The European Commission announced the end, on Thursday 19 January, of the enforcement cooperation phase with the world leaders in car hire – Avis, Europcar, Enterprise, Hertz and Sixt.
Thanks to a dialogue involving national consumer protection agencies, the industry has made a number of commitments: - the total booking price will include all unavoidable charges (for example, when winter tyres are compulsory by law in some countries); - the description of the main rental services will be given in plain language (mileage included, fuel policy, cancellation policy, deposit requirements, etc.); - in line with a clear procedure for vehicle inspection, consumers will be provided with reasons and evidence of any damage, and consumers will be given the chance to challenge any damage before the payment is taken; - clear information will be provided on additional insurance, for example, that reduce the franchise to be paid in case of damage and on damage subject to a franchise in the basic price of the hire; - fuel policies will be transparent, with consumers always given the option of getting the car with a full tank and bringing it back full.
The dialogue, which was opened in 2014 following a sharp increase in the number of complaints, brought measures that the industry pledged in 2015 to put into effect (see EUROPE 11358).
The Commission says that it will closely monitor how well the measures are effected. It will focus particularly on the practices of other market players, such as intermediaries and other car hire companies. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)