GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF RENTAL

1. Data protection & privacy
2. Your contract
3. Requirements to renting and driving the vehicle
4. Reservations
5. CHARGES
6. Invoicing & payment
7. Delivery & collection
8. Fuel
9. Insurance & protection
10. Vehicle pick-up
11. During your rental
12. At the end of your rental
13. Damage
14. Complaints
15. Applicable law
16. Corporate customers
17. Liability

PLEASE READ THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR RESERVATION TO US. THESE TERMS TELL YOU HOW WE WILL PROVIDE A RENTAL VEHICLE TO YOU, HOW YOU OR WE MAY CHANGE OR END YOUR RESERVATION, WHAT TO DO IF THERE IS A PROBLEM AND OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR RESERVATION AND RENTAL OF THE VEHICLE.

1. Data protection & privacy

What information do we collect?

The information we collect includes some or all of the following:

  • Full name
  • Contact information
  • Home and/or business address
  • Proof of address documentation
  • Proof of identity documentation
  • Copy of and proof of eligibility to drive
  • Age and date of birth
  • Disability information (in as far as this is necessary to ensure that an appropriate vehicle is available for use)
  • Occupation
  • Previous insurance recorded
  • Information about any unspent driving endorsements and/or prohibitions
  • Nationality
  • Method of payment and creditworthiness
  • Employer’s name and contact details
  • Reason for vehicle hire

In addition to the above, where you would like additional driver(s) added to the rental agreement, we will ask you to provide some of the above information in relation to the additional driver(s). When you provide this information on their behalf, please ensure that you have got their permission to provide the information to us and that you have made them aware of how we will process their personal information as set out below.

How we will collect your personal information

We may collect information about you from you, including if you contact us (including any email address, Internet Protocol (IP) address or telephone number supplied by your electronic service provider) or if you use our products or services, or engage with our website or other online applications.

How we will use your personal information

We will use (or process) your personal information and that of each additional driver named on your rental agreement in order to:

  • Provide the rental services to you, including to enter into and manage our contract with you (including reservations, payments and other contract management requirements);

Decide whether to rent a vehicle to you and carry out relevant identity and driving licence checks on you and each of your named additional drivers (including that each driver holds a valid driving licence and to check for any unspent endorsements);

Manage, investigate, and otherwise handle any claims under the insurance policies described in these terms and conditions;

Process any fines or penalties incurred during the rental period;

Communicate with you in person or by mail, email, telephone, text (SMS) or other electronic means for any of the above reasons, including as part of “information only” communications in which we communicate with you to inform you about the particular vehicle you have booked or your rental;

Assess the performance of the service, as well as to monitor and improve our administration and management of our services;

Provide you an update in relation to this privacy notice, or that included on www.vwfsrentacar.co.uk;

Enable us to comply with our legal, regulatory and other good governance obligations (including our auditing or reporting requirements);

Anonymise your personal information in order to use the anonymised aggregated data for our own legitimate business purposes;

Enable us to carry out such processes which are in our legitimate business interests (as in compliance with the data protection laws), including:

  • To help us improve our products and services (including through the use of your aggregated and/or anonymised data for customer modelling, statistical and trend analysis),
  • For quality control,
  • Security,
  • Training,
  • Internal record keeping,
  • Protection of our assets, and/or
  • Notify you about changes to our services
  • Subject to your prior consent, to carry out direct marketing including to send you marketing communications (please see further information below).

We will only use your personal information for the purposes for which we collected it, unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for another reason and that reason is compatible with the original purpose. If we need to use your personal information for an unrelated purpose, we will notify you and we will explain the legal basis which allows us to do so.

Please note that we may process your personal information without your knowledge or consent, where this is required or permitted by law.

Technical data and cookies

If you make a reservation online, we may collect technical data about the type of Internet browser and computer operating system that you use. This information does not identify you as an individual and is used only for tracking of site use. We might also place a "cookie" on your hard drive that will help us to identify you when you return to the site and allow us to tailor content to your personal preferences. If you do not wish to use "cookies" you may disable this option in your Internet browser settings. "Cookies" can be removed from your computer.

For full information about how we use cookies, please see our full cookies policy online at www.vwfsrentacar.co.uk.

Your choices with regard to direct marketing communications

We may wish to provide you with information about new products, services, promotions and offers which may be of interest to you, either by e-mail, telephone, post or SMS. We will obtain your prior consent and advise you of how to opt-out of receiving such communications in accordance with applicable data protection law. You may opt-out of direct marketing communications at any time by contacting us (our details are shown on your reservation confirmation email and rental agreement).

In addition to this, we will include information in any marketing messages sent to you which will provide you with an easy method to opt-out of receiving future messages from us.

Please note that marketing communications are separate and distinct from “information only”, or “service” communications which we do not require consents for as we need to communicate with you to inform you about the particular vehicle you have booked or your rental, using contact details you have provided for this purpose.

How we may share your personal information with third parties

We do not sell your information to third parties but we do work closely with our third party service providers who fulfil business activities for us (like repairers and breakdown assistance providers etc.) In addition, we may have a legal or other obligation to share your personal information.

From time to time, we may disclose your information to:

  • Companies within the Volkswagen AG group of companies for business administration purposes
  • Other companies operating Volkswagen Financial Services Rent-a-Car in order for them to provide vehicle rental services and other services to you
  • CarPro Systems International B.V., the owner of the rental software system, to the extent necessary to process your reservation and rental
  • Third parties (including repairers and breakdown assistance providers) to enable us to carry out our obligations under the rental agreement
  • Third parties (including the DVLA) to allow relevant identity and driving licence checks to be carried out and to detect and prevent crime in relation to your rental
  • Third parties (including insurers) to investigate accidents and thefts and to try to recover costs for damage caused to the vehicle, any optional extras and to individuals.

We may also disclose specific information about you upon lawful request by HMRC, government authorities, law enforcement and regulatory authorities where required or permitted by law. Personal information may also be released to external parties in response to legal process and when required to comply with applicable laws and regulations, or to enforce our agreements, corporate policies and terms of use, or to protect the rights, property or safety of our businesses, in the event of any corporate transaction (such as the sale of the rental business), employees, agents, customers and others as well as to parties to whom you authorise us to release your personal information.

Sending information overseas

The data that we collect from you may be transferred to, and stored within, a destination outside the European Economic Area (“EEA”). In those instances, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place for that transfer and storage as required by applicable law.

How we keep your information secure

We maintain appropriate security measures to prevent your personal information from being accidentally lost, used or accessed in an unauthorised way, altered or disclosed. In addition, we limit access to your personal information to those employees, agents, contractors and other third parties who have a business need to know. They will only process your personal information on our instructions and they are subject to a duty of confidentiality. Details of these measures may be obtained using the contact details shown on your reservation confirmation email and rental agreement.

How long we keep your information

We do not retain personal information in an identifiable format for longer than is necessary except where the law requires us to hold your personal information for a longer period, or delete it sooner. Further information regarding our retention policy may be obtained using the contact details shown on your reservation confirmation email and rental agreement.

