overcharge and damage charge

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• 0

  javier200

  6 Aug 2012

  The same thing happened to me. Be very careful when you rent a car with EUROPCAR in Bruges, Belgium. I was a victim of a big scam by the people at this office.  I was told it will be OK to return the car on Sunday even though the office will be close.  They said just park the car and drop the keys through the office door.  When I returned home to the US, I had a bill from EUROPCAR for damage to the car and another one for fuel.  First, I took pictures of the car when I left it at the parking lot.  The car was in the exact same condition as it was when  I picked it up in Dusseldorf.  There was no damage to any part of the car not even a scratch in the paint. Also, I kept a receipt from the gas station in Bruges where I filled the gas tank on my way to return the car.  My Credit card company has been trying to get prove of the damages from Europcar but so far in three months they haven't sent anything.  To me this is a scam to get extra money from foreign tourist.  The car was perfect when I left and the tank was full.  I know it and they know it so it is a shame that a company I used to consider honest will do this to its customers.  Stay away from Europcar in Bruges.

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  srapop

  27 Aug 2012

  EUROPCAR MALAGA SCAM ---- Letter I sent to their customer service department
  
  To whom it may concern,
  
  My wife, two sons and I dropped off our rental car this morning Sunday 26/8/12 at 8 am and gave our keys to an assistant who checked out our car and said everything was fine. I signed a form given to me and was told that I would be refunded our Visa deposit after processing. The assistant was quite pleasant and asked if we had a good vacation, and told us that we needed to go to the 2nd floor for departures.
  
  At 8:45am after checking in for our flight, going through customs, and having breakfast, we received a text message "Dear Customer, we have detected damages on your the car you rented whose keys you dropped in the key-box. Please contact phone number 902405020."
  
  I immediately called long distance from my cell phone the number but received a message saying the office was closed. I called another customer service number I found on the Europcar contract and was finally given the telephone number of the Malaga Airport rental office.
  
  I talked to the manager at the office who gave me the name "Lourdes". She told me that the car we returned was very dirty and a cleaning company was going to charge us for cleaning the car. I told her that I was told everything was fine with the car and I was told this by the assistant when I checked out. Lourdes then accused me of "running away" after dropping off my keys. Lourdes also told me that she would text my wife the name of the assistant who checked our car. I never received the name of the person who checked the rental car nor the amount being claimed against us. After calling numerous times, I was told be one of the employees that the cost was Euro 116 plus taxes. The car had a little sand as we went to the beach every day, but nothing a quick vacuum couldn't manage.
  
  Later in the afternoon, I finally talked to Lourdes who told me that the employee to whom I gave the keys told me the car was dirty and that I needed to go to the office. She also claimed that I told the assistant who checked the car that I didn't have time as I was in a rush to catch my plane. This are blatant lies and I wonder if the the office isn't running some sort of scam and overcharging renters after the fact. I have been renting with Europcar for a long time, and really am surprised by the service at this office and the overall lack of ethics in this office.  
  
  Best Regards,

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