An Australian car rental business owner has spoken out after a customer filled up a hire car at a petrol station and drove off without paying, prompting Queensland Police to send him a fine notice as the vehicle's registered owner. Blake, who runs Coastline Car Hire on the Gold Coast, said the month-old business's first major customer dispute left him "extremely frustrated" as he tried to get the woman to cover the unpaid fuel bill before the situation escalated into a heated confrontation.

Blake shared the saga on TikTok, revealing he rang the customer after receiving the police text, only for her to first claim she had forgotten to pay, then admit she lacked the funds. He told her to borrow money from a friend or risk police involvement, causing her to panic and hang up; he chose not to report her formally while she still had the car. A second call the next day again ended in refusal, and when she returned the vehicle a foul-mouthed row broke out before she finally agreed to pay. Queensland Police confirmed SMS alerts are routinely sent to registered owners in such cases, giving drivers a chance to settle up and avoid prosecution, as intentionally leaving without paying is a criminal offence.