Europcar Reviews 

Downright dishonest and incompetent! I rented a car which received a stone chip on the windscreen the size of a fingernail. Instead of fixing it there and then, it continued to be rented out for more than 2 months before getting fixed and the chip had become a full windscreen crack. I have been invoiced $2,600 for a full windscreen replacement. Absolutely disgusting.

Very small / very busy office in Downtown Auckland, collected car after waiting for the que in reception to go down, we were queuing outside for some time, the problem with this company is the ONE WAY DROP OFF FEE ….. why ? How many people tour NZ and go back to where they started ?, surely driving from one end of North Island to the other would help people coming over from the South Island who are doing the trip the other way round using hire vehicles ! So Europecar , how do you justify the Extortionate 862 NZD , just want to make people aware, so please read your hire contract carefully.

Had a situation where I dropped a vehicle earlier than the time allocated. And was sent an invoice with a fuel charge, late fee and was told that I had dropped the vehicle in an entirely different region. Had disputed it and sent evidence thinking it was resolved and then was sent another invoice with money being taken out of my account. Called the customer service number and explained the situation, the customer service representative sounded like she wasn't aware of the evidence I had put forward - i'm assuming their database isn't up to date - because she started telling me what was on the original invoice when in fact, I had received confirmation 2 days prior that the dispute was resolved and the charges on a late fee and fuel charge will be transferred back to my account. Was then sent an email saying that the amount taken out of my account was reflective of the final cost but the invoice still included fuel charges.
It's almost a month later and I'm tired of being put from customer service representative to customer service representative who are not kept in the loop of what is going on. It's just tiring now and stupidly exhausting.

I'm disappointed because I thought the person who had served me was really good but I'm still having to debate an invoice on a car that I dropped early with a full tank and handed the car keys directly to the woman who served me.

Book-keeping is just appalling. Would not recommend unless you have time to dispute everything - despite the fact that the car I hired had a GPS and can clearly show that I didn't go anywhere near the region I supposedly dropped it off. I was just lucky I had receipts. Wouldn't blame the customer service representatives because they're just doing their job but the lack of internal communication is disappointing.

Please can someone speak to the bosses at Europcar and explain there has been a cyclone in NZ, we are being told to return our car to Napier airport or face a £400+ charge to return it to a different location, people have died, the police have advised us the roads are closed and not to risk alternative routes to Napier, please have some respect Europcar

AVOID, AVOID AVOID.
They charged me 1424 dollars more than what was agreed on and what I signed for and then, 14 days after, I havent recieved my money and they have charged my account 518 dollars more from there branch in Chrischurch. All I get is system generated emails and answer from a lady called Shafida who says she will sent an email to customer relations regarding the problem.
AVOID AT ALL COST

Car was filthy and missing maps. Staff useless and lied to her repeatedly. Emails ignored

Booked car via my travel agent in UK...one for North Island one for South Island ...initial pick up at Auckland Airport...arrived on time after two long flights from UK via Dubai...YEP I was tired ...the staff at Auckland Airport were very nice YOUNG women who frankly hadn't got a clue !!...car booked for pick up at 10am ...they said 12pm...showed them the booking docs ...waste of time ...so after getting annoyed I gave in and was told could take 45 mins to get a car...went back..queued for 1.5 hours ....FINALLY got keys...went to pick up area ...Wrong car...just could not bother to walk back to kiosk...number of irate people in pick up area asking " where is my car..I have been waiting for 2 hours ?"...just got in the car and drove off.

Dropped car off in Wellington to get the ferry to South Island ...again total confusion ...BUT Ian their rep was great and after a longish wait sorted the next car...all fine.

When I dropped the car off in Wellington I was rushing so did not refill tank to full...was 3/4 full...accepted there would be a charge for topping up and higher than normal pump charge ...BUT just received invoice for 252.49 NZD ...44 litres at 4.99...plus tax....you could not get 252.49 NZD in the car if totally empty...What a joke and I feel rip off...Have emailed Europcar to ask for explanation ....TOTALLY UNDERWHELMED with these guys as a Company...I have rented cars all over the world and will NEVER use this Company again !!

Booked a vehicle, received confirmation of reservation. Fly into Akld domestic airport and the Europcar rental facility only one that is closed. Immediately red flag, phone customer service to be told, they have no cars available now. Was not emailed or phoned beforehand. Stranded as all the other car rental places have no available cars. Europcar you are a disgrace. You shouldn’t be in business.

