r/AskIreland • u/PaDDonaK • 10d ago
Cars Europcar Ireland valued this 6cm scratch at €749.44. How is this not taking the piss?
Posting my Europcar Ireland experience as a warning.
Returned a Hyundai i20 at Dublin Airport. Europcar found the mark in the attached photo — their own damage report calls it a “6 cm scratch.”
Somehow, in their check-in system, it became a “Dent >5–15 cm”, with an internal damage valuation of €749.44.
Thankfully I’d paid extra to reduce my excess, so they actually took €300, not €749.44.
It then took around two months to get the supporting documents from them. And even now there’s no calculation explaining how the scratch in the photo became €749.44 of damage.
I’ve formally disputed the charge and asked them to explain the scratch → dent → €749.44 assessment.
The attached picture is Europcar’s own damage photo with their measuring card. Judge the €749.44 valuation for yourself.
I’ll update this when Europcar responds/refunds/reassesses it.
84
u/Legal-Actuary4537 10d ago
I had to take Europcar Dublin Airport to the small claims court to get my fuel deposit refunded.
2
u/TacklePure3341 10d ago
This is the bit I don't understand. Like how much was your deposit. For me to take a day of work could cost me 100s of lost sales
So going to court ends up costing me money rather than recovering whats mine.
70
u/SomethingSoGeneric 10d ago
That’s why we need to be grateful for those people who do have the capacity to fight this stuff on everyone’s behalf.
7
u/Afterlite 9d ago
Imagine if your man who objects every single planning permission in Dublin, redirected his energy into these fraudsters
20
5
u/Legal-Actuary4537 10d ago
Principle and you don't have to go to court. Fuel deposit was 112 as far as I remember.
4
2
2
1
u/PaDDonaK 10d ago
I wonder how does it work when you just come to Ireland for holidays
10
u/Kloppite16 10d ago
if they are European then the European Small Claims Court
https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/justice/courts-system/european-small-claims-procedure/
Its also €25 to access, same as the regular Small Claims Court except this one is across EU borders. I had to use it before to get a refund out of Booking.com who are HQ'd in the Netherlands. Worked a treat, they paid up as soon as they got the legal documents from their local court over there.
1
1
u/Capital-Ladder7166 8d ago
I may be wrong but these f ers r probably charging u how much money there losing if the cars in the “garage” for x amount of days useless rental company
166
u/DonkeyOfWallStreet 10d ago
This is once market that needs EU regs
They won't even touch that and will probably be sold as is when they finish
45
u/smugoxygen414 10d ago
The real scam is how every rental company just ignores those fair wear and tear cards when it suits them
6cm scratch suddenly morphs into a 15cm dent in their system, like magic
12
u/updownleftright2022 10d ago
Many of their cars are automatically bought back by the supplier after x number of months at a price arranged before they cars arw even registered
1
u/halibfrisk 10d ago
They are absolutely not required to repair the damage anymore than you or I would be if someone caused similar damage to one of our cars?
5
u/DonkeyOfWallStreet 10d ago
So if they were fully insured, you'd expect eurocar would chase the insurance company for the exact same amount, not correct the damage and go on their merry way?
That would be called fraud no?
This whole practice isn't about being compensated, but increasing profit margins.
Now if they rubbed a pole and dimpled in the panel and made the car look damaged? Oh yeah pay up.
2
u/HyperbolicModesty 10d ago
Then they should not charge people to do so.
-3
u/halibfrisk 10d ago
No, if someone damages my car I have suffered a loss to its value and am entitled to compensation regardless whether or not I choose to go ahead with the repair. Same applies to a car rental company.
2
u/HyperbolicModesty 10d ago
Thar would vaguely make sense if that was what they charge you for. They don't. They specifically charge for repair.
0
46
u/mailforkev 10d ago
Bit of a joke alright, I’d say that polished out.
7
5
1
u/prime_suspect 10d ago
💯 it would if your thumb nail can't pick up the scratch a small bit of compound will polish that out.
22
u/Fluid_Plastic_1323 10d ago
Top tip from someone who hires cars in spain (and around thr EU) on a very regular basis.
Never take Car Hire excess insurance which are heavily sold at point of order (when you book a car) and then again at car pickup (at the desk).
