Avoid HASSO car hire

Another one to add to your list. Do not rent through HASSO car rental! I just returned 3 weeks ago from a trip to Iceland. I do admit that some of the damage was mine. I washed the car!!! When I did, I must have scratched the dirt into the door. This is the only thing I could think of because I do not know if it was there before or not. Mind you, I never noticed this until I took the car back and they pointed it out. They took 2000 Euros off my card. They said they would get it fixed and refund me the difference. After 2 weeks I had not heard a word (they said they would get back to me in a couple of days). They ended up charging me 1200 EURO for one door panel to be painted. It was surface scratched. I have asked for a copy of the insurance report, the insurance company's name, the insurance details themselves, the gravel protection plan (which I took out) , the name of the company where the repairs were done and they refuse to give me any of this information. Worse thing is I had booked and paid for a car through SIXT and read such bad reports about them doing just the same thing so I cancelled the booking and the same things happens! Do your research and be very careful who you book with!

I spoke with someone at the Icelandic Consumer Agency (an official institution) who pointed me towards the Consumers' Association. He also told me that this whole business of car rental agencies retroactively charging tourists has been identified as a problem requiring resolution.

Bottom line - I suggest you contact the Consumers' Association and specifically ask them to act on your behalf in obtaining paperwork supporting the 1200 Euro charge.

BTW, you say you had taken out a "gravel protection" insurance - did you opt out of ANY insurance cover? If not then one would think it impossible for them to charge you for damage to the car - they should have taken out the same comprehensive insurance themselves.

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