Europcar
Verified2,126 reviews
- Yes
- ·
- No, I received a worse vehicle
- ·
- No, I received a better vehicle
AI reviews summary
The sentiment regarding Europcar is overwhelmingly negative, characterised by a profound lack of trust and significant frustration with billing practices. While a small number of users noted satisfactory vehicles or helpful front-desk staff in specific locations, the majority of feedback focuses on systemic issues regarding "hidden" fees, aggressive upselling, and a hostile claims process.
Pros
- Vehicle Performance: In instances where the correct vehicle was provided, users generally found the cars to be fuel-efficient, modern, and fit for purpose.
- Specific Staff Interactions: Isolated reports highlight individual staff members at locations like Sydney CBD, Mackay, and Jersey who were helpful and professional.
- Convenient Locations: The presence of desks within major airport terminals and various city branches is noted as a logistical advantage.
Cons
- Dishonest Billing & Hidden Fees: Recurring reports of unauthorised charges after vehicle return, including "Premium Location" surcharges, administration fees for fines already paid, and fuel charges despite vehicles being returned full.
- Aggressive Upselling & "Scam" Upgrades: Frequent complaints regarding staff claiming booked vehicles are unavailable to force customers into expensive upgrades, or misleadingly presenting paid upgrades as "free."
- Unfair Damage Claims: A significant number of users report being charged for pre-existing damage, minor "scuffs", or internal debris (like dust or hair) that the company classifies as damage to retain deposits.
- Poor Dispute Resolution: Customer service is widely described as dismissive, with users reporting "no-reply" emails, bouncing contact forms, and a refusal to acknowledge photographic evidence during disputes.
Verdict
Europcar is frequently described by users as a high-risk rental option due to predatory billing and a lack of transparency in their damage assessment process. Consumers are strongly advised to document every aspect of the vehicle with time-stamped photos and retain all fuel receipts to defend against near-certain post-rental charges.
We received a hire car from Europcar through our insurance provider for a period of 21 days. At the time of collection, we were required to pay a $100 security deposit. Unfortunately, our experience with Europcar was extremely disappointing from the beginning. The customer service representative advised that the rental contract had been sent to… Read more
us; however, it was sent to the wrong email address. Although she assured us that she would resend it, we never received the contract despite following up multiple times.
When we returned the vehicle on 08/06/2026, the staff member simply told us that we were "good to go" and that there was no need to visit the customer service desk. No information was provided regarding the return process, fuel charges, outstanding balances, or the refund of our $100 security deposit.
Concerned about the refund, I contacted customer service on the same day. Unfortunately, the representative appeared confused and was unable to provide clear information. In fact, some of the information he provided seemed unrelated to my rental agreement.
The following day, we discovered that instead of receiving our $100 security deposit back, an additional $100 had been deducted from my account. I immediately contacted customer service to ask why money had been deducted rather than refunded. I was then informed that the charge related to fuel, allegedly amounting to $145.
This explanation raised serious concerns. The vehicle was not supplied with a full tank of fuel when we collected it, yet we are being charged a significant amount for fuel without any prior communication, invoice, receipt, or explanation. In total, Europcar has taken approximately $200 from our account without providing adequate information or documentation to justify these charges.
The lack of communication, poor customer service, failure to provide the rental contract, and unexpected charges have made this the worst rental car experience we have ever encountered.
Based on our experience, we will not be using Europcar again and cannot recommend their services to others.
Customer service & support is non existent… after months of trying to get reimbursed for the car troubles I had whilst using a Europcar vehicle , I still have not had the money returned I was PROMISED, for the vehicle servicing I had to do myself , on the first day of a rental agreement. I can’t even get a response to my emails or a call back after multiple attempts Show details
DO NOT USE EUROPCAR they will slug you with a fuel cost for nothing just because they can , I filled a vehicle with fuel 3 KMs from drop off and they slugged me $65 saying if required 10 litres of fuel @ $6.50 / litre . I emailed all evidence which actually proved there was more fuel in the vehicle when I return than when I picked up . simply filled litres Vs Kms travelled Vs consumption/100Kms . NEVER AGAIN . Show details
Reviews with attachments
READ the fine print!!! The little car hire area was very busy - I get that and I waited patiently in line. I was told they gave me an upgrade - which I didnt really want as it meant higher fuel costs! Upon getting the car I walked around and video the outside and interior - as there was no condition report on the car -which made me worried due to… Read more
the scratches and stained seats. I was not told about the exorbitant fuel fee. The car was filled up - the day before and by the time I got to the airport there was only 1 bar short of a full tank. I took a photo of this. YET I was charged over $80 to fill it up - at over $4.70 per lt. WHAT in the world?? That is just plain ripping us off. I already had to pay extra to bring down the premium I would have had to pay if I had something happen to the car - over $5K excess!! Whos’ got that money just floating around? I rang up to complain about the fuel - but was told that it was their charges and was highlighted to say they told me… NOPE wasn’t told the amount. I WILL NOT use them again. Very angry over the whole ordeal - putting a sour note on my holiday.
