Poor customer service

Complaint

0
clarion
Country: United Kingdom
I rented a car from Europcar in April while in France. I was not satisfied with the service offered and the additional charges I received afterwards.

First, I had to wait more than an hour to get my car which I rented and paid for well in advance. I was on a tight schedule and that delay unacceptable.

Second, When I returned home, I received a bill from Europcar where they charged me for two extra days, and some damage charge. I tried to investigate what damage was done to the car that I needed to pay for but got nowhere.

Comments

  • 0
    Edouard
    By the way, I never had such problems with Hertz...
  • 0
    Simon
    I have just been charged twice for the same motoring offence that I am alledge to have committed in March whilst using one of their cars in Rome.  Anyone know of a number that I can actually get hold of someone to sort this out.

    Very annoyed.
  • 0
    Pajo
    Crooks !

    Rented a car a month ago, for two days. Returning customers.

    Filled up three miles outside the return depot. Have now been charged for 43 litres of fuel they say the staff had to put unto the car.

    Customer services demanding to see receipts etc etc. But their own paperwork confirms that the car was petrolled up on return, because it was checked while we were there, and the paper handed to us.

    I asked customer services to explain those charges when they clearly contradict the company's own paperwork. I also informed them that I have the company's own paperwork, photographic evidence of the car in the vicinity of where it was filled earlier in the day, a receipt specifying a fuel purchase in that location, a credit card amount for same, my wife's bank statement to verify the purchase of fuel three miles away from the drop-off.

    After nearly two weeks, customer services e-mailed me last Friday to say -



    Thank you for your query regarding the fuel charges applied to your rental. Upon investigation, I can confirm the charges have been refunded back to you.

    A refund of £93.27 have refunded back onto your card and this should show in 7-10 working days.

    Please accept my sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused to you.



    Now, two days later ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON ! when their customer sevices offices are closed, I have just seen the following, from the same customer disservices rep...



    Thank you for your email as below. As previously requested, please can you send in your statement or fuel receipt showing the transactions made.

    Once I have received this, I can further investigate your claim. Your case will be closed until the requierd documents have been received.


    Utterly incompetent, cynical, rude.

    I will not let this lie. Disgraceful.
  • 0
    No-rent
    Glad to read all the postings before deciding which company to rent from...

    IT WILL NOT BE EUROPCAR!!!  Thanks to all the persons who emailed.
  • 0
    dating websites
    This is a very helpful post, i hope this really helps me to complete my project.
  • 0
    marc
    Suggest you e-mail the Europcar CEO:

    Mark.Cotterill@europcar.com
  • 0
    Christa July 2010
    Please do not rent a car in germany from Europcar I needed an upgrade{because the car they gave me was to small---not what i orded}   they charged me 600.00 dollars for a 11 days use. Outrages never again
  • 0
    john boulding
    I'm standing here at Europcar Pisa and it's 2 hrs gone already and still not served. Ruined our timing for start if trip. Just 2 staff (2 others went home in front of everyone) and no manager. Apalling.
  • 0
    Bunny
    Booked a car on line with automatic for June 2010 to be picked up in Clermont-Ferrand, France, returned 8 days later to Avignon TGV Station. Picked up the car, the agent walked all around the vehicle noting any pre-existing damage, small dent on side of front bumper, some minor scratches near the trunk. I have the copy of that. No problems with the car, cost $571.00. About a week or so after returning to the States, checked my credit card on line and find a charge from Europcar for $1,835.00. Contacted Europcar France, was referred to Europcar Customer Services UK. Was told we returned the car damaged. Not true, it was returned in exactly the same condition as when we rented it. Finally, Europcar Customer Service UK issued a credit in August. I had notified my credit card company that we did no damage, so they only paid the rental charge. At the end of July got a letter from Europcar France in french, and another paper saying we owed the $1,200.00. I had pictures of the car, so sent them everything. Well lo and behold another letter the end of August from France making threats that if we don't pay, we will be placed on a Watch List and not be able to rent a car from them should we return to France, why in heaven would I even consider them. Not only that but maybe legal action and interest penalties. My credit card would have covered the damage, but why should they pay when we did nothing to their car. I wonder how many times they have collected on the same vehicle. Needless to say that my FIRST trip to Europe and France, where I have first cousins, turned from a wonderful experience to a stressful, horrible experience all because of EUROPCAR FRANCE.... DO NOT RENT FROM THEM EVER...
  • 0
    nadia
    J'ai loué une voiture à l'aeroport de mexico chez europcar et ça a été le pire de nos cauchemars!!!ils n'avaient rien verifié donc au bout de quelques heures de route on s'est aperçu que la clim ne fonctionnait pas.
    Lorsque nous avons eu une crevaison dans un endroit ou le portable ne passait pas pour appeler l'assistance nous nous sommes aperçu qu'il manquait le cric et l'outils pour enlever les boulons!!!il était 22heures sous une pluie battante et à plus de 50km d'un village.
    Après nous etre trempés pres de 3heures quelqu'un s'est arreté pour nous aider et là nous avons eu la surprise de voir que la roue de secours était à plat et en tres mauvais etat...lorsque le lendemain nous arrivés à l'agence d'IXTAPA aeroport, ils ont refusé de nous echanger le vehicule ou meme d'arranger le pneu ou encore de nous mettre la clim!!!nous avons donc fait remplir du gaz de clim à notre compte et continé la route.
    Arrivés a ACAPULCO meme scenario ils ont mis 3heures vant de nous repondreet ont pretexté comme les autres que 'europcar de l'aeroport de mexico étaient nuls et qu'ils ne verifiaient pas leurs vehicules...nous avons donc continé avec des pneus pourris des outils manquants...et lorsque nous avons rendu le vehicule ils ne nous ont meme pas rembourser la reparation de la clim...leur soi disant DIRECTEUR  était toujours absent et impossible à joindre au telephone...C'est HONTEUX LES DANGERS QU'ils nous ont fait courrir et les désagrements et ils ne nous ont jamais recontacté ou remboursé comme ils avaient promis.
  • 0
    grovelerdan
    I finally found a phone number 1-877-940-6900, asked to speak to reservations, attempted to book a reservation to string them along and asked about charges like damage waiver, theft waiver, serenity pack etc that I was charged for on my last, and only booking with Europcar, but the agent had no info on these fees and kept telling me to talk to customer service, so my deceitful ways still did me no good.  It's funny their reservations dept was open, but their customer service dept was closed.  I will call during business hours tomorrow, but will probably get the shaft.

