On June 11, 2002, I rented a car from easycar.com via their
website at www.easycar.com. Easycar.com is a UK-based company.
I am extremely internet literate and transact frequently via merchants'
websites. The original rental period was from July 11, 2002 through
July 15, 2002. On July 11, 2002, I retrieved the car from the
local rental agency at Place Vendome Parking, Place Vendome, 75001,
Paris, France.
On July 14, I decided I wanted to extend the rental period. I
had previously read on easycar.com's website that this is acceptable
as long as the original due date has not passed. Customers outside
the U.K., such as myself, can only request an extension via the
easycar.com website. Easycar.com does have a telephone number,
but it is ONLY for UK customers. There is absolutely no way for
a customer in Paris to call easycar.com and speak to a company
representative who can assist them with extending the rental agreement.
At approximately 4:00 p.m. on July 14, I logged onto easycar.com
and retrieved my original rental agreement. I followed each step
and waited for the site to validate the new due date. I was shown
a new rental agreement on the screen with an extended due date
of July 17, 2002 and a new rental price of 184.00, 46.00 more
than the original price. Unfortunately, at that time, I was connected
to the internet through my laptop computer and did not have a
printer available. I print all of my documents at work. I assumed
there wouldn't be a problem with the extension and that I would
print the new rental agreement upon return to work from vacation.
That was my first bad assumption.
I logged onto to easycar.com again the evening of July 16 to
ascertain whether I could extend the rental agreement once more
to July 21, 2002. (My mother was visiting me and had a hard time
navigating in Paris. It became apparent that a car was necessary.)
It was at that time I realized the original agreement had not
been extended from a due date of July 15 to July 17. I immediately
tried to call customer service at easycar.com. I waited 30 minutes
for someone to answer the phone and then hung up. Easycar.com
prefers customers contact them via email. In fact, they give priority
to those doing so. I only have access to my email when I am logged
on at my office, so I had to wait until morning to send an email
to easycar.com.
I sent them an email requesting that my rental agreement be extended
to July 21 and to verify that I was not going to be liable for
any late charges as I had previously extended the due date to
July 17 but due to a problem with their system, it had not been
recorded properly. My second bad assumption was assuming my request
would be acknowledged, the agreement would be extended until July
21, 2002 and I would pay for the extra days.
Easycar.com gives themselves 48 hours in which to answer emails,
so I waited. However, on July 18, 2002, during the morning, I
was checking my Visa card balance and noticed I had been charged
three (3) late fees of 120.00. Again, I immediately called easycar.com
but this time waited until a customer service representative was
available. I explained what had happened and she told me, very
simply, there was nothing she could do about it. Once the original
due date had passed and there were late charges in the system,
that's how it was and there is absolutely no way to change it.
She couldn't reverse the late fees, she couldn't extend the agreement
and there was no one I could talk to who could help me. She even
went so far as to tell me that easycar.com's President wouldn't
be able to reverse the late fees. And then I heard that phrase
which I have grown to hate, 'It is not possible.' I've learned
to expect this response from Parisians but not the English who
are usually more than helpful. She proceeded to inform me that
in order to keep from getting in any more trouble, I should return
the car immediately. I do not have this individual's name. It
seems in Europe, an employee is not required to give his or her
name if a customer asks.
I hung up with the easycar.com representative, got in the car
and drove directly to the rental agency to return the car. I explained
to the employee who checked me in what had happened. He told me
this happens quite often and either the website instructions aren't
clear or there is something wrong with the website and extensions
never get recorded. I refused to sign the 'return report' without
adding a statement of what had happened. (As a side note, there
seemed to be plenty of cars available at this site. I don't believe
I was the cause of any lost revenue or extra expense on the part
of easycar.com due to the supposed 'late return.')
I proceeded to exchange emails with easycar.com, my only means
of communication. At no time did easycar.com make any attempt
to resolve this matter. They simply told me there was nothing
they could do once the booking ended, I was liable for the late
fees, and I had better return the car as soon as possible. However,
they were nice enough to inform me of how I could make a new booking
if I still needed the car. I will NEVER use easycar.com nor any
other easywhatever.com again. There was no attempt at a compromise.
I am sure in the minds of whoever runs easycar.com, they believe
I fabricated this whole story to avoid paying late fees. I am
not that type of person. I would never violate the terms of an
agreement. I'm an anal retentive accountant who wouldn't dream
of keeping a rental car past the due date. I'm too afraid a SWAT
team, the FBI or the CIA would show up at my house in the middle
of the night, paralyze me with some sort of magic hand grenade
smoke, and demand the keys to the car. That may be exaggerating
a bit, but you get the point. I don't know how else to convince
someone that I did indeed extend the period.
I believe I did exactly as instructed when I extended the booking
of the rental car. I have no idea why the extension was not recorded.
Easycar.com has made no attempt to resolve this issue. A close
reading of the emails I received from easycar.com indicate I am
receiving 'canned' answers and that no one is attempting to address
personally my situation. ('Dear Customer' is written twice in
the same email, without regard to my name, and there is a reference
to 'your email dated ___' with the date not filled in.
I am at a total loss. I feel like easycar.com is 'padding' their
rental costs with late fees and there's not a darn thing I can
do about it.
Link to other easyrentacar complaints: Link1
; Link2
