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What a mean-minded bunch of responses. Shame on the lot of you. There is an issue here, which needs addressing. It's depressing that a well-known name like Europcar is seen to indulge in this kind of practice.
More broadly, car hire overall is a big rip-off. For instance, I once scratched the side of a car I hired while reversing in a narrow Devon lane. I was told by a motor-trade contact that it might cost around £150 to repair. I was stung for the entire £600 excess by the car-hire firm. Ho hum...

- Captain Ahab, London

Although I agree with most of the comments and share in the sense of poetic justice that it happend to a new labour politician, people should be aware of europcar in france as I was fleeced by them at bergerac and later found it to be a well known stich up for loan uk travellers. Wish I had the influence to get my money back, one law for them & one for us.

- Andrew Mcgettigan, benfleet uk

I am really pleased about this . The French have their uses . Why have Kelly and most other Labour MPs signed up to the Lisbon Treaty when experience tells us that one cannot trust the French and one cannot trust Brussels bureaucrats ? To have this personal experience by Kelly and her family of being on the wrong end of the French conducting their business in bad faith is both amusing and poetic justice . Now she knows how the rest of the UK feels about having been lied to by Labour in their 2005 Election Manifesto - ie no referendum when one was clearly promised . Also , Blair stupidly gave back a significant percentage of Margaret Thatcher's hard won rebate on the back of a French promise to reform the Common Agricultural Policy . That has been quietly reneged on by the French and Brussels .The Tories should now demand that money back . I really hope Kelly doesn't get her money back . Perhaps she will be making a Commons expenses claim to cover it ! Bercow should check that in a month or so .

- Marcus J. Tyson, London

Perhaps she might now have some understanding how we feel as taxpayers; being ripped off by useless, inepted selfseeking, expense lying politicans.
Oh, there goes a flying pig!

- Steve, Bromley

Blimey! I had a similar thing happen in Italy with Avis, they never paid a penny back, and even decided to up the damage payement as they had made a 'mistake'...

- Silvio_Brighton, Brighton

It’s not a surprise that europcar settled this...the prospect of Ms Kelly’s ‘continuous droning’ would be enough for anyone to settle...and fast!!

- Ade, London

Best thing is, when on holiday, whip out your video (if you're travelling with one) and video the car pre and post drop off. Take them through the drop-back on video and then if there is a problem, you've got something to put onto You Tube.

- Grix, London

I can't remember one decent thing that this person did when she was in office,however her dress sense has improved greatly along with her earning capacity.

- Aufdeutsch, Kentish Gulag 3 EUSSR.

Welcome to the real world luv.Put it on your expenses

- David Smith, Croydon

She was lucky to get a car. How unreasonable for her to expect it to have wheels as well!

When we arrived with a pre-paid booking at Beziers airport this summer, the National/Alamo was shut for the day (even though the online booking documents assured us they would be there). Neither of the other car hire companies had a spare car. In the end we had to get a taxi to Montpellier to rent a vehicle. We have received neither an apology nor compensation from National/Alamo - the only thing they could tell us was that sometimes online bookings don't make it into the French system. Great!

- Kate, Frankfurt, Germany

Dear Ruth,

When in France, speak French and always read the small print.

- Paul Lettan, Old St Pancras, London

Now she knows what it feels like...

- Mario Kempe, london

Why this story brings out people whingeing about 'expenses' is beyond me. It's quite obvious the price she was charged was unfair, and she should be congratulated for having some teeth to stand up to these charlatan rip-off merchants. Good for her.

- Richard, London

She got a refund, so why does she not celebrate her good luck. Most of us poor minions would have been left to rot before anything was done.

- James Elliott, Eastbourne UK

Ahhhh that has made my day..vile orrible woman

- Rsaviour, lonodn england

Maybe she should have stayed at home like the rest of her sanctimonious MP chums.

- Nobby Clark, Perth, the Scottish one

We all get fleeced for hundreds of pounds taking out the utterly useless and overpriced HIP's bought in by her.

The difference is we have to pay for it. No sympathy what so ever.

- Roger, Surrey

Both right tyres went flat...ehmm...left hand drive vehicle and drive on the right in France...very likely that the driver put the right side wheels off the road, must have been reasoanble impact to damage both front and rear tyres. I'd say it was 'a bit scary'!!

As per comment above different rules for different folks!

- Cjp, London,UK

I had a similar experience in Spain a few years ago with the same company. I was given a car with old and damaged tyres and than charged for two of them! Witheld the cash from the credit card company. It was the mighty bank that finally made the car hire people back down.

- Adam, London, England

I am sure that a year ago she would have put it down as some spurious parliamentary expense and said nothing about it to the press, but now she has to pay for it herself it a big deal.

