I rented a car with EasyCar at Gatwick Airport for 9 days and received a Vauxhall from Alamo at the Airport. 10 minutes before returning the car I filled up the tank at a nearby service station. After turning in the car at Gatwick I receive a receipt from the attendant stating a FULL TANK. Upon arriving back home in California I found an invoice from Alamo Car for 57.01 British Pounds or US $ 98.03. I tried calling EasyCar from the US and wasn't able to do so. So I went to their web site support section and submitted my complaint, and copies of the check-in receipt, stating a full tank, plus copies of my credit card statement, stating a fuel charge of $69.72 on that day. The statement was dated one day earlier, because when I fueled the car it was just before noon in England but still before midnight [one day earlier] in California because there is a 8 hour time difference. After over 10 days of multiple submissions of my complaint and documents I still don't have an agreement from EasyCar to return the wrongfully charged fuel charge. I rent cars during my many travels all over the world and have NEVER come across a rental company that treats its customers with such disrespect and incompetence. I would NEVER EVER again even think of doing business with EasyCar - luckily there are many other competent companies out there that value their customer's business. My advice: STAY AWAY FROM EASY CAR and read the many other complaints posted on the web. Google EasyCar! BTW: I spent an incredible amount of time trying to get this resolved, and I know it doesn't make economical sense.


Below some excerpts from my and their postings on the EasyCar.com "customer" support forum, after having already submitted my complaint and all receipts 3x by email without receiving a satisfying reply:

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My post to EasyCar Discussion Thread


Customer (GH) 07/07/2009 23:13

Hello,
I just received an invoice for a fuel charge of 57.01 British Pounds
for my returned rental car. Before returning I filled the tank at
Morrison Petrol in Crawley. Also, when I returned the car I received a
receipt from the Alamo attendant, stating a full tank. I am attaching
a copy of the check-in receipt and a credit card record of my fuel
purchase on 6/25. The credit card statement lists the transaction date
as 6/24 since it is a US based account and at the time of refueling on
6/25 before noon it was still 6/24 in the US. Please confirm receipt
of my email and credit of the wrongful charge of 57.01 British Pound
to my account asap.

Thank you, GH

Attached below:
check-in copy
credit card statement for fuel charge
copy of disputed invoice # 100401449671
original booking receipt [on bottom of email]


FYI: transaction post date is US Eastern Daylight Savings Time Zone on
6/24/09 5.50 pm EDT = 6/25/09 11.50 am GMT in UK

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Response (Heather Manson) 14/07/2009 08:54
Dear Mr H,

Thank you for your email.

easyCar has not charged you subsequent to your initial booking, it is likely that this amount has been taken by Alamo either in error or to cover supplementary charges incurred on your rental. Please check your documents to see if you have agreed to purchase items that would account for this charge, if you believe you have been charged in error please send copies of your rental agreement and your bank/card statement showing the debited charges. Please either scan and email these documents as attachments (PDF if possible, oversize attachments cannot be downloaded) in reply to this email or alternatively post them with a covering letter stating your booking reference number (090612165970) to this address:-

Customer Care Department
easyCar.com
Highbridge, Oxford Road
Uxbridge UB8 1HR
U.K.

I regret I cannot accept the copied receipts in the body text, I will need scanned/copy original documents.I sincerely apologise for the inconvenience and look forward to hearing from you soon so as to resolve this matter.

Kind regards,
Heather Manson
easyCar Customer Care

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Customer (G H) 14/07/2009 15:40
I just added a copy of the unjustified fuel charge by EC Vehicle Rental for $98.03 as matched by the invoice from Alamo [attached] sent to my address. Please take the time to review all submitted documents carefully - I spent way to much of my time dealing with this issue.

It seems the confusion might be a result of THREE different companies being involved with this rental: EasyCar, EC Vehicle Rental, and Alamo.

Please resolve this issue & get back to me asap - thanks!


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Response (Heather Manson) 15/07/2009 08:43
Dear Mr H,

Thankyou for your emails. Just to clarify, EC Car Rentals is the trading name of Europcar/Alamo, as visible in the merchant description on your card information. This means that the charges have been made by Europcar, and are separate to the booking made with easyCar (as detailed throughout the booking process, supplementary charges are payable locally). Unfortunately it is not viable for easyCar to receive copies of all rental agreements undertaken between customers and rental agents and we have no financial interest in these documents.

I have passed on your email to Europcar/Alamo and requested that they investigate the fuel charges. You card statement proving purchase of the fuel is dated the 24th of June, and you returned the car on the 25th, so I must warn you that it is possible that the fuel charges are valid, however I await a response from Europcar/Alamo.

Thank you for your continued patience.
kind regards
Heather Manson
easyCar Customer Care

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Customer (G H) 15/07/2009 15:46
Heather Manson - you replied:

"You card statement proving purchase of the fuel is dated the 24th of June, and you returned the car on the 25th"

As already explained MULTIPLE TIMES - the fuel was being purchased on the 25th in Gatwick which is located in the UK / GMT time zone. The charge posted to my account in the US where at the time of purchase it was still ONE DAY EARLIER. This is explained by the different time zone the United States is located in - IT IS 5-8 HOURS EARLIER in the continental US at any given time, depending on location. It is painful that I have to repeat myself over and over. I would appreciate if you would take the time to read my communications. I have not heard one word of apology for the ugly ordeal you are putting me through. I rent cars from many companies world wide on a regular basis, and have NEVER had such an experience of incompetence and lack of respect for its customers! I will be sure to stay clear of your company in the future. G H

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Response (Heather Manson) 15/07/2009 16:37
Dear Mr H,

The documents have been passed to Alamo and I am awaiting their response, as the transaction details on your card statement sadly do not also display the time along with the date I felt it worth noting to you that they might also notice this and it could lengthen proceedings. I will relay your note about the time difference, but without documentary evidence it can be more difficult. Let me reassure you have I have fully read your whole complaint and all the supporting documentation thoroughly, I apologise if my previous note was not more clear in it's intent - meaning that without the time written on the date the rental company may question the petrol receipt.

Let me reiterate the apologies I offered in my initial contact and further apologise that this process is not more straightforward.
I will contact you again when I receive a response from Alamo, if in the meantime you wish to add anything further please do not hesitate to contact me.
kind regards
Heather Manson
easyCar Customer Care


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Customer (G H) 17/07/2009 17:54
You DID NOT address the fact that I also submitted a copy of the receipt I received when checking in the car at Gatwick airport stating a FULL TANK. What more proof do you need? FYI, I googled your business and see that there are TONS of consumer complaints about your company's questionable business practices! I work in web publishing, and I will do my best to share my terrible experience with EasyCar on the various complaint forums to help save other unsuspecting folks from having to go through a similar ordeal like me.


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DOCUMENTS ATTACHED [on EasyCar's web site]

• DownloadedFile.png
• check-in.jpg
• invoice.jpg
• booking details.png
• fuel charge posted to my CC.png
• booking details.pdf
• credit card statements.pdf
• invoice.pdf
• checkin.pdf