Hidden charges – We booked MG MG3 but then gave us KIA SPORTAGE without being asked. Forced me to top up more. The car was dirty upon pick up and inappropriate baby seat for my daughter. Show details
Hired a car at Townsville Airport, the servicemen said to me to ensure that I bring the car back full of fuel. When I got to the car I noticed one bar was missing on the fuel gauge, so I took a photo. When I returned the car, I returned it with all bars displayed on the gauge but the car wasn’t full. However, Europcar charged me $64 for not… Read more
filling it up! As I was angry, I asked that the extra fuel I put it in now I want to be reimbursed and they said to me that when they compared fuel levels from pre and post rental, they were the same. Never again, can only imagine what would happen in an accident.
Never ever hire a car through this company. Hired a car through them and they completely lied and said there was damage. The office never even provided a pre condition report because their system was down but had the audacity to say there was new damage on the return report. What's more laughable was the pathetic "evidence" photos of the… Read more
"damage". See attached.
Called them out on it and they didn't even bother to reply so seems to me that they try this all the time.
Very disappointing experience. On day 1, a “loss of tyre pressure” warning appeared and I had to refill the tyre every 2 days despite reporting it with photo evidence. I returned the car with MORE fuel than received (480km → 520km range), yet I was still wrongly charged $30 for fuel. My deposit has also not been refunded after 7 days. Unhelpful and unprofessional staff. I have photo evidence for everything. I do not recommend this location. Show details
1st Feb 2026 had a car booked through booking.Com for pickup in Darwin Downtown. Arrived ar 11am and the branch was closed. Phoned +61 8 8941 0300 to be connected to the Darwin Airport branch. Was told to go to the airport as the person at downtown was not available. I had to uber to the airport and they will reimburse. When I arrived there was no… Read more
one at the front desk and had to call a number on display for them to assist. The lady arrived, apologised and blamed booking.com for the mess.
She proceeded to confirm a $200 deposit and $300 insurance, which I agreed upon, but then wanted to charge an additional $277 for admin fees and the fact that I am now picking up a car at the airport and not downtown Darwin anymore.I refused to pay that and was then said if I want to cancel I need to take it up with booking.com
It was my first and would be my last experience with them. It left me scrambling to book another car but Avis and East Coast car rental sure made me feel welcome.
We were fined incorrectly by Brisbane council and we have evidence but Europcar does not care that the customer didn't do anything wrong. They charged us $55 for transferring the fine to our name without investigating as it was written in their fine prints (hidden among 1000 words) of their rental agreement that it will incurr an admin fee of $55… Read more
if we get a fine irrelevant if we are at fault.This is not fair and poor customer experience. Very disappointed with the company for not allowing the customer to get refunded if they are not at fault.
Very disappointing and uncomfortable experience. I asked about full cover insurance and was quoted around $80 per day, which I found excessive. I explained calmly that with Hertz, I have previously paid the excess-reduction fee for only the first 2–3 days, after which the rental continued with zero excess for the remainder of the booking without… Read more
further charges. Instead of explaining their policy professionally, the staff member became angry and dismissive, repeatedly saying, “We are Europcar, not other companies.”
The car had many scratches, yet I was told Europcar does not provide photos or written confirmation of vehicle condition. The car was also not clean, despite warnings about cleaning fees.
The staff member repeatedly called me “darling.” When I asked him to stop, he made an inappropriate comment about me not being born or raised in Australia that why I do not like to be called darling. This was offensive and unprofessional. Then I contacted my insurance company to check with them about this hire car company and I figured out he gave wrong info about the amount of the excess I need to pay if I evolve in any accident.
Lack of transparency, poor customer service, and unacceptable behaviour. I would not recommend this location.
