Car rental - Car not as described

Based on resolver’s experience to date, you rarely get exactly the model you were hoping for when renting a vehicle and, whilst a slightly different make or model is not going to ruin your trip, if you are given a 3-door runaround when you asked for a people carrier, it could cause serious problems. Rental companies are usually careful to include a clause in their terms and conditions stating that the car you have seen online or in a brochure is a guide only and that that exact make, model or colour may not be what you actually get. However, if you did ask for a people carrier and are given a 3-door runaround, then the company will be in breach of their contract with you. The car must be functionally similar to that which you specified.

Car rental companies have to give clear terms and conditions, transparent pricing info, and a full explanation of their liability and waiver cover. In fact, all charges should be made clear to you upfront.

You should always take a full inventory and get the car hire company to sign off on everything – even if the company tells you it isn’t necessary.

If you decide to take out extra cover, it’s best to make sure that the cover is in the same name as the lead driver. This could avoid a number of potential pitfalls in the future.

Car hire companies should invoice you for any charges incurred. In some cases, they may debit money directly from your account – they should make efforts to notify you beforehand.

If you do have to dispute a charge, you should always try to do it within 14 days.

We have 5,116 pages of rights advice for you covering 10,936 companies and organisations across 16 public & private sectors. Feel free to browse companies for this specific issue - they're all listed below - but the quickest way to find the best rights for you is by using our unique Rights Finder to access our extensive database of advice.

Start by telling us the name of the company or organisation you have an issue with.