Milan, Oct. 9 (LaPresse) – The Italian Competition Authority has fined ALD, a global player in long-term car rental, €5 million for an unfair commercial practice regarding the management of customer charges for vehicle damages incurred during the rental. This was announced in a statement by the Antitrust Authority, which highlights that, in particular during the pre-contractual and contractual phases, the company “provided consumers with insufficient, ambiguous, and fragmented information on the nature, main characteristics, and conditions of the service – accessory and paid – that allows limiting liability for vehicle damages.”
This service, purchased by almost all customers, should allow consumers – the Antitrust statement notes – “to pay only the agreed deductible in the event of damage to the rented vehicle. However, the company did not clarify that customers must promptly report each individual damage on the ALD portal, which hindered the use of the purchased service.”
Furthermore, the Antitrust Authority emphasizes that “it emerged that consumers were not promptly informed of the criteria adopted by the company to evaluate which damages were not considered normal wear and tear and were therefore charged to the customer if not reported immediately upon occurrence (ALD excludes charges only for damages assessed as ‘normal wear and tear’).”
Finally, the Authority “considered aggressive the fact that customers are charged for the repair of damages of which they become aware only at the time of vehicle return, after the technical inspection, because the damages are minor or not visible to the naked eye.”