Majority of car-hire problems are related to post-trip charges. In a typical situation the car-hire company collects extra charges from the customer’s credit card afterwards, and the customer deems these charges to be unjustified.
The Finnish Agency of the European Consumer Centre has, amongst others, dealt with a case where a car-hire company took 370 Euros from a consumer’s credit card for repairing a small scratch. Another consumer was charged 750 Euros for scratches which were already on the car at the time of hiring.
To avoid surprises the European Consumer Agency Network reminds consumers that they should read the hire-contract and especially the small print carefully. It is also advisable to clarify separately the hire company’s rules about fuel consumption and different emergency situations.
It is wisest to pay the charges using a credit card. If there are problems with the service or the car, the credit company is under obligation to refund the payment.
It is advisable to inspect the car carefully before use. You can also ask the company for a report on the car’s condition. The person hiring the car should also make sure that his/her insurance is valid.
The European Consumer Agency Network is monitoring the complaints about car-hire intensely until the autumn 2010. After this the Network will inform the Commission about drawbacks in the field and about the companies which caused most problems.
Consumers can send their own car-hire experiences to autonvuokra@kuluttajavirasto.fi . The actual complaints regarding a foreign car-hire company can be made via the European Consumer Centre website at http://www.ecc.fi/en-GB/contacts/.