I am a regular visitor to Mallorca and user of many car hire firms. My very recent experience with a new off-airport company in Son Oms, has been my first experience of being scammed and I would love it if you ran a story on them and /or other car hire companies engaging in sharp practice.
I booked a cheap small car and collected on December 30th. I have my own excess insurance so declined their offer. I was surprised to be given an ‘upgrade’ and declined it, but they insisted claiming not to have any equivalents to my order. I thoroughly inspected the red Fiat 500 hybrid convertible, and took photos of un-noted damage.
Today I returned the car. The inspector went straight to the passenger door, opened it and pointed to a dent in the door frame that I had never noticed where, he said, someone had tried to force the door open. He found similar on the driver door. These dents are within the door recess and so not visible on pickup inspection unless you have opened the doors. To repair these two small dents they have charged me 1,000 Euros.
After the shock passed I am beginning to think this is a scam, especially reserved for those not taking their excess insurance. Nothing was left visible in the car and on the only day I parked in Palma a bag was left in the boot but not stolen. All other times it was parked in Puerto Soller, Soller, Deya and Valdemossa.
I think this damage would have been there on pick up. Like most people I look at the lower part of the car vulnerable to collisions and scratches not the upper part and certainly not in the door recesses. I don’t expect them to spend the 1,000 doing any repairs. Indeed, the inspector unwittingly told me I would probably find lots of other cars with such marks in his line of returned cars. All waiting to be re-rented without repair?
Best wishes
Robert
4 comments
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Had a similar problem only this weekend. Zero damage to car and yet they went straight to the rear lower door on my return and pointed out it had been pushed (totally invisible to the eye) when brushed with hand it appeared there had been a slight push but NO WAY to prove it wasn't done under my driving. Feel totally let down / ripped off / scammed as we are always 100% careful where we park, and if we caused any damage "rightfully" would be happy to pay for usch. But this has left a bad feeling of mallorca as it's been happening to too many for too long. Bye bye palma.... Tourism haters will be pleased of course..
You paid them? Jeez! A grand? There are scammers and then there are the scammable! I had a rip off fuel charge scam here once and called the police in front of the manager, who, realising that I was speaking Spanish seriously backtracked and dropped the charge.
All the Car Hire businesses will try to rip off any customer . Irrespective of Nationality. Many have been exposed in the British Press. Because of their scam tricks, I no longer hire cars anywhere, and especially in Mallorca.
I had a similar experience, video and pictures of car before driving off. Handed car back no issues. Then a week later an invoice sent for damages of 800 euro. I sent pictures and video and was told not to worry it probably was there previously and insurance would pay it anyway. I said is that not insurance fraud? Still waiting on reply!!!!!