Guys, do not rent from easyCar.

URL:

http://money.guardian.co.uk/cars/sto...080252,00.html

The BBC exposed this company on it's consumer programme "Watchdog" recently. It showed that their rental offices were actually white transit vans! There were never any cars actually available, or so it seemed (better watch my words as the company are very litigious). They used to be extremely over-zealous in checking returned cars for the slightest scratch and then slapping the repairs on the credit cards of the customers. "Watchdog" picked this up last year and now the owner, Stelios, has stopped this practice but claims that as a result cars are being returned so damaged now that they have a car shortage! When he was questioned by the BBC about a month ago, he was shown a complaint from a lady in Euston station where there was no car for her - even though she had already paid in full. His answer was that there were plenty of other companies to rent from in Euston as it was a railway station - making out that she was completely stupid. Why should she pay twice? Stelios said that the company would eventually refund her money. Best avoided.

It used to be that when you went to the Easy Jet website, there was a big ad for Easy Car, and I assumed it was part of the same company. But recently their ads have changed to Europe Car. Have the two parted ways, or is there no connection between the two?

There really isn't much new there. I was in London a year ago and Watchdog had a big expose. The company head came out a couple of weeks later saying they were changing all the disputed practices. But then there was another big story in the Telegraph (I think - it could have been the Times) saying things were even dicier.

That's why I always post right away when someone says they got a great rate thru easyCar.

definitely beware . . . . .

Patrick:

EasyJet is no longer managed day-to-day by Stelios Haji-Ioannou, the self-described visionary who developed it.

Stelios, who remains a minority shareholder in EasyJet, is devoting his energies to EasyCar, EasyInternet and EasyCinema. Their operations are separated, and there is no mutual dependence.

In fairness to EasyCar, there is little evidence of any scams. Just business practices modelled on chartering oil tankers, rather than consumer-responsive businesses.

Hire from EasyCar with your eyes very open, follow ALL the rules, restrict your mileage heavily and you'll get a funky, stylish little car for a good price.

Misunderstand their system, and you'll end up spending more than a BMW 7 series would have have cost you from Hertz.

Oh, now that is interesting. I never put EasyInternet with the others. I noticed the huge Times Square Easy Internet was half closed down a couple of months ago, the entire upstairs stripped out. And someone posted here that an EasyInternet in Paris, I believe it was, had also disappeared. Things must not be going well for this guy.