Car rental company

3.5.2017

Question for written answer E-003112-17
to the Commission
Rule 130
William (The Earl of) Dartmouth (EFDD)

Some of my constituents have claimed that Goldcar, a car rental company operating in ten EU countries with its head office at Carretera Valencia N-332, km 115, San Juan de Alicante, 03550 Spain, has defrauded them when they have returned rental cars.

In spite of having checked the cars, within hours after the customer has left, Goldcar claimed that there had been damage to the bodywork and automatically deducted hundreds of euros from the clients’ credit cards. It is clear from the information available on the Internet that this company has acquired an exceptionally poor reputation for customer service and that actions such as those described above can be classified as fraudulent.

Under Union law, what remedies are available for consumers seeking protection from such fraudulent practices?