Van Hire company conned

Having just read the following news story I thought it worth repeating as a reminder to all van hire companies out there about the risk of being conned:

A VAN hire business lost thousands of pounds when a money troubled mother set up a business deal she wasn’t authorised to carry out. Moston Car and Van Hire in Chester, hired out a van to a failing business for over a £1000 which was never paid they and then had to spend more than £2,400 recovering the vehicle after it was discarded at a motorway services area. The 47 year old woman worked for the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), a company which charges businesses a subscription for advice and special offers, and used her work to ask Moston Can and Van Hire to rent out the van stating that another member needed a hire car for a period of three months after falling on hard times.

“She told Mr Thomas that the FSB would pay half the cost of the vehicle hire and the member would pay the rest."

But Moston Car and Van Hire didn’t receive any payment for the vehicle and contacted her supervisor who told them that the FSB offered no financial support to members and confirmed that Taylor had no authority to make any financial commitments on behalf of the agency.