Auto Europe, a recognized intermediary in the world of car rentals

Appearances can be deceiving, as the name Auto Europe suggests a European company, but it is actually American, having been founded in 1954 in Portland, United States.

While the initial goal was to make vehicle rentals in Europe easier for American families visiting relatives, Auto Europe evolved into a car rental service provider that acts as an intermediary. This means Auto Europe secures a vehicle for its customers through a variety of providers, including global leaders like Europcar, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Alamo, and National, as well as the most reliable local rental agencies.

Advantages

The term "intermediary" brings with it a very wide range of rental vehicles, since Auto Europe leverages the fleets of dozens of rental companies with which it partners. This also results in highly competitive rates, as the company negotiates directly with these same providers to secure the best pricing for its customers.

Disadvantages

However, be aware that acting as an "intermediary" means Auto Europe has no legal obligation regarding the fulfillment of the contract by its partner provider and bears no responsibility for disputes that must be settled with the provider delivering the vehicle.

Before any potential conflict, the first step is making a reservation with Auto Europe, a process that is very simple. You book your car on their website, pay by credit card, and receive a confirmation email with a voucher to print. This voucher indicates the rental agency where you must go to pick up your vehicle. Once there, the agents pull up your reservation in their system and draw up your rental contract.

It is as straightforward as that, and for any questions, a team of specialists is reachable 7 days a week via a free customer service line.

Expanded services

This is valuable support that customers will certainly appreciate when choosing from the various services offered by Auto Europe, which is no longer limited to basic car rentals. The company now offers luxury vehicles, sports cars, and motorhome rentals available at over 24,000 rental locations worldwide.

Discover all offers
https://www.autoeurope.fr
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Reviews of Auto Europe

Summary of 3 reviews
1.3/5
Average rating
-3 recs +0 -3 Score weighted by contributor expertise level: a recommendation from a level 3 member counts as 3.
Total recs

Average ratings by criterion

Customer service
1.3/5
Reliability
1/5
Value for money
2/5

Auto Europe. Ended up being way, way too expensive

Yes, Auto Europe seems a little cheaper at first, and you are satisfied when returning the car, even if a small parking scratch meant the rental company kept the deductible. We were covered by the refund guarantee, which is a big sales pitch for Auto Europe. A month later, after multiple emails and phone calls, it is a nightmare! We realized the rental cost 1500 euros instead of the original 150 euros! Quite simply, Auto Europe refuses to reimburse the 1350 euros for the deductible by saying, "your incident was due to negligence. However, negligence is excluded by the contract." Very kind of them. But a month's pay after saving 10 euros on the rental, would you take that deal?

Avis importé le 04/11/2020 depuis notre ancien site Voyage-Net.com

37
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Left to fend for myself

I booked a car in Madrid through Auto Europe. When I arrived, I was supposed to call a phone number for a rental agency, and someone was supposed to come pick me up at the airport. I tried calling that agency for half an hour with no success. They had taken the phone off the hook so they wouldn't be bothered because they were too busy. I called Auto Europe several times, and they clearly told me to figure it out myself. I managed to locate the rental agency in Madrid. With my wife, our 20 month old baby, and our luggage, we took the subway and walked for more than 45 minutes to find my vehicle. The bottom line: I spent more than €60 (about $65) on data and phone calls to reach and locate the agency, and I lost more than 2 hours. Review imported on 11/04/2020 from our old site Voyage-Net.com

32
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Who is responsible?

I rented a car for 3 weeks through the Auto Europe website from Niza Cars in Malaga, Spain. Bad choice. Niza Cars charged me a €500 security deposit upon arrival and processed it immediately without warning me (usually they just take a card authorization hold), then they only refunded €100, supposedly for a broken rear window, even though the vehicle was returned in perfect condition. Everything was fine when I returned it, and they promised me a full refund in the days that followed. They told me it was "automatic with the computer system." Auto Europe just forwarded my complaint to the rental agency and sent me the bogus invoice from the agency, while warning me that they were no longer responsible for anything. Clearly, they do not evaluate the reliability of the rental companies at all, and when there is a problem, it is not their fault. Too easy!
Avis importé le 04/11/2020 depuis notre ancien site Voyage-Net.com

30
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