EasyJet/Europcar - BE WARNED

[robin]

Hi,

Katie had to go down to see her mum this weekend and flew to Stansted with EasyJet. She needed a car so just booked that at the same time from their website. EasyJet have a "deal" with Europcar. The nature of this deal is that when you get to the hire car desk you take a ticket based on who you booked with. EasyJet customers get a ticket starting with an E. You then sit and wait to be called. Well it turns out that EasyJet customers get called last (fair enough), but if while you're waiting a new bus load of passengers arrive, you go back to the back of the queue again. So on a busy day you could easily sit there for 4 hours!!!

Your mileage may vary, and maybe it's not like this everywhere, but I suggest you enquire before you book or else you might be in for a long wait

Cheers,
Robin

[kerryxeg]

That doesn't sound reasonable at all, I get really hacked off if they are not ready or don't have the staff to deal with arrivals. they should know from their bookings when people will arrive. Serving order should just be in the order of arrival unless you are some sort of gold club priority, anything else is just wrong.

Fwiw, I book a lot of hire cars and use Auto Europe, their deals are almost always the best, they have a range of normal firms and firms local to your destination. Sometimes the local firms are really good, but I always check their reviews first. Their offering is standard inclusive so no surprise extras.

I also use Insurance4carhire, to cover the excess on an annual policy. This sorts out the companies that offer a good rental rate but then state a£1500 damage excess or an additional payment fo extension insurance doubling your rental.

[robin]

For people looking at this thread and too lazy to use google:

http://www.autoeurope.com

And

http://www.insurance4carhire.com

Their service wasn't the best. Then they "upgraded" her to a Golf (code for they didn't have any other cars) and she got out of the car park to discover the tire pressure warning light comes on, so foolishly returns the car only to discover that she now has to go through more or less the same rigmarole again .... best avoided

[Andy G]

what a shambles.

Best to not use Europcar as all the other people on the same flight have typically booked with them also while the other hire desk are empty...

[campbell]

Very sorry to hear Katie had to endure this, Robin. Thanks for the public service announcement!

I miss the original Easyrentacar. Mercedes-Benz A Class fleet. V successful experience with them in CH many years back. Europcar "partnership" seems a very poor successor.

[Ferg]

I used Europcar for years using about 40 rentals a year. There were next to no benefits or loyalty. They really couldn't care.

I use AVIS now and its night and day. Better across the board.

[robin]

what a shambles.

Best to not use Europcar as all the other people on the same flight have typically booked with them also while the other hire desk are empty...

Yes, I would have wandered over to the empty ones and seen what deals are available and then taken the best one, throwing Europcar's paperwork at the guy on the desk as I was walking out . Katie is more frugal and won't throw away the money that's been spent. I have zero patience for fcuk wittery and am getting worse by the day ...

[campbell]

Oh jeez God help us!

[tut]

I have zero patience for fcuk wittery and am getting worse by the day ...

Great, the more in my new Club "The S_E Forum for Grumpy Old Men", the better.

tut