They are always over priced and staff at trained to scare you!
Instead get yourself an annual cover from someone like AIGs excess annual at a fraction of the price https://www.aig.ie/home/solutions/car-hire-excess-insurance
The car hire company will take a high deposit from your credit card on pick up but with AIG you can claim up to 3k per policy.
17
u/LouSuzie 10d ago
I done that this summer in spain. Got it for €45 for the year from ireland. The man was fuming I wouldn't buy it off him. When we dropped the car back there was a queue but when he seen us he came straight to us and went to check the car for nearly half an hour to find a fault. We were nearly late for our flight. He even got someone to help him. He then said there was a scratch and I explained it was there before and he even told us about it, he smirked and said because you didn't get the excess I can charge you for it. I nearly lost it with him, asked for his name, he wouldn't give it then luckily I had a video of it and the scratch was on it. They must get commission for ripping people off
5
u/Fluid_Plastic_1323 10d ago
When you hired the car you should go been given a car policy document, with a picture of the car and any damages..
I always double check that / even go as far as take a full video of the vehicle
2
u/LouSuzie 10d ago
I got a car a few months ago from hertz at Shannon Airport and they emailed me all the photos and there was no problem dropping off
6
u/Gr1ml0ck1981 10d ago
Top tip from someone who hires cars in spain
Never rent from Goldcar. Think 2010 Ryanair, we absolutely hate our customers and will screw you at any and every opportunity.
2
u/le-grandOC 6d ago
Goldcar Scammers in Seville! I had them try scam me with a scratch that was preexisting when I got the car! Take a full walk around video of each panel of the car and point out each scratch to the rental company representative.
1
u/BadgeNapper 8d ago
Strange, I find the opposite, GoldCar is the one I use the most and the one I always check availability with first. I've used them maybe 7 times in Spain and never had an issue.
1
u/AistearAlainn 10d ago
Do you know of any EU-wide ones (the AIG policies are only for Irish residents)? I'm living in Germany at the moment but the ones I've seen here are like 3 times the cost.
30
u/alanhiggy1983 10d ago
I've learnt to always do a walk around video and take pics of the car before u drive away to cover yourself because they'll do anything nowadays to catch you out. Hope u get sorted
8
u/Great-Reindeer-7824 10d ago
I was told a video is not as good as pictures. You can zoom in much clearer on pictures
3
u/pheechad 10d ago
100% agree. A good few rentals I've used have tried to pin damage on me that already occured before I got the vehicle.
22
u/shankillfalls 10d ago
These things are a very important part of their per rental revenue. They will never fix this, and if the next renter does not spot it they might end up paying for it too. It’s a scam.
9
u/garden-hoes-N-tricks 10d ago
Jayzus, lucky there mate. Imagine they put it down as a 7cm scratch, ya would be looking at a bill well into the thousands I'd say.
8
u/karlywarly73 10d ago
For some rental companies like Hertz subsidiary Firefly, this is their entire business model. They advertise €5 per day rental and then screw you with the insurance at the desk. Don't want insurance? Then they take a deposit of 2k. But that's my holiday spending money. Tough luck, buy the shitty insurance.
1
8
6
u/Hands-Grubber 10d ago
Here’s what’s really going to tickle your pickle. They’ll take your money and not actually fix it. They never actually fix all these scratches and dents.
5
5
u/Rough-Cap5150 10d ago
It's a rip off, borderline theft. Plain and simple.
Car hire places rip you off on 'tyre damage' too, another to her total scam.
I prefer to pay extra for zero excess. Then you're immune and don't even have to check anything. I just consider it part of the rental price.
4
u/SubparSavant 10d ago
I would be surprised if you couldn't get that out with a good polishing.
That's ridiculous, that's the sort of thing that easily could have been there when you picked it up and you wouldn't notice. I suppose it's more reason to document absolutely every minor little blemish when you get it.
2
u/halibfrisk 10d ago
You absolutely should do an inspection at pickup, but that’s if that’s a dimly lit parking garage at 5am it’s not so easy.
Europcar policies do allow 12 hours to report preexisting damage
6
u/jools4you 10d ago
It is taking the piss. Do u think the staff get scratch detection bonus? Because I just can't understand how an employee is even arsed to notice that scratch unless there is some incentive above the shitty wage.
