Europcar Reviews

Subsequently on return to Australia I received a Traffic Violation notice to the effect that the £3.50 had not been paid and we then owed £100 parking charge via the ParkingEye car park management company. This was plus an administration fee of £36 to Europcar. We subsequently contacted the hotel who confirmed we did not owe any money and had paid the parking fee. This was relayed to Europcar, who advised that we had 14 days to query these charges. With difficulty we managed to email Europcar, who advised the £100 parking fee would be settled but we still owed the administration fee.

We find this to be a scurrilous way of doing business. It appears Europcar has a reputation for this sort of behaviour. Travel in Australia have mentioned this 'scam' previously. I would appreciate this matter being investigated to prevent other tourists being treated in such a manner. We have never had any problems with car hire companies and have hired cars from various countries.

A couple of weeks later I received an email from Europcar informing me that there was damage to the car and that when the damage had been assessed and repaired I would be charged for said repair. I replied to the effect that I had been informed by a Europcar employee that I would not be charged. Europcar then wanted to know if I had "correspondence" to that effect. At that point I handed it off to American Express. Sixty days later American Express are still waiting for Europcar to contact them with evidence of damage and a repair bill. I may still use Europcar as I like the cars and prices and have had no problems in the past, but I won't be rushed, I will inspect the car and I will take pictures of the car at the drop off point. If anybody tells you "you won't be charged for that" get it in writing.

Updated 01/14/2017: 4 months after a completed rental I was refunded and recharged the same amount for ACCOUNTING purposes!! This has cost me more international exchange fees... both these companies are fraudsters.

Two weeks later, I learned however, that on the day I tried to pick up the mini-van one HAD been available. Why they said none was available, I don't know but I feel that I was clearly ripped off. I travel a lot, and this is the first time I've ever had problems with renting a car. I had even rented from Europcar before, but will never do so again after this experience. They were rude, and showed poor customer service and had an attitude of "We don't care because we don't have to." Rent from Europcar at your own risk.

What I don't understand is they knew we were coming, we had it booked 15 weeks previous. We never got an apology, just got the keys and they walked away. We will NEVER book or deal with this company again. Disgraceful and then they add the extra charges on. A very badly managed and run outfit in Lisbon Airport and I have heard it in other countries as well. Will be telling people NOT to rent with Europcar.

Once we got to the rental desk we were told there were no cars fitting the description we wanted and had paid for and that the only car available, an Audi A42, would be all they could provide us with. The agent, Prabb, said instead of 38 pounds a day it would be 50 pounds a day, initial here and here, and all done. Since we were at that point stuck with no car we signed and were on our way (and note it took almost an hour to do this transaction!).

When we were about an hour away my partner had a thought - where on the paperwork we signed did it show the $257 we had already paid stateside. We pulled the paperwork and couldn't find anywhere where the $257 had been credited to the total rental. We then called back to the Manchester location and the rep we talked to more or less gave us the run around and didn't answer the question. In the course of the conversation he said the rental was an EXTRA 50 pounds a day, on top of the 38 pounds, not 50 pounds total! We almost vomited, we were so sick to our stomachs how we had been scammed into a car that should have cost about $350 for the week suddenly became $1000!!!

We are senior citizens, traveling to see a very ill elderly aunt on a very tight budget. This whole fiasco totally ruined our time in England. When we returned the car we tried to speak with the manager, Matt **, who wasn't in. We then spoke with a Sharon ** who was no help other than to say we needed to email (NOT call) Mr. ** when we returned home. We have emailed him and both RentalCars.com. He has not responded 2 weeks later and RentalCars.com responded that they're not able to help but will give us a deduction on our next rental (which will not be happening after this scam). I would alert everyone hoping to rent a car thru Europcar to beware. The price you think you will pay will NOT be what you actually pay.

When I arrived back in the US I did check the Europcar website and found that the purchase of insurance is entirely optional, and insurance is most likely covered by US credit card companies. I made a complaint to Europcar but they said I had not provided proof of existing insurance and had agreed to purchase the insurance from them. TOTAL SCAM COST ME $500!

Called Europcar in Leicester, UK. Good experience. Put through to William **, my claim manager... picked up the call right away. Gave me his number, put the matter on hold. I shall update this review when he call me back which he promises to do ASAP. So right now a worrying pattern of charges if you read all these reviews but in my case, Europcar responsive so far. SUGGESTION: Have Europcar write on your invoice: "Car received in good condition... date and time," as it left us no further charges to be assessed.

Obviously all this was because they did not have the right van for me.

Asked to see her manager, manager spitted out the same things as his trainee without asking me any further questions and asked me to leave the premises. Now I know why they get 0.6 out of 10 in various consumer reports. While I was standing there I notice the same manager was arguing very rudely with another customer. My recommendation to Europcar car is if they give a good and polite service to their customers, they do not need begging for customers by introducing different discounts.

As far as I am concerned this is a deceptive practice by Europcar because if there was something to let me know of this lack of inclusion and the associated cost in the confirmation or contract I would have cancelled because it made Europcar noncompetitive with other rental companies. I filed a complaint with Europcar and the response I received was that most people use their credit card for underlying insurance, but this is not part of Europcar's website, confirmation, or contract and was never asked by Europcar even at the desk when I picked up the car. The price was just added to my credit card since I prepaid with it. I have again responded to Europcar on June 10 and have not received any other reply from Customer Service. I have used Europcar before, but I will not use Europcar again and strongly recommend others don't either. Europcar's confirmation means nothing.

My friend ended up paying the coverage (for which I reimbursed half), and I paid the deposit, which came to 361.** British pounds, over $500 U.S.! I was told it would be refunded when I turned in the car on April 22. Loved the Volkswagen Polo, no problems, dings or anything, turned the car in & the guy said the deposit would be refunded by that night. Just in time, as I was about at the end of my available funds & needed that money back in my account. That money was not released back to my account until May 16, 2016, about 24 days!!! This became a problem! No telephone number to call, just an e-mail, and no reply for 4 days. I plan to complain to Visit Scotland regarding the deceptive wording on Europcar's website, and them holding the deposit for almost 4 weeks.

After finally getting the car charge credited to my card we received yesterday a letter from Europcar saying it was regarding the accident we had been in with their car. We were not in an accident. The guy checking the car when we returned it asked if we had been in an accident. We told him "no." This letter from them says the Date/Time of the accident was May 25, 2016 at 12:00. Where did they get that from??? I figure when my husband gets his next credit card statement it will show we owe money for the damage from our supposed accident. I will never use them again. We were there for 2 and a half weeks and had the best time so it's too bad that when we get home we have to deal with this. We were scammed, conned and screwed over. We travel all the time and have never had something like this happen.

As I found out later from my credit card statement, what the agent neglected to explain was that the extra 50 euros was per day, not for the whole rental. (Unlike in US, they don't tell you how much the total charge is when returning the car!) I wouldn't have signed the agreement had I known that it was 50 euros per day which would more than double the original rental cost! Who, in his/her sound state of mind, would agree to such an upgrade that would more than double the cost after putting all the effort to get a low cost rental car online? I also found out from the customer service agent when I called later to inquire about the extra charge that the upgrade was by 4 levels, which was never mentioned by the rental agent.

Had I known that it was a 4-level upgrade, it would have raised a red flag and I would have scrutinized the agreement carefully. I have no doubt that the agent slipped in the upgrade hoping that an unsuspecting customer would not catch it, which, I imagine, can happen quite open when customers are tired after an overnight flight and thus are not alert mentally. I am a seasoned traveler and still failed to catch the trap. The way I see it, it is an unethical business practice to prey upon unsuspecting and tired travelers. I protested to the customer service, but they simply replied that I signed the contract. I will never ever rent a car from Europcar again!!!

I returned the car and flew home. I received an email with the charge of 326.70 ($372.89). It turned out that I was charged for 30 per day for the upgrade. I have since filed a claim with Europcar to dispute that charge. I spent numerous amounts of time writing emails and making phone calls, but Europcar refused to give me any credit. I even disputed the charge with the credit card company Chase, but that didn't help because Europcar insists on the charges and Chase was not much helpful on customer's behalf. In the end, they overcharged me for $276.59. I regret that I didn't record the conversation with the agent who offered me the upgrade and I didn't read the agreement more carefully before I signed it. When you search for rental car, Europcar often come up as the best rate, but they will charge you in other ways. I will never rent a car from them again.

On a trip to France we rented a car from Europcar in Paris to be dropped off in Southern France. Had flat tire on trip. So, when you call their emergency access number - all that you get is a recording. When you need them the most - there isn't anyone there!! They are only available for the rental - not for the support. Finally got towed and tire replaced. We wanted to have the tires replace - but the customer service person said that our only option was to take the car to the closest office and exchange it. We would have had the tires repaired at our expense - but Europcar said that this was not an option. Finally got car to nearest office at Tours, France. They didn't have any cars!!! Then they told us the only option was to get the tire repaired at our expense!! Finally, got a car to finish our trip. If you need customer support - in any manner - you won't get any. Avoid this company!!!

I finally found it after almost 3 hours in heavy traffics looking for it. They found a small scratch on front bumper which I did not/could not see it when I picked the car from an indoor garage (not a lot of light). I usually pick up the car from outside under sunlight when I rent a car in the US and we usually check the car together with a representative from the car rental company. For that small scratch, I was charged more than $250.00, although I bought the medium damage and collision insurance. It took me almost 3 hours to find the Europcar Rental parking lot so I was about 3 hours late, and for that I had to pay for 2 days car rental. Total price I had to pay almost $600.00 for about 27 hours of car rental.

DO NOT rent from EUROPCAR RENTAL. A fraud or swindle company. Maybe they already know about that small scratch and most people do not see it. They can make a few hundred dollars more from that small scratch. Stay away from Europcar Rental. I could not even ask anything when I rented the car in Milan. She always said "No" or "I do not know" whenever I asked her anything, never even trying to find out.

They charged us a myriad of obscure additional costs when some German guy drove his camper van into our STATIONARY sardine can (even though he had insurance and admitted fault). They lost the incident claim form and haven't done anything about it and so they haven't been paid and so they haven't returned the overcharge to me. The list goes on! They've charged it all straight to my credit card. I'm happy to pay what's fair but they won't respond to my emails because they've got the money.

I should have looked in the paper if it was right with the cars, which I am 1000% positive was not correct. I feel completely robbed, and will never use this company, both of these company again. The staff there also are very rude and grumpy. There is NO way that I would have driven almost 800 km in the space of 12 days only going to the beach, home, restaurant, home. I would suggest looking for other company! I need write reviews, but I feel robbed!!!

Within 24 hours of returning the vehicle I contacted London Stansted regarding my iPad which I left in the vehicle, and was told that someone will look and get back to me as soon as possible, which they didn't. I rang again the day after and was told the vehicle had now been rented back out and that they will do what they can to find out if my iPad was in there. It was at this time I checked to make sure London Stansted branch was aware that we had reserved the 6+ seater for our return, which they confirmed that they were aware. I was never contacted regarding the iPad again.

Upon our return to the UK, after the stress of travelling all day, we arrived at Europcar at approximately 10.55pm. When we approached the desk with our booking reference and identification we were told there was a delay in seeing people due to a backlog of customers and that we would have to wait in line. After over three hours of waiting we were eventually seen. Then to be told that they haven't got a vehicle bigger than a standard 5-seater car.

The member of staff that saw to us (Mark) was a trainee so he sought advice from his manager (Tibbrant). Tibbrant told us that the only way to sort this was to hire two cars. I told him that I am not a competent driver over such distances and that this wasn't a practical option. I also told him that I had been awake since 7am that morning and if I was to drive home then that mean I will have been awake for approximately 24hours, which again is not practical, and made me feel very anxious. I asked him to contact another branch close by to see if they had any suitable vehicles to which he replied that they are too busy to be doing that and I would just have to hire to car or stay in London as it isn't their problem.

