British tourists reveal car rental scam: how Carwiz demands money for non-existent damage.

CUT-PRICE car rentals might be hard to resist but some bargain bucket deals are allegedly taking tourists for a ride.

According to The Sun: Angry British holidaymakers reeled in by prices as low as £7 accuse Croatian-based Carwiz of bullying sales tactics, fabricating damage, verbal abuse and even assault.

Online reviews of the firm’s franchises seen by The Sun allege staff have forged documents, up-sold unnecessary insurance, and taken unauthorised payments from credit cards.

Meanwhile 36-year-old Londoner Simone Baron caught a Carwiz rep on camera as he appeared to manhandle her from the counter, before telling her sister Nicole: “F*** off.”

Simone, who works for a tech firm, told The Sun: “I know there are reputable companies out there, but clearly I went for one that isn’t.

“The stress I felt in that Carwiz office and for days afterwards was off the scale.

“I won’t be renting a car from them or anyone else ever again.”

‘Joke’

Simone said the experience was ‘unlike anything I’ve ever encountered in all my years travelling’.

Simone said: “A guy wearing the purple Carwiz top picked us up at the airport and took us to their office nearby.

“For the next two hours he tried to sell me damage waiver insurance at a cost of €200 (£173). I didn’t need it as I was already covered, but he wouldn’t take no for an answer.

“We’d been up since 2am, the kids were tired and hungry, and I was on the verge of just walking away and getting a taxi when he finally gave in and let us take our car.

“But before we drove to our hotel, I spent 15 minutes taking videos of all the existing damage.

“I was obsessed with documenting every scratch and blemish I could find. I covered everything.”

‘Scamming operation’

Byron Hayes, 46, who works in finance, claimed he had a similar experience at a Carwiz franchise in Warsaw, Poland, after booking through Ryanair’s website.

It’s the same story on Trustpilot, where Carwiz has racked up almost 200 1-star reviews. Tourists complain of being stung in Croatia, Katowice and Crete.

A recent survey by consumer advice experts Which revealed a shocking 42 per cent of car renters have been hit by bogus damage claims.

They said the issue is “well known” in the industry and advised taking full damage waiver insurance, inspecting the car inside and out and taking photos.

Any damage report should also be photographed, they say.

They also suggest demanding evidence of the damage and how repairs are calculated before escalating your complaint.

The European Car Rental Conciliation Service can help resolve cross-border disputes.