Car2Go keeps refunding this man with credit he can't use

The thing Robert Chomiak can't stand about Car2Go has nothing to do with rates, vehicle availability or customer service.

He doesn't like it when the company deposits $5 or $10 credits in his account.

Here's the problem: On five or six occasions over the last couple of years, Chomiak has complained to the company about engine trouble, or because the car he's reserved isn't parked where it's supposed to be.

Car2go, which operates in Vancouver, Calgary and Montreal,lets customers rent cars by the minute, using an app to locatean available vehicle wherever the last user parked it.

"I'll see the car on the radar [on my phone app] and I'll go to the spot and realize there's nocar around," Chomiak said.

"Some members will park their cars in underground or closed lots, making them inaccessible," which isn't allowed.

It's usually not a big deal he explains the situation to a customer service representative and gets a $5 or $10 credit for his inconvenience.

The issue is that the credits are deposited in his account in U.S. dollars instead of Canadian funds.

Because the currencies don't match, the credits sit idle in his account until they expire instead of being deducted from his bill.

"There's a five dollar credit on my account right now issued in U.S. funds instead of Canadian funds," he said.

"It's expired."

Company response

In an email, a spokesperson for Car2Go, which is one of four car share companies in Vancouver, tells CBC News this is an issue that is "not commonly" reported by its members.

The company says in this case, the problem is a case of human error.

"Our agents issue credits on a case-by-case basis and should have issued the correct currency based on where the member is located," it stated in the email.

"We are looking into ways in which we can make this process for our agents more intuitive."

Whenever Chomiak has caught the problem, the company has reissued the credit in Canadian dollars.

Check your account

Chomiak believes it's likely that other Canadians have had the same problem,so he is urging other Car2Go members to check their accounts.

"I can only assume I'm not the only person this has happened to," he said.

"My assumption is, if this is a widespread problem, most customers don't notice and they should be aware that this is a potential issue that's happening with their credit system."