Give the company a clear deadline in your objection, often 14 days.
- If it does not answer, send one short reminder with a final deadline.
- Then use the next route: your card issuer for a chargeback, the European Consumer Centre for a company in another EU country, Iceland or Norway, or the ECRCS for participating brands.
- Keep proof of every message you send.
You sent a clear objection with photos. Two weeks pass. Nothing. Silence does not mean the company has dropped the claim, and it does not mean you have to accept it. It means it is time for the next step. This article gives you the order.
Before anything else: check what you sent
A reply is more likely if the company received a complete objection at the right address. Check:
- did you send it to the address in your contract, on the invoice or on the company's website, not only a no-reply address?
- did you include your booking number and the claim reference?
- did you set a deadline for an answer?
If not, send it again, properly. Our guide on how to dispute a damage claim shows what a complete objection contains.
Set a deadline, and wait for it
Which? suggests allowing a reasonable time to resolve a complaint, say 14 days. The ECC Nederland template letter, in English, also asks for an answer within 14 days. Write the deadline as a date, not as "two weeks", so there is no doubt.
Send one short reminder
After the deadline, send one reminder:
Subject: Reminder, objection to damage claim [reference], booking [number] On [date] I sent you my objection to the claim above (copy attached). I have not received a reply. Please respond by [date]. If I do not hear from you, I will take the matter to [the European Consumer Centre / my card issuer]. Until then, I ask you not to take any collection measures.
The ECC Nederland template contains a similar line asking the company to stop collection measures until the matter is resolved. Our letter templates have the full text.
Choose the next route
Which route fits depends on where the company is and how you paid.
| Your situation | Next route |
|---|---|
| Money was taken from your card | Ask your card issuer about a chargeback |
| The company is in another EU country, Iceland or Norway | The European Consumer Centre in your country |
| A participating brand, booked directly, rented abroad | ECRCS, the industry's conciliation service |
| The company is in your own country | A national dispute body or consumer authority |
| None of these worked | A small claims procedure |
ECC-Net describes the same order: complain to the company first, then contact your national ECC if the company does not respond or rejects your complaint, then the ECRCS or a national dispute body, and ask your card provider about a chargeback.
Route A: your card issuer
If the amount was charged to your card, a chargeback is often the fastest route. Card issuers have their own deadlines, so do not wait for the company's answer before you ask. Check the dates with the deadline calculator and read what to do when a rental company charges your credit card.
Route B: the European Consumer Centre
If the company is based in another EU country, Iceland or Norway, the ECC in your country can take up your case for free and pass it to its sister centre in the company's country. Use the ECC finder and read how an ECC complaint works.
Route C: ECRCS
The European Car Rental Conciliation Service is run by Leaseurope. It only handles cross-border rentals with participating companies, after the company's own complaint procedure is exhausted, and not bookings made through an intermediary. Read how ECRCS works.
Route D: court, as a last step
For cross-border claims up to 5,000 euros, the European Small Claims Procedure is a written procedure with standard forms. Read how the European Small Claims Procedure works.
Silence followed by a debt collector
Sometimes the first answer comes from a collection agency. Do not ignore it, but do not pay a disputed amount just to make it stop. Read what to do if a debt collector contacts you.
A sample timeline
| Day | Step |
|---|---|
| 0 | You receive the claim or see the charge |
| 1 to 3 | You send a written objection with a deadline and your evidence |
| 1 to 3 | If money was taken from your card, you check the chargeback deadline |
| 14 | Deadline passes without an answer |
| 15 | You send one reminder with a final date |
| 22 | Still nothing: you start a chargeback and, for a foreign company, an ECC complaint |
This is an example, not a rule. Shorten it if a card deadline is close.
Keep your file in order
Each route will ask for the same documents: contract, claim, your objection, the reminder, proof of sending and your evidence. Our article on which evidence you need shows how to organise it.
Frequently asked questions
How long should I wait for an answer?
Which? suggests allowing a reasonable time, say 14 days. The ECC Nederland template letter also uses 14 days in its English version. If your matter is urgent, for example a card deadline, say so in your letter.
Can I complain through the EU's online dispute platform?
No longer. The European Commission discontinued the ODR platform on 20 July 2025. For cross-border problems, contact the European Consumer Centre in your country.
The company only offers a chatbot. Does that count?
Use it if it is the only channel, but also send your objection by email or letter to the address in your contract or on the invoice. Keep screenshots of the chat with date and time.
Sources
- which.co.ukWhich?: How to complain about your car hire company
- eccnederland.nlECC Nederland: Template letter, unjustified invoice from a car rental company
- eccnet.euECC-Net: Car rental, your rights
- leaseurope.orgLeaseurope: European Car Rental Conciliation Service
- ecc.fiECC Finland: The ODR platform will be discontinued as of 20 July 2025