Car rental experience that recalls the Alamo

On a recent one-week motoring holiday to France my hire car, booked via the internet with CarTrawler, broke down on the first day. A local garage helped out and I was taxied to my first day's destination. All of the following Tuesday morning was spent trying to contact Alamo, the car hire company allocated by CarTrawler. When I finally got through, the best it could offer was a replacement car for Thursday, so long as I travelled to Toulouse to collect it – some 150 miles away. On returning home, my request for a ­refund and compensation of a suggested £150 has drawn a blank. The only offer I have from Alamo is a free upgrade voucher for the next car I hire with them. I don't think so. CD, Bedfordshire CarTrawler is a privately owned company based in Dublin with an ambitious aim to become the largest distributor of car rental globally. Before it does this, it needs to have a little look at its approach to customer service. You paid €237 (£207) for an unreliable car for a week and I think your suggested compensation is a little on the low side. After pushing CarTrawler it has decided to make a refund corresponding to four-days rental, about £120, which will be made by Alamo and "does not imply that CarTrawler accepts any liability in this matter". I think you are going to accept. Steve Playle is team leader at Surrey Trading Standards Service. We welcome letters but regret we cannot answer individually. Email: [email protected] Please include a daytime phone number