Europcar London Heathrow Airport

I use the Europcar Airport Connect service to get from Norwich to LHR to access cheaper flights than the prohibitively expensive KLM flights going from Norwich. The Airport Connect is cheaper than a regular one-way (typically £35 day hire plus £40 one-way surcharge) and easy to book. The free LHR bus service and ease of pick-up and drop-off are great and all in all it's a much better option than five hours on a bus or three hours and around £80 on trains and tubes.

rented a car at Heathrow to find it had no jack or spare wheel.. and no the tyres were not flat runs. told on return that this is normal. God almighty what would have happened nighttime on a norfolk road.. was I supposed to sleep in the car ? the car was good.. the service was good, but this, well its pitiful

The car is what we expect but it took FOREVER to fill out the paperwork......why so long?????

"My family and I arrived without a booking from our flight. Initially we were told that there were no available cars due to the Easter weekend. But Maria was very compassionate seeing that we had 3 young children and more than 8 pieces of luggage manage to get us an estate car that was automatic; all to fit our needs. this was our first time using the company and although you don't provide courtesy collection and/or drop off service we would consider using the company again if needed."

Standing at Europcar Gatwick as we speak on the first day of the half term holidays following a journey of multiple delays and queues and we have finally arrived at the Europcar desk to collect our car and drive into the sunset.....but no. There are 2 out of 6 desks occupied and a non air conditioned room full of bored and fed up customers - some of them asleep they have been waiting so long for one of the 2 poor worn out staff to serve them (and us) on one of the busiest travelling days of the year. Well at least they were the cheapest of all the rental agencies at Gatwick......oh wait no!! They were actually the dearest � so disappointed!

I made an email booking with Europcar on Thursday 6th July 2017 stating that I would like to book a hire car to be collected from Barcelona airport on Saturday 12th August at midday and returned on Saturday 19th August at 15:00.



I later amended this in writing to a return time on Saturday 19th at 16:00.



To make the booking, I emailed the Europcar office in Barcelona, who sent through a quotation.



The quotation stated a return time on Saturday 19th August at midday, but all other details were correct.



In my response to the quotation, I stated that the return time should be 16:00, but that all other details were correct.



I didn't get a response about changing the return time and so a few days later I emailed to clarify this point. I received no response.



Some time later, I emailed once again and received no response.



As it turned out, I collected the car at 10:56 on Saturday 12th August and returned the car at 15:45 on Saturday 19th August.



I have since received (And had withdrawn from my account) a charge of £23.65 for the late return.



I emailed customer services and later received a call from the lady I booked through at Europcar.



During the conversation, I explained to the lady that I had specifically requested a return time of 16:00 as it corresponded with my flight time.



I also mentioned the emails I had sent her attempting to clarify this point.



The lady became very defensive and proceeded to get very aggressive. She shouted at me down the phone that I would not get a refund and that, "If you think you can do better, go somewhere else!".



The lady also said that she was going to contact customer services and tell them that if I contacted them, they were to ignore me and not issue a refund.



I emailed customer services and got a response saying that they agreed with the lady.



I have since sent three emails presenting my case and complaining about the lady's conduct on the phone, but have received no response.



I feel that I have been unfairly dealt with as I tried on a number of occasions to clarify the return time so as to avoid a charge.



However my emails were ignored and I have now been penalised.

picking up and dropping off car was a good experience , but the extra charges to credit card 2 weeks later was not . have spent toooo long on phone and emails to sort it out. for some reason only they would know about , they have recharged me for my hire , the credited the same amount back , each transaction incurring a service charge from the credit card company , so now dealing with europcar call centres in Australia/Phillipines or where ever they are based.

We booked a family car for our three children (6,8 yo and 5month old baby) and us and when we landed (and had 1,5hour to rush to Brighton for a funeral) the person in charge told us that the Skoda we booked was unavailable and that they would upgrade us to another family car. He said it would only cost 50£ more. We were in a hurry, the baby was hungry and the kids tired so we signed. Then he said we needed an extra insurance and added another 45£.

When we got outside, the car was actually a Jaguar. And what we signed was actually for ONE DAY. So in a few Minutes, the guy « upgraded us » from a 300£ reservation (which is already more than the flights from Geneva), to a 600£ one.

We had no time to go back and negotiate as we were only coming to England for a funeral.

The worst part was driving pass the Skoda we booked when we left.

We felt like fools. And you got us. We travel a lot, and you can be sure that this is the last time we spend a penny at Europecar. And I’ll make sure nobody I know does either.



I’m not angry with the young fella that fooled us, as I am sure that this is part of his training.

This guys are thieves!! I rent a car in gatwick airport for one day for 25 pounds and they mark me two small scratches in both front lateral wheels that I did not do it (drive 100 miles throught higway all the time) and they charged me 480€!!! at the same time the depossit of 250 pounds they take 30 pounds when refund and I do not yet why. The answer when you ask is that this is the contract and life.

One week later I rent a car again and the charge the diposit and I am still waiting for the pay back !!! I am not going to choose europcar anymore!! please avoid to give money this dishonest company!!