Even though there was a Ford Galaxy 6-seater in the grounds which I was told couldn't go out yet as it hadn't been cleaned or checked. I reminded him that we had actually signed a legally binding contract stating that I had already paid to have a suitable vehicle at the branch for when we return and this does make it Europcar problem as this whole ordeal was as a result of the business mistake. After being spoke to very rudely and abruptly we decided to agree to taking two cars as there was no possible way of getting home and the children were very tired and upset, as were the adults.

o my absolute shock I was told that I was going to incur additional charges to take an extra vehicle, as we had already paid £90 previously when we booked the vehicle. This whole situation was getting very embarrassing in front of the queue of irritated customers who were behind us. I begged with the manager to sort out the problem any other way that meant I didn't have to drive or cost us any further charges but I feel his was not willing to try and minimize the impact of what happened in any way. I informed the manager that not only will there be the initial cost that they are charging but also an extra tank of diesel to replace after the drive from London to Manchester.

We came to the agreement that he will put on the system that we could hand the cars back without filling them up, but when I asked for a printout of the agreement we made he told me the company do not give printouts, so I asked for it in writing with his signature on to which he replied "I haven't got time for that. Either take it or leave it", and walked off to deal with another customer. It was after this when the trainee member of staff (Mark) approached us and told us that the additional charges were not explained to us very clearly.

The manager had told us that there was to be an additional cost of £9.60 but did not inform us that they were attempting to take a further £90 + £9.60 from my bank, without my knowledge. I politely asked if they could just use the original £90 and I pay the additional £9.60 (as I have other commitments for the money in my bank account) and I was told that wasn't an option. Therefore, this was starting to cost me financially. After the ordeal was over, we took the two cars and managed to return home by approximately 7am. Almost crashing on the motorway. Leaving us no time to sleep before our personal commitments the following day.

When we returned the cars at the time we were told to (only 13 hours after taking them Stansted) we were informed that a refund for the 6+ seater had not been requested, nor was there a note on the system to let the Manchester branch staff know about the terms agreed with the manager in Stansted, nor had there been any communication regarding my missing iPad. The holiday we went on was a way of destressing, and I can provide a doctor’s recommendation in writing which I received prior to my holiday in relation to taking the children out of school.

The whole situation caused by Europcar botched organization skills, added on top of the way the manager dealt with the situation, having to drive the distance from Stansted to Manchester after being awake for 24 hours and uncomfortable with motorway driving in the first place has caused a great deal of distress including, anxiety, disappointment, loss of expectation, upset and stress and the distress has made my condition worse; on top of that the inconvenience it caused with the extra time and money spent and the efforts we have had to go to, not only to get the refund for the 6+ seater, the diesel and the additional costs we incurred due to a result of a business mistake and now the time spent trying to deal with this complaint is all down to poor management on Europcar's behalf.

I am writing this letter because we tried to log a complaint on the day we returned to collect the previously ordered and paid for vehicle suitable for a party of six however the manager was not very accommodating. We then logged the complaint to Manchester who informed us to contact customer services, but unfortunately they were closed over the bank holiday weekend. This will be emailed to relevant departments within your company and also I will be telephoning to ensure that something is done to prevent a similar situation occurring. Some form of appreciation would be appreciated and possibly the retraining of the Stansted Staff.

If not for this incident, I was quite content with the services, prices, and rewards program for about 3 years (15 hires, 5000+ miles total). The right way to handle this would be to just refund me the £32, but my loyalty apparently costs nothing. That's OK, there are 4 more car rentals in the area (Alamo, Hertz, Enterprise, Thrifty).

I was not told at the point of hire that I could purchase one for over half the cost, nor was I told that it wouldn't work outside of the UK. Although on this point the GPS indicated it had recognition of Ireland, which I thought only Northern Ireland was part of the UK so I'm still unsure whether I would have had the same issue there had I gone. Had I known this I would have hired a car in France saving myself fuel, ferry costs and stress!

When I was hired the car there were several damage points not recorded, but after a rushed handover most were recorded but not all. It took four efforts asking for assistance to finally leave the place, one regarding the lower fuel level, one regarding the handbrake and another clearing a way for me to drive out. I then drove 6-7 kms in a traffic jam and in first gear with the Tom Tom not working arriving in the dark. This can be checked by the fact that the jam up was caused through a broken water main that had flooded the road all day and had prevented me catching a cab there.

It wasn't until the next morning when it was daylight that I noticed a chip down low on the windscreen (and two other things that I didn't raise in fear that I get slammed with them also). By then I was rushed to get from Reading to Newhaven ferry and couldn't return, nor did I have a phone to call them. In the next couple of days this chip became a large crack. I assume either from the sun's warmth or the pressure or vibration of 130 km speed limits, I don't really know.

I was not given back my security deposit and I'm now informed that I'm being hit with a bill. I've also been told that my security deposit was taken up with the cost a useless GPS and insurance, but no costing was provided to me prior to labeling it as this. I have made enquiries with UK auto glass to obtain an independent price... All of this causing me enormous stress. I wouldn't like anyone to hire a car from this company who advertises themselves as the cheapest, that's rubbish by the time they add all the extra hidden costs, but even more so when they have a field day on foreign customers.

I lodged a complaint and got even poorer service from them. I spoke to two layers of managers and the most senior of the two was even worse. She was arrogant, patronising and tried to convince me that when one reserves a vehicle, whether online or by phone, the confirmation one gets means nothing at all because that is no confirmation of a car for you but just confirmation of the intention by them to then look for a car for you. And because one has not paid they have no obligation to find one for you. Bizarre but true. I needed a car desperately for that day and here is a hire company giving me false security that I had one, only to say at last minute that I didn't when actually it appears there were vehicles available. Whatever you do avoid these like the plague.

Then they suggested I take the car to a nearby Renault car dealer to see if it was dangerous. I did that - wasted another 2 hours - only to be told that they couldn't help me unless I made an appointment a few days later. I finally left determined to leave the car on the road if anything further happened. I managed to get home (with periodic stalling) with Europcar totally unconcerned about their lack of service. They did, however, give my credit card number to the Renault garage who then charged my account another $60 (which I eventually recovered through the help of Kemwell and my bank). But stay away from Europcar at all cost; they just don't know what service is when you leave the big city and they don't give a damn!

2) As per Europcar “internal process” and “system error," when my credit card was debited and credited with the total amount of £1379.49, I had a huge currency exchange difference. I’ve received a debit of Canadian Dollars 2965.87, and I’ve was credited for Canadian Dollars 2678.32. So finally, just because Europcar “internal process” and “system error,” I've lost CD 287.55, “internal process” and “ system error” are Europcar responsibility, NOT MINE!!!

3) When I returned the car, I was charged with the £1,000.00 excess for a little scratch at the Left Side Door. I was told by the lady who attended to me, that I was going to be refunded with the balance once the "insurance department" estimate the damage. That never happened!!! There is no way that they charge me with £1,000.00 for a little scratch!!! The last email I've sent was 5 month ago... It was never answered. Was my worst experience renting a car.

I finally got an email denying any wrongdoing re. the parking 'infringement' and demanding more money because they made a mistake, expecting me to incur international toll charges in order to pay them! The parking notice had been received by Europcar on 14/12/15 and it took a month for us to get it via snail mail. If it had have been scanned and emailed to us, we could have sorted it. They turned a pleasant customer experience into a nightmare. We have been accused of breaking the law, ripped off, misinformed and generally treated rather shabbily. One phone call from a senior manager (we continually supplied them with our contact details) could have saved us having to write this negative review. We will be revisiting the UK next year, and without a lot of grovelling from them will not be considering using them again.

As I never would have expected that the upgrade from a Vauxhall Insignia [350 for 8 days] to a Hyundai crdi ix35 could double the price. Only a month later, when I got the invoice, I wondered. I first thought about a mistake and not about a cheap seller's trick played on tourists in a rush. I had an e-mail exchange with "Europcar UK customer services" afterwards. to no avail! No apology, no money, and later: no more answers. As I had a similar experience there with Europcar in 2013 with an "inappropriate" insurance - booked online in advance on the homepage of Europcar, I now know: Never again, thanks.

So after almost 2 hours we received the "new" vehicle, dirty inside with stained seats, the exterior was so dented that body panels were rattling as we drove off. In fact the exterior was so marked up with scratches and dents that the representative just gave up noting the number of dents and scrapes that he just marked the vehicle outline with at least 30 indications. The laughable part was that when I returned the vehicle the representative spent 10 minutes checking over the vehicle and then just said "It seems okay", what a joke. Imagine my surprise when I received a bill for 187000 Colonies (exact amount I do not have as it is in my suitcase) for insurance. Again my fault for having rented from Europcar, but never again.

I tried reaching Europcar offices many times with no answer, hoping that I would reverse my experience by replacing the car for a newer version or an equivalent Nissan PatroI. I phoned the following: (none answered), Terminal 1 (00971 4 2245240), Terminal 3 (00971 4 2203933), AL Maktoum (00971 4 48879716), Jumeirah Beach Hotel (00971 4 3481635). Surely this WILL be my last time dealing with Europcar.

I strongly advise not hire from them but in any event refuse their optional additional excess cover and their prepaid fuel option and indeed anything else extra they offer. Do not sign or initial any paperwork with extra items already pre-filled in and ask for a new blank agreement. If they resist walk away – lose your cancellation fee - it will be cheaper in the long run!

For any hire more than 4 days you can be economically insured for a $2000 the excess cover with no excess for as little as $80 for 30 days or more. They may tell you their excess insurance is mandatory. This is untrue if you offer a credit card authorization but if you do so you are at risk of unexpected debits for which you stand little or chance to re-coup. If they persist - walk away. You will find it cheaper and more transparent to hire elsewhere.

Do not sign or initial for any extras and make sure you have their signed documentation for all pre-existing damage but even then it is still too easy to be charged excessive amount for no or very minor damage. Look very very carefully at the hire agreement document as you may find you have unwittingly signed for a “no damage” vehicle before you have actually seen it!!! Remember if you authorize a crook to debit your credit card you may be sure you can whistle Dixie to secure recourse.

They scammed me at Heathrow Airport London for $800 for $2000 of excess insurance on a 29 day hire with $500 excess advising I would get a refund of that $500 if the car was returned undamaged. That was blatant lies and misrepresentation. The same $2000 excess cover for 29 days or longer can be openly purchased for unconditional cover for about $80 from motoring organizations for one tenth of their charge and with no excess!! Also check your credit card statement for additional unauthorized invoices. They duplicated both fuel and extra day’s excess cover cost incorrectly which I had to argue and was lucky to get a refund.

I will never hire from them again. Believe nothing they tell you as it is my experience they will use any tactic, fair or foul, to obtain your signature for what are very expensive and purely optional items. Don't fall for their persuasive sweet-talk. Check all the boxes before you sign no matter what their agent has verbally agreed with you. And - once you have signed their hire document you have little or no chance of recourse. They will hide behind your signature! And - purchase your own excess cover before hiring and refuse theirs or others. Best if take your lawyer with you to view Europcar/Alamo's fine print but even that is no guarantee of fair play! Frankly my advice is DO NOT HIRE FROM EUROPCAR/ALAMO and remove the risks of shabby and unconscionable practices of rental car hire! You can do all the right things to protect yourself but still run foul of shonky practices.

