Late at night on April 12, the Wuhou District Bureau of Housing, Construction and Transportation issued the "Notice on the Investigation and Handling of the Investigation and Handling of "High Claims for Scratches on the Lights After Renting a Car".
According to the report, on April 11, it was reported on the Internet that after renting a car in Dingfu Xinsheng Business Service Co., Ltd., a tourist was required to pay 68,800 yuan by the company because of scratch marks on the cover glass of the left front headlight of the car. On the same day, the bureau and relevant departments formed an investigation team to carry out a joint investigation. The next day (12th), after mediation, the company has returned all the renter deposits, and the investigation found that the company did not follow the provisions of the record to engage in car rental services for the illegal acts, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the "small and micro passenger car leasing service management measures", in accordance with the relevant provisions of the administrative penalties in accordance with laws and regulations.
Previously reported:
Jimu News reporter Zhan Yu Du Guangran
Recently, a blogger posted a video saying that he rented a car in Chengdu, and the leasing company asked him to spend more than 49,000 yuan to replace the headlights on the grounds that the headlights had 3 mm scratches, and said that if he was dealt with according to legal procedures, he would pay more than 68,000 yuan.
On the evening of April 11, the blogger responded to the Jimu News reporter that the content of his video was an objective statement, and said that the company sent the car to the door when he took the car. Jimu News reporters investigated and found that the company involved has been involved in a number of complaints about car damage deposits and other situations. The official response of Wuhou District, Chengdu City, to the Jimu News reporter said that on the morning of the 12th, the staff had gone to the scene to investigate.
Parties: The content of the video is an objective statement
According to the blogger, he is a college student. On April 3, he booked an Ideal ONE car at a car rental agency in Chengdu through the Hello car rental platform. After negotiation, the staff of the car dealership replaced him with an Audi A6. After the vehicle was delivered, the car dealer charged him a deposit of 10,000 yuan for car damage, a deposit of 2,000 yuan for violations, and a 200 yuan exit fee.
The blogger said that when he returned the car a day later, the rental company staff said that there was a scratch on the headlight of the vehicle that needed to be replaced, and the scratch was only 3 millimeters long. After that, the two sides found the 4S store together, and the clerk said that the scratches could be restored, and the cost was only 2,200 yuan. However, the leasing company insisted on replacing the headlights on the grounds of affecting the value of the vehicle and driving safety, at a cost of more than 49,000 yuan.
Vehicle headlights (source: Internet)
The blogger said that after negotiations, the leasing company proposed that it could be dealt with according to legal procedures, but there would be a cost of 68,000 yuan including headlights, vehicle damage, and parking freight. At the same time, the company gave two other treatment plans, one is for the blogger to pay 20,000 yuan for depreciation and insurance floating expenses, and the other is to send the car to the company's familiar repair shop for maintenance, and the blogger needs to pay 8,800 yuan.
The negotiations between the two sides were fruitless, after which the blogger posted a video online asking for help. On the evening of the 11th, the blogger told the Jimu News reporter that the incident he experienced was consistent with the content of his video, and the relevant content was his objective statement. Regarding the progress of the matter, the blogger did not reply positively, but said that everything is subject to the official information and the video he posted.
Investigation: The company involved has been complained about several times
In the comment area of the video platform, many netizens reported that they had been "pitted" by the company. The Jimu News reporter saw on the Sichuan News Network's Sichuan Provincial Online Mass Work Platform that there were complaints against the company.
On November 6, 2023, some netizens complained that the platform rules stated "credit exemption" when he rented the car, but the company asked for a deposit when picking up the car, so he did not reach an agreement and did not rent the car, but the company also charged him 200 yuan for fuel. In addition, some netizens on the platform complained that the company withheld thousands of yuan in deposits on the grounds of small scratches.
On the evening of the 11th, another Mr. Zhang (pseudonym), who had a similar experience, told a Jimu News reporter that in January 2024, he came to Chengdu for a tour and rented an ideal SUV of the car rental company involved on an online car rental platform.
"The company was late for the delivery of the car that day, and my schedule was very nervous, so I had to pay a deposit privately. Mr. Zhang said. On the day of returning the car, the merchant asked him to deliver the car to the suburbs by himself. After arriving, the two people who inspected the car said that there were scratches on the body and wheels, and the deposit was not refunded. He checked and found that the scratches were only the thickness of a "hair", and the car inspection video before the car was not clear, and the two sides had a dispute on this matter.
The situation of the network platform (source: Internet)
Afterwards, Mr. Zhang negotiated and communicated with the merchant and the platform many times, and finally the merchant sent a bill for car repair, the vehicle was repaired and the lights were replaced, and the merchant deducted a deposit of more than 2,000 yuan and returned the remaining deposit. Around April 11, after the claim of nearly 70,000 yuan for the man's car rental was exposed, the car rental platform contacted him again and promised to return the remaining deposit.
