EUROPCAR CAR SCAM IN UK - Beware!!

Complaint

0
Sammy
Country: United States
Hello everyone:

Beware of the rental car companies overseas if you are a traveller like me. I am describing about a recent experience I had in London, UK. I booked a car from EuropCar UK website and paid almost week in advance for the type of car I needed as I was travelling with my family and had 2 large suitcases. When I went to receive the car, they told me their system shows I had reserved an Economy (Pinto to be exact). They were trying to squeeze my blood in paying 30GBP extra a day + 10GBP for GPS and other non-sense taxes. I fought with them for half hour to convince them to give me the car I booked for the price I paid already. I was tired of the whole situation and forgot to note small scuff marks on the rear bumper and tire rims. When I returned the car, they showed those scuff marks and asked me to sign the paper. I remembered I never parked in a crowded place and was mostly driving outside of London crowded city. They try to catch you with some claim or the other as every rental car does. I request you to be aware of all these scam artists overseas.

Comments

  • 0
    John
    | 1 reply
    I was recently scammed by Europcar UK. After several emails to their customer services i was getting nowhere, so threatened to take them to court, still didnt get anywhere. I guess they think people will just lie back and accept it. I went straight to the county court, filed a claim for the full amount plus court fees and interest, Europcar settled in full a couple of days before judgement would have been entered.

    Dont let these guys take your money without permission, i thought that was theft....but apparently they are getting away with it a lot.
    • 0
      Jud replies to John
      Good for you
      I'll be following in your footsteps for a recent fictitious 'scratched paint on wheel trim'.
      (I've also emailed Easyjet to complain about Europcar and hope they drop them if enough people do the same.)
  • 0
    Julie
    | 1 reply
    Another victim of Europcar - I had a one day hire from Bristol Airport. Returned the car to the compound and none of the staff in the site cabin could be bothered to get off their backsides and check the car. They only asked if the car had a full tank of fuel. A week later I receive notification of 250 for damage and 75 admin fee. Queried damage and was advised it was a dent to rear bumper - no way. I walked the car fully before handing back the keys.
    Complained by telephone but no return call within 72 hours as promised. Complained further by e-mail but no response within the 10 working days promised. Seems this lack of any response is common practice.

    Will be fighting this as much as I can but will NEVER EVER use this company again.
    • 0
      Martin replies to Julie
      This just happened to us - we are being charged for damage to the roof - we took pictures of the car prior to renting it but never thought to check the roof.  We are being charged 1,479.83 for damage that we absolutely did not cause.  Is there any hope for us?  What will happen if we close our credit card so that we cannot be charged?
  • 0
    Eleanor
    Just received an email today about the deposit still missing in my account after well over a month. Well turns out I had a missing sat nav, which is completely rubbish as I handed it back into the cabin at Edinburgh Airport with the keys. Exactly the same experience as the poster above, the guy couldn't care less about the car and just told me I had full excess so I didn't have to worry. They closed the case on me and took my money without even asking me wtf had happened. Follow this advice here http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/action ... r-hire-company/, then if all else fails take their sorry [***] to court :) Never EVER hiring with this crap company again!
  • 0
    Chris (Gibraltar)
    I too received an email from Europcar to inform me that £62 was being debited from my card to cover damage to a recently hired vehicle from Manchester Airport. When investigated I was told that a wheel trim had a scratch and that the £62 was to cover the damage. My girlfriend has also just been charged a similar amount by Europcar at Manchester airport for a scratched wheel trim too. Both of us have our own comprehensive insurance policies (which are cheaper than the hire company) & both rented from Europcar, Manchester Airport within weeks of each. This should be investigated by trading standards.
  • 0
    Ex tourist
    The queues to pick up a car at National/Eurocar at Heathrow were long and then I realized why. We were all being pulled into a scam production line which took twice the time to process each person and made people frustrated enough just to agree to almost anything and get out of there. I was scammed out of extra tyre/windshield insurance. Make sure you fill the tank with gas and take photographs of the car. They are a bunch of cheating scum.
    I will never go back to scam central at Heathrow and you Brits will never be getting my tourist dollars ever again.
  • 0
    David
    I've been through a similar scam. Europcar have claimed for a valeting charge since the car was slightly soiled on the inside, something which could be removed by a brush or would have been better in rubber carpets were installed. I mean, you cannot expect that a car should not be cleaned after renting especially in winter!! They have claimed 80 euro and have now ended banning me from their network. Good luck to them, I am anyway never using Europcar again since this is not what I call customer satisfaction at all.
  • 0
    Larry
    Just returned from a London trip and  rented from Europcar . Never again. These guys are a bunch of crooks.
    Know your insurance coverage before you get there. It's not the same as the USA where you waive coverage because your personal  policy covers you. Their mandatory comprehensive coverage will MORE than double your rental cost. Ask yourself "do I really need to rent a car?"  Cause it's  $$$$$$
  • 0
    Larry.   Sep 2014
    One other thing to keep in mind.  Gas in the UK   $9.00 per gallon
  • 0
    EUROPCAR  BIRMINGHAM AIRPORT
    | 1 reply
    Europcar Birmingham Airport branch run by Rachael Kerr needs to be investigated. Freudulent sales activity amongst other things which all gets swept under the carpet.

