jlm43

Any recommendations on these two companies? I've used AutoEurope a few times with great results so I'm inclined to go with them. However, Malagacar.com has much better rates for the size vehicle we need. I've never heard of them before so I'm hoping someone here has some experience with them. The trip is next week so I'm a bit last minute with the car reservations.

Thanks.

Michael

Do you mean AutoEurope, a broker based in the U.S., or Europcar, a rental agency in Europe? Either might be preferable for peace of mind.

jlm43

AutoEurope, the US based broker.
I've used them twice with good results and I've heard many other good reviews. It's Malagacar that I'm not sure of.

bilboburgler

use the broker

Maribel

Use AutoEurope. We've used them successfully for 20+ years for multiple yearly rentals.

jlm43

So here's an update.

I ended up renting with Avis but through AutoEurope so I'd have some back up if something happened. Well, something happened. When I picked up the car, there were multiple scratches on the car. I talked with the agent about the scratches and she showed me where they were already noted on the contract. I asked her to sign and date both copies noting the scratches and she did. Well, I'm not being charged $815 for the damage that was noted on the contract prior to leaving the lot. Unfortunately, AutoEurope is not helping. They replied to the first email stating that it could take 30 to 45 days to get resolved. Phone calls to AutoEurope end up with super long wait times to the point of hanging up.

I'll update this thread as things progress in case anyone is interested.

janisj

"Well, I'm not being charged $815 for the damage " OK -- I'm confused - if you are not being charged what is the problem?

OR - did you mean "Well, I'm not now being charged $815 for the damage "

jlm43

sorry about that. Auto correct to the rescue.

I am now being charged $815.

I did get an email back from Auto Europe yesterday. They informed me that they are still working on it. Also that their 24/7 customer support is only available from 10am to 3pm if you need anything other than a new reservation.

progol

We had a similar thing happen with Europcar in Italy. Although we did book through AutoEurope, we hadn’t considered calling them when we returned. We did a chargeback on my credit card. I sent them all documentation showing what had been done when we picked up the car and when we dropped it off, reinforcing poor communication and cursory review on their part when picking up the car. We had taken photos but not extensively so there was no guarantee that it would show we were not responsible. One of the things we got charged for was a hole in the driver’s seat, which we found after we took off. The agent didn’t even look inside the car when we picked it up but we got charged for that. So I’m not sure whether Auto Europe would’ve resolved it, but the credit card did. We got our money back and that’s what counted.