Europcar "Serenity Pack" scam

wumblehoots

Thought I would post this in case anyone is hiring a car with europcar. I think its well worth being aware of this potential extra package, which was added to my rental agreement without me asking, without me being told, and which cost nearly £180!


My partner and I hired a car with Europcar which was collected from and returned to Bergerac airport. Upon returning to the UK we noticed that we had been charged an extra £179.98! -- a complete surprise to both of us as we had returned the car as we had found it, with a full tank and had checked with the staff at Europcar in Bergerac that everything was OK. After two failed email attempts and several phone calls we discovered that we had apparently agreed to sign up for a "Serenity Pack", which includes comprehensive insurance (no excess) and allows you to return the tank empty at no extra charge. However, we were not informed at the time that we were signing up to an extra insurance package (no mention of it at all), and we certainly didn't request it when we reserved the car online -- it was simply added at the time of booking, and in a very discrete way at that. I was asked to initial next to it, and obviously didn't look close enough.

Indeed, we had already taken out insurance to cover the excess with another company (so didn't need it). Furthermore, we were specifically told by the staff at Europcar that we should return the car with the tank full, which seems to contradict the package that we had signed for.

A search online reveals that many other people have fallen into the same trap of accidentally signing for nearly £200 of extra insurance, without being informed (sorry I'm not allowed to post links yet as I'm new).

I have been appalled both at the fact we have been charged for this, without any verbal agreement, and with Europcar's response -- they didn't get back to me after numerous enquiries and forced me to chase them.

In future, i will certainly check car rental agreements carefully, especially when abroad, and would advise others to be careful too!

diddlysquat2

I fear we might have been hit by the same scam. We also hired from Europcar Bergerac airport this July and have been charged an additional £250 on a 3 week rental. As yet we have had no explanation from Europcar as to what these charges relate to and like yourselves took out a separate excess policy and returned the car without damage and with a full tank of petrol. I would be interested to learn if you are fighting this as it must be totally illegal to dupe people in this way.

wumblehoots

Yep, it sounds like the same scam (I read somewhere else that Bergerac airport is particularly bad for this). I tried ringing Europcar and demanded that they send me the receipts and documents to prove why I had been charged. In the agreement they sent me there was a small section (written in French I should point out) referring the serenity package, and I was asked to initial next to it. The section also seems to have been stamped over the top with an english translation that reads "I agree to be charged for the Serenity pack" -- apparently Europcar had to introduce this extra stamp after previous complaints. The whole agreement is still very confusing though and it would be very easy not to notice this stamp / section.

The person I spoke to at Europcar said that there was nothing that I could do because I had initialed next to section, and so that was legally binding. Still I complained that I was missold, that the package was not mentioned to me verbally and that I didn't verablly agree to it but to no avail.

I'm still interested in complaining further / following this up. I think its telling that two seperate people, who had separate insurance ended up being sold this package that they didn't need. I will try and draft a letter and maybe we can both complain.

wumblehoots

There are actually several other complaints about the very same scam, also at Bergerac airport (including one by me) at dooyoo. The address is below (I had to add a space after http, because I'm still not allowed to post links)
http /members.dooyoo.co.uk/transport-international/europcar/reviews/

PolishBigSpender

Can you not do a 'chargeback' against them for this?

wumblehoots

Hi PolishBigSpender, I have thought of doing that, but haven't yet. I may send a complaint letter first, and then go down that route if I get nowhere with the complaint...

vikingaero

Almost worth flying down to Bergerac, signing up for the Serenity Pack, and having an accident in their compound, with a dozen or so of their cars.............. "My foot slipped on the accelerator......"

Inactive

" Serenity Pack " aptly titled for when the poor punter finds out..

hugely_disgruntled

Hi,
we were also caught by the same scam at Bergerac airport in June of this year, I'm still persuing it and trying to get a refund but Europcar just don't want to know!!!

melb

I was looking at the telegraph on line newspaper the other day and in the travel section was a letter to the Telegraph's travel correspendent about this scam. In their case the "I agree to sign for serenity pack" had actually been stamped on all copies except the copy the customer was given (I think that's right). the travel correspendent managed to get a refund and an apology for the complainant. why don't you all send your correspondence via her and she might be able to influence them. the europcar representative was apparently "astounded" or some such word that this had gone on and it was certainly not company policy so I hope you get somewhere with this.

wumblehoots

Hi melb -- that might just be the information I was waiting for. I'm going to try and get in touch with her right now!