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Last update

17/10/2007

Complaint

Date

23/12/2003 

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Europcar
 This Header used to show the Europcar Logo but Europcar have objected to us showing their Logo without their permission and have written to us on the 13th April 2004 and have requested that we remove the Logo from our site with immediate effect. We have done as requested and we leave it to the visitors of this site to make up their own mind as to the reason of their request.

Europcar

Europcar House

Aldenham Road

Watford

WD2 2LX

Complaint

entered by

jamesmob@cytanet.com.cy
 

 

How can Europcar justify charging £50 (reduced to £25 on appeal) out of hours plus £20 delivery charge?
I recently hired a car from Europcar, Brize Norton (which comes under their Swindon branch). Unfortunately, my flight was delayed, therefore I arrived at 6.30p.m., 1 hour after their desk closes, thus the out of hours charge.
I don't see 6.30pm  as a particularly unsociable time. If they have a desk at Brize Norton, why the £20 delivery charge? Which turned out to be a car with a very flat battery.
I am fed up of receiving credit card statements with add on charges and an invoice only if requested.

We have re-checked this matter with Sarah James and we have established that the car was hired by her husband through an agency called Continental Car Hire.
Mr. James notified Continental Car Hire immediately he knew that his flight was delayed and, consequently, Europcar should have been aware of the late arrival.
As the car they eventually provided was picked up from Brize Norton and turned out to have a flat battery it would indicate that the car had been there for some time and was not specially delivered.
On the 29th December 2003 we sent a letter to Europcar UK Head Office in Swindon enclosing a copy of the e-mail from Sarah James and asking Europcar to re-consider their charges or to let us have a plausible and sensible explanation as to why they feel justified to make these extra charges.
After all, they have a desk at Brize Norton and should be prepared for such incidents. Furthermore we requested to know how they can justify a delivery  charge  of £20.00 for the car at Brize Norton which clearly was already there and was not specially delivery.
Regretfully, Europcar, who are part of the Volkswagen group, have not had the courtesy to reply and have failed to provide any answers to our questions.
 
Update: 03/02/2004

As we had no reply to our previous letter we have sent Europcar a copy of this page and we have just received a letter from Marie Barry, Managing Director, Europcar UK which is self-explanatory:

       I have requested a full investigation into your query and as soon as I receive a response, I will be in contact with you in due course.
       Please be assured this matter is being addressed and should you require any further assistance please do not hesitate to contact me.
Update: 17/02/2004

Europcar have now explained that a collection from Brize Norton carries a delivery charge of £20.00+VAT and a charge of £50.00+VAT if the rental occurs during out of office hours. Both charges should have been explained to Mr. James by his booking agent.

However, they recognise that Mr. James was inconvenienced as a result of the vehicle having a flat battery and they have apologised for the difficulties he experienced. They have, therefore, arranged for both charges to be cancelled and they have advised us that they will credit

Mr. James Visa account within the next 10 working days.

 
We also received the following e-mail from Mrs. Sarah James:

Many thanks for your assistance in this matter.

 
We still don't see how Europcar can justify such high charges in the first place, but it's a great relief to know they are being fully re-imbursed. We can't prove whether our booking agent did pass on all the relevant information, but lessons have been learned!
 
Thanks once again
 

Complaint Status:   closed
This website also links to other  Europcar complaints
 Europcar (France)
Europcar (Portugal)
 
 
  Overall Efficiency slow initially
 Respond Time slow initially
 Final Outcome   satisfactory
 

 

 
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