A car hire warning has been issued after holidaymakers were charged for being "no-show" at airports, with one customer losing £185 despite providing their flight number as requested.
Customer's ordeal at Heathrow
Writing to the Guardian, a customer described booking a car hire at Heathrow through Holiday Autos and providing their flight number as requested. However, their flight was severely delayed, and when they reached the car hire desk, they were told they had been marked down as a "no-show" and that their car had been rehired.
Under duress, the customer was forced to hire a larger car for twice the price and was told they would not be refunded the original £185 hire fee. Since then, the car hire company has told the customer to complain to Holiday Autos, and vice versa, leaving them stuck in a dispute between the two companies.
Martin Lewis's advice on free cancellation
Previously, BBC and ITV star Martin Lewis advised consumers to choose bookings that offer free cancellation if possible. Money Saving Expert, the site founded by Mr Lewis, wrote: "Top travel tip: Try to book a hotel or car hire with free cancellation. Why? Because if the price drops, you can simply cancel and rebook at this cheaper rate!"
The post asked: "Have you ever done this successfully? How much did you save?" In response, a commenter named Kathryn replied: "I've done this with a hotel. Got a much better grade room and saved about £50 on the price the original room would have cost! I usually try to do this now. I book the new room first though before cancelling the existing one... Just in case!"
Other travellers share savings
Another social media user said: "I’ve done this for a hotel booking. Made a great saving on original booking price but found my room was at the furthest point away from the reception / dining areas. A good trade off in that situation."
A third explained: "Pre-Christmas price over £300. 1st booking March £285. 2nd booking £185 early May. 3rd time mid-May £121." Praising the method, the social media user added: "Refunded each time within four days. Result!"