Your rights in respect of your personal information

You have the right to access the personal information that we hold about you and make corrections if necessary. You also have the right to withdraw any consent you have previously given us and ask us to erase information we hold about you. You can also object to our use of your personal information (where we rely on our business interests to process and use your personal information).

You have a number of rights in relation to your personal information under data protection law. In relation to most rights, we will ask you for information to confirm your identity and, where applicable, to help us search for your personal information. We will respond to you within 30 days (unless there are exceptional circumstances) after we have received any request (including any identification documents requested).

You have the right to:

  • Ask for a copy of the information that we hold about you;

Correct and update your information;

Withdraw your consent (where we rely on it)

Object to our use of your information;

Erase your information (or restrict the use of it), provided we do not have any continuing lawful reason to continue to use and process that information; and/or

  • Transfer your information in a structured data file (in a commonly used and machine readable format), where we rely on your consent to use and process your personal information or need to process it in connection with your contract.

You can exercise the above rights and/or manage your information by contacting us using the contact details shown on your reservation confirmation email and rental agreement.

Who to contact if you have a question or a complaint

If you have any specific data protection concerns or a complaint, you can contact us using the contact details shown on your reservation confirmation email and rental agreement.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a Data Protection Authority in Europe, in particular in a country where you work or live or where your legal rights have been infringed. The contact details for the Information Commissioner’s Office, the Data Protection Authority in the UK, are below:

Post:
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Call: 0303 123 1113

Email: casework@ico.org.uk

2. Your contract

Your contract for the reservation and rental of a vehicle is made with the Volkswagen Financial Services | Rent-a-Car location named on your reservation confirmation email (if you have booked in advance) and the rental agreement that you will sign when you pick-up the vehicle. It is formed of your reservation confirmation email (if you have booked in advance), the rental agreement and these terms and conditions. By providing us with your email address you agree to be provided with a copy of these terms and conditions and the rental agreement electronically using that email address.

When we refer to “vehicle”, this is the vehicle that you have agreed to rent as set out in your rental agreement (including its keys and all parts and accessories present within the vehicle at the commencement of your hire).

All references to “we”, “us” and “our” in these terms and conditions are to the Volkswagen Financial Services | Rent-a-Car location from which you hire the vehicle and our contact details are shown on your reservation confirmation email (if this applies) and rental agreement.

All references to “you” and “your” in these terms and conditions are to the person named on the rental agreement who has been approved by us to use the vehicle and who is designated to receive and pay all fees, charges and other costs associated with the rental of the vehicle as indicated in the reservation confirmation email (if this applies), the rental agreement and these terms and conditions.

If you think that there is a mistake in these terms and conditions, please contact us to discuss.

How to contact us

You can contact us using the contact details shown on your reservation confirmation email and rental agreement.

How we may contact you

If we have to contact you we will do so by telephone or by writing to you using the email address or postal address you provided to us at the time of reservation.

3. Requirements to renting and driving the vehicle

You (and anybody else who will drive the vehicle) must meet all of the following requirements. We will not be able to rent the vehicle to you or allow someone to drive the vehicle if these requirements are not met, and if this case, and you have reserved your vehicle in advance you may still be required to pay part or all of the total charges shown on your reservation confirmation email. To the extent that the law permits, we can refuse to rent a vehicle to you, but in particular, we may refuse to rent the vehicle to you if we believe that any driver is under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or if you or anyone in your party, is in our opinion abusive or threatening to our team.

Additional Drivers

You can add additional named driver(s) for an additional charge per driver as long as they meet the driving requirements as set out below. The amount of the additional driver surcharge will be shown to you during the reservation process and also on your reservation confirmation email (if this applies) and will be confirmed on your rental agreement. Such persons will be named on your rental agreement. Only you and those additional named driver(s) shown on your rental agreement are permitted to drive the vehicle. You must ensure that they observe and comply with these terms and conditions and you will be fully responsible if they do not comply with these terms and conditions, and for any of their acts and/or omissions.

Age

The minimum age to drive the vehicle is generally 21 years old, but some vehicles may not be driven by anyone under the age of 25 (these restrictions will be indicated to you during the reservation process). A young driver surcharge as shown to you during the reservation process will apply for each driver under the age of 25.

The maximum age generally to drive the vehicle is 75. If you are under the age of 25 or over 75 then you should contact us directly for more details.

Driving Licence

You and each additional named driver must hold a full driving licence valid for the type of vehicle being hired for the full rental period. This licence must permit the driver to drive in the United Kingdom and must have been held for at least 12 months before the start of your rental. Provisional driving licence holders are not allowed to drive the vehicle. Your original driving licence and the original driving licence of each of your additional named drivers must be produced for inspection and validation on the day that you pick-up the vehicle before we will hand the vehicle over to you. If a driving licence does not pass our licence validation checks then the licence holder cannot drive the vehicle.

UK driving licence holders

If the driver has a UK driving licence we will validate their driving licence and check their driving record against the DVLA database in the following way:

  • If it is a photo card driving licence, the licence will be placed into a licence reader which will scan and verify the driving licence electronically. We will be able to view the driving record, including details of any unspent endorsements, but we will not retain a copy of the driving record. The driving licence details will auto-populate into the rental agreement.
  • If it is a paper driving licence, the driver will need to obtain a “check code” from the DVLA online service “Share Driving Licence” (at https://www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence) in order to share their driving licence information with us. The driver’s National Insurance number is required to obtain the “check code”. The “check code” can also be obtained by contacting the DVLA customer contact centre (we can provide these contact details to you if you ask us).

Endorsements

No one who has been disqualified from driving at any time in the last five years or whose driving licence is endorsed with (or prosecution pending) any of the following unspent endorsement codes may drive the vehicle. We reserve the right to refuse the rental for all other offences:

Offence Endorsement Codes
Accident Offences AC10, AC20, AC30
Disqualified Driver BA10, BA30, BA40, BA60
Careless Driving CD10, CD20, CD30, CD40, CD50, CD60, CD70, CD80, CD90
Reckless/Dangerous Driving DD10, DD40, DD60, DD80
Drink DR10, DR20, DR30, DR31, DR40, DR50, DR60, DR61, DR70, DR80, DR90
Drugs DG10, DG40, DG60, DG80, DG90
Insurance IN10
Licence Offences LC10, LC20, LC30, LC40, LC50
Miscellaneous Offences MS50, MS90
Special Code TT99, XX99
Theft or unauthorised taking UT10, UT20, UT30, UT40, UT50
Mutual Recognition Codes MR09, MR19, MR29, MR49, MR59

Non-UK driving licence holders

We will check that a non-UK issued driving licence is an official full driving licence valid for the type of vehicle hired and that the licence is valid in the UK and entitles the driver to drive in the UK for the whole of the rental period. An International Driving Permit issued outside of the UK must be provided if the driving licence:

  • is not clearly identifiable as a driving licence
  • is only valid in the country of issue
  • was issued in a non-European country and it is not in English
  • was issued in a non-roman alphabet, like Arabic, Greek, Russian, Hebrew or Japanese.

