EU car hire firms pressed to end discrimination

The European Commission has pressed six of the world’s major car rental companies to stop discriminatory practices against consumers renting a car online.

The Commission has published the letter which was sent to the CEOs of Sixt, Enterprise, Goldcar, Europcar, Hertz and Avis referring to several complaints it had received from consumers concerning discriminatory practices for renting a car online.

It urges the car rental companies to stop their discriminatory practices that prevent consumers in various European countries from getting the best price offered online and therefore from benefiting from the opportunities of the single market. The Commission’s letter cites the practice of automatic rerouting following the identification of the consumer’s IP address. The address may also prevent the consumer from completing any booking online.