“Extra options added without any explanation and certainly not what I asked for. Unfortunately, I arrived early morning and was tired and did not check the forms correctly. I only found out when I returned from the trip and they sent me an extra bill. The customer service of course does not want to understand what happened. I am a long standing client. I will never rent from them again and would advise you to do the same. This practice should not be tolerated.”
“I do not recommend renting a car from them. I paid for the rental and insurance for 8 days, arrived at Fuerteventura airport where they wanted to charge me again for the car insurance at the counter. Because I insisted that I had already paid for the insurance and wanted to call the company's headquarters, the employee at the counter canceled the contract I had already paid for. She did not return my money, so I was left without money and without a car. Be careful, because they cheat on insurance, they take the money, but you do not get the car. I recommend SIXT car rental.”
“Avoid Europcar South Africa – Dishonest Charges After Rental
I would strongly advise against hiring a car with Europcar South Africa. After returning our vehicle in perfect condition with a full tank, we were charged an unexplained amount with no warning, invoice, or communication.
We tried repeatedly to get in touch and were finally told by a staff member at the Cape Town Airport branch that the call to us was a mistake, our deposit had been returned, and there was nothing to worry about. Yet money was still taken from our account without explanation.
Looking at other reviews, this seems to be a common issue. If South Africa wants to encourage tourism, companies like this do more harm than good. We’ll be disputing the charge with our credit card company. Think twice before booking with Europcar – not worth the stress or the risk.”
“Rented with Eurpocar via booking.com and paid in full upfront at time of booking. A few days later arrived at Gatwick to pick up the rental car. Declined the upgrade to a Mercedes and stuck with the car I paid for. Declined the additional insurance. Declined the fuel filling service. I rent frequently with Budget and Avis so I understand I pay a deposit on a credit card, normally £200 with those 2 companies. Euro are charged my credit card £449.40! What is that for??? Won’t be using them again!!!! The chap at the counter was very sweet though.”
“Refused service because I had my original paper licence issued 1997 and passport for photo ID!!! Was told I must have a photocard driving licence - utterly ridiculous!
I booked to hire a car from Europcar, paying in full - when I arrived there was an issue with no car available so I was asked to wait. After an hour the gentleman said he’d take copies of my paperwork - he stated that my original paper driving licence was not valid despite all details being correct (name, address, signature etc) and me having my passport with me. I explained that I’d never been required to get a photo driving licence as this was a valid government document issued by the DVLA. I suggest Europcar staff are actually trained correctly in future - a complete waste of my time!
I went next door to Enterprise and hired with absolutely no issues”
“Reserved a 7 passenger car in Dubai and upon arrival they told me that only thing they have is 5 passenger which offcourse would not work for me. Very bad customer service. the attitude was basically, take it or leave it. Do not rent from this company. It is cheap and comes with very bad service”
“I booked a rental car through one of these broker platforms at Keddy at Frankfurt Airport. The person at the Europcar counter was aggressive and unfriendly. I can stand the usual attempts to push you into a more expensive rental, but this went far beyond: no car before the printed rental time - I had to wait 12 min. At rental time, no car was in the booked category, and the reservation was at the other terminal (which was a lie), so I had to wait by the counter for another 9 minutes. Finally, I got a car key, but it was unclear which floor or parking spot to find the car. So, I went back to the counter. My comment that I was tired from the flight and trying to rent a car for more than one hour was the tipping point. The guy lost his temper, pointing fingers and shouting at me... I have been waiting for a response from the customer care center for two weeks... Thanks, but I will, and you shouldn't use this service!”
“I hired a vehicle before Christmas and upon returning it Europcar gave me back the deposit. I hoped that would be the end of it as the rental experience was not good and I felt ripped off. However, over 7 weeks later Europcar debited my bank account with a large amount of money without my knowledge or authorisation. Their customer services department is less than useless and not responding. Clearly Europcar is a company that cannot be trusted (and certainly not with your data and bank account details) so my advice is to avoid at all costs. If you have used Europcar before then clearly need to be vigilant and keep a close eye on your bank account for subsequent fraud transaction(s).”
“HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE. THEY ARE SCAMMERS AND SHOULD BE SHUT DOWN.
ABSOLUTELY DO NOT BOOK WITH THEM, THEY WILL SCAM YOU AFTER THE FACT FOR SURE. CUSTOMER SERVICE IS HORRIBLE. THEY ABSOLUTELY DO NOT CARE ABOUT THE CUSTOMER. THEY JUST WANT TO STEAL YOUR MONEY. IF YOU MAKE THE MISTAKE OF BOOKING WITH THEM, THE BEST THING TO DO IS PUT A BLOCK ON YOUR CREDIT CARD AFTER YOU DROP OFF THE CAR SO THEY CAN'T CHARGE IT AFTER THE FACT.”
“If I could leave 0 stars I would. Please, anyone reading this, do not book with this company, just pay a little extra and go elsewhere, it really is not worth the stess and hassle.
Firstly, the guy at the desk of the rental was rude by usually I’d shrug that off. If only it was that easy.
I agreed to pay €98 for a 1 day rental and they held a deposit of €398 which is part of the terms with the balance returned minus the cost of the rental.
They only refunded me back €141 meaning I was over charged by €156 for a €98 rental!
I called customer service and explained, they put me on hold and the line disconnected and they never called back. Called again and someone else says they can’t explain why I’ve been over charged and would investigate and call back in 7 days, they didn’t.