Please note International Driving Permits issued in the UK cannot be accepted.

Proof of identity and address

We will verify your identity and address on the day that you pick-up the vehicle before we approve your rental. Please bring the following documents with you. We may ask for additional proof of identification or address if we consider that the documents you have provided are unsatisfactory and may refuse to rent the vehicle to you if we remain unsatisfied.

UK resident customers

Please provide one of the following original documents (which must contain a signature) as proof of your identity:

  • Valid full UK photo card driving licence
  • Valid full passport
  • EU Member State ID card
  • UK Police Warrant card
  • UK Issued Shotgun certificate

Please provide one of the following original documents as proof of your home address. Please note that if your driving licence is still registered at an address other than your current home address we will require two additional forms of identification for your new address:

  • UK-based bank or building society statement (within 3 months)
  • UK mortgage statement (within 3 months)
  • UK gas or electricity bill (within 3 months)
  • UK phone bill (within 3 months)
  • UK water bill (within 3 months)
  • UK council tax bill (within 3 months)
  • UK Credit Union statement (within 3 months)
  • Letter from Benefits Agency, including Universal Credit welcome letters (within 3 months)
  • Benefit letter from a local housing authority (within 3 months)
  • Tenancy agreement from a housing association or a council (within 3 months)

Non-UK resident customers

Please provide all of the following:

  • Original Government issued photographic identification (which must contain a signature) as proof of your identity, such as valid full passport or valid national identification card
  • Original bank statement or utility bill (less than 3 months old) as proof of your home address
  • Proof of return flights (if applicable)
  • Contact details for where you are staying within the UK

Medical conditions

Certain medical conditions are notifiable to the DVLA. As long as you are not driving against medical advice, we will not refuse to hire the vehicle to you on the grounds of disability where you have notified the DVLA of a notifiable medical condition and you otherwise meet all of the requirements within these terms and conditions.

4. Reservations

Vehicles are subject to availability and eligibility. When you enquire about a vehicle or search online you will only be shown vehicles that are available from us for your selected date(s) and which you are eligible to drive, so a limited selection of vehicles may be shown for young drivers.

Reservations are made for a specific vehicle not a specific vehicle group, so the vehicle that you reserve will be the vehicle that you pick-up (unless something which we could not have predicted, is unavoidable or is outside of our control prevents this).

Your reservation will be accepted when we send you an email confirming your reservation or you sign the rental agreement (whichever happens first) and from this point you are obligated to hire the vehicle (unless you cancel or vary your reservation in accordance with these terms and conditions).

If (in the rare circumstances) the vehicle you have reserved is not available when you come to pick-up the vehicle then you will not be required to pay any of the total charges stated on your reservation confirmation (and you will be given a full refund of any amounts you have paid in advance). If we are able to offer you an alternative vehicle for your chosen rental period, then you may rent that vehicle for the same rental rate that you would have rented the original vehicle you reserved even if it would normally cost more, or the actual rate, if it would normally cost less.

Making changes to your reservation

You can request changes to your reservation at any time up to two hours before the time you are due to pick-up the vehicle by contacting us (our details are shown on your reservation confirmation email). If your selected vehicle is available and we are able to accommodate your request then we will let you know that the change to your reservation is possible and confirm with you the changes to be made to your rental, including any changes to the charges that you will need to pay for your rental. The revised reservation will be at prices available at the date that you request the change to your reservation, so you may need to pay more. If you proceed with the changes to your reservation, you will be sent an email confirming the changes to your reservation and the revised mandatory and optional charges payable for your selected vehicle. You will not be charged an administration fee for making a change to your reservation.

You may be charged for some or all of the total charges if a change has the same effect as a cancellation (please see the cancelling your reservation section below). Please contact us for more information.

Cancelling your reservation

You may cancel your reservation at any time up to midnight on the day you are due to pick-up the vehicle by contacting us (our details are shown on your reservation confirmation). Depending on when you tell us that you want to cancel your reservation, you may still be charged for part or all of the total charges stated on your reservation confirmation, as set out in the table below:

Notice of cancellation Charges you pay
At least 3 complete days before your rental is due to start No charge
Less than 3 complete days before your rental is due to start but before the day of pick-up 50% of the total charges stated on your reservation confirmation
On the day of pick-up or if you do not cancel and fail to show-up The full amount of the total charges stated on your reservation confirmation

Payments on cancellation

The cancellation charge compensates us for having held the vehicle for you without any rental transaction ultimately taking place. You agree that we may charge you the applicable amount specified above against the payment card that you gave details of when you reserved the vehicle and give us permission to debit such payment card for this amount when you provide your payment details during the reservation process.

5. CHARGES

The reservation confirmation and rental agreement each show the mandatory and optional charges applicable to your rental. All charges are calculated in accordance with our current rates and include VAT (if this applies, unless we tell you otherwise). In addition to the mandatory and optional charges shown on your reservation confirmation and/or rental agreement, you are responsible for any additional charges that arise as a result of your use of the vehicle or other incident and/or damage that occurs during the rental period, as described below.

MANDATORY CHARGES

The vehicle rental charge is calculated based on the selected vehicle, rental period and from which Volkswagen Financial Services | Rent-a-Car location you hire the vehicle. It includes the cost of:

  • the daily rental charge for the vehicle for the rental period shown on the rental agreement;
  • third party liability insurance and collision damage waiver with excess (unless you are a corporate customer using your own insurance);
  • Driverline & breakdown assistance; and
  • all taxes you must pay (including VAT), unless stated otherwise

In addition, a young driver surcharge will apply if you are under 25 years of age and this will be included in the initial price you are shown for your selected vehicle in the reservation process.

PRE-AUTHORISATION/DEPOSIT

You agree to allow us to take a pre-authorisation on or a deposit from an approved payment card in your name with sufficient funds available before the vehicle will be released to you. This does not have to be the same card as the payment card that you gave details of at the time of reservation but it must be in your name. This is to cover any potential additional charges and/or fees that you are responsible for and required to pay when you return the vehicle. The amount of the pre-authorisation or deposit is shown on your reservation confirmation (if this applies) and will be confirmed on your rental agreement. If you extend your rental beyond the agreed rental period (as shown on your rental agreement) we will need to update your pre-authorisation or deposit to include any anticipated additional costs that you may be responsible for during the extended period of hire. We will agree the change to your pre-authorisation or deposit with you at the point that we agree to extend your rental.

If you pay by credit card either a deposit will be charged and then refunded after the hire period, or we will take a pre-authorisation. A pre-authorisation means that the amount will be “on hold” against the credit card but not actually charged to it. The pre-authorisation reduces your available credit against your approved limit until a final payment is made (if applicable) and the pre-authorisation released. Please be aware that the issuing bank or card company is responsible for releasing the pre-authorisation, not us, and we are not responsible for how long it takes to release the pre-authorisation.

If you pay by debit card the deposit will be charged and then refunded after the hire period.

