easyCar UK Ltd. has put a new spin on embarrassment. The company has launched an “overdue cars” section on its easyCar.com Web site.
Stelios Haji-Ioannou, owner of the European car rental chain, launched the site to help persuade people who had failed to return their rentals to do so, by naming and shaming them.
In the overdue cars section there are photographs to go along with delinquent renters’ names. The company uses a Web cam to snap a photo of every customer when they sign in.
There are also details about where the car was rented from, a description of the car, and how long overdue it is.
Recently, the company saw success from tits plan when a customer who had a car for one month longer than they were supposed to came by to return it. The customer dropped the keys off and left, according to the company. However, his picture and name will remain on the site until he returns to pay his late rental fees.
Haji-Ioannou told the London Evening Standard: “The idea is that it is a deterrent. We are constantly playing a game of cat and mouse with some of these people.
“If they know they are going to be photographed, they might not be so keen to give their car back so late.”
Asked if he thought naming and shaming was unfair, Haji-Ioannou said: “No. What I think is unfair is there are some people who are trying to get other customers to subsidize their driving.”
The Web site asks those with information on the whereabouts of the cars or the people themselves to contact easyCar.