I entered into numerous correspondences with Europcar and Alamo with no success as their stance and only excuse was that the insurance had been signed for. I approached my Credit Card issuer claiming that the debit for $800 was not authorized as the signature had been obtained under duress and false pretenses and without full disclosure thus rendering the contract invalid. I also provided written evidence that insurance from their agent Rental Cars through whom the hire had been arranged had been paid for and that agent was indeed a sister company of the Europcar/Alamo! I received a full credit on my Credit card from the issuing Bank. So don’t walk away – pressurize your credit card issuer if you have any evidence of wrong doing was executed by Europcar/Alamo. Good luck.

After paying and collecting the car I contacted AutoEurope to get a refund. AutoEurope informed me that the matter should be dealt with Europcar and not with them. So I contacted Europcar customer services and they said they could not do anything until the car had been returned. When I returned the car and contacted Europcar again for the refund I was then told that no refund was due as the GBP288 was the cost of upgrade and not the full rental cost. Word of Warning: Never ever believe what the Europcar sales people tell you. They will lie to you to make you get an upgrade so they can get their commission. Do not expect to get any money back.

After showing the clerk my booking, who was aching to go on his siesta in 15 minutes time, he saw that the original booking was made through Expedia. He saw this as Europcar's get-out-of-responsibility-free-card, claiming that since the original booking was made through Expedia I would have to follow up with them. I followed up with Expedia immediately. After spending a couple of hours on the phone with Expedia, who it appeared just wanted to blame me for originally signing the erroneous contract at the airport, they eventually agreed to send an email enquiry to Europcar.

A few days later, the final charge appeared on my credit card for the car hire. It was AUD$1,985.44! This was more than 5 times the original $366 amount booked! Over and over I followed up for 6 weeks with Expedia, Europcar Australia, and Europcar Italy (who would hang up on me as soon as I started asking if anyone spoke English). Everyone was telling me that my original booking quote from Expedia was not a final contract price and may exclude certain taxes and insurances. Per the final invoice that I received at drop-off however, it was blatantly obvious that my base rate had been inflated by approximately 5X the original daily booking quote, making me think that the rental clerk had manually inserted the total 5-day rate as a single day rate. Extra insurance and taxes did not account for an extra $1,619!

Eventually after enlisting the help of a friend in Italy, social media messages, hours of emails (including to the holding company in France) and phone calls, I got a response from Europcar Italy 6 weeks later saying that a technical bug had caused the error and they agreed to refund me EUR946.11. Once I had received this refund in Australian dollars, it had worked out that I had paid a total of AUD$527.56, being $AUD161 more than the original quote. Overall, the final $161 overcharge is not an issue but the attitudes and unwillingness to help from Europcar and Expedia truly shone through during this experience. Never again will I book through either of these agencies. The countless hours and stress wasted on this dispute were enough to make me never want to hire a car ever again.

On the 19th, I had difficulty starting the car. It frequently stalled and the EPC and check engine lights came on. Since we had to attend an important event, it was fortunate that we had visiting family who were able to drive us there. On the 20th, the car started briefly, stalled at an intersection after 200 ft., and would not restart. The EPC and check engine lights were again on and it also showed battery not charging. Called EuropCar breakdown number on windscreen decal and was told that they could not help me, and gave no recommendations on how to proceed. Called second EuropCar number on windscreen decal, and was told that they could not help me, and gave no recommendations on how to proceed. Called EuropCar number listed on website, and was told that they could not help me, and gave no recommendations on how to proceed.

Called number for EuropCar office at Heathrow Airport, and was told that they could not help me, but that I should call RAC for roadside assistance and should have the car towed to the closest office, in Poole. Called RAC as instructed and rescue car arrived about an hour later. RAC agent could not start the car after 1 hour of diagnostics, and agreed to tow the car to Poole. Called EuropCar office in Poole, they confirmed that theyd be waiting for me with a replacement rental.

Arrived at office in Poole. Queued for assistance. I was able to get the last car on their lot only because the customer in front of me declined it. She had booked and prepaid for a vehicle online; the only vehicle on the lot was larger than the one she reserved and would have cost her an additional 5 per day. She didnt have the money, and was left without a car. In addition, she was told by sales rep Bobby that even though she'd made a reservation and prepaid for the rental, EuropCar was under no obligation to provide her with a vehicle. It should be noted that Bobby was also the one who said he'd have a vehicle ready when I arrived with the tow truck!

On 28 November, I returned the replacement car at EuropCars Heathrow location. I confirmed with the agent that my account was all set and that no further action was necessary. He said yes. On 29 November, I received a customer satisfaction survey and inserted my comments exactly as they appear above. On 30 November, I received an email from EuropCar stating that the original car had been returned damaged mechanical incorrect fueling major damage and that I'd be held responsible for the damage. It is important to note that I did not put any fuel in the car and neither the RAC mechanic, the EuropCar staff in Poole, nor the EuropCar staff at Heathrow mentioned this. Nothing was mentioned until I submitted a negative customer satisfaction report. This would appear to be an attempt at retaliation for a negative review.

I arrived at 4.50 and was shown both cars to pick one. Paperwork done again only to find I had to pay ANOTHER security deposit as they had canceled the first one in the morning but those funds do not get given back to me for 3-4 working days which means I am now 500 out of pocket!!! Then by the time he had printed the paperwork it was 2 minutes past 5pm so I got charged another 50 for out of hour services!!! When I was there before the end of hours and the guy never told me that there was a charge if I was late. WHICH I WASN'T!! This is absolutely atrocious and I will NEVER use Europcar again. Completely ripped me off!! Absolutely appalling!

He then printed off three tickets, which he examined, said, "No that's wrong," then printed three more. He put the tickets in front of me and said, "Sign these please, just like the usual ones." I made a remark about needing to find my glasses and he said, "You won't need them. I will point to where I need your signature or initials." I signed the tickets and took the car keys.

On returning the car some days later, the Europcar employee who examined the vehicle told me there were additional charges of in excess of GBP1,000. I was horrified and told him I was certainly not paying the charges as I was quoted GBP150 for the upgrade. He told me that he was not surprised and that this kind of thing happened a lot. I reported the matter to his supervisor, at his suggestion and the supervisor said he would treat it as a disputed bill. I offered to pay the GBP150 as quoted, but he told me not to pay anything until the dispute was investigated. The next thing I heard was from a junior functionary telling me that they had investigated my complaint and that the employee remembered my wife and I and stated that he had made it clear to us both, that the upgrade was costing GBP150 per day and that I definitely asked for the additional insurance. Total lies.

I sent an e-mail to the CEO in Paris, whose PA replied saying that the CEO was very concerned and had ordered a full investigation. I have heard no more from these thieves, but have now received a threatening demand from a debt collecting agency in the UK. I am perfectly happy to pay Europcar the GBP150 I was quoted, but will go to court if necessary to defend myself against this. Fortunately, my wife was with me at the time and witnessed the entire transaction. EUROPCAR ARE THIEVES AND LIARS, STAY AWAY AT ALL COSTS.

I got home and I tried to reason with Europcar Customer Service over the fee. They had no sympathy for me, telling me that I should have noticed the signs posted on the road, as you enter the congestion zone. It may be true, even though it is hard to read everything on the sign when you drive through heavy traffic, on the opposite side of the road and have to pay attention to the instructions of the navigation system. It would have been much nicer if they showed a little concern for our satisfaction and would have advised us on the congestion zone charge.

Transport for London issued the Penalty Charge Notice on November 2nd. Two weeks later and Europcar still did not get to process it and put it in their system. Currently, the penalty has swollen from 11.50 GBP to 65 GBP and because Europcar delayed to process the PCN so long, it will go to 130 GBP. It could have costed me 11.50 GBP if Europcar would have done a simple courtesy gesture and make me aware of the charge. Now, thanks to them, it will end up costing me a fortune. Stay away from Europcar at all cost. They may seem like a cheap alternative, but in the long run, due to their very poor services and lack of training of their personnel, you will end up paying more.

Please also let tourists know of the Dartford tunnel system when they rent a car from you at Gatwick. You had a rating of 10/10 when I returned the car, but that has now dropped to 5/10. Never mind Europcar, if any of your guys come to Canada you can be sure we will treat you fairer than this and make sure you are not ripped off by large admin fees. We value tourists visiting our country.

I asked politely if I could use one of their unoccupied computers in the office, and he was redundant to tell me to go back to the airport to use an Internet cyber to fill and print the form. I told him that my wife was pregnant and exhausted from the trip, but he insisted that I go back to the airport or I purchase the CDW from him. I couldn't believe that I was going through this. I rented from more than 15 companies in the past abroad and I never saw poor quality customer service and work ethics. Then I spoke with Lino ** who I thought will be of more help, but instead he refused to accept the letter from Amex because 1- It does not specifically state Coverage of CDW in Mexico. 2- It doesn't have the email address of the person who issued the letter. So now, I am missing 2 requirements to waive the CDW instead of 1.

I literally spent 3 hours between going back to the airport trying to fill the CNSF form that I never found, and incurring roaming charges on my phone while trying to get help from Amex car rental services because the guys would not let me use their office phone to dial an 1800 free number. The Amex representative willingly stated that she could change the letter with her name, number and email address and agreed to type "coverage of CDW in Mexico". She asked me to talk to Mr. ** so that she can explain, but when he spoke to her, he bluntly refused to accept this letter and told her that I must buy the CDW insurance although he could not supplement her with information on how she could obtain the CNSF form.

This experience was dramatic and disappointing for me and my wife. We went through all this aggravation and inconvenience for nothing. And now I am reaching out Europcar corporate office. They said that my feedback is invaluable.

We are not writing to you as a result of the broken car, as this can happen to anyone but it was what took place afterwards. We were told to call your Super Assistance number. We called on 9 separate calls and were told with each call that no one spoke English but they would call us back. NO ONE EVER called us back!!! We were sitting on the side of the road at the exit Autostrada Scandicci for 2.5 hours. This was a terrible experience. We were left stranded. We had spoken to many persons at the Super Assistance line including Anna, Alice, Luca etc. We then called Marco the mgr in the Venice location, he was very rude and told us that if we abandon the vehicle we could go to jail.

I was horrified as we were sitting on the edge of the highway for over 2.5 hours now with no help sent to us and NO ONE returning our phone calls. I also had to incur massive phone bill expense charges as I did not have a phone plan. I decided to call the Police and spoke to a Francesca, she sent out a car to check on us but he did not speak English. He tried to communicate with my husband using his phone app translator and managed to get a person from his department to contact Europcar.

After 2 hours and 45 minutes sitting stranded on the highway, a tow truck finally showed up. We then had to go back to Florence via taxi (which was another expense) and get another rental car. This entire process delayed our visit to our vacation spot (Verona) by 6 hours and was a horrible way to begin our vacation. If we hadn't have called the police it could have been disastrous! What horrible customer care you people provide through your Super Assistance line!

The car was good, economical & reliable. When we returned the person checking us back in found a crack in the wing mirror that we hadn't noticed (whether it was there when we picked it up is uncertain) but fortunately we had opted for the full coverage so we're not liable for 320GBP that they anticipated would be the cost of a replacement bit of plastic. I do not recommend them & will never use them again.

I used the car for business reasons and everything went very well. At October 10th, I drove 300 KM from West-Sicilia to Catania to bring the car back and take my flight to Holland. Because there were many accidents happened on the road, the journey from West-Sicilia to Catania took a little bit longer than expected. Also, I had some problems with finding the exact location of the airport. Also, I couldn't find the exact location of the drop off of my car (there are no clear signs at the airport of InterRent). I arrived finally 7:30 PM at the airport and it took me 30 minutes to find the exact parking place for Rental Car. 30 KM before I arrived at Catania I fully loaded my car with gas, but because the extra KM's to find the airport and the parking place, the first stripe of the gas switched off when I arrived at the airport.

