Europcar Reviews 

If I could give minus points I would do so here. No interest in customers, what they need or what they want. Loads of hidden charges and the queues at terminals are just ridiculous - a ticket system in this day and age!! I was in Dublin this weekend and it was nothing short of a nightmare / disgrace. Manager walking around yawning whilst 60+ customers wait over an hour and a half for a car they have already paid for. I will never use this company again and I advise others to go elsewhere.

Absolute trash - got a fine for cross blackwall tunnel and Europcar just paid it and slapped on a £50 'handling fee'. No opportunity given to appeal it or to pay it directly.

Always a terrible experience with this company. You’d think the experience would be better in different countries, but it’s always the same. Inefficient, long waits, rude service and terribly maintained cars. I don’t know how they stay in business. Rent elsewhere.

I do not recommend dealing with this branch. Based on my experience, I found their handling of my case to be unprofessional, lacking transparency, and deeply disappointing. They delayed addressing my concerns, failed to provide the documentation I repeatedly requested, and only informed me of an alleged issue after I repeatedly asked why my security deposit had not been released. This experience completely destroyed my trust in this branch.
I have been a Europcar customer since 2013. This is the worst experience I have ever had with the company.

I returned the vehicle on Saturday, 1 August 2026, using the official after-hours key drop because the Bratislava Airport office was closed.

I documented the vehicle’s condition with photographs before leaving. The vehicle was returned with a full fuel tank.

On Monday, 3 August, my €800 security deposit had still not been released.

Europcar did not contact me.

Europcar did not inform me of any problem with the vehicle.

I was the one who contacted the branch repeatedly asking why my security deposit had not been released.

Only after my repeated requests did Europcar, for the first time, claim that there was a brown stain on a seat and that they intended to charge me €200 for “Extra Cleaning.”

I immediately requested evidence.

They did not send the photograph until after I specifically demanded proof.

I requested:

* the vehicle inspection report,
* the Damage Report,
* dated inspection photographs,
* proof that professional upholstery cleaning had actually been carried out,
* documents supporting the €200 cleaning charge.

None of these documents were provided.

The only documents I eventually received were:

* one photograph,
* and later an invoice containing a €200 “Extra Cleaning” charge.

I purchased separate RentalCover insurance for exactly this type of situation.

However, RentalCover requires official documents such as the Damage Report and inspection documents before processing a claim.

Because Europcar failed to provide those documents despite repeated requests, I have been unable to submit a complete insurance claim.

Instead of simply releasing my deposit or providing the required documentation, I spent days repeatedly requesting basic documents that should already exist if such a charge is justified.

This experience has cost me time, caused unnecessary stress, and delayed my ability to recover my money
The way this case was handled has completely destroyed my confidence in this branch. Customers deserve transparency, proper documentation, and timely communication—not unexplained delays followed by unsupported charges only after they start asking about their deposit.

They did not have the suv that I reserved and forced me to take a luxury model that cost me $1500. more for the two weeks! This was in London Heathrow. Stay away

Horrible experience!

I booked a car through Expedia but when I got to there I was refused my rental because I did not have an international driver's license. This requirement was NOT clearly stated when I rented the car but rather buried in the fine print which we all know no one actually reads.

They did say they would refund me my money but after multiple emails and 2 visits to the rental counter this was also refused. Now I'm out $500 and they left me stranded at the airport with no car and 3 young children!

I am extremely disappointed with their customer service and the way they treat their customers. After returning the car, I was charged unexpected amounts that were never mentioned beforehand and were added without any prior notice. There is no one to talk to, and when you do manage to reach someone, the communication is rude and arrogant. I strongly advise anyone considering this company to think twice before using their services. I sincerely hope that I will never have to use their services again.

I also hope that my review, including those I intend to leave on other platforms, will help future customers make the right choice when selecting a car rental company and avoid similar unexpected charges and poor treatment.

Cheating is the Business Model for Europcar. They say something and charge something else.

DO NOT USE EUROPCAR. If I could rate this company zero or negative rating I would. We used Gatwick airport branch and were completely scammed by the assistant into paying almost double the original booking cost. We were told there was a deposit amount and that the initial insurance we had selected was only applicable to US nationals. Upon checking this was absolutely fabricated - the insurance we had selected was applicable to us as UK citizens and the deposit amount transpired not to be a deposit but additional charges. we have spent four weeks chasing this only to have "customer services" come back and refuse to correct the matter. Clearly staff are trained to get additional sales by any method and the company has unethical practices integrated throughout the company. DO NOT USE EUROPCAR.
We are now starting legal proceedings.