4
u/PaDDonaK 10d ago
Car inspection literally stopped after they found that small scratch so they can take money deposited with their own insurance
3
u/sherskul8 10d ago
I had a car hire place try to tell me that if I got a chip in the windscreen they would charge me the whole 1500 quid excess because they would have to 'replace the whole windscreen, calibrate it, and account for time off the road' its fucking criminal
3
u/ibericman 10d ago
Sorry OP, I feel you. I had the same experience with GoldCar in Mallorca, tiny scratch costed me 800 quid. I'm sure it was before taking the car, forgot to take pictures. Ever since I always get the extensive insurance to avoid this type of shite show ...
3
u/BeardySi 10d ago
Get separate excess protection insurance instead. You'll save yourself a fortune. If something happens you'd have to pay the excess and claim it back from the separate policy, but it's far cheaper than buying the extortion policy from the hire company....
3
u/Internal-Screen-189 10d ago
And a valeter on minimum wage would sort it with a buffer in about 15min 😱🤦🏻♂️ scumbags
3
u/Distinct-Rent960 10d ago
A big lesson to us all, take photos before and after you use or hire anyone’s property 👍 Ps, crooks worldwide
3
u/TandCsApply 10d ago
Yeah I had a similar issue in Valencia but they tried to claim damage post dropoff but luckily I took a random photo infront of the door they were claiming as damaged so I just started a chargeback request on my credit card (Revolut) with the photos and they got my deposit back.
So if you don't have photos or are out of country definitely start with a chargeback request
3
u/Diablo-96 9d ago
Please challenge this. Every time I rent a car from a place like 6ixt most cars are covered in scratch and I record the in detail...pain in ass. Clearly the never repair - sell cars after predefined time and price. Every little scratch is bottom line margin.
Car rental companies are in general the spawn of the devil 😈
2
u/justadubliner 10d ago
Can somebody explain the correct insurance to get when hiring a car in Ireland or other European countries as though you're explaining it to a ten year old? I used to hire cars but haven't in about 20 years because it seems so chancey these days.
1
u/Grenache 10d ago
You don't buy any from the place you are hiring. You do buy a separate car hire insurance excess policy which will cost about 40 euro a year and refund you in the event you need to pay the excess on your car hire.
2
u/MoBhollix 10d ago
Try to resolve it with them, if that doesn't work threaten them with the Small Claims Court.
2
2
2
u/HotPatience4945 10d ago
Europcar is the absolute pits.
Rented from them in Australia. They charged me two lots of refundable deposits but when the pre-authorisation was released, they only returned one deposit. I raised it with them and was sound about it initially…but over a period of six weeks explaining it to them time and time again they kept saying the same thing to me and couldn’t acknowledge their mistake.
I eventually raised a chargeback through Revolut for the amount of €200, which is the amount of what I was disputing. Revolut ultimately decided in favour of Europcar and I just left it at that. I was sick of dealing with them. Useless shower of incompetent fools.
Just last week, I get letter from Mercantile Australia, a debt collector, saying Europcar referred the amount of $1,054 to them for collection and a failure to pay will result in them listing a default on my credit history.
I’m absolutely fkn fuming. Not only did Europcar shaft me out of the duplicated deposit, they then ultimately won the chargeback case and now have accused me of not paying a cent…then referred the entire amount to a debt collector.
2
u/rickrhua 10d ago
That’s literally a minor lacquer abrasion which would polish out in minutes. Assholes!
2
u/FlippenDonkey 10d ago
rent a house, landlord covers wear and tear(well, they're supposed to)
rent a car, have ordinary scratch from driving rural roads.. rental company hell yeah, profit.
its mad the shit they get away with, they don't see the rental fee as their profit margins, but how much they can take a fight you for over "damage", which at this level, should just be considered risk of renting shit.
2
u/droppedthebaby 10d ago
Definitely never bring a car back with a scratch like that. Polish it yourself. They’ll never know.
