Australian Car Rental Franchise Fined for Overcharging Customers on Repairs
BAJV, a Europcar franchise in Tasmania, has been fined $200,000 for overcharging customers to fix damaged rental cars.
The Herald Sun reported that BAJV Pty Ltd., a Europcar franchise in Tasmania, overcharged customers for damage to rental vehicles and will now be fined $200,000. The federal court said that customers paid one price for repairs and then the rental company had the repairs fixed at a cheaper rate, according to the Herald Sun report.
In total, 46 customers were overcharged — one customer was charged an extra $1,678 for repairs, according to the Herald Sun.
“The vast bulk of the contravening conduct was deliberate rather than inadvertent,” Justice Shane Marshall wrote in his ruling, according to the Herald Sun. “Some of it may have flowed from poor management systems, but nevertheless most of it concerned deliberate conduct, which involved BAJV taking advantage of its customers.”
According to the court judgment, Europcar ended its franchise agreement with BAJV on May 15, says the Herald Sun report.
Click here for the full Herald Sun article: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/travel/travel-news/hire-car-company-fined-for-repair-ripoff/story-fni0bieo-1226676383100
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