- H, London, UK

Don't do it next year after you have lost your seat - you will then be a mere mortal like the rest of us, unless of course the gravy train continues in the New Labour aristocracy (Lords).

- Tony Gee, London

Hands up whoever gives a stuff. No dear, NOT you, that's the hand yhat usually goes in the till.

- Minority Working Person, London/England

Always be very very careful when hiring a car in Southern France.
Both of these incedents have happened to me. Once, when I reported a puncture, they retrospectively charged me for a WHEEL!!!
Again, when I returned a car to Biarritz airport, having minutes before filled the tank to full capacity, I was charged for a tank of fuel.
In both cases however, I asked my credit card to refuse/reclaim the money, and on both occasions that's what happened.
Some advice....Never just leave keys, always insist that someone check the car. That's what I do now, and they hate it!
It's not only politicians who can get action. If you do what I did, you can win too

- Ronnie, Billericay England

They always seem to dream up new charges or just simply lift money from the credit card that you have to use for the reservation. Their tactic then is to ignore emails and phone calls. Isn't Ruth lucky to have the power of the Evening Standard behind her.

- Anthony, London

How's it feel to be ripped of darling?

- Frank, Home Counties, England.

And to imagine that she was unable to claim it on MP's expenses doe not bear thinking about.......

Welcome to the real world!

- Black Prince, London SW3

I have been doubled-charged twice by car hire firms in Europe, worst of all on the second occasion for £350 by Argus Car Hire, or 'cartrawler', based in Dublin. They never ever reply to email or letters of complaint. Also, watch out for double-charging - finding the cost charged to your credit card again a month later - from Italian-based car firms, including Europcar.
Force your credit card company to delete the sum, never give up..

- Mark Johnston, London, UK

mmm - maybe the CEO of Europcar is a member of Opus Dei like Ms. Kelly and pulled a favour...

- Ian, London UK

One rule for MP's.

ANOTHER RULE FOR POOR JOE PUBLIC.

- Reuben Camara, Morecambe Compound, EUSSR

Now she knows how we the public feels after being ripped of by the labour party.

- Trisha Crawford, EAST CROYDON

One rule for her, one for the rest of us. Europcar, I will not be using you in the future if this is how you decide who gets charged and who doesn't.

- St, London

Forget the car story, I quite fancy her. She's a foxy lady.

- Rod, Epping, UK

Couldn't have happened to a nicer person - seems like a poetic twist on what goes round comes around.

- Ted, London

Poor Ruth Kelly - obviously she was not allowed to claim this car hire on expenses, that is so unfair.

- Jay, Southend

Why worry about it Ruth, you are only going to claim it back via expenses, and we will pay for it. Panic over, the TAX Payer will sort it out for you. Nothing for you to do, leave it with us. Don't forget to claim for all those lovely mobile phone calls as well, you must have made.

- Adam, LONDON

I had a similar experience at Nice airport in southern France. On return, the car hire company insisted I sign a document accepting to pay for scratches to the car despite me having full insurance to cover all damage to the car. I notice that they were doing this to every customer returning their car. Unlike the others, I refused to sign and they threatened to charge me for the total costs of all repairs. I still refused to sign and to date, was never charged any excess. I heard from friends who had signed the document that they were subsequently charged several hundred pounds excess, despite having full insurance cover. I suspect that the car hire companies in the south of France are scamming tourists/customers.

- Damien Miner, London, UK

Terrible, it's probably the first time it's happened where it's had to come out of her own pocket, every other time she'd undoubtedly have just put it on expenses.

- Bob, Cheam

I used Europcar at Nice Airport last year and was not at all happy with the service, we had to wait 2 hours whilst our car was 'prepared'. I used http://www.sixt.co.uk, they were quite good.

- Colin Johnson, Birmingham, UK

She says "I feel I've been fleeced". Oh the irony of it all.

- Edgar, London

I had a problem with Avis at Rome airport - the car hired to me had many problems that showed up over the holiday and all this after I'd had to pay extra to upgrade to it because the type of car I thought I'd hired "wasn't available".

I have tried complaining to Avis but I'm not an ex-cabinet minister - so I'm being ignored.

Customer service is sadly lacking at Avis. I was fleeced as well

- Rogerc, London UK

Perhaps now Ms Kelly can explain to the Labour Cabinet how it feels to be on the receiving end of poor service, unfair 'charges' and incompetent management -similar to what this country has suffered over the past number of years with this 'tax and squander' government.

- Dc, London

OK, so she gets attention, because of who she is/was. Ordinary folk get stuffed.

- Sandy, Ealing, London

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