Europcar - Belgrade Airport Information, Car hire Instructions & Policies

Upon arriving at the airport, we were informed by the staff that the V class vehicle we reserved was under repair. They gave us a Vito to use temporarily, and we were supposed to switch to the V class the next afternoon once it was fixed. We agreed, but received no email or call the next day. We went to the airport ourselves and waited for half an hour, only to be told there was no progress. They asked us to call them after 8 PM. We called again that night, and they told us to call again the next morning at 8:30 AM. When we called in the morning, they said the car might be ready, but we needed to leave early and had to be on the road. When we arrived at the airport at 10 AM, they told us the car was still not ready. We said we would take the current car and sort out any price difference later, but they refused because someone else had reserved it. This whole issue wasted an hour of our time. The woman at the counter was very rude and offered no solution, saying she only handled rentals and didn't know where our car was, giving us a number for the reservations center that was of no help. The staff were very unhelpful and exhibited discriminatory behavior, treating white customers differently. After almost three hours, they finally let us take the Vito, but we had wasted our entire morning and our schedule was disrupted. The staff showed no apology and argued it wasn't their problem. We documented everything with photos and recordings and sent a complaint email to Europcar. In response, they waived the cross-border fee and gave us a tank of fuel. However, when we returned the car, they attributed pre-existing damages to us, and could not provide previous comparison photos. It felt as though they were trying to reclaim the value of the free fuel. Since we were told we would only have the car for one day, we didn't take photographic evidence initially. Be sure to thoroughly inspect your car and take pictures, especially when renting from Europcar, as their return process is slow and tedious. Avoid Europcar if possible to save time and avoid frustration.

When we arrived at the airport, the staff informed us that the V class vehicle we reserved was under repair. They gave us a Vito to use temporarily and said we could switch vehicles the next afternoon. We agreed but received no email or phone call the next day, so we went to the airport ourselves to inquire. After waiting half an hour, we were told there was no progress and to call back after 8 PM. We called in the evening, and they told us to call again at 8:30 AM the next day. In the morning, they said the car might be ready, but we needed to leave for another city. When we returned to the airport at 10 AM, they told us the car was still not ready. We asked to keep the current car and discuss any price difference later, but they refused as the car was reserved for someone else. This issue delayed us for over an hour. The female staff member was very rude and did not provide any solution, saying her responsibility was just to rent cars and that she had no information about our vehicle. She gave us a reservation center number, which was also unhelpful. The staff's attitude was discriminatory, treating us differently from white customers, and their problem-solving efficiency was zero. After almost three hours, they finally allowed us to take the Vito, but our entire morning was wasted, causing delays in our schedule. The staff showed no remorse. I was very angry and argued with her, but she claimed it wasn't her problem, reiterating that she only handled rentals. We took photos and recorded the entire interaction, then sent a complaint email to Europcar. The reply offered a waiver of the cross-border fee and a full tank of gas. However, when returning the car, the staff blamed us for pre-existing damage without providing before-and-after photos, seemingly trying to offset the fuel compensation. Since we were originally told this car was only for one day's use, we didn't rigorously check or photograph it for evidence. I strongly advise everyone to thoroughly inspect and document cars rented from Europcar. Their return process is very slow and cumbersome, so make sure you allow extra time. It's best to avoid Europcar if possible, as they waste time and cause frustration.