Stay away from this car rental service. I prebooked and paid a vauxhall which allegedly was not available and they gave me an upgrade which I did not even want. It was not made clear to me that the upgrade would cost me additionally. When I returned from my vacation to the UK I was shocked that the upgrade in itself was more expensive than the car I had originally paid for. They also offered me the option to pay in my currency (€) which unknown to me is just another scheme of theirs to rip you off. I contacted costumer service but they just told me to get in contact with the company I used to make the reservation ( which has nothing to do with this upgrade). Has anyone ever gotten their money back from Europcar?

Reading through all of these reviews seeing that so many people have had the same issue my wife and I have. There are many dishonest people working for this rental agency. We got a rental car from London Heathrow and I had gotten car rental insurance through my travel insurance. The representative at the desk told me that I had to take our insurance through them and they did not accept third party insurance. I felt pressured to just take it even though I knew something felt wrong as my wife and one year old son were waiting with all of our bags (just getting off a flight from New York City). I had a long drive up to the Lake District and needed to get on the road. Already prepaid for the car otherwise would have immediately took our business elsewhere. So that being said we were charged £540 for a 12 day rental for insurance we already had through our travel insurance. That’s £40 a day!!!! Also make sure you go around the car with the representative before you sign the yellow waiver form. They made me sign this at the desk and had a guy just hand me the keys once he had brought it around. They will also push you for upgrades you don’t actually need and tell you that car isn’t available so you have to go for another one.

This is absolutely disgraceful and with this type of disrespect for customers we will never use this company again.

Most ridiculous crap I had from a car rental company. Had a email confirmation for a booking. But two days before my pick up, I called in to check on some details but was told that the booking was never confirmed. Would have given Zero star if there was this option. Would never use Europcar again.

Majorley ripped off by car hire place at Heathrow, the upgrade they said would cost me £120 the same as the cost of the sat nav, due to them not having the small car ld booked, turned out to be three times the cost. And l got screwed on the insurance which cost me another £400 when insurance came with the car. All l wanted was the little fiat, l already paid for, plus a sat nav. Dont feel comfortable drive a big car. Thank goodness, just managed to swap the four door ford focus, at reading for the two door fiat 500 ld originally booked fingers crossed l can get some of the xtra money lve paid back. Such fun

Ludicrously slow service. Staff are focused only on upselling insurance products and upgrades instead of focusing on delivering efficient service. Definitely one to avoid. A whole world away from the efficient service you get at Hertz and Enterprise.

I came over to see my family from NZ by myself with 2 children in July. Holiday was amazing and we got caught on the motorway on the way to handing the car back!! When I got to the europcar depot the guy was very helpful and said go and get on the bus madam I will empty the car. Everything was emptied out apart from my 2 kids car seats which I had bought all the way over from NZ. Since arriving back in Nz I have rang europcar many times and have now had to get my dad (who lives in the Uk) to keep calling them to see when he can pick them up. He and I have been fobbed off many times. One person even said the car seats had been hired out through their company !!!!! How can someone lost property a) go missing and b) be hired out through the company when they aren’t even the seats that the company hire out ??? The car seats are very expensive and we’re brand new !!! EUROPCAR I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU ASAP AS TO WHERE MY CAR SEATS ARE!!!!

Highly recommend you give this crowd a miss. Service is severely lacking and my sympathies to the staff who have no power to put even the simplest things right. A company that takes money when it chooses and then refuses to admit it was wrong. The most expensive 35 pounds you've ever earnt Europcar - I will never use you again and will pass this on to everyone I know. Just a dumb way to do business.

Good service by the staff where the cars are hired from.

Appalling after-care when trying to deal with a traffic infringement. They didn't send me all the necessary details and don't read (or understand) repeated messages emailed to them. Traffic infringement cancelled by the council in question, Europcar refuse to refund me, contrary to their terms and conditions.

Will be happy to pay more for a hire company which actually listens to its customers, and that's what I'll be doing next time.

Forty mins and waiting. Ten people ahead of me - five mins per person. So I guess about another hour to wait. Staff seem nice but nowhere near enough and/or inefficient collection process.

DISGUSTING CUSTOMER SERVICE. Refused a car because my friend didn’t hold a british license only an Australian and did not have “valid identification” even though she had a passport, a drivers license, two bank cards and a proof of address in the UK then when I suggested changing the booking into my name as I am a British citizen with a international license and hold a British passport as ID, had proof of address and had already paid for the car, they said they only accept British licenses and the ID wasn’t enough so we could not get any car at all??? It does not state this on their website or anywhere on the booking documents provided and upon booking the car, I asked are Australian licenses and international drivers licenses and/or permits enough and they said yes no problem at all. I also confirmed what ID they needed and they said a bank card and a drivers license is all they require.



They also requested to see the ID and drivers license of the passenger even though they weren’t driving and had nothing to do with the booking ???



By this point we did not even want to rent a car with this joke of a company and demanded a refund, they confirmed we would get a refund yet would take a few days so we were stranded at Heathrow airport with no car and no money, their staff were laughing and mimicking us.



Now day 5 and I am still having to chase them up by phone to get my money back. Been told daily a contact member will call me back, never happens. staff are less than helpful, informative, rude and lack any sense of people skills. Have contacted ombudsman and will take this