The BVRLA’s RISC system can be accessed by all BVRLA members and flags up problematic renters.

Rental customers who cause problems for van hire companies could find themselves blacklisted by rental firms across the UK, thanks to a new system.

The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA), which is the trade body for UK vehicle rental companies, has released a new version of its risk management software, RISC.

This enables BVRLA member companies, including the majority of UK van rental firms, to search for information about new renters and to record and share problems with existing customers.

For example, the names and details of customers who provide fake ID, such as fictional utility bills, or who cause damage to vehicles may be added to the RISC system.

The BVRLA says that the most common reasons for a rental firm to log a report on RISC are non-conformance with terms and conditions, lack of payment, damaging the vehicle and abusive behaviour towards staff.

Commenting on the revised RISC platform, BVRLA Director of Member Services Nora Leggett said:

“RISC is now an even more powerful loss prevention tool for our members. Opportunistic fraudsters and high-risk customers have become adept at sharing information to exploit vulnerable businesses. The collaborative environment of RISC will harness the power of the BVRLA community and help safeguard valuable assets.”

Other features include a heat map of the UK, showing members where risk activity is being reported in real time.

The BVRLA can also monitor incidents to issue general alerts on problems that may be spiking, such as identity fraud or large numbers of renters showing up with authentic-looking utility statements from bogus websites.