- +1
BUYER BEWARE They have your credit card details, seems from all the reviews they have a policy of fallacious charges post contract. In my case they applied 3 x outrageous charges. 1: Abandoning vehicle. When the VW people mover was too high to go to designated underground return location, the office advised us to find a nearby street location,… Read more
obtain parking ticket, provide details of location. We did all this, found a parking spot which was closer than their designated carpark, dropped keys off with photos of parked car, address, 3-hour parking ticket (photos attached). Boom!!!!! Euro135 Abandonment Fee!! After returning keys, having followed their instructions, how is car abandoned???? 2: Cleaning Car: Euro125!! Have hired hundreds of cars - NEVER been charged for cleaning. Had the car for 3 days, was same condition as when we picked it up. 3: Out-of-hours drop off fee: Euro 35. Wow!! Drop off recorded as 10 am on a Wednesday, to an office with 2 staff.
Find out how Europcar compares to other Direct Car Hire
Know better, choose better.
Car did not have any maps or navigation built in and would not reliably connect to phones so there was almost no on board navigation. We got a flat back tyre and found that both back tyres were illegal (see photos) Show details
I want to share my experience to warn other customers about potential issues in Europcar’s damage claims process. After returning a rental vehicle, Europcar notified me that I was liable for tyre damage. I asked for evidence, and they relied on the tyre pressure monitoring (TPMS) alert and a post-return inspection of the tyre as sufficient to hold… Read more
me responsible. I argued this was insufficient, as customers cannot reasonably inspect the inner walls of tyres. If Europcar wants to make claims for tyres, they should take pre- and post-rental photos to fairly attribute liability. (A photo marking the alleged tyre damage in pink was provided by Europcar.)
I escalated to their IDR team, who initially stated: “After a full review of your claim, our final decision is that the charge will stand and no further dispute will be entertained. This matter is now closed within Europcar.” I was issued an invoice but asked them to hold off on payment as I had escalated the matter to AFIA as a neutral third party.
A few days later, Europcar HQ retracted their claim and confirmed I was not liable. However, to this day they have not explained why I was initially deemed responsible or what led to the reversal, despite my requests.
I have serious concerns about the logic of their claims process. Photos of the alleged tyre damage were taken more than 24 hours after the vehicle was returned, and no inspection was conducted with me at the time of return, even though their policy states it should be. There was no evidence that the tyre was not damaged prior to my use, nor any mechanical report showing that the TPMS warning resulted from this alleged damage.
It is not right for customers to be at the mercy of Europcar’s claims department, constantly going back and forth while they decide liability. Using a neutral third party such as AFIA is helpful in providing oversight and ensuring fairness.
This experience caused significant stress and required considerable time and effort to resolve. Based on my experience, I would caution customers to be careful when using Europcar’s services and to engage a neutral third party like AFIA if a claim is made against you to ensure fairness.
Prepaid 6 months in advance for a Merc GLC class of vehicle to be pick up from their Heathrow airport location, prior to arriving I was receiving messages confirming my booking so assume it was ok. When I arrived they didn't have any of that class let alone any of the brands that they show on the website. Then pressured me into a higher spec… Read more
vehicle at a higher cost !!. Had the vehicle for 3 weeks and returned it a day early to Manchester airport, there was a small 1mm diameter nail in a tyre with 6mm of tread, no loss of pressure. Their contractor deemed it unrepairable and they invoiced me over $300 for a replacement tyre. I won't be using any Europcar locations again, never had this problem with Avis or Budget.
I was charged over $2,500 by Europcar Australia for a windscreen replacement due to a minor stone chip incurred during my rental. Based on photographs taken at return, the damage appeared small and likely repairable. The replacement was not carried out until three weeks later, raising questions about whether the vehicle remained in use and… Read more
whether further damage occurred in that time. The supporting invoice provided was undated, and no technical assessment was shared to justify that replacement was necessary over repair.
My requests for clarification were dismissed, and the dispute was closed without addressing these concerns. I believe the handling of this matter lacked transparency and proportionality.
