Europcar Consumer Reviews - Page 6

STAY AWAY FROM THESE CRIMINALS AS FAR AS YOU CAN!!! Europcar is basically an enormous credit card fraud scheme, covering as a car rental company. I too have had a horrible experience with them and I am taking legal action (not just threatening with it). Feel free to join me if you were treated the same way (see below).

My story (Perth, Australia): Rented a car that had a scratch on the rear bumper when I got it (clearly marked on the rental agreement form as 'DAMAGE OUT'). Returned it in the exact same condition, but the airport desk was unmanned. Same scratch was marked as 'new damage' by some lazy employee afterwards. My card is now charged with 3023 euros (yes, three thousand!!!) for a stupid 5cm scratch that was already there??? I've explained their mistake to them numerous times. No reply to my many emails, needless to say. They just take your money and then ignore you.

Look around on the internet and you will find nothing but horror stories of people being charged ridiculous amounts from their credit cards for impossible claims by Europcar. If you wish to help me put an end to these practices, you can contact me at: **. I will be collecting all your stories, contact the press and if you are interested, my lawyer can prepare an international class action lawsuit. This is criminal behaviour and it has to be stopped.

NEW ZEALAND -- Although the clerk at the desk was a little gruff and unwelcoming, we did get the car we reserved and were on our way. In Napier, the car was vandalized, and a complete police investigation & report were filed. Upon return to Europcar in Wellington, they assessed the damage (which took quite a long time with three staff that obviously did not know the procedure), and a complete claim was filed, a contract sign, and damages paid for.

Two months later I get a mysterious $1,300 (USD) charge from Europcar Christchurch with no e-mail explaining anything about the charge. I contacted my bank, who said the charge to their system included no explanation of the charges, and had no routing numbers of any kind so it could not be investigated by my bank, but they put a claim against Europcar.

I have been completely lost in the Europcar internet maze, and no e-mail messages have been answered. I've had even poorer luck with their voicemail system, which seems designed to discourage any customer assistance of any kind. Obviously, I will not rent from Europcar again, but in many of the complaints I've seen, many others have been victims of Europcar's unexplained and unwarranted charges.

UK -- I used a lot of hire cars over the years and have learnt that it's always best to pay by cheque or cash. Never pay by credit card. The hire companies simply load on additional charges at a later date. Europcar in Spain (Gerona) refused to accept an American Express traveler's cheque, so against my better judgment I paid by credit card. Surprise surprise, two weeks later I've just received an invoice in the post for an excess fuel charge billed immediately against my credit card. They claim to have delivered the car with a full tank of fuel.

I wisely took a digital photo of the instrument panel on receipt of the car showing both mileage and a fuel tank only 3/4 full. Since I don't want hassle on my holiday I returned the car with a full tank. If I can find my Spanish receipts for fuel I'll be threatening legal action in the UK against these rip-off merchants. Learn from my bad experience dear reader. Always avoid giving car hire companies your credit card details, and cross EuroCRAP off any list of car hire companies you're considering.

STANSTED -- Do not be sucked in by a price of Europcar 'too good to be true'. Europcar policy is to rent out cheap and later charge your credit card for phantom services. Please read on. In January 2014 Momondo provided the most convenient rent-a-car at Stansted and we booked via CarTrawler for 2 days a car with Europcar. CarTrawler offered for € 6.90 per day an insurance to cover the GBP 1,000 own risk Europcar applies.

Collecting the car at Europcar Stansted we were offered the same extra insurance for GBP 30 per day. We felt for a rent of less than 40 hours we could do without the extra cover. What a mistake! We drove the car carefully, no damage whatsoever and returned the car at 23:45 PM at Stansted. Notwithstanding Europcar claim to be open till 01:00 AM, the Europcar desk was closed. We had to leave the car keys at the key return box. We didn't realize that now we were a Europcar hostage. A day later our credit card was charged for an extra GBP 92.

We should be happy we were not ripped off for a larger amount. Endless calls with the service dept finally revealed that Europcar proclaims we had returned the car with a scratch. A true lie that brings Europcar money they miss by renting out cheap and not selling you an insurance that costs more than the rental price. Europcar is a rent-a-car company definitely to be avoided.

CANCUN AIRPORT -- I booked through Europcar 3 months in advance online because their prices were very reasonable. We go to Mexico on a regular basis and thought we would try another company. That was our first mistake! The confirmation included a picture of the car we would be renting and even listed the car as a 5 passenger.