Booked car 3 months ago, paid extra for out of hours pick at Palmerston North airport. On arrival counter un-attended with sign with cell number to call. This number not answered on multiple calls. Rang the call centre who advised my booking was not confirmed. My emails beg to differ I explain. But not a care given by anyone. Luckily one of their competitors saw me and came to the rescue. Never again would I attempt to use this rotten unprofessional company.

No car available
Booked car in August for November.
Arrived to be told that the vehicle is not on site, but will be available in 30 minutes. 30 minutes later, no car. Lady at check-in decked asked if the car is available only to be told by a grinning colleague, no, of course not. We don't have any. Was offered a different car which was not suitable. (Do not want a SUV or a Ute). As there was no other option, we reluctantly took the only car available, with a promise that we should be able to exchange it for the model we booked at the downtown office. Called the service number only to be told that the office is closed on a Sunday! Other people were in the same position, but what can you do if you need a car and you are at the mercy of these non-caring, truth bending staff members.

Not sure if this location is as shady as the rest but I would assume it's a company-wide thing... I've never felt so cheated in all of my time in Asia...

Here is my experience: I am very disappointed with the service from Europcar in Auckland and Wellington...Stay away from this company at all costs!... Upon receiving the car from the airport in Auckland, I had to run back and forth from the domestic and international terminals as there was no one staffed at either location. Once getting someone to show up after 1 hour of waiting with 3 other families, I was attended to. In this interaction, I had a $500+ hold on my account for security which the older gentleman behind me said that he had never heard of before in his life and that they were massively overcharging me. I was concerned as I am a student and just the car rental alone, without the $500 hold was far over my budget. I was obliged as I needed to make my way down to Wellington and there was no other means of affordable transportation.... Fast forward to returning the car back to the Wellington Airport location of Europcar, and I have a surprise fuel charge of over $130 New Zealand Dollars... even though I returned the car near full... that being as much or more than what I originally received the car with... As this is my first time renting a vehicle, I was not aware that many companies will scam you with fraudulent charges if you don't have photographic evidence. I have spoken back and forth with the company and they will not refund me the amount (mind you that the amount they charged me was a FULL tank of gas when I returned it around 4/5 full when I arrived at 2am in Wellington after driving straight for 7 hours), not even part of the amount without an image of how much gas was in the tank when I received it. Seems very strange as the amount received and the amount returned still doesn't justify an ENTIRE tank of gas. I would say stay away from this rental company unless you want to be ripped off. As a broke college student, I'm really unimpressed how companies have retrenched from helping those less economically fortunate in order to make more money. First, you charge me much more than everyone else in the deposit and then you charge me an extreme, unjustified amount in gas... Everyone I've spoken to says it seems very shady.

Recent rental with Europcar New Zealand:
- Booked a 6 day rental online originally, and needed to reduce the rental to a 3 day rental at the time of vehicle pick-up
- Actual rental contract for the 3 day rental hiked the price for the reduced 3 day rental materially notwithstanding that the change was done in ample time, a clear 72 hours ahead of commencement of the 2nd half of the original reservation. The price hike took the daily rate to 150% of the originally booked daily rate. The Europcar rental outlet failed to advise of the daily rate change at the time of rental, which is the reasonably expected behaviour -- i.e. no specific advice given to myself of the customer at the time of vehicle pickup on what was indeed a material change in the daily rate. On reviewing the rental contract the day after pickup - having noted the significant price hike -- I attempted to contact Europcar to address the matter. However their customer care number is manned by outsourced services who're completely unable to assist (a bare minimum back-office "answer the call" service but with absolutely no capacity to assist customers or even properly refer matters for prompt resolution). This is not only frustrating but a massive time-waster. I spent 3 hours on calls attempting to reach Europcar New Zealand on 21 June, but eventually gave up on that process and had to devolve engagement to a complaints-level process. All of the above is entirely contrary to the spirit of consumer law in New Zealand (Fair Trading Act), and hence I am referring the matter to the relevant regulatory authority for attention/ notification. Europcar New Zealand clearly is positioning itself to sail very close to the wind on consumer law compliance, and hence consumers need to adopt a very keen "buyer beware" attitude when dealing with this car rental agency. This attitude is also so "not New Zealand" and hence I am taking the step to exclude Europcar rental as a car rental option going forward.

Son una completa estafa , nos quería cobrar un depósito de casi 20 mil pesos y un seguro carisimo de 900 pesos el día , reserve y me estafaron con mi reservación , un fraude total .

