Thieves! But they didnt get away with it!
Written: Oct 08 '06
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Lowest rate.
Cons: They literally tried to steal from me!
The Bottom Line: Don't use them, and if you have no alternative, don't trust them!
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| caper13's Full Review: Europcar |
I was flying through Zaventem Airport in Brussels and wanted to visit the grave of my Great Grandfather buried in a WW1 Military cemetery about 1.5 hours drive away (arranged for an 8 hour layover to do this). I rented the car from EuropCar at the airport (they were the cheapest but still ridiculously expensive, cost me about $150 for an 8 hour rental of a subcompact car). Anyway, the car was nice and I drove out to the graveyard, spent my time there and then drove back to the airport. The car never left my sight the entire time and at no time was I more than about 20 yards away from it. Anyway, on return I checked back in, and the guys just took the keys and told me I could go. I asked them if they wanted to inspect the car (Having heard horror stories about people being dinged for mysterious damage after they left the country) and they said no. I insisted they inspect the car now and sign off that there was no damage. A guy reluctantly agreed and went out and then claimed there was a dent under the door. I couldn't even see it even when looking closely...all you could see was the slightest wave in the reflection of the light shining above the car in the metal bar below the door! He started trying to tell me it probably happened in a parking lot or something when I was away from the car. I told him that I wasnt in an accident and the car never left my sight the entire time and there was never any car parked even near it and that "IF" there was damage to the car (I still maintained there was no damage), it was there when they gave it to me. He even admitted the damage might have already been there in the morning, but he just shrugged and said that since I didn't buy their insurance, I was responsible for any damage they found unless I noted it on my rental agreement before leaving it with the car (Note: there was no one there to shine lights along the length of the car looking for waves in the reflections when I took the car out!!!). They said they would just add whenever damage amount they figured was correct to my credit card and that was that. Well, I had heard of this scam before, so before I took the car out in the morning, I took photos of the car (about 20 of them) with my digital camera, and I took a bunch when I returned it (especially zooming in on the spot they claimed was "damaged", though you couldn't see anything wrong in any of the "damaged" photos). When I got back to the US, I disputed the damage charge with American Express telling them the circumstances and that I had before and after photos. Amex refused to honor their charge and it was officially reversed today with EuropCar posting a credit back to my card for their "damage" (I agreed to pay the original rental charges). Here is a warning though to anyone renting a car in Europe. Take photos before and after. That is the only thing that saved me. And insist on having them do a damage check when you return and signing off on the car. EuropCar does this to a lot of people and it is nothing short of theft. Obviously, I will never do business with them again but wanted to warn others. The ironic part of this, is that the only reason I was renting their stupid car was to visit a Canadian soldier who died defending their country in 1916 and they use that occasion to try to steal from me.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
caper13
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Reviews written: 3
Trusted by: 0 members
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