That's interesting. Must check that program out, but unfortunately from what has been previously written, chop down one tree, and another 5 grow in it's place.

It's not the company that needs to be dealt with, but the bu**ers who run the multitude of companies trading under a good number of names.
I spoke today with the actualy car hire company I rented from in Faro, and he said they have closed them off but still have about 10 customers to come through,]I told him to check this website for other company names so they don't deal with bogus agents again. He said that they, and other smaller companies used to rely on these agents for the feed of work, but they are getting wise to it.
He said that unfortunately the way that Decode seem to have worked, is to find the NEW small companies and offer them the service. All is OK and they get their first months money, then for "clerical errors" don't get the next months, then it drags on, and by the third month they have been hooked into the fraud, and it must be a fraud. It may be as much as 4-5 months before they realise that there is a BIG problem.
Do the sums yourself. If they are responsible for, say, just 50 car hires a month at say £400 a time, they could be owed as much as £20k a month by the time they spot the scam. For a new company starting out, well.
On the other side, Decode would be working for many other small car hire firms. I recon they could be raking in maybe £5k-£20 PER COMPANY ! ! !
Now, if just half of the ripped off people fail to get their money back, or had such a good deal that they were willing to write off the loss as "experience" then Decode and their directors could be getting, say, £5k-£10 PER MONTH PER COMPANY. Not a bad income.

Also, if they are really cagey about it all, one could say they are not exactly doing anything "illegal" as they do have a set of trading terms. If they are advised by a clever conditions writer, that could cover anything that might be brought up if somebody were to get them into court.

It's a nasty state of affairs that will only stop if people like the internet providers were bully enough to take action and shut them down.

And finally...... those above figures I estimated for just ONE venue. A quick look at the Suncar website and one can quickly estimated the MILLIONS that they must be raking off a year, and most of what they get will be from individuals like those on this forum.

IT MAKES ME A LITTLE SICK. I would not sleep at night and can't imaging what these peoples minds are like.

Just off to throw up now.

i feel your pain, brother

Something else that needs tackling is the market in "virtual" offices. I referred earlier to Hold Everything who run the building where some of Decodes links lead to. This is a page from their website http://www.hold-everything.com/pages/15/other-office-addresses/Other%20Office%20Addresses . Is it me or does that go somewhat beyond a service that looks after your mail for you? Am I the only one that thinks that virtually encourages people to set up operations like this, especialy the comment "gives your business credibility and your clientele the perception that you are a larger enterprise than you really are"

And then there is the matter of the credit card companies. Either they knew what was happening (from the level of complaints) and were just feigning ignorance each time a new victim called or their control procedures are completely inept.

....a couple more dodgy domains to add to the list

alicanteairportcarhire.com regisitered to Kanopa at an address in Riga but with technical address in London
alicante-carrental.com registered to a Kintija Balode at the same Riga address as above and with Ribzamen@decode as the technical contact (this is now closed and the domain up for sale)

and they don't just prey on the British

in Russia they have topavtoprokat.ru registered to decode in London

and the Germans have decodeautovermietung.de complete with the same fake map of London as before

in Estonia carhiretallinn.co.uk registered to Decode c/o Hold Everything

if you have a Facebook account you can leave your message on their board at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Decode-Car-Hire-Service/174291782525

This info is great guys!!!
I have just received my forms from the CC company but I am also going to attach an additional statement with the links to all the forums carrying info on this elaborate scam. I will also be advising them that this is not a dispute (as the forms indicate) but a clear case of a company fraudulently stealing money from hard working people.

Many thanks

Hi To Late I can not get my money back from them either. DON'T USE SUN CAR

Hi Guys , I HAVE GOT A FULL REFUND .
Paid by debit card.
Advised my bank that I made a Internet Booking with Suncars but they failed to complete the service and DID NOT CHARGE ME .
I then advised them that a company called Decode had debited my account without my knowledge or permision and that i did not know how they had obtained my card details but i could only assume that Suncars had passed this information on to them but had no proof.
THE GOOD PART IS THIS IS NOW CLASSED AS FRAUD ,
My banks fraud dept have given me a full refund because i had no contract or dealings with Decode and are investigating the case.
MOST CC COMPANIES AND BANKS TAKE FRAUD SERIOUSLY , AND BACKED BY VISA / AMEX ETC WILL NORMALLY GIVE A REFUND AND THEN INVESTIGATE THE CASE
Good luck
I await your posts.

the proof that Suncars passed your card details to Decode is in Suncar's T&Cs at http://www.suncar.co.uk/rules-and-regulations.html section 4.5.3 - and it clearly states they do it for returning money to you not charging.

Good result for you but this late in the season the banks finally waking up may not help many new victims. And I've no doubt that this pair will be back in business under various different names next year.

I agree , but lets try to get our friends cash back first , I still suggest that you all try to go down the ***** ( frawd ) rout with your bank / cc comp .
my bank was very helpfull no name but got a little xtra help and i thank them for that.

