Europcar Car Hire - France

Bizzle

I was due to go on holiday to France at the end of May but due to the COVID-19 situation Jet2 cancelled the flights and refunded me in full.  Once I had found out the flights were cancelled (on the 7th of April) I cancelled my car hire with Europcar for the duration of the holiday.  I chased Europcar for a refund for several weeks with them constantly stating that is was coming, then I got an email saying that they would be issuing me with a credit note that would expire after 18 months, if I didn't use it in this time I would be issued with a refund.
This doesn't seem particularly fair, I appreciate that this is an unprecedented situation but having my money for 18 months seems ridiculous.
Anything I can do?

Life__Goes__On

What method of payment did you use?
Did you have free cancellation?

cn2020

Hi Bizzle I've had exactly the same - Had flights cancelled by BA so cancelled my hire car in Nice for July and I've had the same response. Especially annoying as I went with Europcar as they had a free cancellation service up until the day before. I've cancelled well over a month before travel. I've emailed them to say that I would prefer to have my money back but heard nothing

Life__Goes__On

cn2020 said:

Hi Bizzle I've had exactly the same - Had flights cancelled by BA so cancelled my hire car in Nice for July and I've had the same response. Especially annoying as I went with Europcar as they had a free cancellation service up until the day before. I've cancelled well over a month before travel. I've emailed them to say that I would prefer to have my money back but heard nothing

What method of payment did you use?  have you proof you have free cancellation?

cn2020

I used a mastercard and I'm just double-checking the paperwork. But the reason I booked with them was for free cancelation and refund 24 hours before picking up the car

PT1975

Hi. I have exactly the same problem. Does anyone know whether French law permits vouchers in lieu of refund?

qwerty_yuiop

I was also hoping the Oracle could help with the Legality of the 18 month refund on a french hire car?

Thank you. 

MAD_JACK

I've just spent ages on the phone to Europcar, trying to get a refund on our car rental in Corsica.  Like many others, Easyjet cancelled our return flight from Corsica 3 weeks before our scheduled departure date.  When we tried to reschedule our Europcar car hire for July next year, we were told that their office would not be open until 2.30 p.m. on that day, when our flight is due to arrive at 12.00 p.m.  That would have meant a 2.5 hour wait for the office to open, by which time, the shops in Cosica on a Sunday would be closed and we would have no food or drink until Monday morning.  My husband spoke to Europcar after I lost patience with them and he was told that we would get a refund on our credit card.  However, we have now just received an email saying that we will have to accept a voucher.  This is totally unacceptable, as it is not our fault that their office will not be open at the time we need to collect our hire car.  We went with Europcar because we thought they were a better bet than Interrent, who were appalling.  However, we are now beginning to wonder.