I arrived 8:10 PM at the service desk, but it was very busy at the desk. There was only 1 employee working and there were almost 6 customers waiting. So the employee (a man) was very stressed. At 8:40 PM the employee was finally able to help me. He directly start to shout at me that I have to pay extra money and that I'm too late etc. I'm your customer and your employees shouting at me, without any reason. Can you believe it? It is the first time this happened in my life. I was totally confused. Your employee had totally no respect for me. I stayed calm and told him that I had a lot of problems on the road and that your drop off place for the parking was very difficult to find and that I had to wait a very long time at the helpdesk. I apologise for my delay but the employee keep on shouting against me.

Also, he was very angry at me because the car was not fully loaded. But the car wasn't totally fully loaded either at the beginning. So I think I had to pay for 1-2 liters extra. But your employee told me that I had to pay 92 Euro. 92 euro for 1-2 liters and for a very small delay? Can you believe this? 92 Euros? So I have to pay 92 Euro extra and your employee was shouting against me and treated me without respect. It is the first time this happened in my life. Of course, I didn't signed the bill.

car) was very kind, I think the employee who was shouting at me (the man who helped me at the drop-off) is a bad incident of your company.

I rent cars very often. Normally I'm always too early at the drop-off. I never asked money at car rentals because I dropped off the car too early. Now I'm a little bit too late and I have to pay a whole day? Your employee told me that I had to pay 1 extra day for the car rental. I said to him, "Please give me back the keys of the car then I will fully load the car." But he didn't gave me back the keys. So I have to pay extra money for 1 extra day but you don't give me the keys? I'm looking forward to your answer. I hope we can solve this incident in a reasonable way and we can keep on cooperating in the future. (After 15 days they still didn't respond my email).

The date on the letter is 06 August 2015. The letter came with Europcar violation invoice together. So I believe the letter was sent to Europcar first then Europcar sent to me. However, Europcar didn't call me or send me email to notify about the payment. They took £36 from my credit card as the administration fee without doing nothing but delayed my ticket which let me to pay the fine late. And they didn't tell me they would take the money from my credit card.

I don't think it is fair to the customer. I made a complaint on 15th Sep to ask return the administration fee but no feedback until I called them back today on 25th September but they refused to do it. The complaint number is **. After that I still didn't receive any feedback from them. I agree they can charge me for the administration fee but if you noticed me by email or phone about this payment, then I would like to pay you £36. However, you did nothing and took the money without telling me. It is totally unacceptable.

Our rental started as a normal, happy weekend - we checked the car around at delivery, spent the time with some peaceful driving, discovered all the places that we wanted and then we finally parked the car at the airport - in a proper condition, without any damage. Keys were dropped, we thought everything is fine. Then few weeks later Europcar decided to claim and charge us on a false damage that we didn't even cause. They sent few 640x480 poor quality photos, which were taken somewhere else from an impossible angle showing scratches on the bottom of the car, which we honestly didn't cause or couldn't even cause. Of course we didn't really have anything to prove as we didn't take photos (especially not from underneath the car), so legally they can claim whatever they want.

Of course we tried to get some more detailed photos/explanation from them about the damage, but the only thing what we got is some dry and repetitive legal statements, rude attitude and comments that they don't need to photo-document properly the cars as it is not an industry standard - because they can do it. I think this was a good lesson for us to take photos - even of the bottom - of the car before dropping-off the keys at any rental, but we will certainly avoid Europcar New Zealand in the future. Apparently we weren't the first ones as the Europcar franchise was fined already few times. These spineless thieves running under the name of BVJV Ltd and Europcar NZ Ltd just make me sick.

Since July I have been trying to get Europcar to provide the information requested by my insurance company. I have sent over 10 emails to customerservicesuk@europcar.com and 2 letters by regular mail to Europcar Group UK Limited. Customer Services, 55 Welford Rd, Leiceister LE2 7AR England. In that time I have received only one e-mail response from Europcar claiming that they had already provided the documentation to my insurance company. They inform me that they are still awaiting the requested documentation. I have followed up with to another letter by mail and additional E-mails to Europcar and they are completely non-responsive to my communications. I am absolutely disgusted with the Customer Service from Europcar and given my experience I recommend others not to deal with this firm.

However when I got to our hotel and looked at the paperwork, the price had gone from 120 for 2.5 days to nearly 700. The salesperson had put on every extra including Europcar insurance even though we already had insurance. Needless to say I took the car back at the very first opportunity. I managed to get some of the money back, but not all and was told Europcar would not accept any other insurance but their own, at their inflated prices. EXTREMELY UNHAPPY. WILL NEVER USE AGAIN. To top it off the vehicle was extremely uncomfortable for my poor I'll partner.

The clerk, dishonestly and acting in bad faith, said yes and provided everything without informing me that there would be additional fees for attending me ten minutes before the opening time. It should be noted that he spoke perfect English. However, this clerk included surreptitiously in the contract some additional costs that were charged on my credit card later on. That was included in Italian among everything else in the contract, so that I couldn't notice it. I didnt even realize that, since the rent had been paid in advance and I showed them my credit card just as collateral. I only noticed the charges after I returned to Brazil and had the big surprise when checked the invoice.

In short, they offer you a better price to beat the competition but make up for it later on by means of hidden fees charged on your credit card, which you thought would be taken only as guarantee. That's when cheap becomes really expensive. Auto Europe also washed their hands of that and said they couldn't do anything, since they were not the rental company. Beware of Europcar. It's true that problems can happen with any rental company, but dishonest attitude with the intent to deceive the customer, that's unacceptable.

Upon returning the car, the people were rude, barely willing to help unload luggage from the shuttle back to the airport. I contacted Europcar and have so far got zero response after nearly 2 weeks. The 1 star rating they have all over the place speaks loudly of their service. They need to respond to customers and at least bring their rating up for having good customer service. I rented from the Shannon Ireland location, will not use them again and based on their lack of response, will tell everyone to avoid them. I will be shocked if they contact me back or fix their overcharges. The rental car was good, but I don't like be ripped off because they think they can pass on some ridiculous fees like they are mandatory to only find out later they are scammers.

When I got home to Australia I was shattered to find they had taken over $600Au extra from my bank account for extra insurance. I am a full aged pensioner; saved hard for this trip; was a "Privilege Customer" but Europcar will not listen to my appeals for a refund. I doubt I will ever be able to return to Europe but if I did guess which car hire company I will not consider.

According to Europcar's policy we are to pay $45 euros for every ticket we get. Now (4 months later) I am being charged $317 euros in my credit card for these 7 tickets with no proof of it. And there will be 4 more tickets to come from our stay in Verona. I have sent emails to Europcar asking for an explanation and they have not wrote me a word back. I absolutely loved the experience of driving a car while traveling and I will definitely do it again, however I will never use Europcar's services again, no matter if they are the cheapest option out there. Horrible.

I didn't fill tank the car because I paid for the fuel so why bring back full. So I left the keys in the office through the windows. In the afternoon when I came home in my country Belgium, I got a call from this owner saying I didn't fill the fuel tank and I have to pay for the fines... So I knew clearly he was trying to scam me, trying to get the more money out of my pocket. But I told him, "I'm not buying that," so I clacked the phone... He keeps calling me but I keep ignoring him. What a shameless **! I would recommend you not to hire a car from Europcar in Samsun in Turkey, that man is a clearly a scammer. I don't know how the other Europcars are in Turkey but avoid Europcar in Samsun-Carsamba Airport!

When I returned the car in Rome I filled up the tank and took it to Europcar. The attendant said everything was fine and I told him I was inconvenience by not having a radio. He told me to sign a statement that there was no antennae when I picked up the car and that it was no problem. I arrived home and found an invoice on my email for 175 euro for damage and 50 euro to fill the car since it was 7/8th full. This company is a fraud and no one will answer my complaints. Go with a reputable company like Hertz or Avis and pay a little more and not rent from a band of thieves. BEWARE OF EUROPCAR.

When I returned the car on 31 Aug 15, a charge of AUD 1,409.74 (-$1 deposit) was made on my credit card. Because of the transactions on 18 and 19 Aug 15, I lost SGD 98.69 due to the exchange rate. Why is there a need to debit back the amount into my account? Why can't Europcar hold the amount until I return the car then debit back the deposit? Renee from Customer Relations Australia was defensive and stubborn by saying this is company policy. This is not what was written in the terms & conditions:

[General Rental Terms, Section 6.2 Terms of Payment]: "When payment is made by means of a credit card, an authorisation will be requested prior to the start of the rental... This amount is not debited. It is held on cardholder's bank account until the final rental charge amount is debited." [Prepayment Terms and Conditions]: "An authorisation will be obtained at time of rental and only on return of the vehicle will the corresponding charges be posted to the credit card."

Lastly, another charge of AUD 512.38 was made on my credit card on 1 Oct 15. I did not receive any invoices, statement, or document to explain what this charge was for. When I called to get an answer, it turned out that they had keyed in my email address wrongly thus the invoice didn't reach me. And the charge was for a small glass chip on the windscreen! When I finally received the invoice and damage report, they had spelt my name and email address incorrectly again! I have requested and have yet to receive the updated invoice and damage report as of now. This administrative lapses is outrageous and unacceptable. It is affecting my insurance claim. I've never been more disappointed and upset with a car rental company like this one.

Assuming that navigational unit is operational and checked by Europcar before sending it to customers I had surprise waiting for me upon arriving to my destination. The GPS won't work, it is not able to acquire satellites. In other words it is useless. I got stock in Europe without any navigation. Thanks god, it was not weekend and I was able to buy new GPS, since it was my only option. Huge inconvenience when you want to relax and enjoy your vacation and not to look for another navigation unit around. Not mentioning extra money I had to spend. When we came back home and contacted Europcar, we received no refund or even apologies.

When we collected the car, it was in a semi dark carpark wedged between two other cars, no Europcar employee came with us to collect it and there were none around when I moved the car out. Once I had moved the car they would have blamed me for the mark anyway, given their aggressive customer service. The mark will be easily polished out, there is no way they will pay to repair it, it is pure profiteering. I am pursuing this, but their attitude does not fill me with confidence. Anyone hiring from these people, please do not move your car without one of their employees being present.

When I returned to the States a month later, I had received a letter stating that there were scuff marks on both doors and on a side mirror, with the damages totaling almost $1200. I wrote to the company questioning the damage and have asked for photos. Of course, I received nothing. I have asked a friend to go take pictures, but Europcar said that she hadn't been "authorized" by me. I am filling out a form for the credit card insurance company, but I am instructing them not to pay. I realize that this company thrives on scams, especially on people who live in a different country from the car rental site.

When we picked up the car we found that it had not been cleaned and had damage. We questioned this and they apologised for not telling us. There was quite a bit of damage listed on their form but they had omitted to point it out before we went to retrieve the car from under an overpass. Having thought about driving a large car on Tuscan mountain roads, we asked to speak to someone about getting a smaller car or even 2 vehicles. We were told to contact Europcar customer services (an oxymoron as they do not seem to have any when it comes to complaints). We emailed Europcar and the following day received a reply from AUS/NZ Europcar saying they would get back to us in 10 days!!

When I took the car back I pointed out the damage and filled out a claim form asking for someone from Europcar to contact me. As yet I have not heard from them but they probably will when they see that payments from my account have been stopped! Watch this space!! Please check out this French company before booking and you could save some stress.

