Has anybody here rented a car from a UK internet car rental company called Car Hire UK.com? Their rates seemed very good and I had no problem until I tried to get my deposit back. Every time I call them I get an excuse and a promise the deposit will be reunded,if I ask for a supervisor to return my call they never do.

It's been over two months now and these guys owe me over $1000 dollars, does anybody in the UK know if there are any government establishments who monitor the activities of these car rental companies and my be able to assist me in getting my deposit back?

When you feel that you've exhausted direct communications (2 months seems long enough to me), you should investigate disputing the transaction with your credit card company, if you paid that way. Other options are with these links.

http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/

http://www.consumerfocus.org.uk/

http://www.moneyclaim.gov.uk/

This probably doesn't help but you are not alone I am currenlty in dispute with car hire uk over its failure to return my deposit of 680 pounds. Trying to resolve the issue over the phone and via email got me nowhere so I contacted Trading Standards and filled in a dispute form with my credit card company.

I would follow the advice given by maxsteam and also contact trading standards, the company is located in Bromley, Kent. Just do a search on the internet for trading standards UK and you will find a contact number and email address.

This business is a well organised scam. I am currently trying toget my deposit returned too. From the rental agreement it appears Elsinore Garage Limited operates Car-Hire-UK.com but when I contacted them they said that they only repair the cars and have nothing to do with the car hire. I would be interested in hearing from other people who have been scamed by CarHireUK, and try and organise some action try and get our deposits back. From other websites I have found a number of people in the same position.

Tracking down Car-Hire-UK.com

Did a domain name search and found the website is registered to

Car Hire UK

165 Masons Hill

Bromley Kent BR2 9HY

Administration Contact

Michael Goodwin (same address)

After researching at Companies House(UK Companies Register) I found the following. There is no company registered as "Elsinore Garage Ltd" but there is a company registered as "Elsinore Garage and Company Limited". I purchased a number of documents from Companies House and got the following infromation.

Elsinore Garage and Company Limited

Company number: 575284

Company Secretary: Michael Stephen Goodwin

Registered Company Office:

Mattison & Co

Chartered Accountants

10A Royal Parade

Chislehurst, Kent

BR7 6NR.

Company Business: Car Hire.

They breach The Companies Act as all business they must use Full Company Name, Registered Company number, and Registered Company Office.

This makes the Rental Contract void.