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Have had a nasty letter for a £25 debt I don't owe

3 replies

sameagain · 19/01/2009 12:55

Last May my car went in for a service (VW main dealer) they took longer than expected and offered a hire car for the day we were inconvenienced.

Car was in fact a hire car from Europcar and was delivered to DH at work.

Later the same day our car was ready, so in fact the only use we had from it was the drive back to the dealer to collect our car.(15 miles)

We were then charged £25.38 for petrol, which they said was the amount required to replace the petrol we had used. Clearly 15 miles did not cost £25 in petrol, so either someone made a mistake, someone was on the fiddle, or someone at the company had been using the car.

Anyway after a number of heated phone-calls, they agreed to refund our credit card and I thought the matter was resolved. This was in August.

Today I have received a letter threatening legal action if the amount is not paid in 14 days. This is the first I have heard about it since August. I have now been on hold (at my expense) for 20 mins while they try to resolve it, but the current story is that the Europcar branch manager insists the money is due, as they had to fill the tank.

Can they really ruin my credit record for the sake of £25? Any suggestions for dealing with these idiots?

OP posts:
GossipMonger · 19/01/2009 12:56

I think I would just pay it even though i would be cross about it

Not worth ruining your credit rating for £25!

Ivykaty44 · 19/01/2009 13:00

Often the company state you either - fill up the tank to the top or if you dont then they will charge you for a full tank of petrol.

If you didn't ill the tank up to the top and the car was collected they will just put down tank needs filling - so this is why I expect you are being charged and hassled for that amount.

I have had it before where it was clearly half a tank and then man collecting the car warned me - so I went and filled up the tank whilst he waited (we live 5 mins from petrol station) he said a charge would be sent at around 50 quid so it was far cheaper to fill half a tank.

prettybird · 19/01/2009 13:12

Surely it is for the main dealer to sort out? Have you contacted them and said you are being hassled? They are the people who contracted with Europcar, not you and you onnly used the car to get back to the main dealer.

WOuld have been different if you had used it for "other" travelling.

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