We drove to the hotel and called Europcar asking for roadside assistance. They sent a tow truck with no coolant - he just simply towed the car away. It took us forever to get someone from Europcar on the phone. They told us they would be able to confirm a car for us the following morning and refused to bring it to us. Instead, they told us they would only get us a taxi to take us 1 1/2 hours away to the nearest Europcar location. That wasted 4 hours of our vacation. They don't send roadside assistance to help at all!!! Do not recommend them at all!!!

When I got back to NZ 2 weeks later an invoice was waiting for me. No apology, just pay. Only option was a cheque or direct credit, both of which would have cost me money (International charges). They sent me two texts so they had my phone number. I replied asking them to call me. Eventually I got a final demand threatening legal action. Only then did they tell me there was a web portal I could use. I was expected to fix their mistake. No contact from them, no apology - nothing. Don't use them if you expect customer service.

Apparently Europcar has submitted a claim stating that we had damaged the rear bumper of the rental. We were both shocked and appalled. We of course refused to complete the paperwork and stand behind our truth that there was never any accident during the 24 hours the vehicle was in our possession. Within an hour we received a letter stating that the case was closed. Even now I am afraid that Europcar may attempt to charge us for the alleged damage considering we refused to cooperate with the insurance company. Europcar is a scam of a business that nearly ruined our vacation. Warning to all Americans stick with National or Enterprise. We thought we were getting a great deal at 30 pounds a day rental however ended up paying 127 pounds. Never again.

When imposed, that "small charge" approached 500 and was immediately removed from our credit card bill. When challenged in the airport, Europcar dubiously argued that the crack exceeded 1 cm and that a replacement windscreen was therefore essential (I'd love to know whether the replacement actually took place). A smaller fine was also imposed for excess petrol (we had filled up immediately before reaching the airport, but had already realized that the petrol gauge was faulty). After two months of vigorous argument the petrol money was returned but the company remain adamant regarding the replacement windscreen rip-off. AVOID!

I can assure you that I did inquire about PLPD, CDW and such, and received no clear answer from the agent. Now, I am positive that Europcar provides PLDP with the rental rate, as do most rental companies. They sell high priced CDW coverage. Europcar caused me to incur double coverage on my rental in the amount of $648 for a two week rental, which was already in place through their agent/broker Priceline.com. The charge was defended by Europcar, and they denied my dispute. I disputed this charge through BankAmericard, which was eventually turned down. The Bank's reason was that the insurance was through a 3rd party, Priceline,com, and Europcar was not responsible. Now I think this is BAD business. Europcar, if not at the counter, but at least upon dispute should have recognized this as an overcharge and honored the dispute.

I firmly believe that this was a purposeful scam, and I think Europcar purposely misrepresents the insurance product to uninformed foreign tourists for their own gain. Being over 70, I made the necessary effort to arrange for the rental and insurance prior to travel to avoid such problems. The Europcar facility is isolated from other agencies at Heathrow and other airports by a bus ride, making the customer feel helpless. After 20 hours of travel from Portland Oregon, and my 75 year old wife sitting and waiting at the Europcar desk while the agent lied to me, I feel like a victim of duress and misrepresentation.. I only hope some others may be informed of this activity and made aware.

I went inside their store to talk to the manager, I explained the situation and I asked him to call the first person that made a note of the scratches and to ask him about them. He said that he won't do that because he will most likely not remember. Then I asked him to check the cctv from the parking and he will surely see me pointing out those scratches to him. He said that he can't do that without even bothering to give me a reason why not. They also didn't bother to prove me that the scratches were over 2 CM (which I am sure they weren't). The manager just said that I have to pay the excess of 300 euros and another 85 euro as damage admin fee.

This damage admin fee was something new since nobody told me about it before collecting the car and it wasn't even in my contract. The manager also said that if I want I can make a complaint with them and that they will give me an answer. I have made a written complaint and guess what... no answer. I have also made a complaint by email and they told me that since I rented the car through Expedia, I had to make the complaint to Expedia and have them forward the complaint to them. This seemed so dodgy since my complaint had nothing to do with Expedia's services.

I have contacted Expedia and they were very helpful because they agreed to make this complaint to Europcar. And then guess what... no answer to Expedia either. I contacted them asking for an answer either to me or Expedia. They have stopped emailing me. I also asked them to send me at least a proof that the scratches were over 2 CM. Nothing. I guess it is my fault that I didn't do any due diligence before renting from them.

If I would have just checked the internet for Europcar reviews and you will find a lot of bad experiences with them. And also I should have paid more attention to the people they had at the counter complaining. There was a queue of about 5 people complaining when I got there so I guess that is my fault too for not paying attention to them. Bottom line, if you find that their service is cheaper than anywhere else, trust me it is not worth it. Because in the end they will find a way to make you pay a whole lot more. Just check the internet for Europcar reviews and you will find a lot of bad experiences with them.

We informed Europcar that the rental was now theirs (we were returning it that afternoon anyway). They said "no" that the tow truck would return our car to the intersection, unfixed, and we needed to get to a garage, somehow, get the tire fixed, and return it to the Europcar offices. We refused. They have kept our 160 euro deposit minus 30 ostensibly for oil and taxi reimbursement, but we're not sure as they have not answered our requests for a detailed explanation. The personnel were rude and unhelpful. We'll never use Europcar again.

It had a bulge in the tire, a serious defect placing me and my family in serious danger of blowing up at any moment. I contacted the USA rental people and they advised to return that car and another would be waiting. (The airport is more than an hour away.) The third car - now 40 hours later - seems to be in good condition. The cars in Florence are rented with a long list of damages already printed on the acceptance contract. I have rented cars for many years and have never encountered any agent as nasty as Laura. I did not treat her badly but she had an attitude. She deliberately searched for the keys to the first wreck of a car. The lot attendant told them they could not use that car and still they had it there to push off on someone. There were three order numbers but rental was through Auto Europe.

The guy who checked the car over asked us if we had checked the car for the aerial as apparently they're taken off sometimes and placed elsewhere in the vehicle.... To say I was annoyed was an understatement, however we eventually swapped the car over. I signed the new paperwork and we were presented with a dump of a VW Polo - which had the power of a kids toy hairdryer, however had a working radio. The i30 was deemed ok with no damage (according to the guy who checked it over) so the trip continued and we eventually dropped the VW off in Edinburgh airport, got the green light from the female attendant and went on our merry way.

So, I check my Australian credit card last night and notice an amount of $363.00 has been taken from my account on 20th August - without notification, phone call, email or anything to tell me why. I called Europcar in Australia today and I'm informed the car was reported to have had a puncture when I changed over in Brighton! There was NO MENTION, discussion or any such communication when swapping vehicles over in Brighton that there was any damage (other than the aerial not working) and the cheeky swines have now helped themselves to my money without so much as a discussion.

I just wonder how many times this happens without people checking their account balances? Now I'm in limbo as to a response from the useless staff at Brighton who will no doubt have a text book of common phrases to throw at me to question my sanity, driving ability and understanding of flat/punctured tyres against a perfect healthy, inflated tyre. Let the drama commence.

We used two more cars from Europcar Lisbon Airport during our vacation where we were treated fair and the utmost respect, unfortunately these disrespectful employees at the Faro branch for an ''extra buck'' forgot that they were the face of a reputable company at that point. I do not know if Europcar checks reviews, but at this point some bad apples lost me and my family as future customers, unless they reverse charges.

On the 2nd of July, the deposit of €433 that was pending on my account was debited. Also, an additional €504.83 was pending. I immediately thought my debit card was used fraudulently and contact my bank. They advised me to contact Europcar and keep a record of all correspondence. On the 3rd of July, I made several calls to Europcar because they were taking the money from my account and got nowhere. I had to go back to the initial broker I was dealing with, Rental.com started investigating my complaint.

On the 9th of July, another €70.86 is debited from my account to Europcar. I was furious. To date monies taken from my account to Europcar and Rental.com are as follows: 9th July - €70.86 (debited from my account), 2nd July - €433 (debited from my account), 2nd July - €504.86 - (pending). These are all charges from Europcar. Prepaid Car hire €108.49 to Rental.com.

I sent a strongly worded email to Rental.com and got the following response: "I have contacted Interrent/Europcar today regarding the additional charge applied. They have confirmed that due to an issue with their automated system, you were charged a One Way Fee as the car was collected / dropped at a different station code. The total charges were applied as follows: Customer choice / upgrade – £47.49, One Way Fee – £250.00, VAT – £59.50. Europcar have confirmed that the case you have logged with them shows that they have approved a refund of this one way fee and that will be processed in the next few days. There does seem to have been an adjustment to the invoice, so you may see this as a charge followed by a refund and then a subsequent replacement charge."

On the 13th of July I sent an email to Rental.com asking them to clarify the upgrade charge and a copy of the supporting documents as I did not agree to any upgrade. I got no response. By the 27th of July, I had got back the €504.86 that was pending but nothing else. I emailed Rental.com and yet again got no response. On the 29th July I made a formal complaint to the BVRLA who immediately came back to me to say they have contacted Europcar.

On the 4th August another €83.78 is taken by Europcar. I immediately contacted BVRLA to advise them of this. I got this response. "We understand you were charged a one-way fee, which Europcar agreed to refund. Europcar has confirmed that on the 10th July 2015 their Customer Services agent contacted you to advise that the one-way fee was to be refunded. Regrettably this was not processed and therefore you did not receive the refund. Europcar would like to offer their sincere apologies for this error and will ensure this is raised internally to prevent a reoccurrence. In reference to the upgrade fee, Europcar has advised that the Rental Agreement has been signed, however the Additional Optional Services document has not been clearly marked to show your acceptance. They have therefore also refunded this amount. The two refunds of £300 and £56.99 have been processed today and will be cleared in the next 3-10 working days."

On the 13 of August, all monies due were refunded back to my account. I immediately contacted my bank, cancelled my debit card and ordered a new one. NIGHTMARE OVER!! I want to finish by saying that Europcar never tried to contact me directly to sort the matter out or apologise to me directly for the problem and the broker I was dealing with also walked away from the problem knowing that it was not resolved. Only that I was so persistent and through my own research was I able to get the matter resolved. How many people give up and walk away?

If you ever find yourself in a nightmare situation like I was in, try to get the matter resolved through the car rental/ car broker first, keep a record of all correspondence. If it is not resolved, send your complaint to the BVRLA. They are excellent and car rental companies seem to bow to their power. Finally, NEVER RENT A CAR WITH EUROPCAR!!!

I would go with another rental car provider. It might be more expensive but the amount of hassle and quality of customer service would be worth it.

A few weeks later I received my bank statement. Upon checking that I noticed that I was charged another extra £100 on top of what I had to pay. I rang them up, told them I've been overcharged so after looking into my agreement I was then told that I was charged for an extra day for being late by 1 hour 22 min. I was shocked because I knew that I gave the car back on time, exactly 11.07 am as I kept the ticket from the barrier on entrance to the yard. Now I realise that I'm not the only one who has been cheated. A lot of others have gone through the same problem of being overcharged. I'm still waiting for them to get back to me. On the other hand I would never recommend anyone to them. No customer service and they just rob you.

Arrived in Rouen and found the Europcar office which was closed again for lunch at 11:50 am and would not reopen until 14:00. I had to search again for another Europcar location which had a service garage and was finally able to take the car in for oil to be added. The technician ended up adding over 2 liters of oil and had to use a pair of vice grips to remove the oil cap. I ended up wasting over 2 hours taking care of this problem which is something I don't want to have to do on holiday. I understand that nothing is perfect but this was a preventable problem. Additionally, the windscreen wipers were badly worn and made the windscreen a mess (very poor visibility) when it rained. The car was not stable and "floated" when at autoroute (motorway) speeds. The car should have either been serviced properly or retired.