OPTIONAL CHARGES

You will be charged the cost of any optional extras that you selected either during the reservation process or when you pick-up the vehicle. The amount payable for each optional extra will be shown to you during the reservation process and will also be shown on your reservation confirmation email (if this applies) and will be confirmed on your rental agreement. The price of any selected optional extras will be added to the vehicle rental price. Optional charges apply for the following:

  • Delivery and/or collection if you want us to deliver the vehicle to you or collect the vehicle from you we will charge you an amount for the delivery and/or collection which is based on our reasonable costs in delivering and/or collecting the vehicle from you. The charge depends on the delivery/collection address and chosen vehicle and dates.
  • Additional driver surcharge for each additional person that you want to drive the vehicle, you will be charged an additional driver surcharge which is to cover our additional insurance costs.
  • Young driver surcharge for each additional driver under 25 years of age you will be charged a young driver surcharge.
  • Enhanced collision damage waiver if you want to reduce the excess that you pay if the vehicle is damaged during your rental period (please see the Insurance & protection section below for information on collision damage waiver), we will charge you an additional amount to do so.
  • Optional equipment we will charge you for any optional extra equipment you decide to take, such as child seats.

ADDITIONAL CHARGES

Additional charges may apply to your rental as a result of your use of the vehicle or other incident and/or damage that occurs during the rental period, which include:

  • Any charge for loss or damage resulting from you not keeping to your responsibilities set out in these terms and conditions.
  • Cancellation charges - Please see the section on Cancelling your reservation above for the charges you are responsible for if you cancel your reservation or fail to show-up to pick-up the vehicle.
  • Excess mileage charge - If you travel over the maximum permitted mileage we will charge you a pence per mile excess mileage charge (as shown on your rental agreement) for each mile you travel over the maximum mileage shown on your rental agreement.
  • Refuelling cost and refuelling service charge - If you do not return the vehicle with the same level of fuel as in the vehicle at pick-up we will charge you for the missing quantity of fuel at the last AA published national average pump price plus our reasonable refuelling service charge for our having to refuel the vehicle.
  • Damage, theft or loss charges – Please see the sections on Damage and Insurance & protection below for the charges you are responsible for if the vehicle is damaged, stolen or lost during the rental period. If you do not comply with applicable laws and/or you do not comply with these terms and conditions and/or collision damage waiver does not apply you may be responsible for the full amount of the cost of damage to the vehicle. We may charge you for our loss of use of the vehicle if we cannot rent out the vehicle because it needs to be repaired or is lost, up to the amount of any excess that applies.
  • Accessories and keys not returned with the vehicle, If you do not return any accessories and/or keys provided with the vehicle we will charge you to replace such items.
  • Valet or special cleaning charges - If the vehicle is not returned in the same condition in which it was provided to you, you will be charged the reasonable costs of bringing the vehicle back to such condition.
  • Fines – Please see the section on Fines, tolls and other charges below. You are responsible for paying the appropriate authority or company for any charges and costs if and when they ask for these payments. You will be responsible for paying our reasonable administration charge for our dealing with the relevant fine or charge.
  • Additional rental days – If you retain the vehicle after the end of your agreed rental period (whether you extend your rental or are late returning the vehicle to us) we will charge you for each day that you retain the vehicle beyond the agreed rental period. The vehicle rental charge for the extended period of hire will be calculated at our current rental rates applicable at the date that you request the extension or should have returned the vehicle to us.
  • Vehicle recovery and/or repair charges – If we reasonably consider that an accident has been caused by failure to take proper care, deliberate misuse or a failure to comply with these terms and conditions by you, any additional named driver and/or any unauthorised driver, and/or if our collision damage waiver does not apply or is invalidated as a result of any such act or omission you will be responsible for the reasonable costs of recovering the vehicle and any loss or damage that results from such acts or omissions.
  • Vehicle seizure – If the vehicle is seized by any authority during your rental period we will charge you any recovery charges arising from such seizure.
  • Storage fees - If we agree to store any of your personal property that was left in the vehicle after you have returned the vehicle to us you will be charged our reasonable costs to store such property.
  • Interest – If you are late making payment we may charge you interest on the amount that is overdue at the rate of 4% a year above the base lending rate as published by Barclays Bank from time to time.

If you have not complied with all applicable laws (including road traffic regulations) and/or these rental terms and conditions, our insurer may seek to recover from you some or all of the costs that it may have paid to a third party as a result of an incident.

Fuel is not included in your rental rate and you must pay for all fuel used during the rental period. Please see our fuel section for further details.

6. Invoicing & payment

Payment method

We accept payment by the following payment cards:

  • Maestro
  • MasterCard
  • Visa

We are unable to accept NFC payments. We also do not accept payment in cash or cheque.

If you pay with a non-UK issued payment card, your invoice will show your rental charges in pounds sterling (£/GBP). These charges will be sent to your credit card provider who will convert them into your home currency and post them to your credit card statement indicating the rate of exchange used. Your card provider may charge you a fee for this.

Pay Later

If you make a reservation that has a rental period of more than one day, and that rental period begins more than 24 hours following the making of the reservation, you will be offered the option to pay the vehicle rental charge and any optional services or products selected at the point of reservation in instalments (“Pay Later”).

If you decide to use Pay Later, you will be required to pay an amount equivalent to one day’s vehicle rental charge at the point of making the reservation. The remaining balance of the vehicle rental charge and any optional services or products selected at the point of reservation must be paid in full, before your rental is due to start.

You can pay the remaining balance in as many instalments as you see necessary. Except in the event that any instalments are required to be paid on the day the rental starts (such instalment to be paid directly to the Volkswagen Financial Services I Rent-a-Car location detailed on the reservation confirmation email on pick-up of the vehicle), all instalments must be paid using the website. You will need to log into your account using the email address you used to make the reservation and your booking reference number. The payment card used to pay an instalment must be in your name and you will be required to confirm the billing address for that card.

You will not receive a receipt for us for each instalment made however your account we record the instalments made and (if relevant) the remaining balance.

If we do not receive full payment of the vehicle rental charge and any optional services or products selected at the point of reservation before your rental is due to start, we will have no option but to cancel your reservation and we will retain all monies previously paid by you.

When payment is taken

If you make a reservation in advance, the point of payment will depend on whether you decide to pay in full for the vehicle rental charge and any optional services or products selected at the point of reservation or using Pay Later (if applicable). If you decide to:

  • pay in full for the vehicle rental charge and any optional services or products selected at the point of reservation, you will be charged on confirmation of your reservation against your payment card details which were provided at the point of reservation;
  • use Pay Later, you will be charged on confirmation of your reservation an amount equivalent to one day’s vehicle rental charge, the remaining instalments will be charged at the point each instalment is paid (as described further above);

in either option, you will be charged at the point that you pick-up the vehicle for any extra optional services or products, additional drivers or excess reduction you add at pick-up.

If you have not made a reservation in advance you will be charged at the point that you pick-up the vehicle for the vehicle rental charge and for any optional services or products, additional drivers or excess reduction you decide to take out.

You may still be charged part or all of the total charges payable for your selected vehicle if you do not cancel your reservation in accordance with these terms and conditions and fail to show-up to collect the vehicle, or refuse delivery (where we have agreed to deliver the vehicle to you). Please refer to the Cancelling your reservation section above.

