Europcar via Auto Europe - Overcharged by 480 GBP - a warning!

Sailor1983

After reading a story in the Sunday Times Travel Section about a similar story to my own I wrote to the author who kindly forwarded my email to the CEO of Europcar.

I have now received a personal apology with an offer to pay back all costs incurred including phone bills and interest as well as a good will gesture of 50 pounds sterling.

misa.blue

This is scary story! I was about to book hire car in USA with Auto Europe. Don't know what to do now, go ahead and hope that car from Dollar will be ok? It seems like all hire companies are trying everything possible to rip people off!

stoneman

I was had by them as well, I booked a car through them after doing a comparison on prices where they came put £10 than the next company. On receiving the voucher the company used was Alamo, but the fuel requirements were that I would be charged for a full tank and to bring the car back empty. When I arrived at the airport to pick up the car Alamos own requirements are that you pick it up full and bring it back full. I asked why my voucher said different and was advised by a manager that this was an agreement with Auto Europe so that they could show headline cheaper prices.

apt

Stoneman, you have not being 'had' by Auto Europe unless it advertised a different fuel policy to one on the voucher you finally received. Auto Europe took far too long to sort out Sailor's problem, but did at least cough up in the end plus some compensation. There are plenty of car hire brokers who would have treated him even worse.

StuieUK34

I do remember this post from last year....
When i hire cars in the US: i use usrentacar or netflights
When i hire in spain, i use DoYouSpain (its a provisional booking, you dont prepay anything so if u dont like what u see when u get there, walk away!)..
Auto-Europe = avoid like the reaper!

However, i am in a battle with Trading standards at the moment, as i asked to become a broker for hire cars in foreign places. I said my business practise's would be to take everyones money and cancel the bookings just before the renter is due to take the car......
I advised my plan was to hold the money from that persons credit card/debit card and maybe take a bit more cash without authorisation for around 2 1/2 months, and then 'say sorry' and refund what i had taken....

The bank (for my business start up) wont help me, new starter business advisors are saying no, and trading standards say its illegal to do that.
Gutted!!!!! i could have made a fortune in interest just holding peoples monies and then giving it back eventually!

misa.blue

StuieUK34 wrote: »

The bank (for my business start up) wont help me, new starter business advisors are saying no, and trading standards say its illegal to do that.
Gutted!!!!! i could have made a fortune in interest just holding peoples monies and then giving it back eventually!

:rotfl::rotfl:

Ok, Usrentacar it is then for me!
Shame they don't do Quidco..

Sailor1983

After my horrible experience last year I wasn't sure if I ever wanted to hire a car again. I returned the UK for the first time since the Auto Europe/Europcar fiasco in May and in the recommendation of a friend I used "Enterprise". They were really excellent. They don't always pop up on the price compare sites but I can tell you that they were actually the cheapest of the lot. They don't have an office on site at Leeds airport but they do come and pick you up and take you to their office which is just down the road. Very pleasant staff and extremely helpful. The rental went as planned and I returned the car on time. The deposit was refunded immediately. Now that's how car rental should be!

In a slightly funny twist of fate Europcar again made an adjustment to my credit card recently which would normally have astonished me but in the case of Europcar....not really. This time however the £480 was credited to my card! I was so sick of these "adjustments" that I decided to report the card as being stolen so that no further adjustments could be made. It's funny how when the shoe is on the other foot that Europcar are much more efficient at dealing with things. I rather quickly received a letter informing me that a mistake had been made and that they wanted the money back.

Of course I am more than willing to give it back. Europcar can call me any time between 12pm and 4pm Saturday to Wednesday on 00968 96418529. (That's an Omani GSM number and should be around £2.50 a minute from the UK) Please be advised however that I am receiving a large amount of calls at the moment. Europcar's call is very important to me so please do try to be patient. I may need to go through several security questions when you call too just to verify you are who you say you are. Alternatively you could just wait for a few months (maybe years) until I get back to the UK when I'm sure I'll get around to paying you your money back. It is after all your money and not mine! Mind you, don't expect me to give you any of the interest I'm earning on it.