Europcar refund

[abstibus]

I m asking for a friend. She and her husband booked a car for pickup at Manchester Airport but Europcar wouldn't release the car until they had paid £250 deposit. They had already paid for the hire for the two days and had not been told in advance about the deposit.
Now they are getting the run around about getting the hire money back. Can anyone advise with a number to contact or the right way to go forward?
Thanks

[friedgreentomato]

All hire cars require a deposit - it will have been in the terms and conditions.

[237SJ]

Do they require a deposit? That`s never happened to me. A credit card swipe was enough for surety.

[friedgreentomato]

And thinking about it I hired a car from the same company and the email states a deposit is required - sorry it would appear they have lost the hire fee.

[rojash]

From Europcar's terms:
Deposit rules
We need to estimate the car rental charges and obtain an authorisation number from your bank. The estimate is based upon:
- Expected length of rental
- Applicable rate including tax
- Incidental charges such as gasoline, and excess waiver
This amount is not debited. It is held on cardholder's bank account until the final rental charge amount is debited.

In other words, the deposit is normally as 237SJ says, just a credit card swipe.

[sunny-dave]

... but if you don't have a credit card, they will insist on a cash deposit or a deposit payment (and not just a swipe) with a debit card.

[SirOracle]

Seems to me that your friend is looking for a return of the amount of the hire.
Don't fancy their chances at all ,as they have broken the contract,and Europcar have lost the hire of the car to someone else.
They should have read the conditions of the contract.

[Brinjal]

It is usual to take a deposit . To be able to hire a car without a credit card is unusual because they that the deposit on the card normally. But having said that I hate europcar. Had a huge problem with them regarding a car I hired and supposed damage to it. Would never use them again.

[friedgreentomato]

With hire car companies now if you don't have a credit card they secure a deposit of £250 on your debit card, this has happened to me with Europcar and Avis.

[abstibus]

Thank you all. The only paperwork she had was from East jet as she booked the car when booking the flight. There was no mention of a deposit.

[factor-fiction]

But is it actually a deposit (i.e. an immediate payment) or just a credit card swipe to enable them to take money later if they wish?

[abstibus]

It was her first time to hire a car, and unfortunately for her, she only uses a preloaded card that didn't have enough on it to pay the £250.
The taxi she had to take cost £140!! Luckily she got a lift back to the airport for her return flight.
Older and wiser!

[Maydup]

Do feel for them anne. Maybe they didn't read the small print but nevertheless it should have been clearer when they booked. There is nothing worse than a nasty, embarassing situation like that.

I suggest she writes/emails to both Easyjet and Europcar. A strongly worded complaint but not emotional, asking for evidence that the deposit was mentioned at time of booking (stating that if it was mentioned it wasn't clear enough) and asking for a refund of the money lost.

Neither company are known for their understanding or customer service, but its worth a try. They'll need to be persistant.

[abstibus]

Thanks, maidup.
She was on her way to a wedding so this kind of took the shine off.
I'll pass your advice on to her. I have seen the Easyjet car hire confirmation paperwork and there is definitely no mention of a deposit or a credit card swipe.

[SeaJayPea]

From the congirmation email I got from Easyjey when I booked a car from Europcar through them:

"A credit card for deposit purposes and full driving license (both parts for UK licenses) must be presented when you collect your car; both card and license must be in the name of the driver."

I'd prefer it if they'd spelt licence correctly, though.