RENTAL fleets are paying the highest prices in Europe for vehicles - despite anticipated Competition Commission criticism that huge discounts to rental fleets are responsible for 'Rip-Off Britain'. And the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association has launched a scathing attack on manufacturers in its new 'Industry Review', saying they were to blame for residual value chaos in the nearly-new car market prompting claims that 'the industry overall is losing money'.

The report says: 'Price competition continued to dominate the short term rental market, forcing margins to even thinner or non-existent levels while at the same time the industry is having to pay the highest prices in Europe for its vehicles.'