Europcar?

[Jonzjob]

It looks like they have been naughty boys and girls and lining their pockets?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4635826/Europcar-accused-fraudulently-inflating-repair-costs.html

[woolybanana]

I suspect they may not have been the only ones; the whole business is rotten to the core.

[Daft Doctor]

If you are planning to hire a car in France or elsewhere, the best way to avoid any potential issues like this is to either:

1. Take out an annual insurance policy (with someone like Questor) covering all car hire excess costs with unlimited number of rentals (cost aroung 55 euros per year) or

2. If you have a French gold visa card (all banks tend to offer one) and you pay for the hire with it, car hire excess insurance is free with the card.

In fact, with a French gold visa card, there is also comprehensive travel insurance and mountain sports insurance included, which makes the 120 euros per year fee for the card reasonable value....

[woolybanana]

Good to know, DD, thanks.

[Jonzjob]

[quote user="woolybanana"]I suspect they may not have been the only ones; the whole business is rotten to the core.[/quote]

Wooly you are a complete sinycque ! You know as well as I do that all of the hire car companies are as white as the driven over snow [:-))]

We have had a yearly hire insurance for several years now and it's not been needed but still worth the huge reduction compaired with the hire company rip offs. About £40/year if I remember correctly?

We only have debit cards and they cost enough! It's about time the French banks enered the 20th century, never mind the 12st, with their charges.

[frexpt]

Had 600€ debited from our account last month by Europcar / Enterprise, as payment for a minor scrape, even though we had taken the additional insurance to cover any excess....and that was on top of the 250€ deposit.

Lodged complaints through both UK and French offices and despite being told that the mistake was being rectified immediately, it has taken 6 weeks of constant nagging to get the money back.

This follows on from Cargo (van hire) debiting 1000€ "in error" when they took a card swipe security deposit a couple of years ago. I was told that the agent didn't fully understand how to use the card machine.....no apology offered.