Car hire - incorrect instructions received, billed for additional days

I recently submitted a claim to First for Women for the repair of my car. I received EXCELLENT service throughout the claim process, and repairs were completed within a week of dropping off my car at the panelbeater.

The poor service I received was regarding car hire, which is included in my car insurance.

First for Women arranged that Europcar contact me and they delivered my rental car to my work address. I asked First for Women what would happen with the rental car once my car had been repaired. They said that I should drop the rental car off at the panelbeater. When I collected my car from the panelbeater (Renew-it in Greenstone), I again asked them what I should do with the rental car and they said that I should leave it with them. Neither First for Women nor Renew-it mentioned anything about me contacting Europcar to let them know that I had dropped the car off at the panelbeater. This was two days before the car was due back at Europcar.

The following week I received a call from Europcar to ask me where the rental car was. I told them I had dropped it at the panelbeater. I have now been billed for two additional days of car hire, as they received the car back two days late.

I have called First for Women 4 times over the last 2 weeks, each time being told that someone would call me back. To date I have not received a call back. I called again today and was told by a representative named Trey that I should have used my initiative and let Europcar know that I had dropped the car at the panelbeater and that I will need to pay for the additional two days of car hire.

Car hire is included in my car insurance, therefore First for Women have some involvement in this process. Therefore when I asked what I should do with my rental car, I should have been told that I need to drop it at the panelbeater AND contact Europcar to let them know. Why would I think to do this, when both First for Women and Renew-it had told me to just drop the rental car off when I collected my car?

I am also not impressed that I had to phone First for Women 4 times, with no return phone call! Between First for Women and Renew-It, the invoice for the additional two days of car hire should be settled. This should not be for my account, as I did all that I was told to do.