What the Europcar staff did for give me some support? NOTHING!!! I asked them to call the police (they did) but in any moment they were worried with this serious event. Complete indifference with the fact, with me and my wife. Without one single word to help us. Why they left the car 30 meters away from the office with open windows? They should know the city and the neighborhood where they work and if it is dangerous for their customers they should take care of us. Europcar Milano at Via Luigi Galvani is a dangerous company with lack of any responsibility with his customers and a terrible staff.

When we got to Aix and were given not the Mercedes 7 seat van that we requested but a different car that I had never heard of which only sat 5 people. When we asked where the other 2 seats were we were told they were in the trunk and of course if you opened those seats there would be no trunk space! We were told there was an extra fee of over $100 because we were returning the car to a different location from where we picked it up and it was a premium location. Of course there was no mention of this when I originally rented it and prepaid. The car was new and was automatic and had a new type of gear to change it from park to drive etc and was difficult to figure out. No one took us to the car to explain the features on the car. I would never rent from RENTALCARS.COM or EUROPCAR again and would not recommend them.

Biggest problem was receiving invoices that are confusing and misleading. Europcar had charged us four additional days which we did not use at a cost of 60 euro. Rang Europcar customer service. Spent 30 mins on phone, none the wiser - still confused. Spoke to a rep called Jas, refused to give me surname. He told me they would investigate and email me within 3 to 10 days. No email, no explanation, just another very confusing invoice received by post on 7th August now stating administration fines of 30 euro instead of additional days car hire. No refund on visa. Get another email on 11th August asking again for same info and invoice numbers, 6 in total. Gave info again. Took 45 mins to type it. As yet, 14th August, no contact by email or phone. My advice - do not use Europcar.

Updated on 10/05/2015: Still waiting to be refunded the overcharging of 60 euro for car hire of 4 days additional hire which we never had!!! Latest correspondence from Europcar on the 2nd October is that they refunded me 42 euro on the 13th July, and that I should check with my banking institution!!! I have done this at great expense over the phone as I could not find the refund on my visa statement either online or in our written statements. I was refunded 21 euro according to the credit note I received in the post on the 1st October. Again two letters one in French one in English. Again very confusing, caused me great stress, could not work out the details even though I am a highly qualified individual.

Again another anxious call to my Visa card company to ensure that Europcar had not deducted any more money. I was advised to close down my Visa card account to ensure Europcar did not look for any more money and automatically deduct from our account. This is what I have done due to the stress in dealing with Europcar. My last correspondence with Europcar was earlier this evening stating that my Visa Card Company is now dealing with Europcar to get our refund of 42 euro and I have also forwarded email from Europcar stating that they had reimbursed me. AGAIN I SAY AVOID AVOID AVOID!!!

We were already disappointed for the extra insurance we needed of £53 so we did not want to buy any more...but little did we know, stressed out after an hour in line, thirsty after being cheated out of the vendo machine. When we arrived home they had charged us £50/day so £250 (yes they also forgot to mention that there was an additional 25% VAT) in contradiction with their own regulations that clearly states all prices are including VAT if otherwise not mentioned.

So the original price of £120 plus agreed insurance £53 ended up in a total amount of £423. I have called and mailed complaints for one month to get some or all money back but no this did not work. YEAH that was a great deal and a very special offer. Europcar, no thanks or any other car rental for that matter.

I then asked the Senior Customer Service Host to provide me with the calculations based on the mileage we did that would indicate we had recouped the additional cost of the larger diesel car. She couldn't of course and agreed then that we hadn't recouped the cost but that we had had the benefits of the larger car. These were actually of no benefit to us at all as we neither needed nor wanted a larger car. We had originally selected a smaller car for ease of use on the narrow, single track roads in the northern remote areas of Scotland where we were going. I had requested a full refund for the cost of the upgrade but they only offered a goodwill gesture of 30.00. We will never use Europcar again and warn others to be really careful of the tactics the agents use to persuade customers into upgrades.

My story: I found a good deal through BookingBuddy (compact car w/ unlimited mileage to/from Paris Charles De Gaulle for 17 days for only $280) and prepaid that amount. Upon arrival, I was asked (as usual) to leave a credit card number for other possible charges - except that the agent couldn't deal with my perfectly normal magnetic strip card, though it worked everywhere else in France (It has to have raised numbers - ?!). So I had to produce a second card (with raised numbers) that I do not use overseas - because it carries a foreign currency exchange fee - and then allow Europcar to charge it basically as they pleased. The agent then spent an inordinate amount of time suggesting (in that we needed more insurance or that this or that thing was not in order before we managed to escape with the key after 20-25 minutes.

The car was fine, our tour of France delightful, and there were no problems when we returned the car. After returning home, however, I found a number of additional charges on my credit card bill. One was for $154., including $54. for a second driver (which I understood), but the remaining $100., for licenses and fees, premium station surcharge, and a VAT of 20%(!), came as a surprise - and increased the price of the pre-paid rental by 55%. Equally surprising, and even more objectionable, were the four additional charges of 30 Euro each for administrative fees. When I wrote and asked for an explanation, I was told that these were for traffic tickets - which I was unaware of having received, and the details of which French data privacy law forbade Europcar to share with me! (I would hear from the authorities.)

Though skeptical that I had incurred more traffic tickets during 17 days in France than in the previous 30-plus years of driving, but knowing that European police sometimes take a photo of an offenders car and send the ticket by mail, I agreed to be patient. Well, two months have now passed since I returned the car and I have received just one such ticket (for racing 57 kph in a 50 kph zone). Charging customers 30 Euro merely to provide an address to traffic authorities is bad enough; doing so for imaginary violations is clearly a rip-off, and tells me that Europcar, at least its French representation, is not a company that I or others should be doing business with.

I was unable to get through the phone tree to speak with a representative so my wife and I got on the Europcar shuttle. At the Europcar facility we took a number and waited over half an hour for our number to be called. At the desk the gentleman could not find a reservation number on the Expedia document that corresponded to their system. He said that Europcar did some business with Advantage, a US company, and tried to call them and to call Expedia to get a number that would correspond with their reservation system. He did not say that Advantage and Europcar are in fact worldwide partners. No representative at Advantage or Expedia could help. I was desperate and feeling that our vacation would be ruined. The agent said that he could get a car for me and did so. I understood him to say that a large part (250 BPS) was a deposit.

The rate of the package 394 pounds per week was far more that the $34.00 daily rate quoted on the Expedia order and far more than the online rates for both Advantage and Europcar which I had seen. Generally the rate was 50 pounds or $120 per week. The rental agent at Europcar also stated that insurance was not optional as it is in the U.S. He added on a Premium protection package that cost 133 pounds and roadside assistance that cost 23 pounds. I am disputing the charges because I feel I was totally misled by the agent at the desk and was grossly overcharged.

I feel that I was also misled into purchasing the Premium Protection and Roadside Assistance. Seeing that I was in such distress I believe he went for the kill and charged the highest rates he could. He acted as though there was no direct relationship between Advantage Car Rental and Europcar, which I subsequently found not to be true. He should have at least honored the daily rate of $22 or better, the Europcar advertised rate of $128.

On return of the car the Europcar representative checked the car in and informed me that I owed a £1000. I advised that I had already paid for hire through easycar but was informed that I had £500 outstanding for fuel, tyre/windscreen cover and extra day hire. On reflection I should have queried the amount but the Europcar rep was a little abrupt, I was pre-occupied after a busy drive to the airport, glad to have returned the car safely and pre-occupied with the prospect of a long haul flight to Australia.

Not until I was in flight did I realise that the receipt stated £713.46 for an extra day car hire along with £169.61 VAT. Two credit card charges of £445.30 and £572.37 have been debited although I had only entered my card and pin into the card reader once. On my credit card statement I was debited AU$1277.95 and AU$1010.49 for the extra days car hire, fuel and tyre/windscreen cover totaling $2288.44. This is on top of the $586.33 I had already paid for 16 day car hire.

Part of the extra charge is for tyre & windscreen cover at £7.50 a day for 17 days totaling £127.50 and £47 for empty tank refill, both of which I agreed to and not disputing. Although £169.61 VAT is a little high as well. I was aware I would not be able to return the car on time prior to 09:00 on 30/7/15 and contacted Europcar by phone on Wednesday 29/7/15 to seek advice on returning after agreed time. I was advised of a grace period of 30 minutes before the hire goes into another day and I will then be charged an extra day. I decided on the latter option and return late as I had to say goodbye to my daughter and I did not fly until the late afternoon.

During my hire period I had no mechanical issues or collision issues and returned the car as agreed with an empty tank. I agree to paying for an extra day after returning 4 hours late but feel that the charge for the extra day is a little excessive. I am writing to confirm if this is normal practice to charge an excess amount for late return and request a refund of the excessive amount. I can provide a copy of my Europcar receipt, credit card statement and easycar booking email to assist in this correspondence.

After seeking legal advice I am in the process of contacting the Metropolitan police and my card issuer Westpac. With so many international travellers passing through Heathrow and hiring cars this may not be an isolated incident. Reviewing TripAdvisor and Yelp I've observed numerous complaints with Europcar's Heathrow Branch.

We were then informed that the only car available was a Fiat 500, not what we had ordered several weeks earlier, and it was take it or leave it, they couldn't have cared less. We took the car because we were already two hours behind schedule and we didn't know where we could hire another car. It caused us real problems because we were supposed to be collecting friends and going out for the day later in the trip to Normandy and now we would have to make other arrangements i.e. take a taxi. It added considerably to the cost of our holiday and we certainly would not recommend Europcar or use them again.

After multiple calls to Europcar the car finally showed up three hours late and it was completely different from what we booked or what they told us they would send as replacement. It was much smaller and our luggage barely fit. So everything else went without a hitch until the second to the last day when the car got broken into and our luggage was stolen. The thieves broke a window and left some scratches on the door and mirror. We returned the car, the guy wrote up a report and said that since it was not our fault then we should not have to pay for the damage. Well when we got home I checked my credit card statement and there were two charges from Europcar. One for the rental and one for the damage. Both charges were made on the same day right after we returned the car, so I doubt they had time to assess the damage.

I got a hold of Europcar and they said that they charged us because the damage was not covered under their basic warranty. I declined the extra warranty because my credit card covered that. I called my credit card company and filed a claim. In order for my credit card to approve the claim I have to provide an itemized list of repairs. Europcar is refusing to provide any additional documents. I told them that if they do not provide me with the documents I am entitled to have then I will dispute the charge. I have yet to hear from them. The customer service sucks. That's if you can even call it customer service; they would have to actually provide some service.

Are you kidding me? I immediately went back to the drawing board and booked another car online through Hertz, which was great (and also cheaper), and then cancelled the Europcar reservation after I called Hertz to double-check that it would have a car large enough for our family. I was so glad I made the switch because when we arrived at the Venice airport, Europcar had a tiny presence with no one at its counter vs. Hertz which had several people available to help with car check-ins. If at all possible, I will never book a car rental overseas with a company that does not have a strong presence in the U.S. Europcar's customer service was horrendous.

The agent gave us instructions to leave the car at the airport parking lot upon our return, due to the fact that we would be returning it 30 minutes before their opening hour (6am). The instructions were to leave the car keys and the parking ticket on the car's floor, near the driver's seat, and lock the car from the outside. Weeks after our return we received a charge on our credit card for $81. Their explanation: they could not locate the car key nor the parking ticket. The replacement car keys are $60 and the fine for losing the parking ticket: $19. Unbelievably poor service. We will NEVER rent from Europcar again.

