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“Rip off and terrible customer service”

written by smudgedog on 27/07/2016

I use lots of car rental companies both for businees and leisure and believe that I am savvy as to their hidden / unexpected charges. My credit card has just been charged 289euro post rental from Budget at Almeria airport in Spain . I was expecting a charge of 64euro for choosing the fuel up front option. After a long wait on the phone to question the charge I was informed that I have also been charged 208euro because I had a blow out and had been charged for the tyre....YES 208 euro for one tyre..! I as expecting a charge but nowhere near that amount. It has to be noted that when I rang the rental office to report the flat tyre they INSISTED that I had to return to their office (90kms away) to get it looked into. I then had to go to a local tyre depot and wait another two hours to have a new tyre fitted..in all six hours wasted not to mention the fuel. This appears to be a ridiculous 'rule'...what if I was 500kms distant from their office?. Unfortunately, this is not the end of this saga.. This still left 81euro outstanding...I was informed that this was the fuel charge...what they have done is charge me 67euro plus vat of 14euro totalling 81euro, this instead of the 64euro total that I had prepaid.
Customer services couldn't explain this...obviously because I caught them with their 'fingers in the cookie jar".
I use Avis the sister company on business throughout the years spending £1000's...I will now be reviewing who I choose for future rentals. Customer service never got back...!