No customer should be expected to "bring in an expert" or spend an hour inspecting a rental vehicle for defects at the time of collection, particularly when the vehicle is parked in a poorly lit area with extremely limited space due to other cars being parked immediately on both sides. The level of scrutiny apparently applied during the return inspection seems designed more to reduce the amount refunded or increase charges to customers than to conduct a fair and reasonable assessment of the vehicle's condition.

Whether I rent from Europcar again, or recommend that my company continues using Europcar's services, will depend entirely on how this matter is resolved.

The vehicle was collected at Madrid Atocha on 31 July 2026. It was impossible to carry out a proper inspection because of the inadequate lighting in the car park and the extremely limited space between adjacent vehicles. The rental lasted only a few hours, during which I drove directly to my destination (522 km) without any incident. This is confirmed by your own documentation, which records that no accident occurred and that I refused to sign the return documentation ("customer refused to sign") because I completely disagreed with the alleged damage assessment. I immediately filed a formal complaint at the Europcar office where the vehicle was returned.

Furthermore, the initial vehicle condition report contained handwritten alterations and corrections, which seriously undermine its reliability as evidence. In order to demonstrate that the alleged damage was pre-existing, I have formally requested copies of all photographs taken of the vehicle immediately before it was handed over to me, including their original metadata, as well as the relevant CCTV footage from the car park.

I have submitted both my formal objection and my complaint to Europcar's Customer Service Department. I also reserve my right to publicly document this case on consumer forums and social media platforms in order to expose practices relating to charges for pre-existing vehicle damage ("car rental damage scams"). Any such publication will be made in the exercise of my right to freedom of expression and will be based exclusively on truthful, documented facts.

On December 20th 2025 I hired a vehicle from Europcars which was returned January 3rd, 2026 in the Western Cape. Upon return I was told that everything is in order and there was nothing outstanding. I was notified of the credit on system that was due to be paid out shortly.

After waiting the whole of January nothing was refunded. I contacted the Cape Town branch who kept giving very vague answers. Mid-February I decided to contact their head office in Gauteng. I eventually got paid in March (3 months later). But that is not my biggest issue I had with Europcars.

A few months later I got an email stating I owed them money. The emails came through everyday with different numbers to contact and signed of by a different person. Wanting to make sure I am not being scammed I checked the contact details, which did pull up with a scam profile but I contacted it regardless to get to the bottom of the issue. That number did not exist!!!!

So, I dropped everything presuming it was a scam. Come Monday 3rd August 2026 I get an email threatening me that I am being handed over to the lawyers. I called Head office again and spoke to someone in the accounts department and when I informed the agent of the scenario, they were also shocked that my “owing” amount was not deducted from the credit refunded to me in March. The agent also informed me that they don’t have a direct line to call and that I can only speak to them through email. I emailed them the same day to ask why was the amount due not deducted from the credit that was refunded? What was the amount for? And why this hidden amount was not communicated to me whenever I spoke to them?

Well, it’s no surprise that the email did not go through with the two provided email addresses that I have been harassed with for months! So now I don’t know how I should contact Europcars collections department because suddenly no one is communicating to me via email.

It’s not about the money that needs to be paid its about the dishonest business practices and not applying the TCF principles to their customers.

I emailed customer service that I would be arriveing a day late, and when I arrived they siad I emialed the wrong placce and that my car was no longer available. They charged me an upgrade fee which was the same amount as a whole new rental. Then and additional $200 for a paint streak on the car. Overall customer service was terrible and I would go anywhere else.

What a rip off. I thought, after paying a deposit, that we had £153.54 to pay. Plus they said they needed card details for £200 deposit. Because we had travelled by train, which was five minutes late arriving, meaning that we were two minutes late at the car hire they charged us £60 late collection fee. Then they added other items and wanted a £700 deposit. So instead of £153.54 they took £1,025.74. Really angry. Plus we had asked for a manual car and they provided an automatic. Useless and unprofessional company.
UPDATE Having sent a complaint Europcar said we had been offered the extras - not so, they were just added. Plus, I discovered a charge for fuel (on a car that we took with a full tank and returned with a full tank). They agreed to refund the fuel charge - by taking £325 from my account and reimbursing the £336. Why not just send the refund?