Additional charges that we know about during and after your rental

Any applicable additional fees or charges will be charged when you return the vehicle (if they can be calculated at that time) and we will supply an invoice to you to show the entire cost for the period of hire. This invoice will be sent to you via email.
If you have incurred extra costs such as fines or tolls or caused damage and/or loss to the vehicle and/or accessories then we will charge you at a later date, together with any associated administrative charges if we become aware of them after you have returned the vehicle. You will pay or will be charged the full amount in one or in several lots as agreed between us.

Please see the Damage section below for details on your responsibility for any damage to the vehicle or loss that arises during your rental period.

If requested by you, we can provide you with a final invoice once all elements of your rental have been settled.

Invoice(s) will be sent to you electronically

By signing the rental agreement you agree to receive invoices from us electronically using the email address you have provided to us. It is your responsibility to provide us with an up-to-date valid email address at all times. We will not send you a paper invoice unless this is specifically requested. Please contact us for further information.

Late payment

If you are late in making payment, we may charge you, without further notice, interest on the amount that is overdue at a rate of 4% a year above the base lending rate as published by Barclays Bank from time to time. This interest shall accrue on a daily basis from the due date until the date of actual payment of the overdue amount, whether before or after judgment. You must pay us interest together with any overdue amount.

7. Delivery & collection

The charges for our delivery and collection services are based on our reasonable costs incurred in delivering and/or collecting the vehicle from you and depend on the delivery/collection location, chosen vehicle and dates. Please contact us for further details on our delivery and collection services and to obtain a quote.

Delivery

We may be able to arrange for the vehicle to be delivered to you at your UK home or business address. You will be charged an additional fee for this.

If we agree to deliver the vehicle to you, you will need to provide us with your proof of identification and address before the day that the vehicle is delivered to you. You will also need to provide a DVLA check code (even if you hold a photo card licence). We will aim to deliver the vehicle to you within 1 hour of the pick-up time specified in your rental agreement. You must be available at the time of delivery to accept the vehicle, and to sign the rental agreement. You will need to produce your original driving licence (and the licence of each of your named additional drivers) for inspection on delivery of the vehicle . If you are unable to provide the required information then we may refuse to leave the vehicle with you or you may be asked to complete the transaction at our premises. You will also be asked to inspect the vehicle for any pre-existing damage before we leave the vehicle with you.

Collection

At the end of your rental, for an additional charge, we may be able to collect the vehicle from you at your UK home or business address. You must be available to inspect the vehicle with us and to sign any collection paperwork when we come to collect the vehicle. You may be charged a fee if we collect a vehicle from an address that is different to the delivery address.

8. Fuel

Fuel is not included in your rental rate. We operate a same-to-same fuel policy; this means that the amount of the fuel in the vehicle at pick-up will be noted on your rental agreement and you must return the vehicle with the same amount of fuel, otherwise you may be charged for refuelling the missing quantity of fuel at the last AA published national average pump price plus our reasonable refuelling service charge for our having to refuel the vehicle. We do not provide any refunds of fuel. Please keep the receipt for refuelling the vehicle to show us.

9. Insurance & protection

Unless you are a corporate customer, you are unable to use your own insurance.

Third party liability

The vehicle is insured against liability for the claims or actions of third parties. Third party liability insurance is automatically included in your rental which covers you (up to the level legally required) for claims made against you in the event of death or injury to someone else or damage to their property as a direct result of your actions whilst you are driving the vehicle.

Third party liability insurance does not cover:

  • your death or any injury to you (the driver at the time of the collision); nor
  • any damage or loss to your property or the vehicle.

If you have not complied with all applicable laws (including road traffic regulations) and/or these rental terms and conditions, our insurer may seek to recover from you some or all of the costs that it may have paid to a third party as a result of the incident.

Our insurance only applies for the duration of your rental agreement and in respect of those persons named in the rental agreement regardless of the circumstances. If you or any of your additional drivers are unable to continue driving, even in an emergency, we must be advised and will make suitable alternative arrangements to recover the vehicle or for the vehicle to be driven by a suitably qualified driver.

Collision damage waiver

The vehicle rental charge includes our standard collision damage waiver. You are personally responsible for excess amounts which apply if the vehicle is damaged, lost or stolen. The excess amount is shown on your rental agreement. Each time that you damage the vehicle, it is stolen or you cause loss you are responsible for the damage or loss up to the amount of the excess stated on your rental agreement. We will cover the cost of damage that exceeds the excess amount unless you are responsible for the full cost as specified in these terms and conditions.

Enhanced collision damage waiver

For an additional payment, you may further reduce the amount of the damage excess you will be required to pay each time that you damage the vehicle, it is stolen or you cause loss, subject to the exclusions mentioned below and as long as you comply with all applicable laws and these terms and conditions. You can add enhanced collision damage waiver to your rental at any time up to the point that you pick-up the vehicle. Enhanced collision damage waiver is not provided as standard and is not automatically included in the daily rental charge. You are not obliged to take enhanced collision damage waiver to hire a vehicle from us.

Your liability for costs

Neither standard collision damage waiver nor enhanced collision damage waiver will apply and the amount that you are required to pay will not be reduced so you will be responsible for the full amount of the cost of damage to the vehicle if:

  • you allow anyone other than you and any additional driver named on your rental agreement to drive the vehicle
  • you or anyone that you allow to drive the vehicle, drives under the influence of any substance that may impair their consciousness or ability to react, such as alcohol, drugs or certain medication
  • you do not comply with any of your obligations towards the vehicle as set out in these rental terms and conditions
  • you fail to report an accident or incident involving a third party to us within 48 hours.
  • if the damage to the vehicle is caused by:
    • driving the vehicle without due care and attention (whether deliberate or not);
    • the vehicle hitting a bridge, car park barrier or other overhead object as a result of you and/or any additional driver failing to drive the vehicle with due care and attention;
    • its total or partial theft or an act of vandalism as a result of you and/or any additional driver failing to exercise due care and attention;
    • your negligence or the negligence of your passengers (which is behaviour that falls below the standards expected of a reasonably sensible person in similar circumstances); and/or
    • the keys being lost, stolen or damaged as a result of you and/or any additional driver failing to exercise due care and attention.

If you do not comply with applicable laws and/or you do not comply with these terms and conditions we may charge you the full amount of the cost of damage to the vehicle.

10. Vehicle pick-up

What you need to bring with you at pick-up

Please remember to bring the following items with you when you pick-up the vehicle as we will not be able to release the vehicle to you if you are unable to provide any of these:

  • your original payment card (as we use this as a form of identity check to ensure that we give the vehicle to the person who made the reservation)
  • a payment card registered in your name with sufficient funds available for us take a pre-authorisation or deposit (this can be your original payment card but it does not have to be)
  • your original proof of identity and address, please see the requirements to renting a vehicle section
  • your original driving licence and the original driving licence for each of your named additional drivers

We recommend that you also bring your reservation number or reservation confirmation email with you (if this applies) when you pick-up the vehicle as this will help us to process your reservation.