    Cliques and staff members Pav, Halina, Jacqueline and Bob covering each others fraudulent activity with support from Rachael Kerr and Duty Manager Christian.

    I took the branch to court 5 years a go and won.
  • 0
    alice
    | 1 reply
    I had the Car one day from euro car now they are demanding near £600 for dents and damage that I never done.I'm not paying cowboys should be on rogue traders
    • 0
      Denise replies to alice
      I returned a van  after a 4day hire.  And these scum are trying to take over £1000 for damage.  I have since been  back to take photos of the damage they claim (I most definitely did not damage the van) and  there is something under the sill which is not visible when standing up but when you get on the floor  looking underneath the car you can see damage that is clearly old damage as there is rust!  These people are trying to take me for over £1000!  Does anyone know if I can request the original photos taken on the day I collected the van by the europcar employee OR if I can request CCTV of their forecourt on the day I drove off in the van and also the day I returned the van?  Are the Legally bound to provide this information if I request it?  Please help I need good advise from people that have been through this situation with europcar
  • 0
    Conor Finegan
    Hired a Europcar Ford Focus from Dublin Airport for 1 day. On bringing back car, checker came out and went straight to the side front panel and pointed out a nearly invisible 6inch scratch. I am certain I am not the cause of this but cannot prove it. Just got an invoice for 561 Euro, as I did not take out their extra insurance!
    How can you prove if they would ever carry out the repair as many other dents and scratches were already recorded on the condition survey. 561 euro for a minor 6 inch scratch must be a record!!
  • 0
    Leo
    I booked and prepaid a compact class Fiat 500 for 12 days at a cost of 254.44£. When I went to pick up the car I was offered the choice between an Audi, a Volvo and some kind of SUV who's brand name escapes me. I haven't the slightest clue about cars so I just said that I would like the smallest one as my wife and I were holidaying in the Lake District with it's tiny country lanes. Not a word was spoken about upgrade or extra charges. I was also presented with a binary choice regarding insurance of either insuring just the car or the car, passengers, environment, etc. Normally this is already taken care of when I book online and I explicitly said that I have already paid online but was adamant that I choose one insurance option. So I choose the "cheaper" option.
    This morning, one day after returning the car, I receive a bill for an 1171£ instead of the 254,44£ I had paid for online!!! The car which I had "chosen" cost an extra 40£ per day and the "cheaper" insurance was Premium Protection at 19.04£ per day. Not once was there a mention of extra costs.
    I am a Europcar Privilege Club member and have never had anything remotely like this rip off happen to me before! I'm absolutely speechless!
  • 0
    Rose
    My insurance company provided me with a Europcar replacement vehicle following a car accident I had. When it arrived it was much bigger than my old car and full of techno gadgets and I hadn't the confidence to drive it especially as I was still shaken up by my crash. So I rang them up to take it away which they did a few days later. I hadn't even opened the driver's door let alone drive it. Imagine my shock when a week or two later I owed them £250 for damage to the bumper while driving it. They claim the odometer says I drove 38 miles which I said was impossible as I hadn't driven it. Its now their word against mine.  But someone is clearly acting fraudulently and  altering mileage to suit their story.
  • 0
    FY
    | 2 replies
    Hi. I am currently being scammed by these people as well. Booked and paid online for USD189 for a car. Got to Europcar Heathrow but they didn't have the car. Had no option as they charged me £850 extra to upgrade as I desperately needed a car. Car broke down after 2 hours. Smoke came out. Called RAC and told that it was a clutch failure. It's been 2 months now and they are trying to extort £1080 for clutch damage saying its my fault. I'm not going to pay a single cent. I am currently getting advice from the Citizens Advice Bureau but I think if all of us help each other then we could fight off these people.
    • 0
      FY replies to FY
      An advice from my brother: Try searching for BVRLA in the UK to see if  they can help any of you.
    • 0
      Andy replies to FY
      Too right!! Let s get them together and put them behind the bars!!!

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