This report relates to my experience at Green Motion London City Airport
I rented a vehicle at London City Airport on the 11th of June for two days. We rented from Expedia for what we thought was a bargain at $69, paid for with our Chase Sapphire credit card which provides excellent car rental insurance. However, our $69 bargain turned into a whopping $1800 due to the rental company’s billing practices for minor or existing damages. I have posted links to the various reports all over the internet to save you the trouble of searching as I did.
News Articles Green Motion Car Hire
Undercover Video of Green Motion customer service practices
This is a damming video which is as much evidence as you need to never book a Green Motion Car Rental
Complaint Sites
My Car Rental story with Green Motion Car rental London City Airport
The car rental inspection report showed preexisting damage to three wheels, including the left front wheel. When we returned the car, the rental company said we had damaged the left front wheel in the same spot that was on the original inspection report. We drove the car for one day with no recollection whatsoever of hitting any curb or any hazard that would have led to damage to a wheel. There were always two of us in the car, and neither one of us remembered anything.
Upon returning the vehicle, we were informed of damage to the left passenger wheel. We immediately pointed out that the damage was pre-existent. However, the agent insisted that we had “made it worse”. They swiftly placed two holds on our credit card. They then proceeded to charge our credit card UK1535.00 for a new wheel, a cost we believe we are not fully responsible for. They have billed us for an entirely new wheel at an exorbitant rate. I reached out to them to inquire about the charges for the previous damage, which was significantly more severe than what they alleged we had caused. I possess a photograph of the original damage and the damage they claim we inflicted (which we dispute), and it is evident that the damage they attribute to us is far less than what was already present. I have no evidence that this wheel was replaced, only an invoice for the cost.
This is not a recent issue, as a report from Guardian Money five years ago highlighted Green Motion as “ the car hire firm with a trail of angry customers, furious at bills presented to them when they return a car for hundreds – even thousands – of pounds for the damage they say is barely visible or that was there already”. This ongoing issue with Green Motion’s billing practices is a matter of serious concern and needs immediate attention.
In the same report, a customer states, “She presented her photographic evidence that the damage was there at pick-up to staff, who admitted it had been previously damaged. But Green Motion then claimed she had also damaged the same area on the car – and therefore, the charge stands,” which is exactly what happened to us. This was 5 years ago, and the complaints have persisted. Since I posted the review on Google, another customer reached out to me to share a similar experience two weeks later with the same model of car, same wheel, and same cost. There is a substantial amount of evidence from Green Motion customers to justify an investigation by UK authorities, as the consumer is left without any protection in such cases.
They have charged my credit card and have told me that is within my contract and there is nothing I can do about it. I priced the wheel at two different independent sources, and both said 300 pounds for a new wheel. They charge up to GBP1300 for one wheel.
I am a regular traveler, and I have hired cars dozens of times. Never have I had an issue like this, so I decided to do some investigating. I was shocked at how many complaints there are all over the Internet about Green Motion’s practice of charging excessive damage for car rental returns. This is not disgruntled customers and people mad at having to pay for damages, which is not a very pleasant experience at the end of your trip with funds running low, but you are responsible if you do damage a car, and that is it. However, the red flags went off when we were told we had to pay for an entirely new wheel which had pre-existing damage and “we made it worse”
What can consumers do?
Since the car rental agreement is watertight, and they can do this if they like, do not rent from Green Motion Car Rental London City Airport. Until such time as this is investigated properly and the problem is addressed, not doing business with them is all the consumers can do. I want to make it clear this is the location I used, but a quick search on Google shows this is happening at locations all over the country. The reports of how bad it is had been around for at least 5 years, and I found identical reports to mine going back 5 years from June 2024. It’s crucial that we act now to protect ourselves and others from these unfair practices.
File a dispute against Green Motion Car Rental with the BVRLA
I have filed this complaint but as of now I do not have an update.
File a Car Rental Company Complaint in the UK
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