Burnley: Mum almost misses dad’s funeral due to car hire fee

Jasmine Miah, 23, booked a rental car to travel from her home in London to Leeds Bradford Airport, to stay at her grandma's house in Shipley, ahead of her dad’s funeral in Burnley on Monday, October 30.

The mum, who is eight and a half months pregnant, paid the £200 deposit but due to issues with her payment card, wasn’t able to add her auntie on as a driver at the time of the booking.

Enterprise UK website states additional drivers are ‘optional extras’ so there will be a fee to cover the cost of adding that person to the car’s insurance.

However, Jasmine said she was assured by the customer service agent that adding her auntie on as an additional driver at a later time would not require an additional deposit. 

When she called up to add the second driver, she was told to pay an extra £200 charge which Jasmine said she couldn’t afford, as well as her grandma due to being on pension credit.

Jasmine said: “This whole situation has caused me so much distress and upset.

"It’s one thing being misled with wrong information, so I’ve had to cancel the rental but now I don’t have money to pay for a train down there because of the slow 10-day refund process.

"They’ve also charged me a £40 service fee which I want refunding.

“My circumstances, being pregnant and having to bury my dad on Monday, mean I’m extremely emotional so I don’t need this.

"I’m due soon so I’m worried that I won’t get my refund in time to use for a train back to London where my hospital is, and will be stranded in Shipley.”

A friend of Jasmine’s has kindly offered to take time out of work and drive the family up meaning she won’t have to miss her dad’s funeral.

She said: “I’m lucky I’ve managed to find transport but this whole situation has caused me so much unnecessary stress and I still don’t have my money back.

"It makes me not want to use Enterprise again, to be honest.”

Enterprise UK have been approached for comment.