My only option was to return to the airport, lose the money I had already paid and further delay our vacation. As I had written proof the attendant could not show where the charges were due. I decided to pay, get on with our vacation and to address later with Expedia and Europcar. Upon my return I contacted Expedia and was directed to Europcar. They would not do anything. I average up to 75 rental days a year and will never use Europcar at any location. Their practices are deceptive and they charge you just enough that you pay to avoid further frustrations.

Original Review: July 20, 2015

At first it seemed like an average company to give a opportunity on a different rental company. They gave me a Smart Car. 4 days into the rental at 4 am to have a private excursion for my partner, we get a flat tire. I have changed many, so I thought no big problem since "if" there is a spare, it's a quick change and go. Keep in mind that at this point I'm in the middle of Sardinia, Italy. As I'm scrambling to change the tire in the Smart Car Passion I figure out, the car has no spare. I thought to myself, "well they did tell me the numbers were 24/7." Apparently that was another lie. I called every single number I could find and nobody came at all. Not even a Mercedes-benz monitoring system for safety for rental customers. NOTHING!

Now I had to drive 2 hours with a flat back to the house and because of the tire blowing out, from the billing information I have, they want to charge me 300 euros extra. I have spent hours with their customer service with no result. Exhausted and disappointed with my decision, I should have gone and rented from Enterprise, Avis, Hertz, or any other worthwhile company for your travel needs and customer service. Be safe everyone, they want your money.

Next issue the car - scratches on all panels, damage above wheel trim - some noted some not. Nobody would come to the car park to witness it as it was 8pm at night and the car was covered in dried in bird droppings and flowers (no trees or bushes about), clearly not washed. The mileage was almost 30000 miles. I felt like I had be given a dud. I rang their office explained my concerns. They just said they would note the additional damage and that was it. They saw no issue with my concern.

So on reviewing my bill a week later after car handed back my card had been credited almost 120 pounds. I emailed the customer service address with my issues about the quality of the car and the overcharging. Several days later their response was "your bill is correct" and follow up with the people I booked with Cartrawler. No apology or comment on any of my quality issues. I responded "who is Cartrawler my booking was with Holiday Autos and why no response to my other issues."

A week later no response. I do not normally use Europcar and will never use them again. I believe I was mislead, twice, overcharged and given a dud but worst of all their complete lack of customer service or care for my concerns is appalling. I accept that due to my location at the time of booking I didn't understand the rules regarding insurance but then nowhere did it indicate that full insurance did not mean full insurance on my booking. I was prepared to suck up the 10 pounds per day extra charge but not the rest of it.

I was given a perfunctory view of the vehicle and saw that the paintwork on its offside rear was scuffed. The Europcar representative noted this, not having previously been aware of any damage. Since the Europcar office is a few metres from the airport Arrivals it was unnecessary for me to drive it anywhere or even go inside the vehicle. I did not check its windows, having been told that it was a virtually new car. I then waited in my own vehicle.

When the aircraft arrived, I passed over the keys to the named driver and left. No information other than a single sheet of paper was contained within the Europcar envelope which I handed over or any details with respect to damage. However, when the French party entered the vehicle, they immediately noticed two chips in the windscreen but assumed that they were pre-existing damage. Since the Europcar office was closed, he couldn't check with them.

However, on returning the vehicle to the Europort Bournemouth office on June 20th, prior to their return flight, they claimed that the damage was not pre-existing and that they had to pay for a new windscreen. Europcar automatically took this off the Visa card details, which they held, totalling £332 -00. They also charged £2-34 for each litre of diesel to top up the tank, double the local price of £1-16 per litre. If you really have to use Europcar, which I would suggest you don't, check every inch of both interior and exterior of the vehicle and have the Europcar rep with you during this time. Make sure also that your quote includes VAT. Ours didn't.

After having recovered from travel and time change, I began to research. The agents are paid a commission to upsell. There are companies out there that one can purchase additional insurance for a fraction of the cost. I attempted to cancel the insurance through Europcar, but was told that it was not possible without cancelling the entire rental and rerenting, which would have cost even more! They have no way cancel just the insurance. Needless to say, we are not happy with Europcar and will not be renting there again.

Europcar was located next to Enterprise which had at least 6 or 7 smiling young men helping out their customers. When the employee from Europcar finally showed up, he was sullen and rude and not of much help. He refused to help us with the GPS. Due to the lack of employees and all the mistakes, we spent almost 4 hours in the hot garage in Nice and arrived at our destination after dark. We were also very specific with the agent that although there were 2 of us, only one would be driving. And she only asked for one driver's license, but we were charged for an additional driver. Returning the car we again met with a lot of rudeness and lack of help, and the agent forgot to give us our receipt.

The latter engineer found that when he drove the car it performed satisfactorily. Hence we were sent on our way. We did not agree that the performance of the car had improved. Moreover, it became evident when we joined motorway traffic, that even at fast cruising speeds there was a tendency for the stalling behavior to return when the revolutions dropped below 30 (Possibly 30 on the dashboard dial equals 3 thousand revs p/m?). On re-entering small roads the stalling pattern returned. When we attempted the entry gradient to our parking site, the car barely made it and we noticed a smell of burning rubber. Later that day the car could not make the entry gradient and a more accessible parking area was chosen: but this time the engine failed halfway up the short slope. High speed passing traffic and turning angles did not allow backing up in order to develop momentum.

Struggling to get the rear end clear of high-speed traffic, we tried to accelerate to no effect, but the engine emitted thick and odiferous smoke, enveloping the neighbors and leaving a persistent stench. Needless to say, at this point we had lost all confidence in the performance of the car and doubted that it would get us to Gatwick, a distance of about 15 miles. We once again called Europcar, which once again brought in AA. Unfortunately, it was a repeat of the noonday unhelpful episode. The engineer decided it was entirely the driver's fault. We requested but were denied a replacement car, or retrieval of the car so that we could proceed by taxi. The next day, faut de mieux, we set off for the airport. The car performance was, if anything, worse than ever. We doubted that we would make it, but we did manage to limp into Europcar.

The Europcar manager was attentive and considerate. She posited that some new cars have an electronic mechanism that cuts the engine to reduce emissions when idling, and that this cutout might be overly sensitive. Our car was consequently scheduled for an engineering investigation. There is one fundamental principle that should be paramount in relationships between Europcar and its customers: namely that the customer can look to the company for responsive help when encountering unexpected driving difficulty.

Europcar should assume the obligation to rescue the customer, not over-ride (no pun intended) the customer's concerns. Kahneman, Nobel Prize winner, showed that endings define an experience. By that token our holiday could have been devalued by the terminal Europcar incident. However, our hostess saved us with her kindness, advice and intervention during the Europcar fiasco. We apologize to her and her neighbors for the disruption we caused, and hope that Europcar will share in that regret.

When I reported this to Europcar and asked for half my money back, they said none of this was really their responsibility but they were sorry and hoped I would try them again so they could demonstrate good service… just did not seem to get it. I appealed to them to reconsider based on the main issue of safety and they said they really were sorry but were not prepared to go further than that. You could definitely be putting yourself at risk by renting from this outfit. Never again for me that is for sure.

When I get home I notice that the 250 pounds fee had been charged on my credit card. When I called Europcar to ask them, they told me about the gas fill up, the extra day charge for the car being late, some other late fee of 40 pounds, VAT, and god knows whatever else was added on.. he told me that all these additional charges did total 250 pounds... Absolutely disgusted and I put a dispute on my credit card..

I explained to them that I had filled the tank back up the morning I brought the car back and that there should not be any charge. I phoned the customer service helpline and was told they would look into this for me and get back to me within 5 days. A week later and still no contact from them. I called back. I was told a decision still hadn't been reached because the branch I hired the car from hadn't contacted them but I would hear from them before 5pm that evening. Well within 5 mins of that call I had an email stating the charge was correct because they had to refuel the car. No proof was provided just their word. THIS IS THE WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE I HAVE EVER HAD. THE COMPANY IS FULL OF LIARS. DO NOT HIRE FROM THESE LOWLIFE CHEATS UNLESS YOU ARE HAPPY FOR THEM TO CHARGE YOU FOR ANYTHING THEY DECIDE TO. ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS.

There we had a shock when the guy told us that my partner who meant drive didn't pass their computer checks. Nobody told us when did the booking that there are any other checks to be done before we take the car. We had the proof of address with us and he said is too late to check that because is after 5pm. I had no clear response why my partner details weren't accepted and he refused to give us the car. At the phone when did the booking they told me we only need to have with us the driver license, proof of address and the card we paid with, and we had all this with us.

So for the second time that day we found impossible to get to our destination. Because it was late 9pm, we had no chance to find other company to rent other car so we had to come back home. We spend 50£ for the taxi and lost our reservation of 180£ done to the hotel, just because nobody told us when we did the booking that we might not pass their checks. When I book something and pay for it in advance, I expect to have it when I need it. Europcar policy ruined our vacation and made lose money as well. I wouldn't recommend it to anybody.

Contacting Europcar the rep said verbatim: "I cannot control what the client before you did to the car", which I thought is not very useful! I kept trying to re-focus on solving the issue of providing a clean car, but finally the response was that I need to drive back to the airport to "see what we can do" (30KM). With all the traffic during Christmas holidays, this was unacceptable. Under the driver and passenger seats, there were pieces of shattered glass that the kids found with their curiosity and could have harmed themselves, but they are unharmed. I have already filed a similar form on a different website 5 days ago and have not had any confirmation or response. I hope to receive an acknowledgment with details on how you will fix the situation. I really hate to go to websites and share them my photo experience with video. Please help me stay in contact with you.

Original Review: June 2, 2015

Our car rental from Europcar at Girona airport in Spain left us highly dissatisfied. The original car was supplied with a half-inch tear and a smaller rip in the wall of a front tyre which was unnoticed by us until the next day. This placed our safety at risk, particularly when we had driven on a motorway. We notified Europcar the tyre was damaged before delivery but they said we did not note the damage during pick up so it was our fault. We explained that the car was delivered in a covered car park, with the faulty tyre facing inwards towards the darkness of the car park. We also supplied photos showing the tyre fault was difficult to see in daylight even from a distance of a couple of yards.

We drove back to Europcar Girona airport, to get a replacement car. This one had no damage pre-recorded on the contract form, but this time we made sure we examined the car thoroughly, and got the official to note down numerous scratches and dents. The weak excuse given was they usually do checks, but the car had possibly come from another office. However the next day we discovered the windscreen washers were not working, the washer system was leaking onto the engine, proving that Europcar do not always perform a thorough check on their cars. Another safety issue, as we needed to use the washers to clear the dirty windscreen on a motorway. We had to get yet another replacement car from another Europcar office.

Despite the grave concerns we expressed that Europcar had supplied a car with a damaged tyre, putting our lives at risk, Europcar charged us the cost of replacing the tyre. The cost of the tyre is not so much a concern, as we had excess cover from an independent source. We had to waste time, effort and fuel during our holiday to try to get our complaint addressed and to get replacement cars. What was a disgrace was that Europcar took total disregard of our safety concerns.

On the second to last day of our holiday, error messages and warning lights appeared on the dash, etc. As we were 15 minutes from Swindon, where there was an Europcar office, we drove back there and fortunately were able to get a replacement vehicle. Not even an offer to fill up the faulty vehicle with fuel. We had to do that. It was a stressful experience. Europcar have been contacted and made aware of our complaint through our rental consolidator. As yet, no reply. Never again.

4. Car - Often dirty inside - if you complain they say it's not Europcar's fault as a 3rd party does the cleaning and that it's nothing to do with them! 5. Receipt - Won't give you one, they promise to email it to you. Out of 9 requests it never arrived, not even once! 6. Early return - They promise to return payment for the unused days - guess what, they didn't ever. 7. Puncture - Once I got a puncture in a car park, the tire was repairable, I didn't drive on it as I changed it to the spare. The charge applied by Europcar car to repair the tire was close to £150! I could go on! In short Europcar are a unhelpful, rude, uncaring car hire company whose aim is to rip their customers off at every opportunity. I would advise you to avoid them if at all possible.