Upon arrival we were shown a hatchback 4 passenger car even though we had a confirmation for a 5 passenger car. We tried to reason with them but they would not even listen to reason. When we asked them what an upgrade would cost they really tried to "sock it to us" with an outrageous price because they thought we had no other choices. We walked across the street to Thrifty and got a better deal and better car and was in and out of the car rental in under 20 minutes. I hope a million people read this email and avoid renting with Europcar!

This summer my wife and I rented a car from Europcar France. We picked the car up in Caen and dropped it off in Rennes. This is the second time we've had trouble with Europcar France. Anyway, when we picked the car up we at first agreed to bring the car back full of gas then changed our minds and the agent agreed to change the contract (which she didn't do). This has caused us all kinds of headaches!! We dropped the car off in Rennes and the Europcar agent said everything was in order, no problems. We had brought the car back empty as we thought we had prepaid for fuel.

Next thing we know, we get a bill from Europcar for not only the fuel but also an extra charge of $50 euros for refueling charge. What a joke!! Anyway, we tried unsuccessfully to resolve this with Europcar on several occasions. The problem is they have a lot of good rental agents, but they also have some agents who don't want to be bothered and just want you out of their office, such was the case at the Europcar Caen office. I hope to never go back there!!

VALENCIA/MADRID -- I picked a car at the Train Station. I didn't check the front bumper just the back. It was for a day rental to drop the next day at the airport in Madrid to get in my flight back to US. When I got to the airport, he saw some powder white, not even a scratch. He said that didn't have full insurance just damage to third party. I am been charging in my credit card a damage I didn't make when I returned a car at the airport in Madrid T1.

I picked up the car at the train station. The person at the counter told me to check the back of the bumper. I didn't even check the front bumper. No one followed me to check the car with me. I drove to Madrid and returned the next day with full gas. When I returned, I had to get on my flight, not much time to argue with the Europcar agent, he saw some white powder in the left front side.

I was totally in shock because if I knew I could have cleaned it. Not a scratch, just saw the person some powder in his hand. He said he need to charge me. I found on Sept 19th two charges in my account of a total of $517.01. First, I didn't do any scratch in the above car. I requested a picture of the damage am been charged.

GENOA, ITALY -- July 2010 Rental - Service was fine, car was fine (for 3 days rental) but the refueling charge of $210 Canadian is fraud and was not approved. I wrote to them on August 14th and I have not heard one word from them since. Subsequently, they charged another $25.00 euro on my Visa card with no paperwork. Visa has agreed to reverse this one as we swore that we did not approve it. Beware of this company's process as there was no one to check the car or fuel at the Genoa airport. I am hoping that Visa will reverse the refueling charge for us but as time passes, I am not hopeful. I will never rent from this company again and suggest that buyer beware.

Stay clear of Europcar. Original 3 day rental at $120 cost me $400 to date and afraid they have access to more. First, extra charge of $115 came a month later claiming 30 minutes late. In reality I signed for the car at the airport at 9am but didn't take hold of the vehicle until 10 am. Returned at 9:30 am 3 days later, charged me a full day at walk-in rates!

Secondly, and more infuriating is the $160 charge I just received for what they call administrative fees. These fees were added because I entered the city of Bologna with their car and was on a database. For anyone traveling in Italy many cities have restrictions on driving within city limits. I was aware of this and the car was registered through my hotel with the authorities, though I was legal and no fines were issued by Bologna Europcar's policy is no returns on administrative fees.

So I was charged by Europcar $160 for essentially doing no wrong. I find this company unethical. They will find any way to charge your credit card after you are long home. Stay away, pay slightly more with a reputable company, and have piece of mind after returning home.

SICILY -- We encountered big problems two times with Europcar in Sicily. This year 2010, we hired for three days in Augusta near Catania (Sicily Rent Car, agency of Europcar). Gas tank on reception at the hotel was 1/3 empty and there was nobody to fill out the check-in form. We gave it back with a full and got an invoice for 4 days and not 3 and were charged a full of gas. Impossible to join any Europcar customer service, it doesn't exist and I think they just don't mind about unsatisfied customers... So here we are, shut up and pay. Thanks Europcar...

In 2008, we booked our rental on the Europcar internet site to take the car at Europcar Cefalù. Problem: The man was unfriendly and wouldn't accept the prices of our booking document. He tried to sell it twice the internet price. After long discussions (When there is a problem, they forget their English and speak Italian.) about prices and insurances we finally refused, and just passing the door he came to see us and told us he would accept. However, we paid more than indicated on the Europcar site. On 2009, we went to Hertz in the center of Cefalù. They were very friendly and the transaction was very smooth and not expensive.