Tianyancha information shows that the company involved was established in 2023 and is located in Chengdu, which is an enterprise mainly engaged in the leasing industry with a registered capital of 1 million yuan.
The Jimu News reporter searched for a car rental shop in Chengdu on Dianping, and the business license used for the store's business qualification was the same person as the legal representative of the aforementioned company. On the afternoon of the 11th, the reporter found that the store showed "temporarily closed", but the status of the store changed to "open" that night. The reporter called the store's phone, but no one answered. Its latest review was posted on Feb. 5.
On the morning of the 12th, a Jimu News reporter came to the industrial and commercial registration place of the company involved to check and found that the address is now a bar and coffee shop. A number of nearby merchants told reporters that it was indeed a car rental company before, and it had moved out about half a year ago.
Industry: Scratches are generally paid by the insurance company first
In the blogger's encounter, whether the scratches on the headlights existed before the car was taken or caused during the use of the car, it is still inconclusive.
On the evening of the 11th, a Jimu News reporter consulted a car scratch repair store, and the staff said that a small scratch 3 mm long, if it is painted on the door panel and other paint surfaces, can be repaired by polishing, and the fee is about 200 yuan. The same goes for the surface of the headlight, as long as the scratches are not very deep, the size of the scratches in the video is generally not more than 500 yuan, "the price of entering the 4S store is definitely different, and the price of luxury brands is higher, but the repair of such a small scratch will not exceed 3000 yuan at most." ”
The registered place of the company has become a coffee shop (photo by Jimu News reporter Du Guangran)
So in the car rental industry, is it necessary to change the headlight if it has scratches? On this matter, the Jimu News reporter consulted Mr. Wang (pseudonym), the person in charge of a local car rental company in Chengdu. According to Mr. Wang, the company generally asks the insurance company to give priority to the compensation for ordinary and small scratches on the body. Whether it needs to be replaced is carried out in accordance with the insurance company's loss assessment standards.
According to the rules of the insurance company, generally which part is bumped, scratched, the priority must be repair, if it cannot be repaired or the cost of repair is greater than the replacement part, then the replacement treatment. Once the follow-up insurance payment is insufficient, the customer will bear the rest. Mr. Wang said that many of the rental vehicles are scratched and then found time to repair them at one time. Therefore, small scratches generally do not allow customers to compensate.
In addition, if the repair of the vehicle takes a long time, for example, to repair for 5 days or 8 days, the customer may need to bear some depreciation costs, and these terms will be clearly stipulated in the contract.
"It is also theoretically impossible to have a vehicle without insurance. Mr. Wang said that in order to prevent risks, leasing companies will purchase insurance for their vehicles. Because if there is damage or accident to the vehicle, the customer is unable to pay or repay, the company will bear it.
Official: Will go to the scene to investigate
According to the Jimu News reporter, there are currently about 800 car rental companies in Chengdu, of which there are two or three hundred members of the Chengdu Car Rental Association.
On the morning of the 12th, the staff of the association told the Jimu News reporter that the company involved was not a member of the association. Chengdu is a country of abundance and the capital of tourism, and the above incident is a very rare case, and they hope to investigate and deal with the unscrupulous merchants in place, so as not to have an impact and impact on the entire Chengdu car rental industry. At present, the association has called on all members to take caution and operate in good faith for the first time.
The official account of the Chengdu Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism previously replied to netizens that they had paid attention to the matter and would speed up the process. Citizens can truthfully report the relevant situation to the Chengdu mayor's hotline 028-12345, and it will be dealt with in a timely manner in accordance with laws and regulations.
Chengdu Cultural Tourism responds (source: Internet)
On the morning of the 12th, the staff of the Housing Construction and Transportation Bureau of Wuhou District, Chengdu City, responded to the Jimu News reporter that the Municipal Bureau has paid attention to the relevant situation, and the transportation departments at all levels will investigate the matter on the same day.
The platform party, Hello Car Rental, responded to the Jimu News reporter on this matter, saying that Hello Car Rental paid attention to the feedback of relevant users on social platforms, and intervened to deal with it as soon as possible, and simultaneously removed the stores involved.
The staff of Hello Car Rental said that the blogger placed an order for an Ideal ONE on the Hello Car Rental platform on April 1, and the use period was from April 4 to April 5. Later, the user was informed by the supplier that the ordered model was no longer in stock, and the user cancelled the order on Hello Rent-a-Car at the suggestion. Background data shows that the user canceled the car rental order on April 4. After that, the user left the platform, made a car rental transaction with the merchant, and paid the deposit face-to-face.
At present, Hello Car Rental has contacted this single user and is willing to help him protect his legitimate rights and interests in all aspects. Hello Car Rental calls on users to resolutely reject all offline transactions that leave the platform. In the future, Hello Car Rental will further strengthen the crackdown and management of merchants' offline transactions within the platform, and carry out centralized rectification of merchants who verify offline transactions.