Vehicle inspection on pick-up

We will maintain the vehicle to at least the manufacturer’s recommended standard and ensure that the vehicle is roadworthy at the start of your rental period. However, when you pick up the vehicle you will be asked to inspect the vehicle for any pre-existing damage before you drive the vehicle away. You will be asked to sign a vehicle condition report to confirm the condition of the vehicle at the commencement of your rental. This form will document all pre-existing damage on the vehicle so it is important that you notify us of any apparent defect or damage that is not described on the vehicle condition report, otherwise we will assume that you have accepted the vehicle in the condition set out in the vehicle condition report. You will be responsible for any new damage discovered when the vehicle is inspected on return. By signing the vehicle condition report you agree with the vehicle condition at pick-up as shown on the vehicle condition report.

Before you drive the vehicle away, please familiarise yourself with the vehicle controls and any security devices fitted to ensure that you are capable of driving the vehicle safely. Our representative can go through this with you. If you have hired a vehicle that is a connected vehicle and you decide to connect your mobile phone this could result in transfer of your personal data to the vehicle and possibly the cloud servers of the vehicle manufacturer.

11. During your rental

Rental period

The rental period starts when you pick-up the vehicle and ends when we confirm that we have the vehicle and the keys.

Extending your rental

If we are able to do so we may agree to an extension of the initial rental period as long as another customer has not reserved the vehicle. If we agree to an extension then you will be charged for each extra day’s hire at our current rental rates applicable at the date that you request the extension. We will need to update your pre-authorisation or deposit to include any anticipated additional costs that you may be responsible for during the extended period of hire and will agree the change to your pre-authorisation or deposit with you at the point that we agree to extend your rental. We will tell you if you will need to come into our rental location to sign a new rental agreement for the new rental period or change vehicle.

If you want to extend your rental please contact us as soon as possible and before the end date and time shown on your rental agreement to ensure that we are best placed to support your request.

Ending your rental early

If you return the vehicle before the date and time shown on your rental agreement then the rental period and your hire of the vehicle shall end at the time that you return the vehicle and keys to us, however, you will not be entitled to a refund of any rental charges.

We may end your rental early if you break any of the terms of this agreement and in such case you will be required to return the vehicle to us before the end of the agreed rental period.

Your use of the vehicle

You must care for, use and return the vehicle in accordance with these terms and conditions. You must familiarise yourself and comply with all applicable road traffic laws and regulations that apply in each country that you intend to drive the vehicle and make sure that you carry the correct equipment and documentation in the vehicle at all times.

You are responsible for the vehicle during the rental period so at all times during the rental period you and each of your additional named drivers must comply with the following obligations (references to “you” in this section includes each driver of the vehicle). You may not be covered by the insurance and protection provisions set out in these terms and conditions if you do not comply with any or all of these obligations and in such case you will be responsible for and will pay to us all reasonable costs of any consequences, loss and/or damage that may arise as a result, and we reserve the right to demand immediate return of the Vehicle.

At our request, you agree to do all that we reasonably and lawfully require and allow your name and the name of any additional named driver(s) to be used in order for us to enforce any rights or remedies against any persons in connection with the vehicle.

You must:

  • secure any luggage or goods transported in the vehicle so that they will not cause damage to the vehicle or cause risk to anyone or anything
  • look after the vehicle
  • always lock and enable any anti-theft devices fitted in the vehicle when it is parked or left unattended
  • use the correct type of fuel and fluids for the vehicle. You will be responsible for all reasonable expenses we incur in repairing any damage caused to the vehicle if you add unsuitable fuel
  • routinely inspect the condition of the vehicle, including oil, water, Adblue and coolant levels, front and rear windscreen washer fluid and tyre pressures and take any preventive actions necessary to keep the vehicle in good working order
  • return the vehicle to us in the same condition it was in at the start of the rental period (fair wear and tear excepted. A guide as to what is acceptable fair wear and tear is included in the In Car Welcome Pack in the vehicle) (please refer to the Damage section below).

You must not:

  • allow anyone other than you and your additional named drivers (as named on your rental agreement) to drive the vehicle
  • sub-rent, re-hire, sell, dispose of, mortgage or pawn the vehicle, nor give or attempt to give anyone any legal rights over the vehicle
  • drive the vehicle whilst you are under the influence of alcohol, drugs or any other substance (whether legal or illegal) that may impair your driving ability
  • drive without due care and attention or at excessive speeds
  • use a mobile communication device that may distract you from driving, including a mobile phone without a hands-free device
  • fit (nor allow anyone to fit) your own equipment to the vehicle which may cause damage to the vehicle, for example a roof or bike rack, any tow bar or signage. If any equipment is already fitted at the point that you pick-up the vehicle you must not (nor allow anyone to) modify or remove it
  • fit winter tyres (nor allow anyone to do so) or make any other modifications to the vehicle without our prior written permission. You will be responsible (even if we give consent) for any damage caused by the fitting of winter tyres or subsequent exchange to normal tyres or for any other modification
  • smoke in the vehicle nor allow any of your passengers to do so. If we reasonably think that someone has smoked in the vehicle you must pay for a full internal valet of the vehicle
  • overload the vehicle (as determined by the vehicle manufacturer) or carry more passengers than the vehicle is legally allowed to carry
  • let anyone service or repair the vehicle without our prior written permission. If we give permission then you need to provide us with a valid VAT receipt for the work
  • use the vehicle for any of the following purposes:
    • carriage of passengers or property for hire or reward (e.g. private hire or courier) unless you are a corporate customer, are specifically insured to do so and have our prior written consent
    • to carry flammable, harmful, toxic, radioactive and/or dangerous materials, or anything illegal or that is likely to damage the vehicle
    • racing, off-roading, reliability trials, speed testing or to take part in rallies, contests, or trials, wherever they are located, official or not
    • transporting live animals (with the exception of assistance dogs)
    • to give driving tuition or operate a driving school
    • to push or tow another vehicle, trailer or other object (without our prior written permission. Any vehicle, trailer or other object being towed by the vehicle will not be covered by our insurance, nor any damage that it causes)
    • any purpose that requires an operator’s licence unless you are a corporate customer, are specifically insured to do so, hold a valid vehicle operator’s licence and have our prior written consent
    • any illegal purpose and/or the commission of an offence (whether criminal or civil)
    • use the vehicle off-road or on gravel roads or roads that are unfit for motor vehicles or where the surface or condition of it involves risks for the tyres or for the underside of the vehicle or for the vehicle itself, such as beaches, forest paths, mountains, etc.
  • use the vehicle when any warning light is on unless it is unsafe to stop or you have been advised by us to continue driving.

Animals

Animals (other than assistance dogs) are not permitted in the vehicle.

If you are travelling with an assistance dog, you must appropriately restrain the dog in the vehicle and you are responsible at all times for its behaviour, safety and well-being. You accept all responsibility for damage suffered by the vehicle or for injury caused to the dog or any person as a result of your failure to keep the dog appropriately restrained and/or controlled. You will also be responsible for any special cleaning and/or damage repairs required as a result of the dog having been in the vehicle.

