Beware Car Bookings Through Virgin

[swanning_it]

Tried for the first time, a car booking through Virgin. Flew into ROK and drove to Gladstone and back. Booked Hertz and noted the unlimited km blurb unless advised otherwise. Since there was no other notification on any documentation I received when booking, I decided it was unlimited.

Credit card debited for an amount $60 more than I expected and when queried was told Rocky is a 200km included rate and I clocked up excess. I complained to Hertz who advised to take it up with Virgin. Virgin said they couldn't help as it was a Hertz condition.

Europcar is about the same price with unlimited out of Rocky, so for the experience of booking through Virgin, I was slugged an extra $60 or so. I think I'll go back to booking my cars separately, at least then I know the terms.

[Moopere]

Back charge it. If the full terms and conditions were not available to you then it -is- Virgins problem and back-charging it will make them pay attention.

Hertz won't want to know because they have subbed the work out to Virgin and payed them for the privilege. As Virgin is the retail pointy end, its up to them to provide a service that complies with their wholesaler (Hertz in this case). They are just trying to fob you off.

[Mal]

I have seen this issue before when you look at opaque car rental sites.

I think you have a strong case to get your money back as you agreed to certain terms when you made the booking and mileage wasn't one of them. Perhaps you'll need to escalate within Virgin Blue (as you are using their portal to make the booking), although with an Irish booking site involved (the actual one that does the Hertz booking Car Hire Affiliate Program and White Label Booking Engine ) and Hertz also involved - things could become tricky.

Presumably your contract documents had the mileage limit on them though. This could make things a little more difficult - although if this was not pointed out to you when you collected the car (or you used Hertz Gold etc) then this also should point in your favour.

[Velocity Frequent Flyer]

Hi Swanning,
If you want to send via private message some details, we can follow this up for you.
Regards
Velocity Team

[swanning_it]

Hi Swanning,
If you want to send via private message some details, we can follow this up for you.
Regards
Velocity Team

Hey Wow, thanks.....I'll do that!

I've got more personal service through AFF

[Andyzx]

Nice one to the Velocity Team - at least they are looking at it.

Would agree with the earlier comment about hertz have recently taken a complaint to the (regional?)senior customer services manager, but even though their customer service agreed that they were wrong they will not do anything to refund the over charges - hence they have lost another customer.

[ethernet]

Beware: Hertz has a higher 'excess' of $5000 for single car accident - ie car damaged by unknown , and other party not around to get money out of - does this mean if you hit an uninsured driver you are also out of pocket?

I just booked a car hire from Virgin - and got $30 a day odd in Canberra. Vroom Vroom is usually a few dollars more.
This undercut my usual Thrifty deal from Economycarrentals.com who are suffering from Thrifty's retarded booking engine ($1100 extra for one way SYD-MEL) but otherwise $50 day oddish - all in.

I liked the speed of Virgins engine and makes me more likely to fly with them and book H/Car at the same time, as they are now my new default benchmark.

[Moopere]

Nice one to the Velocity Team - at least they are looking at it.

Would agree with the earlier comment about hertz have recently taken a complaint to the (regional?)senior customer services manager, but even though their customer service agreed that they were wrong they will not do anything to refund the over charges - hence they have lost another customer.

Seriously, don't eat your dogfood. No company should feel their are legally able to put their hand in your wallet.

If you were to not use a CC at all would you have handed over the extra dough? I think not. So, dispute the charge and make Hertz work for it - if is truly justified then fine, but if you honestly feel you have a solid case then don't walk away with your tail between your legs and your wallet 60$ lighter.

In Australia of all places we can't just keep screaming at the wind and vowing never to use company XYZ again - there are so few operators and so little competition ... pretty soon you have no one left to do business with.

I'd prefer to keep the companies that otherwise serve my needs honest and continue to have a relationship with them. Honestly, so would they.

[Edit: By "Dispute", I mean back charge via your CC company. You have obviously disputed the charge with Hertz directly]