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I am not quite sure if this is the right SE site to post this. If not, I'd be grateful if you could direct me to a more suitable one.

A few weeks ago, I traveled to Bulgaria for a short vacation. I booked a few months in advance a 5-day car rental from fox rent-a-car, and got a confirmation email. Sadly, when I arrived at the airport the local company representative told me that they never heard of such a reservation (with the lame excuse that the reservation was confirmed by the global Fox rent-a-car, and not by the local Bulgarian branch) and that in addition that they don't have any cars to spare.

I was then forced to rent a car on the spot from a different company, which cost me more than double and caused a great nuisance and loss of time.

After I got back home, I tried contacting Fox rent-a-cart both (a) by email, (b) through their "online chat" (which is not online at all) and (c) by filling the form on their site. I got absolutely no response whatsoever.

What is the recommended course of action? Can I expect to be somehow compensated? If that matters, I am not a US citizen.

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  • Have you looked at Fox's contract, to which you probably implicitly agreed by making a reservation? I'll bet you it says something like "we accept no liability in the event your car is not available".
    – Nate Eldredge
    Commented Aug 20, 2015 at 7:47
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    Did you guarantee your reservation by paying a deposit or providing a credit card number? You will find with many rental car companies that non-prepaid reservations are merely requests without guarantee of a car. Fox coveniently does seem to post their full terms and conditions online, just snippets.
    – user13044
    Commented Aug 20, 2015 at 13:34
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    Obligatory: youtu.be/4T2GmGSNvaM
    – lambshaanxy
    Commented Sep 6, 2016 at 21:48
  • @jpatokal too bad I can only upvote once
    – yohbs
    Commented Sep 7, 2016 at 13:19

2 Answers 2

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You can find the following disclaimer in Fox Rent A Car's terms and conditions:

All reservations and transactions made through the Site are subject to Fox Rent A Car's acceptance, which is in our sole discretion. Without limitation, this means that Fox Rent A Car may refuse to accept or may cancel any reservation or transaction, whether or not the reservation or transaction has been confirmed, for any or no reason, in our sole discretion, and without liability to you or any third party.

To summarize: Fox Rent A Car may refuse or cancel any reservation, wheter or not the reservation has been confirmed, for any or no reason, without liability to you or any third party.

In most European jurisdictions, such a disclaimer would have been void, being unduly disadvantageous for the customer, as the company basically try to relieve themselves from any duty to fulfil the contract they have entered with you.

I am not sure if the disclaimer is allowed according to US law, but assuming that you as a non-US citizen also don't live in the US, you would probably have to risk much more (court an legal representation fees) than what you may gain proceeding with any legal actions against Fox Rent A Car.

You may of course get more attention than from your previous contact attempts, if you describe your sitation publicly in a social media context, e.g. on Fox Rent A Car's Facebook page.

I don't want to rub more salt in your wounds, but after all, you accepted these terms when making the reservation.

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  • I don't know about the disclaimer but in the US the norm is if they don't have a car they don't have a car, too bad.
    – Loren Pechtel
    Commented Sep 6, 2016 at 18:31
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While you could attempt to frame this as a legal problem with the appropriate authority: others have had success trying this in the court of public opinion. Perhaps voicing the issue on Public media through youTube and the local news this would bring some degree of remedy or at least a response if framed properly: with proper supporting documentation to back your claims

In the states, no company wants to be on the nightly news for this kind of thing or youTube

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