EUROPCAR - DISAPPOINTING SERVICE AND CUSTOMER CARE

I was involved in an accident with a hired car on 7 October 2017. Two vehicles behind mine hit one another and subsequently bummed my Ford Figo from behind. On the scene of the accident, I phoned Europcar and was told that if the car was drivable, I could simply drive with it for the remainder of the hire or pay an excess fee of R3 500 to receive another car. I informed the person on the line that I do not have enough credit available on my credit card to pay the R3 500, so I will have to keep the car, however damaged it was. The Figo was driveable so me and my father drove with it.

When we returned the vehicle at Cape Town International Airport. The staff was very uncertain on how to handle proceedings. I was told that the manager was not in the office at the time and we will have to wait for him to return. About 30 minutes later, he showed up and explained to me that I will not receive my deposit back (R2 550) until the other parties insurance paid Europcar . He then spoke to another employee very silently, and asked me to fill in an accident report. He did not mention that I was liable an excess payment of R3500. So we left after providing them with a case number from the police.

A few days later, I received my R2 550 back on my credit card. I believed that maybe Europcar was so nice they paid my deposit back because the accident was not my fault or the damage was already fixed on the car. Beacuase why did they refund me?

But then.... they took the R2 550 off again on my credit card the following day. After that, they took off another R3500 with some or other claims admin fee of +-R850. I contacted them immidiately, I was then informed that it does not matter if the accident was my fault or not, this is standard procedure. These transactions put my credit card in the red and I was contacted by my bank that I will have to deposit or transfer money into the credit card as soon as I could to keep my good credit name. I would have liked it if Europcar could have warned/phone/emailed or spoke to me in person when I was standing in their office of the procedure that was about to take place..but it seems they do not care of the financial implications of their actions and they manner in which they conduct business.

Middle December 2017, I recieved a call from MiWay, the insurer of the vehicle that bumped my hired Figo asking me questions on what happened because the other two driver's stories differs substantially. He said that I am the only one who can tell him what happened because "you are clearly the innocent party". After this phone call I was certain that the case is almost finalised as it was two months since the accident. But no...

On January 15 2018, I received a call from Europcar attorneys or a claims officer I am not sure..asking me my recollection of the accident and for contact details of the other two drivers??? I was very disappointed and ticked off as I have provided Europcar with the case number and written a report on the accident... If the third party's insurer can contact me before Europcar, it shows you that they simply do not care. I will probably never receive my deposit or excess payments back, I am not even sure if they are refundable as I have never heard from them again.

Thank goodness I bank with FNB, they are is professional, kind and understanding otherwise my good credit could have been history.