scalea

[brynithel3]

Hi everyone

Just back from Scalea. We had a fabulous time. Met old friends and made new ones drank too much wine and beer, ate too much.

I found the Neapolitan school of driving in the fun fair where youngsters go on the dodgem track for 5 mins and receive their full license on the payment of a 100 euro backhander. Facile

I will post photos later.

The dream holiday turned into a nightmare at Rome airport. What a difference between airports Rome - big town cynicism and Lamezia - small town civility. You live and learn.

I have been charged £685.40 by Auto-europa for what can only be described as a scam.

Ciao

John

[vtrusty]

What was the scam John so that hopefully we can try and avoid it as we tend to use Auto -europa when we come into Rome. My sympathy for getting caught up in it, it's such a shame to be left with a bitter taste when something like that spoils your holiday!!

Val

[brynithel3]

Hi Val

There were two faults on the car when we collected the car in Rome.

1st The tank was not full and they claimed that the fuel gauge indicator was faulty. When I filled it up in Scalea the next day the indicator worked correctly.

2nd there was a four inch scratch ( or should I say a 10 cm) on the front bumper (passenger side) The rep didn't come out top the car a second time but said he knew about the scratch and that it was only minor scatch and he said he would put it onto the computer. Which he seemed to do. (I did not insist on him altering the paperwork and initialing it. Apparently any adjustment to the paper work must be accompanied by an initial. Seems reasonable.) I took a photo of the damage and made sure it was timed and dated.

Well when I returned the vehicle all hell let loose why had I bumped the car? Why hadn't I filled the car? (they checked the computer, on my insistence and found a reference to the gauge being faulty but no reference to the scratch) I said how did they know the car wasn't full now if the gauge is faulty. They asked where I had filled it and they phoned the garage and came back with some slip of paper that bore no relevance to my recent transaction( paid in cash to a coloured boy on a forecourt of a nearby small garage). They were very aggressive and just wouldn't listen to a word I had to say. They wouldn't look at the photograph or contact the original rep who dealt with us.

It was an expensive learning experience but next time I will not accept any car with faults and am considering video taping any transactions with any car rental firm. It is a small price to pay.

Ciao

John

[MarKel]

We hired a car from Hertz at Ciampino Airport last Easter. After we left the airport I noticed the tank was only three-quarters full. When we returned the car ten days later I mentioned this to the rep. who accepted my word, did some calculations, and immediately discounted an acceptable amount from my final bill.
I know this is not much consolation to you John, but they are not all bad out there.
Also, it is possible to get insurance to cover against the damage excess from
Cheap Car Hire Excess Insurance | Insurance4carhire.com - it really is worth it if you are hiring a car a number of times per year. Maybe next time.
Regards,
Markel

[Hev&Steve]

Hi John & Joyce

Sorry to hear about the trouble with the hire car, like Markel, I too have a separate insurance (Insurance4carhire), only cost me £49 for the year. After the first fiasco with Hertz last year, we now use "Holiday Autos" for our car hire, mainly because Heather gets NHS discount.

That aside, it was a great time on Parco Meridiana, we are going back out, leaving on the afternoon of Sept 19th, this time driving, so we won't have any car hire problems. Should get there on the afternoon of the 21st.

We got disk 1 & 8 from Mike, so if you get a chance can you copy the rest.

see you soon
Cheers
Steve

[brynithel3]

Hi All

Thanks for the encouragement. We do have annual insurance to cover these things but it still isn't a good experience.

We hope to be out at Parco in September and will get those discs for you. Let me know if you like disc one. Best of luck with your learning Steve hope its all coming together now.

We passed on Phillipe's towels to Luigi and he said that he'd put them in the apartment.

I'll miss those early morning swimming sessions, my afternoon naps and our early evening chats around the pool.

I am planning my next trip out and will have to be careful with the car hire firm.

Ciao

John

[MarKel]

We went back to Scalea in June, and this time booked our car through
Car Hire with discount rates from Carhire 3000 . We then dealt with Sixt at Naples Airport.
I had done a considerable amount of research re. prices before going, and found them very competitive as they don't charge for a second driver. There were no disasters, but perhaps others may disagree.
This info may be of interest to you John, but perhaps you like something a little more powerful than the tin cans I tootle about in.
As a matter of interest, did the car hire company know that you had extra insurance?
Regards,
Markel

[Doug]

Ouch John, that's a rough experience. We've used Hertz at least twice now with no trouble except for the excessive Italian costs. Our rental last month for 9 days came to 582 euro plus a hefty exchange rate = 953 USD which is about 483 pounds I think. That is only with the mandatory insurance with the Extra declined. Do you know whether the rates you UK folks get for the various companies are available to non-EU people?