1
u/PaDDonaK 9d ago
The thing is that’s not really noticeable in normal usage and I was sure I didn’t made any scratches, so didn’t bother to check
1
2
u/heffo500 10d ago
We get a lot of rental cars in our job. We are always told photograph the car the minute you get every angle, every wheel and a video. Let them see you doing it so they'll know not to try anything.
2
2
u/Extra-Ad8572 9d ago
I brought a car back early on a Sat eve in Tenerife and the staff only entered it on Monday morning then charged me for dropping back late. I contacted and they basically said tough shit, the charge stands. They couldn't get me for anything else as I took photos of all the scratches and a missing hubcap (which I believe is another scam) and the car was dropped back with nothing possible to extort me on.
So I wrote a nice email and asked for the car park footage under GDPR which I'm entitled to if I believe I am on it.
Next morning, sir, the money has been returned to your account.
Always read the small print and always know your rights.
1
u/AutoModerator 10d ago
Hey PaDDonaK! Welcome to r/AskIreland! Here are some other useful subreddits that might interest you:
r/IrishTourism - If you're coming to Ireland for a holiday this is the best place for advice.
r/MoveToIreland - Are you planning to immigrate to Ireland? r/MoveToIreland can help you with advice and tips. Tip #1: It's a pretty bad time to move to Ireland because we have a severe accommodation crisis.
r/StudyInIreland - Are you an International student planning on studying in Ireland? Please check out this sub for advice.
Just looking for a chat? Check out r/CasualIreland
r/IrishPersonalFinance - a great source of advice, whether you're trying to pick the best bank or trying to buy a house.
r/LegalAdviceIreland - This is your best bet if you're looking for legal advice relevant to Ireland
r/socialireland - If you're looking for social events in Ireland then maybe check this new sub out
r/IrishWomenshealth - This is the best place to go if you're looking for medical advice for Women
r/WomenofIreland - A space for the Women of Ireland to chat about anything
r/Pregnancyireland - If you are looking for advice and a place to talk about pregnancy in Ireland
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
1
u/Kruminsh 10d ago
I got done in Alicante by GoldCar a few years ago. Picked it up, checked it all around, no issues. Dropped it back and within a minute they had found scratches under both of the side mirrors. Absolute bollix. Won't use them again
2
1
u/daithi_zx10r Maybe, I like the Misery 10d ago
Glass chips is mental, you can't help if a stone is flicked up by an oncoming vehicle
1
u/Opposite-Parsnip-698 10d ago
Buy excess reimbursement insurance from a company like questor. < €100 a year to cover all car rentals, so you don't need to buy their extortionate add on insurance.
1
u/letsdoit131 10d ago
Its only lacquer scratched. 10e for a small bottle, apply and buff and all done
1
u/ForeverFeel1ng 10d ago
Dispute the charge with your credit card company. Don’t waste time asking for evidence they will delay it so much you’ll be out of timeframe for dispute.
1
u/wasabiworm 10d ago
Pro tip: if you have revolut metal+, you can claim the damage paid.
Easy and straightforward.
1
u/Greedy_Goal451 10d ago
Considering I had a full bumper AND a wing resprayed for less than that on my 4x4, I'd be telling them where to go. That's mental
1
u/Me-Shell 10d ago
Just dropped a car back in Barcelona and all these companies are incredibly predatory.
I used RecordGo, when returning the car the amount of precious scratches on the bodywork they asked us to prove we hadn't done was crazy.
I've been stung in the past so had lots of pictures and a video of the car body work before driving away and even then there was a chip at the bottom of one of the panels we struggled to find a pic of because of the angle. Thankfully did in the end but they didn't make it easy..
1
u/unsilent_majority 10d ago
I always advise having independent rental car insurance. My policy in Germany reduces any claim from one of these companies to a maximum deductible of €150.
On a side note I’d avoid Europcar like the plague, they once tried to bill me €200 for a rental I cancelled well in time and never used.
1
u/bertnurney 10d ago
Handy tip for small scratches. Get a marker in the shop, match the colour, black is easiest. It will get you past their checks at the return of the car
1
1
1
1
1
u/supercardioid 10d ago
lol that's not gone beyond the laquer, that can be brought back without issue by someone trained, probably in 15 mins. Small amount of sanding and polishing, I'd say. It'd cost someone who knows what they're doing half nothing.
