Auto Europe Consumer Reviews - Page 6

PORTLAND, MAINE -- Don't be fooled by Auto Europe internet ads with the great call in special price. I have rented numerous cars in the UK from the US and this is the worst experience ever. I was promised that the price that I was quoted would be all that I would pay - including airport pickup and an extra driver - only to arrive at Europcar pickup desk and be told there would be extra charges - a total of almost $200 extra even though the voucher stated "balance due 00.00". If this was not bad enough, a few days after I arrived home, I had a charge on my credit card that was almost two and a half times the extras that they had even told me about.

They are returning (so they claim) the extra day charge for stating that I had dropped off the car when I was already on the plane ($40 - big deal and it took over a month for them to even agree to this) - but are refusing to budge on the other additional charges making the rental 73% higher than the original price quote of $605.30. Unless you want to pay a price that is higher than almost any rental company and not even be sure what that charge might be - DO NOT USE AUTO EUROPE!

PORTLAND, MAINE -- First off, I should say I've rented a car more than 50 times in 10 different countries. I tried Auto Europe a year ago, and it is almost unbelievable how bad it was. Things like the wrong car happen, but I had more serious issues. I rented a car in Ireland. My credit card was charged more than 2x more than the quoted rate through an assortment of charges after the fact, and I couldn't get it resolved despite unambiguous paperwork. Total crooks. It seems to me that Auto Europe partners with local companies that are poorly run and are not in the least interested in honesty or reasonable business practices. I'll never use these guys again, and I urge everyone else to do the same.

ALASKA -- I have a quaint old fashioned idea of customer service. I wish to thank Auto Europe for setting me straight. I now gather that it is silly of a customer to expect Auto Europe to honor a hire agreement. After all despite a pre booking it only took an hour for any car to be available at Geneva airport recently. Gosh it could have been longer how lucky was I?

The fact that it was the only car available and considerable smaller than as described and paid for via Auto Europe should be of no consequence. Auto Europe thinks that it has the right to rip a customer off and expect that customer gratefully to accept anything.

It displays a 'take it or leave it' attitude. How unreasonable is it to expect to get the category of the car as booked and paid for. Hell it's Auto Europe they don't do honoring the agreement. As for customer service - they deserve an award Space prevents the boring details of Auto Europe's expertise in delivering sheer craven contempt in the guise of customer service.

BEWARE! You are turning your credit card, drivers license, and other personal info over to these people at your own risk. Additional charges show up after the fact and you can do nothing about it. Part of their scam involves having you pay up front with a 'voucher', thinking this is all you will owe. I received an extra $86 charge on my credit card after the rental in Ireland from their vendor Irish Car Rentals (Sixt).

After numerous overseas calls to bogus numbers on the rental agreement, I finally was able to reach a person. Then they said I showed up 45 minutes late and they had to keep the desk open to wait for me, even though the flight arrival was on time and I arrived at the exact time stated on the reservation. But nothing was said at the time or even when the car was turned in. It was only when the credit card bill came that the extra charge was on there. You are much better off to rent with the big guys. Avoid Auto Europe at all costs. Otherwise you'll definitely keep paying and paying for it. They are deliberately out to rip you off.

PORTLAND, ME 04112, MASSACHUSETTS -- Rent a car through your company (US 2842130-1) which was in reality an Avis rental. Return the rental which concluded in a hour and four minute difference in the pickup time versus the drop off time and get charged for a full day. I let the front desk at the Avis garage understand that I had to wait a minimum of 20 minutes before the gentleman checked out my car and Avis responded that they have no problem reversing the charge. I was charged anyway.

Call Auto Europe and even though they have all of the information they cannot guarantee anything- It isn't to their BENEFIT TO DO SO. So I get charged an additional day for a 30 minute difference. Auto Europe is a fly by night operation and I want everyone to know that the few dollars you think you're saving is a farce! According to auto Europe if you are one minute late they can charge you a full day! The customer does not mean anything to them but only a victim. You are Thieves.

LONDON -- We rented a car out for a week in August last year in Brest, France. We returned the car to the designated spot before leaving to go home to the UK. The car was in pristine condition. However a month later I received a claim, all in French, that £247 worth of damage had been done, and that I would be debited. Realizing that this was a lie, I phoned my bank (HSBC) who told me to cancel my debit card, which I did. I also contacted Auto Europe to deny liability. They sent me a "claim form", which I completed & submitted, which would claim against their insurance. I was loathed to do this, as clearly someone was up to something.

A month ago my account was debited, despite what my bank had told me. They deny telling me this so I have requested a transcript of the conversation I had with them. Today, I have received a confirmation from Auto Europe that my claim will be honored. It's a relief to get the money back, but leaves me with an uneasy feeling.

Always get the car checked over by the company prior to leaving it with them. We didn't, as we never have. They won't force you into it, which will leave you open to this sort of fraud. Get them to sign that they have seen the vehicle and take a copy of this confirmation. Do not believe a word that your bank tell you. Most of the time they haven't got a clue. They are history. I'd rather have my money in a cookie tin under the bed.

Big Thieves. When I made the online reservation, it was $50 and said that the amount due was zero. However when I rented the car, I had to pay another surcharge of $45. The rental agency told me that it was because I had used Auto Europe to book the car. They said that it would not have been the case if I had booked directly through them (and would have cost me $70)... So I ended up paying a lot more for no good reason... Called up Customer Service, but what can you really expect... Moral of the story: They have a lot of fine print, be careful.

Auto Europe customer service will not fight for getting your money back for false/double auto rental charges I got from Hertz in Italy. I first reported the problem with Hertz in the USA and was able to get some charges reversed, then Auto Europe got involved and they made it impossible. They wanted gas receipts I did not have any longer, my visa statement and more. This was not a good experience, specially because in Italy Hertz does not inspect your vehicle when you return it, and once back in the USA you get all the additional charges in your credit card. I wonder if Auto Europe gets paid any money out of the additional charges...

NY, NEW YORK -- I rented a car in Ireland through Auto Europe based in NY. At the Dublin Airport I declined additional insurance coverage. The clerk told me to initial the decision to decline (as in the US). When I got back home, I found almost $250 worth of insurance fees. The company told me they couldn't do anything about it. To add insult to injury, the car we had for two weeks looked like it had been crushed between a wall and a truck on a narrow country road. Beware of Auto Europe!

I have been using Auto Europe for a number of years now, for hires on both sides of the Atlantic, and I have had nothing but excellent service. Not once have I had a complaint or issue with any of my bookings. Thanks.