I had an extremely disappointing experience with Europcar, and there are several key issues that need to be addressed:
1. Deposit Fee: Charging a £250 deposit is outrageous, especially when this wasn’t made clear during the online booking process. Finding out about it at the point of collection is unacceptable and not transparent. Claiming this amount is “reserved” rather than taken is misleading, as it is deducted from the account, and the refund takes over a week to process. This is highly inconvenient.
2. Customer Service: The telephone system is awful—calls constantly get cut off, and it’s nearly impossible to get through to the specific branch you need. The customer service staff are either poorly trained or indifferent to customer concerns, making it an incredibly frustrating experience.
3. Hidden Costs: The advertised price might seem competitive, but the added fees are extortionate. Excess charges of £2,500 or more, plus additional payments for things like tyre and window cover, are absurd. The overall cost is a rip-off, making the “cheap” hire a very expensive ordeal.
4. Vehicle Return Process: Returning the vehicle was unnecessarily slow, with only one staff member available to check for damage. This is a time-consuming process, and it’s unreasonable to have customers waiting because of understaffing.
Had I known about the deposit and all the hidden charges, I wouldn’t have wasted my time driving 45 minutes to use Europcar’s services. I would have chosen Enterprise, which is much closer to me and offers a more straightforward service.
Overall, I rate Europcar’s service a big zero. I won’t be using your company again. Also, please return my money promptly!
This is my second time leaving a bad review because Europcar has truly outdone themselves in being an absolute rip-off. I strongly advise anyone considering their services to think twice and avoid this company at all costs!
The customer service is horrendous, staff are indifferent and have a complete lack of care for their customers. Their attitude is lacklustre, and they make zero effort to address issues properly. Instead of proactively reaching out to resolve complaints, they have the nerve to ask you to contact them after leaving a bad review. How about you take some responsibility and fix the problem directly?
The company is a total disappointment, and the deposit process is nothing short of a scam. They still haven’t returned my money, even though they claim they “don’t take it out” of your account. What a blatant lie!
Honestly, do yourself a favour and go elsewhere, Enterprise or literally any other company would be better. Europcar is a disgraceful, money-grabbing, dog-shit company. Avoid, avoid, avoid!
And by the way, I’m still waiting for my bloody deposit!