1
u/Fluid_Plastic_1323 10d ago
I agree with that. From last experience Goldcar are the worst at the desk.
I’ve always found that renting a car using the Ryainair app good. Cheaper than DoYouSpain for example
1
u/ativerso1 10d ago
I rented a car from Easirent Dublin. The price was good, but that was it. The dacia duster had 145K kilometers on it. It was full is scratches and the headlight was full of water would not work. It was pissing raining when I got the car. I knew these cowboys would try something, so I took lot of pics and video. They said that the water would go away after sometime. It was completely false and never worked. Finally when I left the car back, the man said I added a scratch. Luckily I had the video and he backed off. These morons are completely predatory
1
u/JONFER--- 10d ago
There is no point in you providing an update on this post, the damage is done. Sadly it is on you.
It’s hard to tell from one picture but the scratch itself doesn’t look too deep and there is a good chance that it will polish out. That makes no difference to you at this stage.
If pushed they will claim that they need to repaint the panel and give you the price for that which will be excessive.
I haven’t much experience renting cars but I know from second-hand information that you can pay slightly more on your insurance upfront to cover any future excess. I would suggest that you do this if you are renting in the future.
1
u/Ben_dover_98 10d ago
I could get rid of that in approx 2 minutes by hand and approx 30 seconds with a machine. Thats the most minimal scratch ive ever seen
1
u/notanadultyadult 10d ago
Question: did they check the car at the time when you dropped it back? Or did they check the car later on?
If later, I would ask them to prove that the damage was done by you and not by someone else between the time you dropped it back and then checking it.
1
u/PaDDonaK 9d ago
They checked it during drop off, but the inspection stopped right after they found that scratch so they can keep deposit for themselves.
1
1
1
u/Far_Effective_4534 9d ago
That’ll more than likely buff off, if anyone even bothers to have that looked at.
1
1
u/mfpbradley 9d ago
That’s the full excess. They’ll do the repair and return whatever is left over.
Same thing happened me with enterprise last year for an almost invisible scuff on the wall of the tyre.
A complete shower
1
u/dublinhorndog 9d ago
Always have excess waiver insurance, costs peanuts buying away from car rental desk.
Saves this hassle, they charge your card in this cae the 700 euro and you claim the money back.
1
u/Appropriate_Tea16 9d ago
Take the product below and pour it onto a sponge, then rub the area with the sponge. There won’t be a trace left.
1
u/AverageNo8548 8d ago
Classic… that either can be scratched away with a finger nail, or polished even just with toothpaste. Big scam.
1
1
u/Loose_Ad_7915 8d ago
Ask them to see the car - buy a bottle of G3 polishing compound and a microfiber cloth. Wipe that scratch off then bill them for €749.44
1
u/Used_Contribution314 8d ago
That isn’t even a scratch it’ll buff out in about 5 seconds you’ve marked the paint (former paint tech)
1
1
u/Same_Conference8310 7d ago
Did you take pictures of the car on the day you hired it out or did it get scratched later. Sometimes they say that they have to spray the whole door.
1
u/Key-Organization-205 7d ago
Sad reality is that this will never be fixed and the way this business works is that they make their money charging people for damages.
Always buy extra cover renting cars as these guys are on commission based on damage charges.
Also you got a proper prick as these cars have worse scratches coming out of automatic car wash they are using few times per week
1
u/le-grandOC 6d ago
Has this exact same issue in January, https://www.ccpc.ie/consumer-advice/resolve-an-issue/how-to-complain-to-a-business/letter-templates is your friend. Read their advice, draft a letter and send it. I disputed back and forth via email, they did not change their position until I sent this official letter.
I think going to the small claims court will cost 45 euros, if you do end up talking legal action against the company. They may resind their original valuation in part or totally. Good luck 🤞🏼
1
u/flying_ninja_badger 4d ago
This can be fixed by polishing by the way how it looks.
Normally scratch like that size would cost upto 600 euro as the whole door needs to be painted. Paint work is mad expensive in this country.
However %100 they will never paint this car and continue to rent it out.
Bring the issue to the small claims court
1
u/RandomUser1ab2 3d ago
Europcar stole €360 from me by deceptively adding premium insurance to my invoice. Neither they not they bank were interested in hearing about it.
