Did I just have a colour change? My special thanks go to kerrith!!!
Did I just have a colour change? My special thanks go to kerrith!!!
Member since:09.01.2003
Reviews:5
Members who trust:3
I am quite the type of business traveller, so I know that you can have good and bad experiences with every rental car company. There have been times, when I rode a lot more mileage on rental cars than on my own. So I am not saying, Europcar is a bad company, but I had a rather bad experience, so just read on your own…
Once upon a time my wife and I had to make a little trip from Munich to Leipzig (Germany). We actually were planning on doing this by car, so we can have a few stops and visit a view places on the way. But of course destiny can be cruel and so can be traffic forecasts on the radio. They were predicting a lot of traffic on the Saturday we wanted to go there, so we decided to take a train there and a rental car back for our sightseeing program. Usually I rent cars with Sixt here. I did for many years and I never really got the car, I reserved, because usually I get an upgrade. So I reserve something like Mercedes C-Class or BMW 3 series and I get a 5 or even a 7 series. But this time I had to be with a customer in Starnberg near Munich on Monday and they had a Europcar Agency not too far away. So I went to the German Europcar website. Booking a car there is painless and easy. Choose location, date and the car. Enter credit card details, done. One thing I liked was that they offered some type of cars, they claimed would be available at my chosen locations. So, well, fine,
I booked a Mercedes c-classstation wagon with automatic shift and a diesel-engine for Sunday morning at 11.00 am…and I noticed that the station at the Leipzig railways closes at 11.00 am.
Ok, after a long breakfast we went to the Europcar station around 10.45. The woman behind the desk was friendly but very busy. Always interrupted by phone calls, she had to take. And then, she told us, we were here too early, so the car is not ready yet. Hey, sure, 15min. But I guess, if we came 15 min later they would have closed the door right in front of us. Anyway I figured it will take more then 15min for the paperwork with all that phone calls and I was right there. The lady promised us an upgrade and so 22 min later we went to the parking lot to check out our upgraded car.
Well and there was our surprise. I guess you can define upgrade in various ways. At least this car was bigger than what I had reserved. It was a Mercedes delivery van. And it has been used for exactly that…delivery. On a construction site, I guessed, as it was dirty and full of sand – inside and outside. The poor guy from Europcar tried to do his best, but his fight with some kitchenpaper and glas cleaner was doomed from the very beginning. It also didn’t have automatic shift (which I specifically asked for) and one of the tires was missing something called air. “Yeah” told me the friendly Europcar gentleman, “you should check that at a gas station. And btw, the spare tire is missing, but I am going to write that on your contract.” Well, I called the lady from the counter again, as walking back there would take another 10 min and told her, that I am not going to drive 700 km in this garbage dump on four wheels. There was no other car available, but she promised to try something and call me back right away. Now, it was me calling her again after 20 min.
I should have cancelled that experiment there right and then, but I was afraid, that the Sixt-counter next door may also be already closed. Ok, she found another car, but that one was at the airport. So she suggested we should drive the van to the airport and get the new car there. Ok, we were not in a hurry, but in a relaxed mood, so I agreed. If I had been wearing business attire, I wouldn’t even go near that car to ruin my suite.
We made it to the airport alive. Returned the car there, walked for 15min to the Europcar counter, did more paperwork, walked 15min back to the parking lot and got a nice – and clean! – Mercedes C200. Fine, so just get in the car, drive to the exit and enter the parking ticket we got from the counter into the machine there in a desperate hope for the barrier to open. But whoops, what’s that? The funny little box asks me to pay my ticket first. Great, so we got an unpaid parking ticket. Ok, there are two choices. Either ask the three cars already lining up behind me, to wait for 30min until I come back from the Europcar-counter with a paid ticket, or hop out, run to the cash register, pay myself and get the car out of other peoples way. Guess which approach I choose. Well, after paying the ticket (25 Euro), we had a nice trip to Munich.
On Monday morning I drove to the Europcar Agency in Starnberg. A few minutes ahead of my arrival, I called to reassure the location (I knew the street but was not sure, where exactly on the street). The not very friendly lady on the phone told me, that their office is right on the area of a mercedes dealer, I knew. So I told her, that I would be there in five minutes. Well, bad mistake. I should have known better. NEVER tell a German service agent that a customer will arrive shortly. It gives them too much time to escape. When I arrived there, exactly 4 minutes after my call, the Europcar office was closed. No special sign that says “back soon”, just plain closed door. I looked at the opening times…7.30 to 11.30…well a short look on my watch…8.15…ok….should be open. So I went to the Mercedes dealer, to interview them about the whereabouts of that Europcar lady. And, I was told that she left about a minute ago. So, I waited. After only 15 more minutes the lady returned with a sandwich. Well, I understand that. You cannot serve a customer hungry.
Of course she didn’t waste time with an apology or an explanation. So we did the paperwork and I told her the park-ticket-story and that I want my 25 Euros back, somehow. No, nothing she could do there, I should have gone back to the parking lot in Leipzig and sort that out with her colleague on site. I tried to explain, that after already loosing two hours with that car change, I was not willing to pay the ticket, drive back into the parking lot, get a new ticket, go 15min to the counter, get a paid exit ticket, go 15min back to the parking lot and in the end maybe find out, that the new ticket was not paid either. I can understand that she cannot cash me the money and I am fine with a refund on my rental bill or my credit card. She finally agreed to pass on my ridicules request. Having a short glimpse of a vision into the future, I asked her for a copy of that ticket, just in case it gets lost. With a little complaining talk to herself, she finally did so. But I was even getting more impertinent and asked her to call me a cab. She commented that with something I wouldn’t write here in public, but granted me this last wish finally.
I should mention that in situations like these, I always stay calm and still try to be as polite as possible. Well after a week I got my bill and of course it was the full amount. No reduction, no nothing. Also they charged the full amount on my credit card. So I called their service hotline to inquiry the whereabouts of my 25 Euro. And, surprise, the parking ticket got lost mysteriously. After some more discussion whether I should have even staid in the parking lot until the ticket issue was solved, I sent a fax to their general management – of course I know, it will never arrive there – and told them, that I have a copy of the ticket and a good lawyer. Two weeks without any answer later, I saw a credit entry of 25 Euro on my credit card. Well, I got my money back. But so far I didn’t receive any further word, let alone think of an apology.
Too bad. I do a few thousand euros in rental cars every year. And I am not doing that with Europcar. But I guess, they don’t need any more customers.
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Wonderfully understated review :-) Personally, I have always found Avis very reliable but they are on the expensive side so I tend to go for Thrifty or Sixt if I'm the one paying.
xxANNAxx 03.12.2004 15:26
Sound terrible
ilusvm 15.11.2004 16:19
wow they sound pretty awful!! A well expressed opinon! Em x
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Advantages: They delivered and collected the cars Disadvantages: Porr un-roadworthy car and no car seats for a day and half then collected 12 hours early
catsholiday 24.08.2009 (26.08.2009)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Europcar
Advantages: It was a nice car and was absolutely perfect for our needs Disadvantages: Understaffing and a lack of training conspired to create a later departure than planned.
andymcf 30.08.2006 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Europcar
Advantages: Time Saving, Cost Competitive, Leading Car Rental Companies Disadvantages: as there is a third party involved, there is a risk the booking process might go awry
helencbradshaw 14.06.2006 (14.06.2006)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of holidayautos.com
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Mar 4th, 2004
exceptional by (2%):
very helpful by (95%):
helpful by (2%):