We have enough large city airport (Fiumicino) stories to write a book. But a short fun story about the "civile" airport at Lamezia is what you get. Last October we had a 6:30 AM flight to Rome from Lamezia and (as trained) we showed up 2 hours early for security, etc etc. The airport was totally closed with lights off and doors locked until about 5:00. Yes they are civil and layed-back at Lamezia, but don't arrive toooooo early!

Be well,

[brynithel3]

Hi Doug

I like the story about Lamezia.

It is a bit like the BNL bank in Scalea. Talk about laid back. If you go there in the morning be prepared and take a packed lunch secreted away from the x ray eyes of the Guard.
If you go in the afternoon just take a sleeping bag. Or even better don't go into the bank at all and see if you can waylay one of the tellers on one of their six daily trips over to the nearby bar to have their coffee breaks. (you can recognise them they are still carrying their clip boards).

I must try to get into the Italian Psyche, its more important than learning the language.

Just off to buy a small hand held video camera with a good battery life. Next time I'll go prepared. It will be worth its weight in gold.

Ciao

John

[brynithel3]

Hi Markel

Thanks for your reply. I'll look at that site for my next trip. You tootle about in a tin can, what luxury. I feel privileged to have a large shoe box.

Yes the company did know that I had extra insurance because I have used them several times before, albeit from a different airport and they had all my details on the computer when I arrived in Rome.

I shouldn't think I will lose that much in cash but my confidence in the system has taken a bump.

Now I am retired I can lobby the ombudsman concerned, contact Trevor McDonald on ITV, (who recently broadcast a programme on this subject) and contact the local Welsh Ferret who does a brilliant Job for BBC wales in tracking down these con men. Strange isn't it America has its super heroes Batman, Superman, Spiderman etc. I thought Wales could have Super sheep or something equivalent but we just have the ferret. Perhaps our relationship with sheep is just too close to imagine them being superheroes.

Ciao

John

[maisy]

Hiya I dont personally drive but I rent a car for my daughter
Danielle and I use a website Car Hire With Argus Rentals who trawl through
the best deals for what you what and they are not too too expensive
Cheers Maisy

[brynithel3]

Thanks Maisy

I will have a look at that site and add it to my list. The list is always so helpful when you get a problem.

Ciao

John

[billy]

Hi John,
Sorry to hear about your bad experience with Auto-Europa. I've used them several times from Rome and Lamezia and , so far,have been ok. I always book the cheapest car and until now have been given an upgrade free of charge. I'm using them again in September so I hope my luck doesn't run out---It's costing £336 for 21 days. In the past with Auto-Europa I've always had to go to the Sicily by Car desk at the Airport but this time the Hire is through Avis. After hearing about your experience I will be carefully inspecting the bodywork of the car before I drive out of the Airport.
Hope things work out ok for you. Regards, Billy.

[brynithel3]

Hi Billy

Yes my previous experience of auto-europa has been very good from Lamezia and Naples. Upgrades and courtesy always the rule. I think this lulled me into a false sense of security. I think that caution must always be first rule. I know that if I am offered any car with a fault or faults I will insist on another vehiclle.

I have received a reply from the British/American HQ who have thanked me for all the information provided including photographs and thay have asked me to forward the final bill when I recieve it for them to make an investigation.

I will keep you all in touch with any further developements.

Ciao

John

[patmc]

Sorry to hear about your bad experience. It has prompted me to relate the following:

Last year we (my sister, her husband and I) pre-booked a Volvo to be collected at Scalea Budget and returned to Budget Lamezia Airport.

At Budget the nice young man (who was in no way responsible for what followed) told us that he had been sent a Ford Mondeo for us to collect. We did not want it, but took it as he had no other car to rent in that category.

Driving back to my place we noticed that the clutch was difficult. It was fine in top gear, but difficult to move into any of the lower gears, especially first, and frequently cut out. My sister, the driver, assumed it was just a matter of getting used to the car. But it continued to be difficult for the rest of our holiday.

When we left it back at Lemezia they checked the petrol and as we watched drove it (very fast) around the car park at the back of the car rental area and said everything was fine.

A week later my sister, in Ireland, got a phone call and email from Budget, Italy, to say that we had broken the clutch and would have to pay for a new one. She protested that it was faulty when we got it but we certainly could not have broken it as they drove it after we had returned it.