Taking the vehicle abroad

You must not take or drive the vehicle outside of the United Kingdom without first obtaining our prior written permission. If you intend to take or drive your vehicle abroad you must contact us at least 7 working days before you are due to travel. If we agree to you taking the vehicle abroad we will issue a “vehicle on hire” certificate (VE103B) to you. This is your proof that you are allowed to use the vehicle abroad and you should keep this certificate available for presentation to the applicable authorities at all times.

If you travel abroad with one of our vehicles, please be aware that:

  • Mileage charges may apply for overseas travel, please contact your location for confirmation.
  • Please ensure that you have adequate travel insurance if you are taking our vehicles outside of the UK, as we can only cover the cost of returning the rental vehicle. We cannot provide you with another vehicle or cover travel expenses to get you back to the UK, such as train costs.
  • Please note, we require 6 weeks notice if you are travelling to a Crit’ Air’ Zone in France. Clean Air zones in France can alter at any time and failure to display the correct sticker could result in a fine of £135. Not sure whether the region you're visiting requires a sticker? Please contact your location or visit https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/news/motoring-news/law-change-for-uk-drivers-in-french-cities/.

Maximum Mileage

You must not go over any maximum mileage shown on your rental agreement. If you do, you will have to pay an excess mileage charge, which is a pence per mile charge payable for each mile you travel over the maximum mileage. The pence per mile rate that we will apply will be stated on your rental agreement. You agree that we may charge you the total excess mileage charge against the payment card that you gave details of at the time of reservation.

You must notify us immediately if you become aware that you will or are likely to exceed the maximum mileage.

Breakdown

For the duration of your rental period the vehicle will have the benefit of Driverline support service which is a 24 hour telephone support service available 365 days of the year.

Please contact Driverline on 0330 100 8965 if you experience any mechanical failure with the vehicle or your vehicle breaks down. This number is also shown in the In Car Welcome Pack in the vehicle. If a warning sign appears or you become aware of any mechanical or other problems with the vehicle you must call Driverline immediately and must not drive the vehicle until the cause of the fault has been remedied.

Accidents

You must tell us immediately if the vehicle is involved in an accident, even if there is only minor or negligible damage to the vehicle or no person or property was hurt in the incident. If you or any of your additional driver(s) has an accident (however minor), you or that driver must:

  • not admit or accept responsibility to any third party
  • obtain the names and addresses of everyone involved, including witnesses
  • make the vehicle secure (where it is safe to do so)
  • report the accident to the police as soon as you can if anyone has been injured or property has been damaged, and get a police report or crime reference number
  • contact us immediately via Driverline on 0330 100 8965
  • complete and sign our accident report form and return it to us as soon as possible but in any event within 48 hours from the incident.

We reserve the right to recharge the cost of recovery and/or repair in full to you if we reasonably consider that the accident has been caused by failure to take proper care, deliberate misuse or a failure to comply with these terms and conditions by you, any additional named driver and/or any unauthorised driver, and/or if our collision damage waiver does not apply or is invalidated as a result of any such act or omission.

Theft

You must tell us immediately via Driverline on 0330 100 8965 if the vehicle or keys are stolen or the vehicle is vandalised. You must also report it to the police without delay and obtain a crime reference number then immediately provide us with the crime reference number. If possible, you must provide us with the keys as you must be able to show that you have taken appropriate care by returning the keys to us, otherwise our applicable waiver products will be invalid.

You must complete a theft report form and return it to us as soon as possible but in any event within 48 hours from the incident. You and anyone in your party must help us with any insurance claim, police or other investigation related to the theft or vandalism.

Fines, tolls and other charges

You are responsible for all fines and charges issued as a result of you or any driver using the vehicle during your rental period, this includes:

  • parking fines or charges
  • toll charges
  • clamping release
  • traffic fines or charges
  • congestion charges
  • bus lane penalties
  • speeding fines
  • any other charges or fines

Each time we have to deal with a fine or charge issued for the vehicle during your rental period, we will charge you an administration charge based on our reasonable and proper costs incurred in dealing with the relevant fine or charge. We may pay a fine or charge sent to us if we cannot lawfully pass on your information or to mitigate the cost, and you agree that we will recharge you the cost of each fine or charge that we pay on your behalf. By signing the rental agreement you:

  • give us your permission to take these payment(s) from your payment card; and
  • agree to our passing your details (as well as a copy of the rental agreement) to the relevant issuing authority, where we can lawfully do so, to enable them to transfer liability for the fine or charge to you, for which purpose you agree that any documents may be given to you at the address stated on the rental agreement.

We can give you details of the fine or charge and relevant issuing authority on request if you want to appeal or dispute a fine or charge as you will need to deal directly with the relevant issuing authority.

If the vehicle is seized by any authority during your rental period, then (unless it results from our negligence or fault) you will have to pay any costs we incur as a result of the seizure and you agree that we will continue to rent the vehicle to you until it is released and returned to us.

12. At the end of your rental

Return of the vehicle.

You must return the vehicle during our normal office hours to the rental location shown on your rental agreement. Unfortunately we are unable to accept return of the vehicle outside of our published business hours. If you leave a vehicle at our premises outside of these hours or anywhere other than the agreed return location, or you leave before we check-in the vehicle you do so at your own risk and remain responsible until we confirm that we have located and collected the vehicle.

You must return the vehicle to us by the return date and time shown on your rental agreement, unless we have agreed otherwise. If we have agreed to collect the vehicle from you it must be parked in a suitable place to allow collection at any time up to a period of 8 working hours from the end of the hire period without the imposition of any fines or congestion charges.

If your rental is not extended and you are more than 60 minutes late returning the vehicle, your rental will automatically be extended and we will charge you an extra days’ rental at our then current rental rates for each day or part day that you retain the vehicle beyond the agreed return date and time.

If you do not return the vehicle to us when you should we may take steps to recover the vehicle from you such as:

  • repossessing the vehicle
  • applying for a court order requiring you to return the vehicle
  • requiring you to pay us an amount equal to the current market value of the vehicle

You give us permission to access your premises for the purposes of repossessing the vehicle (provided that we do not use unreasonable force or cause damage) and you must pay all our reasonable expenses and costs involved in our doing so.
Your obligations in relation to the vehicle continue until you return the vehicle to us even though your agreed period of hire may have ended.

If you hire a vehicle with connected services it is your responsibility to erase any information that is stored in the vehicle before returning it to us. Our representative can assist you with this if required.

Your property

We are not responsible for any property in the vehicle during the rental period which is there at your own risk and you must not leave any of your personal belongings in the vehicle when you return it to us. Your personal property is not covered by the insurance products specified in these terms and conditions and any loss or theft of such property is at your risk. You should check that you have removed all of your property before you return the vehicle but we will try to contact you if we find any personal belongings in the vehicle. We may agree to keep them for you to collect within a reasonable time but you may be charged a reasonable fee for storing the items. You will need to show a valid proof of identity to claim any lost property and you may be asked to complete and sign a customer declaration.

