Car hire - the sting

[Slick]

I must have lived a very sheltered life. Never in a million years would I have thought (much less do) anything like that.
If these people applied their clever/devious minds to something honest!!

I've always said that. The potential for success is quite high for a number of these people and probably with even less effort.

 

[screenman]

My neighbour had a lease car for a year. They went over it, on the drive for 2 hrs and came up with stone chipping damage, scratches around the lock and other trivial things. To me it looked in great condition for a 1 yr old car!

The money they asked for to rectify these 'faults would have paid for two or more full resprays at a reputable garage. Sadly they'd picked on the wrong guy and he offered to take the issue to court. By then they'd sold the car on so only had the report and some, frankly poor, photos. They got nothing.

They charged £4,000 for a few marks? Most people going to a garage in a few weeks time would notice those marks, so why should your neighbour not pay for them. He/she knew the rules when they leased the car. The pickup drivers get a very short time to check a car, some can be penalised for missing damage, two hours I have never heard of that one.

 

[screenman]

I must have lived a very sheltered life. Never in a million years would I have thought (much less do) anything like that.
If these people applied their clever/devious minds to something honest!!

Not sheltered, it seldom happens and easy to figure out why, most hire cars are very new and any parts only swapable to roughly the same age vehicle which of course like the hire car would still be under warranty. 47 years of motor trade in me and I have never seen it happen.

 

[Drago]

26.5 years as a copper and I've seen a whole engine swap happen. Well, not actually seen it happen cos id have told them to put it back, but you know what I mean.

 

[screenman]

26.5 years as a copper and I've seen a whole engine swap happen. Well, not actually seen it happen cos id have told them to put it back, but you know what I mean.

Photo or it did not happen

 

[Profpointy]

not quite the same thing but a neighbour took his pretty new car to the garage and they swapped his new spare wheel for a worn one. he spotted it and played hell with them, but ‘kindly that is cheeky

 

[woodbutcher]

26.5 years as a copper and I've seen a whole engine swap happen. Well, not actually seen it happen cos id have told them to put it back, but you know what I mean.

Never witnessed an engine swap but having lived a large part of my life in Norfolk have seen many a wife swap (not for an engine you understand)

 

[Slick]

This was years ago but I put my old car with a fairly new battery into a local tyre fitter one Saturday morning then went on with my day doing lots of very short journeys organising Mrs Slicks parents silver wedding celebrations at a local hotel. On one trip, my battery went flat and on inspection I noticed an old dirty blue one now sat where there used to be a reasonably new white one. The mechanic had removed it for one of his own cars he used for banger racing but he still went chalk white when I went straight round to challenge him.

 

[byegad]

They charged £4,000 for a few marks? Most people going to a garage in a few weeks time would notice those marks, so why should your neighbour not pay for them. He/she knew the rules when they leased the car. The pickup drivers get a very short time to check a car, some can be penalised for missing damage, two hours I have never heard of that one.

Well they certainly did this, even moving the car a few times to get 'the right light' on areas.

 

[screenman]

Well they certainly did this, even moving the car a few times to get 'the right light' on areas.

As I said never seen it before as the driver's only get paid for driving, seems a very odd one to me. There are, as you may know rules on how they are supposed to check.

 

[mjr]

Never witnessed an engine swap but having lived a large part of my life in Norfolk have seen many a wife swap (not for an engine you understand)

For an old boiler?

 

[Drago]

Up my end having pampas grass in the front garden marks you as a wife swapper. Cheaper than hiring a car too.

 

[postman]

Story two months ago.Bloke retires after being a sales rep.Handed his firms car in.Then goes to a family run firm in 'Arrowgate and buys a car.Goes and picks it up,has it for a few weeks and finds oil trouble,goes to another garage who put that right but tell him his tyres need replacing soon.The selling garage had swapped all four for some run down ones,to say he was fuming was an understatement.

 

[vickster]

Didn’t he look it over? I think even I’d notice bald tyres. I also wouldn’t buy a used car without a recent or new MOT

That said I got done by a scumbag small dealership, crashed car (hpi clear), rear end badly repaired but well enough to not be obvious. I got most of my money back before they disappeared into the sunset (small claims bailiffs couldn’t recover the rest)

Bought a year old car from main dealer. Will never use independent small garage again. Although recognise that if spending £2k, private or small dealer likely the only options

 

[screenman]

Out there in motor trade world there are businesses doing speedo correcting, it is not the dealers keeping them busy, it is the private punters, that is what contract hire does for them. Yes you can have low monthly payments but only 8,000 miles a year, get over that and you are charged at 40p per mile.