We had two things in our favour. Budget’s HQ is in Ireland and my sister’s children are experienced lawyers with licence to practice in Europe . They located an Italian Web-site which gave the whole history of the car (required by law in Italy). It had been bought by a car fleet leasing company and then sold on to Budget, no doubt after it had been well abused by diverse and numerous drivers. Her children sent a solicitor’s letter to Budget, Ireland, giving the history of the car and stating that their client would not pay and that we were prepared to contest the matter in court - we all carry legal insurance and so could afford this.

Budget Ireland replied apologising for the inconvenience caused and said they would investigate the matter with Budget, Italy, and get back to us. That was over a year ago and we heard nothing further.

The children advised, exactly as you say, that any fault should be noted and signed on the paperwork. You live and learn and I am sorry you (and we) had this experience. I think you are doing exactly the right thing by contacting the car company American/British HQ and hope you have some luck. Keep us posted.

Others should note that any fault should be noted and singed on the paperwork before you accept the car to aviod potential problems.

PatMc

[brynithel3]

Hi PatMc

Thanks for the support. I'm afraid I don't have that sort of back up available. Doesn't it make you feel you want to be able to hack into their system and check out the history of the car? They could be using this particular vehicle for the same scan. One a day for a ten days could pay for a new car. A year could buy you a fleet. Good business to be in.

ciao

John

PS Any hackers out there willing to advise? You never know whose reading this.

[paulcam11]

To all,

After reading through all the threads I felt compelled to reply, we have rented a car from Auto-Europe (assuming it is different from Auto Europa) about a dozen times over the last three years and have never had any problem at all from either Naples or Lamezia, that is until we flew into Fuimicino, after wtg at the Budget desk for an hour an half to be served, I was told that they had no cars available and that I would have to wait until one was returned, they didnt know when any were expected and that if I was not prepared to wait then I would have to find a car myself and then pay for it and contact Budget ot complain and "try" to get a refund. SIXT wanted over 1000Euro for a compact car for two weeks plus excess mileage.
By this time I had waited for over two hours with an 18month old boy in tow and with my temper getting more and more frayed I decided to ring Auto Europe in England to complain.
To be honest the service that I then received was second to none, within 20 minutes I was sat in another car that had been sorted from England from Europcar at no cost to myself.

Unfortunately car hire cons are not an Italian phenomenon and these companies will consistently charge if they feel the hirer has not fully covered themselves by checking the car fully before signing and driving it away.

When I returned to England I complained about the lack of service and support or even concern from Budget and received a response within 24 hours from them, my complaint has now been passed on the a senior manager in the complaints department and is still being dealt with at the moment.

What we must remember is that companies like Autoeurope are only a broker between us and the main dealers and the main dealers will try to increase their profits by all means possible.

[mary]

Hi John,
I used to use this company (also know as sicilybycarauto or something like that) until I had a similar experience 2 years ago in Naples.
When we collected the car the fuel gauge wasnt totally full. There was also a 3cm rubber graze on the bumper. No chip , no paint removed, an abrasive pad would have removed the scuff. We took no notice.
On bringing back the car they said we hadnt filled up the tank to the top which we actually had 3 mins previous, I had to drive back to the petrol station for reciept. Then they said "oh the gauge must be faulty"
Then they said we would be charged for the rubber scuff on bumper. No argueing would work with them.
So when I was charged €126 for the damage on my credit card. I refused to pay it and Visa stood by me. Hence why I never reccommend this car hire company. And use Europcar who have been great. They are all disel cars and they are usually cool out both in Rome and Naples.
Live and learn is all we can do! Sorry for your trouble after such a nice holiday.
Mary

[brynithel3]

Thanks Mary

Yes the so called damage on my car was only a black scuff on the bumper. I could sense something was wrong when I was handing the keys in. The little looks between them and this was before they had gone out to see the car.

You can be sure I'll be more careful next time. My card was debited almost immediately and Visa have not been much help so far but they are going to look into it,

Ciao

John

[bobconners]

Hi John,

I am a neighbour on Parco Meridiana and have hired cars in Lamezia from Hertz who you have to watch with their charges. I demanded a refund last time in april as they addded over 300 euros to the web price quoted. At Rome Fiumincino I hired a car from National Maggiore via holiday autos web site and had no problems although the car was very dirty compared with Hertz.

Holiday Autos is very good and we have had cars from them in Sardinia Sicily and Italy mainland and had no problems.

Regards

Rob & Pat Connors