I called their 'customer service' department (which appears to be based in the US meaning they had no real understanding of the geography of London and how much of an inconvenience it would be for us to return it elsewhere) and they had very little sympathy. They told us we had 2 options - 1. Take it right into central London at our own expense and then travel back home again by public transport (a return journey that would take us a minimum of an hour and a half and would be a nightmare with me on crutches and in pain) or 2. Return it on the Monday (not an option as my fiance works the hours Europcar is open and I obviously cannot drive!). We drove to the branch in the hope that they might have an after hours drop off system (something all other car hire companies we have used in the past have offered) and were thrilled to see a note in the window saying they did and listing a number to call.

Finally thinking we'd run into some luck we called the number... only to be met with an automated message that told us the number didn't exist! Our experience with Europcar has been appalling and has meant that something that is meant to be simple and make a journey easier has put us out and cost us in terms of expense (over £175 for two and a half days after all the extra charges when our original booking was £97), time (both in waiting for the car in the first place and the hours spent trying to get a straight answer on how to return it as booked) and our sanity! Really, truly disappointing. We will not be using Europcar again and will be warning everyone we know to follow our lead!

On return however I got quite a shock, the vehicle I was give was an upgrade which I had to pay for. So my bill went from 339 pounds to a whopping 1800 pounds! I could not believe it. I informed customer services and they said I had signed for the vehicle so I had no choice but to pay. I explained about the fact that I was told it would cost no more but it fell on deaf ears. I also emailed the customer liaison manager to complain, her reply was brief and unsympathetic. I know it is partly my fault for not reading the small print (and it is small), I just want people to be aware of Europcar's scam to get you to agree to unwanted upgrades. I was lied to and I feel cheated out of nearly 2000 pounds. I will never use this company again and I urge everyone to do the same. Con artists!!

I do understand I don't have a leg to stand on as far as any refund may be concerned BUT my complaint is the way in which the upgrade was manipulated. Clearly anyone who was paying less than GBP200 for a rental would not under normal circumstances agree to an upgrade costing more than 5 times the original rental cost had that been explained.

I believe I was tricked and the upgrade was obtained in a very deceitful manner. Particularly as I had directly questioned the agent what my initials were for. I have spoken to their Customer Services and the manager at LHR who were obviously not very sympathetic. (I'm sure they are all bonus oriented) Having researched on-line I note that Europcar is very poorly rated. I think they should be exposed in terms of their terrible business practices.

All in all, we leave today, without our camera, without our pictures, and with the VERY WORST impression of Frankfurt Airport Europcar. We will do our best to NEVER recommend this specific agency to anyone. As a tourist one knows the risk of being robbed on the trains or streets in any country in the world. But one does NOT expect to get robbed by a respected car rental agency. We did. We got robbed by Europcar Frankfurt Airport. Very very bad experience.

One week ago, I called Europcar in Cape Town, South Africa to find out why the bank still had a hold on R8,445 of my money. I was told that the computers were down and that the clerk could not access any information. I gave him my contact information and the reason for my complaint and was told that I would be contacted as soon as the computers were up and running. It is now April 7, a full month after the return of my vehicle and the money has still not been released from my bank account. There is absolutely no reason for this.

The so called manager, a rude young man with no customer skills said he doesn't care of what is written in the reservation and that this is his office and he will ask how much he thinks is necessary to ask. Furthermore, I received 2 payments on my card, one month later, for the toll road I used, around 45 euros, but with no receipt. I called them to ask them about this, but they just sent me something in Israel language, so I still have no clue what they charged me for. The car I received was not what I requested on the reservation and it had lots of scratches with a big bump in the back.

Their computer and credit card links were down intermittently, and they had not work around plan. The manager finally arrived after an hour and a half or so and more or less got things moving again. When I refused the CDW coverage, since my credit card covers it, he refused to accept that and insisted we pay for CDW. I had not brought a letter from my credit card company (Mastercard) explaining their CDW coverage, and it may not have made any difference anyway.

The car's brakes failed three days later in the mountains of Oaxaca, and we limped back to the city and exchanged cars (in only 15 minutes!). The next day we bought gas and the car refused to start. After getting it started and visiting a few other places we limped back to the city and exchanged the car for the second time (this again only took 15 minutes). Each time we went through the song and dance about dents and dings, although the Oaxaca office has a 4 cm rule, anything under 4 cm does not count. When we arrived back at Queretaro they pointed out all the less than 4 cm dings which they wanted to charge us for. I explained that these had been there from the beginning of our rental and about the Oaxaca 4 cm rule which does not seem to be universal. I refused to be blackmailed into paying, and they relented.

When I again complained about the CDW, the man at the desk handed me some printed forms that I could have signed that said that I was responsible for any damage if I did not buy their CDW banditry and that my credit card company would have to pay. This would have been fine with me and is standard procedure in most places. The manager the week before never mentioned these forms.

Perhaps this is something limited to that particular office, but I can only assume that Europcar's manager either does not know what he is doing or that he was purposely lying to his customers to make a few extra bucks. We have rented from them in Europe with no problems, but this office is a rip off and should be closed down by the central office. However, the people were unfailingly polite and nice.

Their customer service staff point me to sections of their terms and condition which actually were proving them wrong as those sections 3.1.8 state that they will charge "administration fee" not "fees" and section 3.1.7 states "for each charge we pay for you" (and they didn't, I am the one that have to pay those charges). There isn't one stating: "for each charge we process". In the end staff couldn't specify the right section in terms and condition and in consequent justify what they are doing. They couldn't see that what they are trying to do here and what they are so stubborn about and fighting for is actually really unfair and upsetting for their client, because it was and is for me. But they were kept dodging answers and some kind of settlement.

Instead I've gotten robot replies with no specifics like "I can confirm that the terms and conditions is payable per request that we receive from the issuing authorities" or "I am unable to confirm otherwise as the information previously advised is correct" or "we have received two fines and have therefore used resources in managing both requests." So be highly aware, as on a bad day for your number of fines, Europcar will make it double. I'm avoiding them from now on.

The car I selected was a 7 seater Ford S-max and I paid accordingly, using my credit card. When I reached Penang and collected my car, I was disappointed to receive a 7 seater Malaysian made Proton Exora. I highlighted to the lady at the Europcar counter that I paid a more for a Ford S-Max and how is it that I was getting a Proton. (An Exora would have caused me lesser) She told me they only had Exoras. At that point as I had my family waiting for me, I had to accept the car.

When I inspected the car with one of the male employee of Europcar, I realized the air conditioner was not cold and the remote control key handed to me was a very flimsy and loose one (the control was held together with clear scotch tape). I informed the man about my observations and was told that this is the deal. Without a choice, I drove off. The whole of Friday and Saturday afternoon, with the roasting hot Malaysian climate of approximately 38 degrees, my family and I had to bear with the non-chilling air conditioner.

On Saturday evening at around 1930hrs, I parked the car at a function hall where we were attending a wedding reception at Kulim, Kedah (which is about a 1hour drive from the Penang airport). Our party ended at around 0030hrs on Sunday and as my family and I were about to drive back to Penang, where we were staying at a relative's home, the car would not start. I tried for approximately 1hr, but the machine just wouldn't start. At around 0130hrs, I contacted Europcars hotline and informed them about the situation. I was told by the man who answered my call, Mr. **, that he was responsible for the Kuala Lumpur sector and could not do anything for me, apart from being able to contact the Penang counterparts in the morning.

Frustrated and totally upset, my family and I had to stay in the closest hotel, Hotel Seri Malaysia. (We had some relatives staying in that hotel, so we bunked in with them for the night). In the morning at around 0830hrs, I get a call from a male employee of Europcars, who said he would meet me at the Seri Malaysia hotel at 1000hrs and hand me a newer and better car of the exact same make. I meet with this man and we drive to the location where the broken down car was parked and we did a swoop of the cars. It was then when the man told me that a transponder chip had fallen out of the remote control key, which was the reason as to why the car would not start. (It was so obvious that the man knew spot on what the problem was, without even examining the car, which was also obvious that they have had such trouble with this particular car before). Without wasting anymore time than what was already wasted since 0030hrs that morning, I drive off with the replacement car at around 1100rhs.

My family's and my flight back to Singapore was at 1720hrs that same evening (on Sunday 8th March). Between 1100hrs and 1720hrs, we had only about 6hrs 20 minutes left to drive back to Penang, pack our belongings and go about our little sight seeing of Penang. Traveling from Kulim (where we had to stay the night because our rented car would not start) to Penang would take at least 1hr of that remaining 6hrs 20mins. The entire day was ruined for my family and me, as our initial plans were to be up and about (in Penang) by between 0700hrs and 0730hrs, have a good breakfast at a nice hotel in Penang, then go about some shopping and sight seeing and drive back to the airport by around 1600hrs, return the car and fly back to Singapore at 1720hrs.

All that we could do now, and did was, to drive back to our relatives home in Penang, where we reached at around 1230hrs, packed our belongings and by 1400hrs, were ready to leave that home. Between 1400hrs and our flight check-in time of approximately 1620hrs, we had only 2hrs and 20 minutes and that duration was not at all sufficient for us to get anything done. So, we drove to the airport by 1445hrs and I returned the car to Europcar.

To my astonishment, after all the inconvenience caused to my family and me, Europcar had the audacity to charge me RM90 (EUR 22.5) for the half tank petrol for the broken down vehicle and I was also told "We will waive off the charge for the transponder chip that fell off from the remote control key". (After giving me a scotch tape bounded key, Europcar could even think of making such a statement). On top of that, I also had to top up the petrol for the second car - RM 45.

The experience my family and I had was a very disappointing, frustrating and dissatisfying one. First, we did not get the car that was paid for - paid for a Ford S-Max, but received a Proton Exora. Second, the condition of the car was run down, with an air conditioning system that was not dispensing chilled air. Third, the car wouldn't start. Fourth, we could not return to our "home" and had to stay at a relative’s hotel room. Fifth, our entire shopping and sight seeing plans were distorted because our rented car broke down. Sixth, I had to pay for petrol after so much of inconvenience was caused to my family and me. Seventh, I wrote to CarTrawler about this about a week back, and they have not bothered to contact me.

They had given our VW Golf away at some point earlier that morning because we had not arrived at the desk between 10.00 to 11.00. This was due to waiting for all our luggage to be delivered. We were told they only keep the reserved car for one hour and it was our fault, even though I had reserved and PAID ALREADY for it for 8 days. Frankly this is ridiculous having rented cars all over the world. We were offered a much smaller car that could not fit two pairs of skis, two large suitcases and a bag of ski boots in. The only alternative we were told was to wait until 2.00 pm when another bigger car was due to be returned.

Needless to say I was not happy with this and the service from the two women on the counter was completely unprofessional. They eventually called the manager who then drove over after having offered on the phone to me to pay for a coffee while we waited until 2.00 pm. My response was that they a car rental company and not a coffee shop. We were not the only customers having difficulty in getting the car they had ordered in the office that morning.

The manager gave us the car she was using herself, apologising that it was dirty and that she had used about 1/8 of the fuel. She told us that we should return it with the same amount. The fact that it was dirty did not bother us in the circumstances as we had now been waiting for our car in the office for one and a half hours. There was no apology except from the young man who shuttled cars around in the car park. We were then charged as above and I have failed to get any response from Europcar. I will never use them again and it's a false economy to think you are saving any money with them versus their rivals.