We had a terrible experience with Europcar, and I wouldn’t use or recommend them. Our car broke down, and we were forced to hire a rental car through our roadside assistance, RACQ. and we had no say it was Europcar for the rental during the period. We were promised a washed and clean car to pick up from Darwin Airport, but when we arrived, it was… Read more
disgustingly dirty. It looked like the car had been driven off-road, with red dirt all over it. When we returned to the Europcar desk at the airport to complain, the attendant had already left for the day. It was only 1 pm. We took photos of the car’s condition before leaving the parking lot. We were advised that the rental car return was to be at the Darwin office on Mitchell Street, in the carpark above a shopping centre. However, when we returned the car at 1:45 pm, the office was closed. We couldn’t complain about the car’s condition because the office wasn’t open. The next day, Europcar did an inspection of the car at 10 am, which was 20 hours later. The inspector accused us of a lot of damage to the rental vehicle, Including a supposedly chipped windscreen which was not there when we returned the car the previous day, we had photos of the other damage and sent them back for proof. Europcar Rental then charged us for a new windscreen costing $1328.47, minus our damage excess of $590. We had to pay the balance of $650. My husband called the Europcar call centre, but the agent was unhelpful and told him to check his rental agreement. We would not hire again from a rental car company we would rather walk or ride a push bike as there is no come back Absolutely disgusting of Europcar
Returned car and was later informed they found a small chip in the windscreen on the passenger side. It was around 7mm so no big deal but they later charged me over $1000 for the repair! Absolute thieves. Will NEVER rent from them again.
Latest follow-ups
Terrible service, paid for hire extension over the phone, was charged it again at the return of the vehicle and told first charge was held pending and will be refunded, after 3 weeks still not refunded. Impossible to deal with over the phone due to… Read more
cheap call center phone service. Don’t waste your time and look into the conditions as you can only drive a short distance per day without paying a per km price. Very unhappy with my experience with this company.
Follow-up · I had to drive well over the included limit which was under 100km that was not unexpected after they told me the terms, I don’t find that completely unreasonable but a bit of a stitch up. The hire was 2 days, the problem was being charged twice for the extension.
Booked and paid in advance for a car from europcar gatwick (following a 13 hours flight). Wish I hadn't. The woman at the counter had two sets of keys (they apparently do this routinely I have since learned). The first set was for a slightly bigger… Read more
car, with satnav. My wife and I asked the price difference, and she replied "50 pounds". We were surprised and agreed to take the car. When our credit card was debited for an additional 1250 pounds (17 day hire), we re-read the contract. The saleswoman had conveniently forgotten to mention that the actual price was an extra 50 pounds PER DAY. A friend of mine had exactly the same experience with europcar at heathrow a few weeks ago. We complained, the woman at the counter lied (wouldn't want to endanger her commission), so they are saying that it's our word against hers. End of story. We are now going to take the complaint to BVRLA. Appalling company, appalling practices. AVOID!!!
Follow-up · The car came with satnav, which was helpful and easy to use throughout the trip. The car itself was in good condition overall, although there were a few scratches already present. We were advised by the staff assisting vehicles out of the car park to take photos and videos before leaving, which was worthwhile for peace of mind when returning the… Read more
We hired from europcar in Auckland on 19th March. We had a small stone chip. I called them straight away and asked if we should get it fixed. They said no. We returned the car on the 24th. I received an invoice on April 15th for (NZ) $4605.44. A full windscreen replacement. These guys are a total ripoff. Show details
Follow-up · In answer to the follow up questions. did they explain the repair costs? I was sent the invoice from the glass repairer. How was the return process handled? They were busy. It felt very rushed. Dropped the keys. Filled out a form explaining the damage (stone chip) Handed it to someone and left. Did you get a written damage report? Yes we got… Read more
Find out how Europcar compares to other Direct Car Hire
Know better, choose better.
Positive reviews
I was in a really horrible situation I booked at budget only to be told that because I’m local I had to pay $1000 bond so I really crushed that I wouldn’t be able to see my mum and go to cemetery to visit my dads grave so I called Sherene from europcar in Mackay this beautiful lady went above and beyond to help me get a car as by Friday morning there was nothing around so thank you again ❤️ Show details
Nobody seems to read bad ratings so this may be the cure. DO NOT EVER, EVER HIRE A CAR FROM EUROPCAR UK OR EUROPCAR AUSTRALIA. I have hired 2 cars in the last five years, both from Europcar. The first one was in Australia and they tried to rip us off over pre-existing damage. Luckily my partner was smart enough to take photos. Their claim was… Read more
dropped. Believing that lightning doesn't strike twice I hired a car from them in the UK. I was so wrong. Without so much as a nod from the return inspection employee they tried to charge us for petrol when the car had a full tank on return. This after that same employee directed us to the nearest petrol station to fill it up prior to the final return. I had to compile a brief containing downloads, screen captures and bank statements to prove our case, and the fee again was dropped. It took ages for the refund to come through. Fishes rot from the head down and it is evident that their reputation means nothing to them. Don't take my word for it, look at their satisfaction ratings. I know this rating will boost their ratings but it's worth it if these rip-off merchants can't hurt any more honest people.
