Car Hire Firm In Alleged Racket Charged Customers For Pre-Existing Scratches, Roberta Metsola Had Warned
A Maltese car hire firm which is implicated in an alleged €3 million racket was flagged by European Parliament President Roberta Metsola some five years ago.
Back in 2018, Metsola – then just an MEP – warned in a parliamentary question to the European Commission that some of her constituents claimed to have been defrauded by Goldcar when returning their cars.
“I have received a number of complaints from my constituents in Malta that Goldcar is still defrauding its customers by charging them for scratches on their cars that were already there before they rented the car,” she said.
“Given that the car hire company Goldcar is still defrauding consumers, can the Commission provide information on whether it will take action against this company in order to protect European consumers against fraud in different EU Member States?”
Metsola also noted that then-MEP William Legge had flagged a similar issue with Goldcar in the UK a year earlier, with the car hire firm allegedly deduction hundreds of euros from their clients’ credit cards by claiming vehicle bodywork damage.
Then EU Commissioner for Consumer Affairs Věra Jourová responded to Metsola that the EC and national consumer authorities have obtained “commitments” from the EU’s five major car rental companies that they “will treat consumers fairly”, including in the “transparent and proportionate management of damages to the cars”.
“In December 2017, Europcar, one of these five companies, has finalised the acquisition of Goldcar,” Jourová said.
“The Commission has therefore asked Europcar to ensure that its subsidiary Goldcar also respects these commitments as rapidly as possible.”
“Goldcar, which is based in Spain, is currently subject to an investigation under the Consumer Protection Cooperation framework. The Commission therefore advises the Honourable Member to invite her constituents to file a complaint with the Maltese consumer authority in order to add their cases to this file.”
Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi
Yesterday, PN MP Jason Azzopardi claimed that Goldcar is involved in a major racket involving officials at Transport Malta and LESA.
According to Azzopardi, traffic fines incurred by tourist customers are paid to Goldcar, but somehow never reach Transport Malta as the TM and LESA officials would wipe them off the system.
Azzopardi pledged to give all the necessary details to police.
Christian Borg, the man recently charged with suspected kidnapping and allegedly subject to a money-laundering investigation, is behind the Maltese franchise of Goldcar.
Goldcar is owned by Antoine Borg and its director is Luke John Milton, a business partner of Borg who has also been charged with the kidnapping incident.
Azzopardi hinted that Borg has been able to operate with relative impunity because of the relationship he has with Prime Minister Robert Abela, who was his lawyer.
He claimed that financial crimes police are in possession of a recorded telephone conversation where Borg tells an accomplice “Do not worry, we have Bobby behind us”.
Abela has yet to respond to this allegation but the Labour Party described Azzopardi as a “renowned serial liar” and a “desperate politician of the past who has a lot of things to hide”.
Cover photo: Left: European Parliament president Roberta Metsola, Right: Christian Borg outside Castille
This article is part of a content series called Ewropej. This is a multi-newsroom initiative part-funded by the European Parliament to bring the work of the EP closer to the citizens of Malta and keep them informed about matters that affect their daily lives. This article reflects only the author’s view. The European Parliament is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.
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