Credit card charged after hiring car in Crete

Last August, I paid 125 eur cash for 4 days car hire in Crete.

586 eur excess was pre-authorized on my credit card for any damages.

On returning the car, there was no damage and I know that the car was hired out to others the following day. 10 days after returning home, my cc was charged with the full amount of the excess. I have just now received (via AIB charge-back dept), 2 invoices in Greek totalling over EUR 600, from what seems to be an air conditioning servicing company/garage. The times on the invoices are just about an hour or so after the time I dropped back the car.

I believe strongly that I have been diddled!!!

Any advice short of going back out there and having a chat? Or is anyone going to Stalis, Crete this summer that can do me a favour. I don't particularly want to go back there.

You know the shops - those on the beach front hiring open-top jeeps, mopeds etc.

Just a warning that if anyone is going to do the same on holidays, get written confirmation that all is fine with the car when you return it (including the air-conditioning, radio, car jack, cigarette lighter etc.)

An expensive lesson! Very frustrating!

Will the credit card company not help further with the charge back ?

No - they have said that because I have signed a rental agreement agreeing to the first EUR 586 of damages, there is nothing further they can do.

I need to prove that the two invoices are fabricated.

What kills me is that based on the time shown on the two invoices, these people had definitely no more than an hour to do the following:
- check the car for damage
- take the car to the garage for repairs
- get EUR 612's (conveniently just above the excess) worth of repairs done to the car
- wait for the garage to process two invoices for the work done

I'm trying to get the invoices translated at the moment.

Did they say what the damage was ?

This happened last August, is there any reason why you left it so long? In cases like this, time is your friend. Did it take them that long to get you copies of the Invoices?

I'd go back to the credit card company & tell them you are refuting the charge as it would have been physically impossible for them to have (swiping your time line!)

- check the car for damage
- take the car to the garage for repairs
- get EUR 612's (conveniently just above the excess) worth of repairs done to the car
- wait for the garage to process two invoices for the work done

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Ideally when you noticed that charge you should have instructed your CC not to pay them until you got copies of the invoices. I'd push the CC company to address it along the lines that you believe the CC charge to be fraudulant & they would be complying with fraud if they don't follow up. Hopefully the translation might show up something in your favour, though, in reality, they probably got a mate to do up an invoice for them.

Unless you can get the CC company to chase it further, you'll just have to write it off as to follow them up legally would cost you ALOT more.

I'm always really careful when I take a hire car to check & get any little nick/bump/scratch marked on the chart. It's always harder when you're returning as there often isn't anyone available to check & sign it off (i'm normally rushing for a flight).

Would these people be able to help http://www.eccireland.ie/

European consumer centre will be best place to start along with the CC company.

For others renting a car, you can get excess waiver insurance from about €55 a year from many companies

I have it from axa [broken link removed]

Thanks all - I have just pursued the CC company again and also sent all correspondence to the European Consumer Centre.

I had pretty much written it off (in the hope that I would eventually stop fuming about it!!), but I will now give it one more shot.

Also, I was just going through my Crete digital photos on my laptop, and have got one taken about 45 minutes further up the coast from the hire shop (showing a time of 16.37). The two invoices are timed at 16.53 and 16.57. Unfortunately, this time can be easily amended on my laptop on my side and the hired car is not in the photo. There is an identifiable church in the photo though!

Forgot you Sam H:

I did query the charge immediately after it appeared, but it took quite some time or the invoices to surface.

However, I have not done anything since CC's refusal to pursue further back in December. I realise that it is now near May and this may not be in my favour.

I should've posted on AAM back then!