    groveler out
  • 0
    grovelerdan
    I finally found a phone number 1-877-940-6900, asked to speak to reservations, attempted to book a reservation to string them along and asked about charges like damage waiver, theft waiver, serenity pack etc that I was charged for on my last, and only booking with Europcar, but the agent had no info on these fees and kept telling me to talk to customer service, so my deceitful ways still did me no good.  It's funny their reservations dept was open, but their customer service dept was closed.  I will call during business hours tomorrow, but will probably get the shaft.

    groveler out
  • 0
    Deirdre Mannion
    I rented from Europcar in Sept 2010 and NEVER will again. I reserved a GPS weeks prior to my arrival and they didn't have it for me when I got there. They said it was "very easy" to get around the area, which is wasn't at all.  I ended up having to pay for public transportation.  Now they won't respond to my emails and I can't find a phone # that works for them.  Do NOT RENT A CAR FROM THEM!
  • 0
    Ian McGrath
    Similar bad experience with Europcar. Booked had confirmed a premium class car but was told at the paris airport that it was not possible to have this class of car. Was offered a very small car. Asked to speak to the manager who also refused to supply the class of car booked, despite my documentation of the confirmation. Asked to speak to her manager she refused saying he was on holidays. Will never use Europcar again.
  • 0
    Jim Winterhalder
    I had the same problem. While mine still isnt resolved, you should have contacted your credir card issuer immediately and had the charges cancelled until they could explain them.
    At least it clears the decks.
  • 0
    Sergey Smirnov
    Similar expirience. Rented a car in Italy in JULY and was charged for 50 euro in OCTOBER without any explanation from company. Europcar customer's service just don't answer, so I reported this transaction as illegal to my bank service but they can't get the money back. There are so many complaints on this company, I think it's time to shut their service down.
  • 0
    Monica S.
    Our travel agency booked us with Europcar in Paris for a holiday in July, 2010, with full insurance coverage.  When we get to the agency desk to pick up the car, we are told there is no insurance on the car.  Who do you believe?  We signed up for the insurance with his advice.  Of course, our agency told us when we returned home that we did have the insurance already.  Europcar will not reply to Emails and phone calls.  After reading these other complaints, we realize that we should have checked Europcar out first, and not assumed that the travel agent was right.
    We would strongly suggest that nobody use Europcar.  They are crooks and take advantage of their customers.reporting to shareolders hike in sales last quater.easy...crooks.
  • 0
    Jonny P.
    I decided to go with Europcar and have been extremely angered by my experience. I have never hired a car before, and don't know if this is standard practise with all agencies.

    I rented a car in Italy (Bologna airport) for 9 days. I got a flat tyre, and was subsequently charged more than double the agreed amount, despite being informed I was covered by the insurance. there was a fuel surcharge, despite returning the car with more petorl than when I took it out. there has been inadequate explanation of the costs and poor customer service to raise questions. I would never use Europcar again, and urge others to avoid them. But are there other, reputable companies? I don't want to experience the same thing again.
  • 0
    Peter in VT
    My rental from Europcar in the UK finished on 1st June 2010. All was paid for up front, or so I was told (and foolishly believed). I received the car with fuel tank empty, and returned it likewise. On 22nd November 2010, nearly 6 months later, my debit card was charged GBP 7.64 (not a lot by comparison with some, but there's a principle at stake). I had received no prior notification.

    A phone call to customer services in the UK (+44 116 2565656) got me nowhere - the agent could not understand what she was looking at. She suggested I send in all the information by email (customerservicesuk@europcar.com). I did. Several days after the charge was made, I received some mail, dated 22nd November, a credit slip and a new invoice, the difference between them being GBP 7.64. As far as I can understand, they seem to have found some extra "Licences and Fees". A follow-up email pointing out the lack of professionalism, the lack of common courtesy and decency, of helping themselves to my bank account on the same day as preparing the associated paperwork, as well as a demand for reinstatement of the payment to my account, yielded as much response as the first - NONE. Over a week later, I've just emailed again.

    I'm not going to let this drop, even if it costs me more than GBP 7.64 to pursue it. In fact, I'll be at LHR in January, so may drop into the office there in person ...! A company that operates in this way should not exist.

    My recommendations: 1. Please, everybody who has had similar trouble, keep chasing Europcar, taking it to ever higher levels  as necessary. 2. If you haven't suffered at their hands yet, stay away; there are better alternatives for car rental.

Post a new comment