Aussie hire car company charged multiple people for same repairs
Europcar Australia has been accused of collecting money for repairs from multiple customers, as the hire car company faces scathing criticism in the media.
A Fairfax investigation cites the Federal Court fine Europcar has already been forced to pay an individual customer who was incorrectly charged for damages, and has been accused of misleading people regarding the price of maximum repairs.
The Fairfax report states of 754 reviews on consumer ratings site productreview.com.au, 648 people rated Europcar as “terrible”, with 51 rating it “bad” and only 55 people judging it to be “OK” or better.
The report cites the Keller family who’ve been contesting a charge for four months.
“We managed to cancel our card in time, yet a week after cancellation, Europcar managed to take the excess money out manually… It is the bank after all the proof we had, who refunded the money," Tammy Keller says.
“If Europcar gets away with even just half (of what they charge) they are still laughing all the way.”
Europcar disputes the Keller’s version of events. A spokesperson said, "Europcar has fully investigated Mr Keller's complaint and rejects the claim that the damage was pre-existing."
A spokesman for NSW Fair Trading adds: "(Hire car company) complaints generally relate to unsatisfactory performance of the service, charges above the quoted price (including repairs), and consumers seeking refunds for unauthorised charges (also including repairs)."
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