Way below average on site service

Very satisfied.

Infuriating, very poor service from Europeans. It was around eight or nine at night, and they picked us up to the store, pretending they didn't know I had already paid in full and asked me to pay again. After insisting I had already paid, they reluctantly accepted but started finding fault. First, they said the deposit must be charged to the credit card of the booking driver, which must be a chip card, not a magnetic stripe, and not a UnionPay card. Unfortunately, the booking driver's cards were not chip cards, and they refused to even try. They also wouldn't accept cash. I had a card that met all their requirements and asked if it would work; they said it would require adding an additional driver, charging 50 euros more, and they wouldn't cancel the original order to make me the primary driver. I kept explaining that I wouldn't be driving and it was just my credit card, but they insisted that because the credit card was under a different name, an additional driver fee was necessary. Either we leave and forfeit the money, or pay the 50 euros. We had no choice but to pay. Then, when they heard we were taking the car to Zakynthos, they scared us into purchasing an additional 15-euro insurance policy, claiming the existing insurance only covered Cephalonia. Initially, I thought they were just strict, but later a Chinese girl who booked through another website and didn't prepay was allowed to rent a car with only a Chinese license. They even told her it was considered driving without a license but to call them if police were involved. To summarize: 1. This company is terrible, and rental platforms should better understand these coercive practices and credit card requirements. Their high rating is very unreasonable. 2. Don't assume all Europeans have high moral standards. Some can be very deceitful. 3. Never prepay. If you haven't paid, you have options. Once you've paid, you're at their mercy. Car rental in Europe is very developed and there are many choices. Also, instead of a VW, we got an old Nissan. When asked why, they rudely insisted it was the only car available.

It's not just poor service; it's a scam. They don't accept Visa or MasterCard with the UnionPay logo, so you have to pay a high cash deposit. They arbitrarily change the vehicle model. During inspections, they deliberately distract customers and record numerous small flaws while hiding serious scratches, only to extort you when returning the car. I had an early flight, and the Chinese guy before me had to pay 50 euros because part of his front grille fell off without any collision. I was relieved to drive carefully, but then they pointed out a scratch near the right front bumper close to the ground and demanded 250 euros! It was clearly an old scratch, but they wouldn't listen to any explanation and told me to negotiate with the manager, who only comes in at 8:30 AM. My entire trip ended on a sour note because of this scheme. If such a rental company can be listed on your platform, it speaks volumes about your standards.

1. When I arrived at the premises of Europcar in Athens to get the car, they asked me to block an amount of deposit 10 times the amount indicated in my contract (3000 euros instead of 300 euros). I did not have 3000 euros available on my credit card. Then they asked 5 times the indicated deposit amount (1500 euros) but, at the same time, I had to pay 50 euros more for the rental than the 88 euros indicated in my contract (138 euros instead of 88 euros). This is clearly a breach of contract. I had no means to rent another car, I was with children and this was our last day of holiday so I had to accept it. 2. The car I got was in a rather poor state, full of scratches. 3. After returning the car without any problem, they did not unblock the deposit of 1500 euros from my credit card for 3 weeks. I called them twice, to no avail. A lady at the client service assured me both times that her colleagues most certainly had done all the necessary to unblock the deposit and that it was probably my bank's fault if it was still unblocked. Then I called my bank with which I have never had any such problem (and I rent cars often). Europcar had never unblocked the deposit. My bank did it for me since it was not claimed for 3 weeks.

Pick up point was visible from the airport terminal and a short walk but only with hand luggage only. Staff in attendance were courteous and professional. There was no hard sell during the paper work process. The scratches and dents I spotted on the car were recorded and no new issues identifed when i returned the car. All in all, a very good level of service.

Good choice of car rental suppliers with a range of prices. Booking was straightforward although i did miss the spot where i should have added the flight details.