Car rental - Quoted without VAT

Based on resolver’s experience to date, it can be extremely baffling trying to pick your way through the various charges, terms and conditions of a car rental agreement. However, car rental companies are obliged by law to make their agreements and costs clear and easy to decipher. Your quote must clearly display all unavoidable costs such as VAT, taxes, fuel surcharges etc. and extra charges (such as for car seats or additional drivers) should also be made very clear. If you feel that you have been misled in any way (e.g. it was unclear that your quote did not include VAT), resolver recommends that you firstly submit your concern in writing to the car rental company, asking them for an explanation and for a refund, if you feel it appropriate. If you are unhappy with their response, resolver recommends that you contact one of the bodies that deal with car rental disputes. If you booked your car direct with a hire company, the European Car Rental Conciliation Service (ECRCS) provides a free service to deal with Europe-wide disputes. There is also the European Consumer Centres Network which will investigate any breaches of European contract law free of charge. For UK rentals, the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) provides free assistance with complaints about companies which adhere to its own code of conduct. resolver recommends that you submit your concern in writing to any of these organisations (see their websites for contact details) and resolver can assist you in submitting, recording and reminding you when and who to escalate to. It can be extremely frustrating when you are quoted without VAT.

resolver can help you resolve this issue quickly, free of charge and without the hassle. We can also help you with the next step of writing your complaint. Click on the link below to create your email. You should know

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.