Unjust Billing and Poor Service from Europcar

Dear HelloPeter,

I am writing to lodge a formal complaint against Europcar, following yet another frustrating and unacceptable experience with their service.

Recently, I received an email from Europcar stating that I owe a traffic fine of R250. However, when I requested detailed documentation of the fine, I was instead sent an invoice from Europcar for R240 — not the original traffic fine or any official documentation from the traffic department. This discrepancy in the amounts (R250 vs R240) raises serious concerns about transparency and accuracy.

According to Europcar’s rental agreement, any fines or related charges should be deducted from the amount held as a deposit or allocated for such expenses. It is therefore confusing and unacceptable that I was contacted two months later about this fine, rather than it being handled immediately through the original deposit or upfront charges.

To make matters worse, this is not the first issue I’ve had with Europcar. I previously had to raise a complaint after being ****med out of my deposit, and now I’m facing another example of poor service and unclear communication.

This kind of treatment is unjustified, and it feels as though Europcar is exploiting customers instead of offering fair and transparent service. The handling of fines, deposits, and follow-up communication is entirely unprofessional.

I am extremely disappointed and urge both HelloPeter and Europcar to investigate this issue seriously. I am demanding:

A clear explanation for the amount discrepancy (R250 vs R240),

Proof of the actual fine from the issuing traffic authority,

A response as to why this was not settled using the standard deposit procedures,

And a formal resolution for the ongoing service and billing issues I have faced.

Until this is addressed properly, I cannot and will not recommend Europcar to anyone.

Sincerely,