The worst customer service experience I have ever experienced by manager Chris, absolutely disgusting, and the person who initially answered the call Salvador Gumera was also very rude when asking to speak to a manager would not allow me to request one until he had a file number, which he already had and then said it’s up to HIS DISCRETION whether I speak to a manger. Be aware that they charge $45 for a premium fee in Dunedin, in Auckland it’s $6 for the airport barrier fee in Wellington you just pay for a car park which is far less than $45. Also their prices for fuel are through the roof at $5.14 per L. The person behind the desk complaining how tired she is drinking a large v and would rather create a friendly conversation than doing her job and highlighting the important things in a contract that every other company I’ve hired from has mentioned, instead she would rather talk about her studies and her life in general, and not pointing out these things that are in a contract. It’s not feasible standing around for 30 minutes reading every fine detail which should have been pointed out! Every other car/truck rental company I’ve booked with have always pointed out these things every time! Be aware of this company save your money and go somewhere else! Oh and if you wanna be ripped off from a quote of $370 to a end payment of over $535+ Rent your car through these guys! Your guaranteed to be ripped off left right and centre!

My husband was issued a car from this company via Mercedes breakdown service after a tyre issue with our car. They brought a car to our property the next day 3/2/20 at 10am the car was already damaged as noted by the driver , the exterior of the car was also very dirty. He then returned the car back the same day at 5pm to Mercedes 3 miles away in Llandudno junction as requested as our own car had been repaired and was ready to collect at the same time. They then emailed a few day after stating that there was damage to the car and they were charging my husband for it ,he spoke to someone in Leicester and they were still adamant that he had done the so called damage on the car. He then emailed back saying that it was ridiculous and that he was refusing to pay this for no wrong of his own and especially as he had only driven back the car on the same day a mere 10 minute drive away!! They are now going to take £290 for no damaged caused by him at all. This is a disgrace and we will also be taken the matter further with Mercedes as im sure they will have a contract with Europcar and would not want there customers being treated like this.

From start to finish the service we received from this company was appalling, including the car which was dangerous!

To begin with the branch were given all the wrong details of our on-line booking, listed as one day hire not 4 days etc!

The car, a Holden Explorer with 2,500Km on the clock, slowly turned into a death trap; turn a corner and the car would brake hard and try to automatically park! Umpteen warning lights and alarms continually sounded at unpredictable times, dropping out of 4 wheel drive on corners, at other times the drive itself would inexplicably drop out and not re-engage, leaving a car load of people coasting along a busy road with no connection between the engine and the wheels! The solution to all these issues was to stop the car, switch off the engine and restart, which was incredibly dangerous whilst driving on the west coast road in pouring rain. Clearly not user error!

We asked for assistance and were told we would have to drive back further than our forward journey, roadside assistance was refused! So we pushed ahead hoping the next day would be better. By the time we got off the ferry at Wellington the car no longer changed gear, so we screamed along the road, alternator and other lights kept coming on and turning a corner lead to the car braking hard and trying to go into automated parking routine; restarting the car was the only solution but this lasted only a minute or two before it would act up again. Driving across Wellington to return the car around rush hour was hard work and continually dangerous!

The manager of Wellington Branch drove the car and agreed that everything I had said was correct, nothing a driver could do (mistakenly push a button etc) could bring on the list of issues we had, and said he would talk to the manufacturer and get back to me.

I spoke to customer services several times before leaving NZ, I was assured every time that a colleague would contact me, but nobody ever did. Weeks later, I'd still heard nothing and so contacted "Customer Services" in the UK. Following this I received an email from one staff member asking the NZ branches if they should offer me a refund, apologise or both, clearly an email that was not meant to have been sent to me; even running a customer service enquiry is beyond them? Since that time, despite chasing it up again with the same member of staff, I have heard nothing! Not a word!

Branch staff were clearly accustomed to covering for central booking services and so-called" customer service" mistakes, but as yet we have received no customer service at all, and were left to drive along the busy west coast road in a very dangerous vehicle.

When a car hire company cannot respond appropriately to customer's booking details, concerns or complaints, you have to start asking questions? When they also provide dangerous vehicles you have to ask if the company is fit for purpose? The only thing that went smoothly was the deduction from my credit card!

Stay well clear; our family road trip on the other side of the world turned into a nightmare thanks to this crowd!

Get their insurance as otherwise you WILL be charged for supposed damage (even a chip on windscreen that will necessitate full replacement - think something like that one would notice when it happens?). COMPLETE SCAM!

Europcar Queenstown, Picton and Wellington: Good cars, very friendly staff, efficiënt working, hardly any waiting time. Great!