I recently hired a car for my wedding. Later, I received a letter from Europcar forwarding a Penalty Charge Notice for an offence committed five days before my hire started in a city I’ve never visited.

The letter stated that Europcar had passed my details to the council that issued the fine and invoiced me for a £40 admin fee. Europcar has ignored my attempts to resolve the situation and attempted to charge my credit card for the £40.

To my grim amusement, American Express flagged up Europcar’s attempted transaction as fraudulent.

EB, London

This appalling incompetence is compounded by Europcar’s refusal to address the issue. Only when I contacted its PR team did it acknowledge an “administrative error” and issue a desultory apology.

“Europcar is sorry for the delay in responding and for any distress this caused,” it says. “Europcar has no record of payment being charged.”

It did, of course, try to pay itself for its cock-eyed admin and it’s only thanks to Amex’s vigilance it failed. As a result, your credit card was blocked and you were unable to use it on a recent trip abroad.

It should by now have informed the council of its mistake. But be vigilant in case the message percolates slowly through local authority bureaucracy and you find yourself hounded for non-payment.

If you need help email Anna Tims at your.problems@observer.co.uk or write to Your Problems, The Observer, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Include an address and phone number. Submission and publication are subject to our terms and conditions