This company has been highlighted in the Daily Mirror today

ATB,J.

There was also an article about them in the Sunday Times holiday section

If you unfortunately use this company they will probably take your money and not provide any service. Forget writing to them or emailing as they never reply.

Contact your bank and ask them to "chargeback" (visa debit). This will refund your money with 45 days. My bank Nationwide told me they are finding this company are responsible for many complaints. All have been charged back from their bank in Riga.

In short this company is a bunch of crooks

Since I posted their Facebook link they have been in and removed all the negative comments that were already there! And they've added an advert for Christmas bookings so they don't seem to have been stopped yet. I notice that several of their posts on Facebook have positive feedback from a Sanita Zivtina, which by coincedence is the name of a table tennis player who was in the same 2008 university team of one Mikhail Ribzamens - small world!! Seriously, if I can keep track of them like this how come the world's financial institutions seem to be having so much trouble shutting them down??

I've also found this which might be of interest to victims http://www.vp.gov.lv/structure/view.php?id=38#&darb=36 - note the reference to cyber crime. If you click the dark blue link for address it includes an email. No harm in trying!

BEWARE..............THERE IS SOMETHING STRANGE ABOUT THIS COMPANY!!!!!!!

I rented a car through them in August 2010 and since i have been charged again through my credit card the day after i picked up the car from Marbenjo car hire in Malaga, despite changing my credit card (having given them the wrong one) they billed the card without my pin.

As with prev. posts ALWAYS insist on checking the damage sheet extremely well and mark off every little dent or scratch, do not listen to the agent telling you this and that will be ok.

Suncard also, sent me the following email where i must get my money from and to frank this fills me with no hope at all and will be forwarding to my already disputed claim "team" at my credit card company.

Also, note since i booked a complete website change and NON of the previous number now work (all 0800 uk & toll free numbers) plus, they moved everything to email contact only. This appreas to me to be a company who do not want to be contacted.

Email from Suncar regarding refund below (AGAIN CAUTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
--------------------------------------------------start----------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Client,

Accept our apologies for the delay of our reply.
We have been encountering problems with our system management, which have partly blocked our ability to provide prompt refunds.
In order to receive a refund in the given situation of shortcomings regarding payment types, please contact the Bank or Credit Card company operating your remittances at the time the transfer took place.
Inform them to issue reclamation as a chargeback on the amount and we will authorize the process as soon as the application reaches our Bank.
The given process will include time consumption from your side, but it's the most effective way to provide that the refund will take place in the nearest future.

Regards,
Sun Car
---------------------------------------------------------END---------------------------------------------

welcome on board!

THERE IS SOMETHING STRANGE ABOUT THIS COMPANY

- actually we worked that out a while back! But possibly good news there with the words "blocked our ability" - I wonder if the Latvian bank has stopped their card transactions?

What ISP/ domain (the bit after the @ symbol) did the email come from??

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Another tool for victims, I forgot that there is a network of European Consumer Protection offices - the Latvian team are at http://www.ecclatvia.lv/ and there is an English option. If anyone fancies contacting either these people or the police cyber crime team posted above I've tracked down 2 addresses in Riga that have been used by this business when registering domains.

I wish that I had checked out the background to SunCar before committing to hiring the car.

I have just returned from a weeks holiday in Spain, having to pay the car hire charge a second time, this time to the legitimate car hire company, (Ironically called Rent Again) as they had not received any money from SunCar/Decode. In the past I have had smooth transactions in hiring a car abroad through websites on the internet, the only difference being that I did not pay up front on those occasions, but simply paid on collection at the airport.

Have emailed SunCar asking for refund, but do not hold out much hope.

Have spoken to credit card company who say I have to give SunCar 30 days for opportunity to make refund before they will instigate charge back proceedings. Perhaps this is not the most satisfactory solution, particularly as it seems that it is more than likely the CC company were aware of SunCar/Decodes reputation, but at least there is hope!!

I can only re-iterate what others have said:

Stay clear of using SunCar

Can any of the fellow suffers with Suncars give me their officoal address and the name of there CEO, or equivalent?. After several months of trying to get cancelled hire payment refunded I want to formally go to the boss. Any advise on successful cash recovers would be welcome please.
C Atkinson

I don't think anybody has discovered their address yet!

cyril

please scroll up/page back and read what I've already written and what other people have been through!

In summary, it appears that the company (for want of a better word ) is run by 2 men and possibly 2 women from Riga in Latvia. It seems that one of the men and women were at university together and have only left in the last couple of years - about the time this started. I know of two addresses in Riga they have used but suspect that at least one and possibly both are defunct. There are also 3 addresses in London, one is definately out of date, one is a mailbox operation and we're not sure whether the third was ever genuinely connected but is only a firm of accountants anyway.

to get your money back you need to go to your card company as per previous advice from others who have been successful.

I paid by debit (not credit) card so I assume I cant get a refund?