News
“Rent your car from somewhere with a complaints channel”
When the clutch failed after driving in Majorca for just one day, Lars Petersen was glad he had rented the car through an agent that was a member of a European complaints organisation.
Like many other Danes, Lars Petersen and his wife decided to rent a car while on holiday, to give them more freedom to get around and see things. They received an almost new rental car, and had a wonderful first day on the Spanish island. But when they were about to set out again the next day, they found the clutch was dead, even though the car had spent the night in the carpark without incident.
“I immediately contacted the rental company, who said we would get a new car and they would pay for our taxi to come and collect it, so everything was fine. The problem arose when we got home, and I received a bill for DKK 3,688 for the broken clutch,” says Lars Petersen.
The rental company concluded that Lars Petersen was to blame for the broken clutch, after driving just one day in the vehicle.
“The arguments from the rental company were absurd. I paid their bill, but I wrote clearly that I did so under protest. I then lodged a complaint with ECC Denmark, which recommended that I complain to the European Car Rental Conciliation Service (ECRCS).”
Tan Møhl, a lawyer at ECC Denmark, notes that it is probably easier to complain when the rental company is a member of ECRCS:
Car rental is a big issue at ECC Denmark every year. We see many cases where consumers are accused of having damaged the car, as in Lars’ case. It can be very difficult to engage in dialogue with foreign rental car companies. It is therefore a good idea to choose a company that is part of ECRCS. Then you will always be able to have your case assessed.
When Lars Petersen lodged his complaint, he received no confirmation, which made him unsure whether the complaint had been received. He contacted ECRCS, who said that they responded to all complaints after 30 days, and this was also true in this case:
“Our complaint was upheld and we quickly got our money back. Next time I rent a car I will choose a rental company that is part of ECRCS again, so I can complain if something goes wrong.
See the list of rental companies that are part of ECRCS HERE