Car Hire (EconomyCarRentals)

[DavidGray]

Be warned. Hiring a car for one week and it breaks down 20 minutes from Dalaman Airport. Before I got home 400 pounds was taking from my account for the repair.
I had to phone to find out what was the problem. The clutch and flywheel had disintegrated and this is down to driver fault according to the Turkish Company who rented the car. After many emails without success to recover the cost :-

EconomyCarRentals will not even reply to what their 100% no excess means when initially hiring the car.
Assist Car Rentals who were the provider of the car just sit behind driver fault and seldom return an email or even when phoning them the person is always out.

Please also be warned that the person who deals with the public when picking a car up from Assist at Dalaman has to be one of the most ignorant people to deal with.
Unfortunately I have used them previously. The first time returning the car he was hungry and not at the office. Someone who cleans the car had to drive to the airport.
Who betide if you are a woman as he will just ignore you and keep you at the back of a queue.

[Jacqui Harvey]

Always best to use a well advertised and local company in the Callis area.  I know lots of us do and have no problems. 

[kevin3]

  Thanks for the warning David.  I'll make sure I warn others to keep away from ECONOMY CAR RENTALS

   and ASSIST CAR RENTALS. Hope you can get your money back. They sound like cowboys.

[JohnF]

Always best to use a well advertised and local company in the Callis area.  I know lots of us do and have no problems. 

Trite advice after the fact doesn't really help the OP.

Did they provide you with printed terms and conditions that specified exactly what they consider "driver error"?  Have a look through your paperwork as there may be something hidden in the small print, although I suspect not.

Anyway, I'm assuming you paid by debit card as you stated the the money had been taken from your bank account.  If you used a Visa, Visa Electron, MasterCard or Maestro debit card then you may still have some protection.  It doesn't fall under Section 75 of the CCA but most UK issuers have a system in place to deal with complaints.

You must contact them within 120days so I'm assuming you're ok there.

It sounds like they're really trying it on - mechanical breakdowns happen, however to suggest that a clutch going is driver error is ridiculous.  Get on to your card issuer (bank) and instigate a chargeback claim.  Forget the poor customer service etc and simply concentrate on the fact that £400 was debited from your account on the basis of a spurious claim.

If it was a credit card you meant, then its a bit better as you can then claim under section 75 of the CCA.

It may end up a bit time consuming, but worth it to a) get your money back and b) possibly make them think twice about doing it again.

Good luck with it.

JF

Edit:  It looks like Economy Car Rentals are just another agency, like select.  Do you know the name of the local company who actually supplied the car?  Or is there a different Economy Car Rentals?

[strange]

From usage of Economy Car Rentals it looks like the website is a world wide agent, who just subs out your booking to a local agent. Unfortunately, you don't find out which local agent you have until you've confirmed the booking.
I had Assist in May, and had issues(though nothing like those of DavidGray).
When i booked again for September I got a company called Essence, only to find on arrival it was Assist.
I have spoken to Economy about this as they should let you have a choice of agents at the resort, but nothing back.

[Bluwise]

In my experience, a credit card is needed to secure a hire car so finger's crossed on that front.
The whole car hire business is a minefield of small print and uninsured losses these days .

[DavidGray]

Thanks for the feedback, some good advice. I am not letting this go, they are unbeliable with excuses. I can confirm Assist and Essience are the same company. How about a phone call to them. I have broke down just before the tunnel on the way to the airport. One hour later they phone and ask which side of the tunnel.
      So another word of advice.....you can be close to missing a flight when a car breaks down.
Mr Dumb turned up and said nothing wrong the car starts. Try moving it, as he rolled backwards.
In a minibus he drove to the airport and turned round. You need to fill in paperwork at the office After waiting while he booked cars out from a incoming flight. We got to the airport one hour before take off.

[Jacqui Harvey]

Quote.  Trite advice after the fact doesn't really help the OP.
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This forum and others like it always give good advice about hire cars and many other things.  So, this advice is for others who could do their homework before hiring a car,  by looking at Forums like this one first.
It will also help the O.P next time they want to hire a car.   

[jamesuk]

We have booked our car and private transfers with Fethiye Rent A Car Company. I'm not sure if they are a well advertised local company but we will be hoping we don't get any problems with them. Have any members used them before?

[madmart]

Just to make this thread a little more positive. If you use Fethiye Lovers or Pegasus Rent a Car you will not go far wrong. Both of whom do reasonably priced transfers from Dalaman to Calis/Fethiye.