Hired a car from Eurocar Adelaide city Aldi Q3, great car, received outstanding service from Dylan, nothing was too much trouble, Dylan is a great asset to Europcar and I will be using them again. Robin Murphy Saratoga NSW Show details
Negative reviews
Terrible customer service online. One guy at the desk sydney cbd was great. The other didn't want to be there. Would use again if they improve service. E.g. they recorded the time returned wrong. Zero impact to price regardless, but I wanted the receipt to be accurate. I literally sent time stamped photos of when I returned the car and handed the… Read more
keys to the staff person. But I was ignored.
Makes me concerned that Europcar would not resolve a real dispute reasonably, especially if extra costs.
The base rental for the car was supposed to be $71 for a Mazda CX3. We got a toy instead a Cherry Tiggo 4. then the question of insurance, we were quoted $51 for full insurance with no exess for 1 days rental ie that would be $20K per year, almost enough to buy a new car. We were told all up it would be $122. On return i signed the paperwork… Read more
expecting only $130. When i got the invoice the prices were different and they added GST to a total of $150. Then they added $9.22 VRRF and card payment fee $1.10, a grand total of $160. Car did its job, no GPS no connectivity to older mobiles, it seemed fuel efficient although it did not have the road ride of a modern car. Dont think i will ever hire a car from them again, nor recommend them to anyone else.
After a brief 3 day rental of Car (2 Adults, 2 Suit Cases) They are attempting to make a claim of "Damage" due to fluff and hair on the rear carpet. I never inspected the rear carpet of the vehicle prior leaving the facility and didn't carry any items that would leave such debris. As the option for no access insurance was taken, I believe that… Read more
are making false and exaggerated claims to further profit from dust on carpet that they failed to vacuum prior to me taking possession of the vehicle. If the vehicle is meant to be completely detailed prior to the return then i would expect a vehicle that was presented this way to begin with.
I would recommend any other brand as a basic 3 day hire shouldn't include a Damage claim for debris they didn't clean to begin with.
Recent reviews
I booked a car (Reference A) for my overseas holiday and paid (rounding) ~$1700. When I rang to check something, the booking was 'adjusted' (and confirmed) by Europcar and the value was now ~$1500, BUT they already took $1700 payment. A few weeks later I get an email, book now to save ! I do the calculations and can get the exact same booking… Read more
for ~$1300 so I book (Reference B) for the lower price and cancel the Reference A booking.
I ring Europcar, tell them what Ive done and say Im owed $200. The woman checks everything (online payments, booking details etc) and SHE AGREES IM OWED $200! She says email customer service, tell them what you told me and you'll get the refund. So I do just that.
I GET AN EMAIL FROM EUROPCAR. THEY CANCELLED MY BOOKING. I DONT HAVE A CAR AT ALL. THEY EMAIL AND SAY THEY DONT OWE ME ANYTHING, THE DIFFERENCE WAS A FEE (DURING THE FREE REFUND PERIOD WTH).
SO I HAVE: * NO CAR * NO MONEY * A DYING RELATIVE BEGGING TO SEE ME * NO SLEEP * NO HELP FROM EUROPCAR NO WAY
EUROPCAR ARE A NIGHTMARE MIGRAINE WRAPPED IN A BUCKET OF TEARS.
ITS NOT THAT HARD PEOPLE.
Booked and prepaid small vehicle and emailed separately to make sure they did not upgrade the vehicle as the driver is very short, less than 5ft tall. On arrival at Devonport airport was advised they had given me a complimentary upgrade to a larger vehicle I physically could not drive. So I had no option but to cancel the booking since Europcar… Read more
failed to provide the vehicle I had reserved or another vehicle from tbe sane size and class. Then Europcar have charged me a $99 cancellation fee and are refusing to refund the full prepaid amount. Dispicable way to treat a disabled person. Leaves me in Tasmania for 2 weeks with no mode of transport and extra expenses. Do NOT USE EUROPCAR EVER.
ProductReview.com.au has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence our content moderation policies in any way, though ProductReview.com.au may earn commissions for products/services purchased via affiliate links.