Got back from France a week or so ago. Car got checked over at the airport – all fine, no damage recorded. Invoice two days later (showing zero damage and zero to pay).

Then late last night two more invoices appeared by email. First one identical to the original invoice showing zero to pay, the second showing a 135 EURO damage charge!

Can I just set my credit card company off on them to get this charge removed? How can they add charges after confirming in writing that none were due?

Anybody fought this type of scam before?

Sorry I don’t have anything constructive to add, but car rental firms: can we move them above letting agents on the list of “first against the wall”?

I remember a time when hiring a car was a straightforward and worry-free thing to do.

At what point did it all become a massive scam?

HD Video walkround of car inside and out on phone on pickup and drop off include a shot of the hire car bod and say the date and time for posterity.
Takes a couple of minutes, discourages creativity on the part of the hire company. Never had any issues since I started doing this..

“It’s Wednesday 9th of June at 10:39 and I’m just picking up this Mondeo from Bob at Rent-a-Scam ….let’s get a close up of these pre-existing scratches and dents…”

did you hire three cars ….if not why three invoices for the same thing ?

trail rat – one car, no idea why the three invoices.

Video would have been useful – next time!

Sorry to hijack your thread OP…

At what point did it all become a massive scam?

I think it was when insurance companies took over the world. We now have to be insured for everything apparently. So whole industries, of which the car rental business is a very good example, exist to a) sell you insurance, b) claim ridiculous amounts on said insurance because they know you have it, or c) shaft you because you didn’t their insurance. The insurance companies know this happens, but all they do is increase the price of the insurance because who’s paying that? See a) above. But most people still buy it because they want to avoid c).

What was it like when companies sold a service for an advertised cost, you paid it and received said service? Rather than telling you it’s really cheap then trying to shaft you for extra cash. I’m too young to remember.

Just contact the credit card company and provide a copy of the original invoice stating no damage. They should then refund any payments taken for the damage.