I wrote an email of complaint because I was really unhappy which has been ignored for 2 months. I sent a follow up and wait another month and no response.
I decide to call again and told I’m through to the wrong department and they’d transfer me, I get through to the next guy and he tells me I’ve called the wrong number and I need to redial.
We are now 3 months later and I’m left wondering why I’ve been charged an extra €156 for a €98 rental.
Absolute theft. And the customer service skills are worse than bad.
Please go with someone else. It’s really not worth it.”
“It’s about time someone eg the CEO read this.
Checking the condition of your vehicle in daylight. Photos and video it.
Is it a well used substandard vehicle via another source eg KEDDY via another broker supplier.
The game begins.
You take out full comprehensive damage insurance with broker.
Arrive for car , they insist on desk of Europcar you need their insurance.
You decide you have enough.
Vehicle in dark given to you . Marked, scratched , damaged.
55.0000, kms.
You are expecting better. Nothing done to car . In any way shape or form.
Now manager wants 167 euros for a scratched plastic wheel trim .
Which they purposely didn’t mark on the sheet upon delivery. Seeing the state of the car itself all wheel trims were smashed and had holes in 2 of them. Front valance under bumper ,hanging off. Paintwork scratches and damage all over.
They even tried to say it was not full of petrol , then changed their mind.
I’ve been in the motor business 52 years , never before experienced such poor quality and standards of service.
Don’t take out their insurance on the car and they will try and damage you.
Bad practice.
My business had an account with Europcar for many years , with complete success. This wants stopping.”
“I rented a car from this company, and my experience has been nothing short of frustrating and disheartening. Right from the start, I noticed that the car had scratches on it, which I didn’t cause. Despite having purchased premium insurance, which I thought would cover any potential issues, the company still charged me for these pre-existing scratches. It became clear to me that they were unfairly making customers pay for damages that were already on the car before the rental.
Things didn’t improve after that. Not only was I unfairly charged for damages, but the company also withdrew money from my account late at night for what they claimed was a fine. To make matters worse, the money was taken from my account at 10:38 PM — outside business hours — with no prior notification. This feels intentionally deceptive, and it has left me questioning the company’s integrity. The problem is, they never provided any solid evidence of the violation. I’ve requested official documentation from the police, not just a receipt from Europcar, but so far, I’ve received nothing substantial.
Throughout this ordeal, I’ve reached out several times in hopes of resolving the situation, but all I’ve received are generic, unhelpful responses such as "Your satisfaction is our priority, and we hope to continue to earn your trust." Clearly, these phrases mean nothing, as the company shows no real interest in actually addressing customer concerns.
In conclusion, I’m deeply disappointed by how I’ve been treated. The company's practices are deceitful, lacking transparency, and dismissive of customer trust. I would strongly advise others to avoid this company at all costs.”
“I deeply regret not researching Europcar before booking. This company is an absolute disaster, and any negative reviews you’ve read don’t even come close to describing how awful they are. Their customer service is shockingly incompetent, their processes are a joke, and they sneak in outrageous, unauthorized charges on your card. The pricing on their site is outright deceptive, riddled with hidden clauses designed to rip you off. Europcar is the epitome of shady business practices, and I genuinely hope this company shuts down permanently. Do yourself a favor and stay as far away as possible!”
“I booked a car at least two months ago for my Puerto Rico trip, but they said that they ran out of cars and did not provide a car to me. They even refused to refund without providing the service.”
“I hired a van from the Wallisdown, Dorset branch, and the experience was nothing short of infuriating. Almost immediately after driving off, the door sensor alarm started blaring non-stop. No matter how many times I opened and closed the door, the alarm wouldn’t shut off. I was on a strict schedule, so I had no choice but to deal with the unbearable noise for the duration of my rental. I didn’t mention it right away, but when I returned the vehicle, I reported the issue, only to be told that because I had already checked the van back in, I would need to contact Head Office.
After numerous frustrating emails, Head Office’s response was to offer me a voucher for future use—as if I would ever consider renting from you again! To top it off, the voucher comes with the delightful note that I can't even use it to hire a van. How utterly ridiculous. The hours of distress caused by that incessant, faulty sensor left both myself and my passenger with searing headaches. As an act of goodwill, I’d expect at least some form of compensation, yet here I am, left with nothing but a sour taste in my mouth. You’ve completely failed to address the issue, and I won’t be returning.
And as a side note, I booked for a 2-day rental but returned the van after just one day. Yet, somehow, the staff "forgot" to inform me that the price wouldn't reflect a full refund, not even close to half the cost. It's shocking how careless and dishonest this entire experience has been.
BONUS ISSUE
Low Oil Sensor Warning: To make matters worse, the low oil sensor also activated during my rental. This raises serious concerns about the vehicle’s roadworthiness and the quality of maintenance checks your fleet undergoes before being rented out to customers.”
“Despite renting a fully insured car from Europcar switzerland , agreement number 50873110 with the highest insurance coverage, I faced a serious safety issue due to a faulty satnav that led me over a dangerous mountain route. When I called Europcar Assistance, they failed to respond. I had to involve the police, who sent emergency services to tow the car to safety, costing me 200 CHF. To my shock, Europcar refused to cover the towing charges and provided zero support throughout the ordeal. Extremely disappointing experience with no accountability or customer support”
“My van was cancelled the night before I needed it. I had saved money to.pay for it, which I had paid for in advance and saved money for petrol. My refund would not be received until following week so therefore had no money to rent another. Absolutely disgraceful business ethics. Don't use them!”