We booked a rental via booking.com for a 7 seater. We travelled and went to pick it up to know that no one was there at the airport we are supposed to pick it up from. We called them, they said there is no reservation at all which does not make sense bec we had a confirmation email. We called booking.com again and they confirmed. We called Europcar again and they said, there is reservation but only for 4 seat car and a 7 seater will be much more expensive. Of course, this is bs.. they changed the story every time. The customer support on the phone ended the call while I was talking and just called it a day. Very unprofessional. Very untrustworthy. Definitely avoid.

Terrible experience. Europcar alleged that the car I rented had been scratched during the rental period. I immediately sent them a video which clearly showed that the scratch had been present before the rental began. Europcar never commented on the video but their customer service dept aggressively pressed the allegation for several days before dropping the claim. I've rented from most of the major companies and numerous independents over the years and never had any issues. This experience has meant that I won't be going near Europcar again.

I returned the vehicle a week early. I wasn’t expecting a full refund, but even a small goodwill gesture or partial refund would have shown that my custom was valued. Unfortunately, nothing was offered, which was disappointing. As a result, I’ll be taking my business elsewhere next time.

Do not use Europcar. in Atlanta and employers were not helpful. Then we rented a four runner which was an upgraded and said it was not ready. Since booked through travelocity they said I would have to talk to them about a refund. after trip europcar says the chevy equinox is the same price and equal car and will not refund The difference. Luckily travalocity is taking the hit and giving me a refund. once at the pic up location they had plenty of upgradable cars they could of put me into. Will never use europcar again.

⚠️ WARNING TO ALL TRAVELERS AT GRAN CANARIA AIRPORT (LPA) ⚠️

I had a highly frustrating and borderline fraudulent experience with Europcar at Las Palmas.

1. Counter Deception: I arrived early, and the agent tried to pressure me into a €50 upgrade fee for a Citroën C3, claiming my booked car wasn't ready. I refused and waited. When my official time arrived, I was handed the keys to the exact same Citroën C3 for free, because it was my standard booked category anyway! They deliberately lied to extort money.

2. Hidden Damages & No Staff: No staff was present in the parking lot for a joint inspection. I was told to take photos myself. The car was heavily scratched. Shockingly, the official damage list was only emailed to me at 20:27—more than an hour AFTER I left the airport!

3. Unjustified Damage Claim: After returning the car, Europcar tried to charge me €219.10 for a pre-existing scratch. Luckily, I made a full video right at pickup, which legally proved my innocence and forced them to cancel the charge.

This is the second time this year (after Lanzarote in February) that Europcar Spain has tried to charge me for pre-existing damages.

ALWAYS record a full video of the car at pickup! Avoid this company if you want a stress-free holiday. Never again.

I was a loyal customer of Europcar (Gatwick). Always liked the fact that I could extend the rental with no fuss at the same rate. Until… something changed so now if you are looking to extend they just see you as someone lined up for some price gouging. And how? £179/24 hrs for lowest spec Fiat 500! (I kid you not). Probably a special price for when they know you don’t have any good alternatives. Beyond Sleazy.

I would do zero stars if i could. a scam would be an understatement. when i booked my car they said there was no underage fee, and that my total cost was $1179 including all fees. after i booked they told me to go to the Fox rental counter, and fox said i only paid $800. when i showed them on my Euroupcar account that i paid $1179 they refused to honor that and told me to contact Europcar (who didnt answer.) Then they slapped an unthinkable amount of hidden fees on me, when my booking literally said including all fees. the underage fee was another $700. Again, this is after my booking specifically said, no underage fee. they also added fees like airport transfer fee (it was already in the airport) and many others. all in all my total was $2400 (SCREAM) which is exceptionally disgusting, considering they literally wrote $1179 including all fees. The impression you get when going to the Fox counter is that they have nothing to do with europcar, even when they are literally owned by europcar. they're super hard to deal with and really arent logical. terrible experience and i hope this reveiw saves you from an exprience like mine.