Vehicle inspection on return

You must return the vehicle to us in the same condition it was in at the start of the rental period (fair wear and tear excepted. When you return the vehicle you will be asked to inspect the vehicle with one of our representatives and will need to sign the vehicle condition report to confirm a record of any new damage from that identified as pre-existing damage at the time of pick-up. We will check that the vehicle has been returned with all its keys, parts and accessories. We will also check the return mileage and fuel level on return and these details will be noted on your vehicle condition report. We will charge you for any excess mileage or fuel charges and/or other costs payable under these terms and conditions.

13. Damage

You will have to pay our reasonable costs for bringing the vehicle back to the condition stated in the vehicle condition report that you signed before the start of your rental. We will not charge you for any damage that is considered fair wear and tear. Examples of acceptable fair wear and tear can be found in the In Car Welcome Pack in the vehicle.

If we discover new damage to the vehicle on return then we will discuss this with you. You will initially be charged the full amount of the excess stated on your rental agreement and you agree we may charge this amount against the payment card you supplied to us at the time of pick-up. If the final amount you are required to pay is less than the excess amount paid we will reimburse the difference to you. In the event that our insurer is able to reclaim the costs from a third party, because the damage was the result of an accident that is proven to be not your fault, we will reimburse the full amount of the excess amount paid.

For minor damage that you agree on return of the vehicle, we will charge you for the cost of repairing the damage up to the amount of the excess stated on your rental agreement. If we have a damage matrix which shows the cost of repairing the damage, then we will charge you in accordance with that matrix.

If the new damage is significant or we find damage that was not apparent on inspection (such as damage to the engine, fuel tank or clutch, or due to poor light conditions) we will refer it to damage assessors for evaluation. We will provide you with details of the damage and the charge, with evidence, as soon as reasonably practicable and before we charge your payment card. Please contact us using the contact details shown on your rental agreement if you do not agree with the damage charge. We also ask that you include any supporting evidence to support your claim and we will re-evaluate the damage charges. We will not charge you for the damage if we agree with you.

If the damage is significant or results in the vehicle being unavailable to rent to another customer, we may charge you for our loss of use of the vehicle. The maximum amount that you will be charged for repairing damage to the vehicle and our loss of use of the vehicle will be the amount of the excess stated on your rental agreement unless our standard collision damage or enhanced collision damage waiver does not apply (please see the Insurance & protection section for further information as to when this may happen) and then you will be responsible for the full cost of repairing the vehicle plus any charge for our loss of use of the vehicle.

14. Complaints

We are committed to providing courteous and professional customer care at all times and ensuring our customers are treated fairly. Therefore, if you think we may have made a mistake or feel that we do not meet your expectations, we want to know so that we can investigate the matter. All comments are treated seriously and we endeavour to resolve any concerns promptly and fairly.

If you have a concern or complaint, please contact our customer services team using our contact details shown on your reservation confirmation email and rental agreement. Please provide full details of your concern, together with any supporting documentation and contact details (including daytime telephone number). This will help us to deal with your query promptly. We will write to acknowledge receipt of your concern. Our aim will be to investigate and resolve your concern as promptly as we can. For more complex cases, it may take longer to investigate the matter. In such cases we will keep you informed of progress and issue a final or holding response within eight weeks.

Alternatively, you can contact Volkswagen Financial Services’ Operations Department, Volkswagen Financial Services (UK) Limited, Brunswick Court, Yeoman’s Drive, Blakelands, Milton Keynes MK14 5LR, email RentACarOperations@vwfs.co.uk, or call on 0370 900 6040.

Nothing in these terms will affect your legal rights and remedies. For detailed information please visit the Citizens Advice website (www.adviceguide.org.uk).

Alternative dispute resolution is a process where an independent body considers the facts of a dispute and seeks to resolve it, without you having to go to court. If you are not happy with how we have handled any complaint you may want to contact the alternative dispute resolution provider we use. You can submit a complaint to the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association via their website (www.bvrla.co.uk). The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association will not charge you for making a complaint and if you are not satisfied with the outcome you can still bring legal proceedings. In addition, if you are a consumer, please note that disputes may be submitted for online resolution to the European Commission Online Dispute Resolution at (<>https://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr/main/?event=main.home.show).

15. Applicable law

These terms and conditions and any dispute arising in respect of your rental of the vehicle is governed by the laws of England and any dispute may be settled in the English courts, or if you are a consumer, you may bring a claim in either the English courts or in your country of residence.

16. Corporate customers

If you are renting the vehicle through a corporate agreement with us, then by signing the rental agreement you confirm that you have the company or other organisation’s authority to enter into the contract. In this case, the contract between us must be read in conjunction with the corporate agreement that exists between the company or other organisation and us. In the event of any inconsistencies, then the terms of the corporate agreement will prevail.

Customer own insurance

If it is noted on the rental agreement that you are covered by your company’s fleet insurance policy then your company is responsible for the cost of such insurance and for any excess that may apply to it. The insurance cover provided under such a fleet policy must be provided by a reputable insurer on a comprehensive basis for all usual risks (including fire, theft and accident and third party liability) to the full replacement value of the vehicle without unusual restriction or excess (or equivalent) and be effective from the start of your rental period (when the vehicle will be your responsibility) until the vehicle is returned to us (when responsibility for the vehicle will pass back to us). You are responsible for any excess payable under your policy.

You must provide us with satisfactory proof of your fleet insurance before we let you have a vehicle. If you become aware of any changes in your fleet insurance cover during your rental period you must contact us immediately.

You authorise your insurer to communicate directly with us and give us any information that we need. You authorise us to take over, negotiate and settle any claim which you may have which relates to the vehicle. You must ensure that any money paid out under the policy in respect of the vehicle is paid directly to us. You must compensate us for any loss we suffer as a result of the vehicle not being comprehensively insured and we suffer loss as a result.

You must ensure that your fleet insurance complies with the requirements in these terms and conditions. You are responsible for and will pay to us all of the losses, damages and claims that we incur or suffer in the event that any fleet insurance provided by you fails to be effective or satisfactory, or for any payment that we make to a third party where the third party brings a claim against us relating to your use of the vehicle.

17. Liability

If we fail to comply with these terms and conditions, we are responsible for loss or damage you suffer that is a foreseeable result of our failure to comply with these terms and conditions or our failing to use reasonable care and skill, but we are not responsible for any loss or damage that is not foreseeable. Loss or damage is foreseeable if either it is obvious that it will happen or if, at the time the contract was made, both we and you knew it might happen.

If you are a corporate customer and use the vehicle for any commercial or business purpose we will have no liability to you for any loss of profit, loss of business, business interruption, or loss of business opportunity.

We are not responsible for any delay in performing or failing to perform any of our obligations under these terms and conditions if such delay or failure results from events, circumstances or causes beyond our control.

We do not exclude or limit in any way our liability to you where it would be unlawful to do so. This includes liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence or the negligence of our employees, agents or subcontractors, for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or for failure to comply with your legal rights and remedies.

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