A car rental agent gave us the wrong snow chains ‘for show’
Gill Charlton has been fighting for Telegraph readers and solving their travel problems for more than 30 years, winning refunds, righting wrongs and suggesting solutions.
Here is this week’s question:
Dear Gill,
We own a small chalet in the French Alps at the top of a very steep road, so a four-wheel-drive (4WD) SUV and snow chains are essential. Over Christmas, we booked a car with Alamo through Zest Car Rental. We have used its services in the past as it offers full insurance and, until now, has given great customer service. We paid £1,172 for the 11-day rental with Alamo, which gave us a rather shabby Honda CR-V and took a local payment of £35 for snow chains.
It snowed heavily the day before we were due to leave the resort, so we set about trying to fit the chains. After two hours we gave up. A local mechanic confirmed the chains were too small and sold us a set in the correct size for £170 which we left with friends down the mountain.
On returning the car, the agent told us that it was company policy that no SUV should be supplied with chains as they aren’t necessary. However, because the French police insist on all vehicles having a set, they throw whatever’s to hand in the back for show.
He reluctantly conceded that we should have been told this and went on to refund the charge. However, we have another rental booked with Zest/Alamo and are not happy about this offhand response.
I have tried contacting Zest since our return but there has been no action. Please can you help us get a resolution before our return in February?
– Charlotte Williams
Dear Charlotte,
As you suspected, the Alamo agent is wrong. French gendarmes can be sticklers for checking snow chains are being used after a big dump of snow even on 4WD vehicles.
I contacted Zest and they apologised for the delay in resolving the issues. They applied a 5 per cent discount to both Charlotte’s bookings, a total refund of £123. It is also taking up the matter with Alamo Switzerland, which has yet to respond fully.
Alamo continued to mess up. It sent Charlotte a final invoice showing a “fuel-up” charge of £38 even though the agent had signed off a full tank on return in her presence. This turned out to be another “administrative” mistake, as was Alamo’s failure to renew the toll vignette which resulted in another charge that must be refunded.
At this point, Zest suggested that, given the problems, and the delay in getting a proper response from Alamo, they would give Charlotte the option to switch her forthcoming booking to another provider. It found a similar 4WD deal with Europcar – which is £141 cheaper than the Alamo package – and she has accepted the offer. It is also increasing its own goodwill gesture by £50 while it awaits a response from Alamo.
Your travel problems solved
Gill takes on a different case each week – so please send your problems to her for consideration at asktheexperts@telegraph.co.uk. Please give your full name and, if your dispute is with a travel company, your address, telephone number and any booking reference. Gill can’t answer every question, but she will help where she can and all emails are acknowledged.