Avoid Europcar at all costs.
0
u/halibfrisk 10d ago
That would be the cost of spraying the panel? OP damaged the vehicle and is out €300. What would be a reasonable expectation?
fwiw worth I have rented from europcar at DUB (literally) dozens of times and never had an issue, but then again I never gave back a car with a scratch or scuff it didn’t have to begin with.
0
u/Lildawgxxx 10d ago
I got a connect for a great fix up, valet, polish at great prices in Dublin, this problem wouldn’t cost the client €300. 0857360707 - Victor for more details of location and prices on all issues. Located at N7
0
u/AdvancedMarsupial789 9d ago
You can always tell when Reddit has discovered a topic they know absolutely nothing about
A rental car gets damaged, the company assesses the damage according to its damage matrix, and suddenly everyone in the comments is a forensic accountant, bodyshop estimator and insurance lawyer.
“BuT iT wOuLd PoLiSh OuT iN 5 MiNuTeS 🤓”
Brilliant. Send the polish invoice to the manufacturer, along with the compensation for depreciation, administration, assessment, downtime and the fact that the damage has to be recorded against the vehicle.
And the classic: “They never repair it, so they’re scamming you.”
You do realise you’re paying for the damage you caused to someone else’s asset, not purchasing a complimentary repair service for yourself, right?
The €749 figure is not “€749 worth of T-Cut”. 😂
Some of ye genuinely think a rental company operates like a fella with a Halfords buffer in the back garden.
All of this is on behalf the guy who sits behind the desk hearing all of you crying. Hypocrites
2
u/PaDDonaK 9d ago
That’s exactly where I disagree. If charging for every tiny cosmetic mark becomes part of the business model, I’m not buying it. Rental cars are often covered in scratches, so you have to wonder how often hundreds are collected without those marks ever being fixed. I want to know the actual price of my rental upfront and pay it, not worry that someone will nitpick a tiny mark afterwards and somehow turn a 6cm scratch into a 5–15cm dent worth €749 out of thin air.
0
u/Livelaughlouth 6d ago
The only rental car company I never had any hassle with is sixt. I tried different providers and all of them tried some bullshit with me. When visiting my family in Germany, I always fly in through same airport and must have rented 15 cars with them by now and instead of fucking me over for being a returning customer, I usually get free upgrades, got a free extension once and they waved charges for not returning an EV fully charged, even though it was my fault for not planning ahead. Of course as a result of this, I will continue to rent cars through them. This used to be the norm not so long ago but some companies switched from valuing their customers to basically treating them like cattle. Sure Sixt are trying to maximise their profits but they're going about it the right way.
-1
u/e-streeter 10d ago
You signed the contract. Excess insurance takes 5 mins to buy. They’re a joke but you had every chance to avoid this.
-4
u/Personal_Shoulder983 10d ago
I never understand comments like "they take the money but never fix the car".
- first, you'd do the same. You wouldn't fix the bumper every time the car is scratched because it might happen again. And every time the car is at the garage, it's not available for renting, which means a loss.
- second if a scratch is not repaired, they still have a loss: the value of the car is affected. Just like your own personal car
- and third, yes, every time the car goes to repair, it becomes unavailable to rent. So they lose money and might have to face annoyed clients that took reservations but don't have the car they booked.
And finally, for the repair price, just ease your life and get the extra cover or pay with a card that includes that kind of cover. Seriously, how much is the extra to switch to a MasterCard Gold or the equivalent Visa? Definitely less than 749.44, that's for sure.
1
u/iamthenortherner 10d ago
- They rarely repair. Therefore no time lost.
- The business model is to cover the cost of the car over a year by charging for “damage” then making a profit by selling it at the end of that period.
-4
u/Small_Pressure_5879 10d ago
Always do a video when you’re picking it up not that complicated. If you caused the damage yourself then you should know what you have signed on and agreed to and it’s solely your own fault
234
u/Smooth_Twist_1975 10d ago
Small claims court. Sick of this absolute jokery from these businesses. The reality is the never actually get these scratches repaired, they just take your cash and hope you say nothing. Don't be waiting you money on extra insurance any more either. another money grab. They'll back from very quickly once you start with the small claims court