Hi Everybody, I've been contemplating this issue for a while and thought I would ask the professionals.
10 months ago I rented a car from europcar at the gold coast airport, this unfortunately was the same week of schoolies (of which I was not and just had poor timing) and the hail storms. I took the car from the airport which all the cars were parked not under cover, and drove it around for 4 days.
Two out of those days was heavy hail, one while I had the car, and one after I left. I checked the car in and they ticked it as fine with no damage, a week later I received an email that I am going to be charged 2.5k for invisible hail damage (We checked the car very well, but of course not with a black light). I responded requesting pictures and a quick completion because I purchased travel insurance and I don't want to leave them waiting, at the mention of travel insurance I never received another word from them.
9 months later, after the financial year they took the money directly out of my expired account (At the worst possible time, due to having a newborn baby and spending the rest of my savings on furniture as we moved out for our first time a week before the babies birth). I get paid monthly and they basically took everything leaving me to beg for money for the entirety of the month, 3.7k randomly with no warning.
Due to my financial issues and the fact that my card I produced to them was expired, I began a charge back so I could survive for that month, A month after this they responded to the charge back saying if I didn't send them the money they would A) take me to court and B) put me on a registry so I can never rent a car again, I buckled and gave them their money back. Their contract seemed pretty specific on this that irregardless of time or expired details their debt collectors can take whatever they want whenever they want.
Should have I taken them to court, is there anything I could have done, my baby is two months old now and I'm being put on a month of no pay so the only thing keeping me alive right now is my small tax back. Also is there a way to make sure they haven't charged another person for the same car in the past 10 months (The Receipts were a week before they charged me, so 9 months after the occurrence, and basically every panel on the car was replaced, I'm surprised they didn't replace the transmission at the same time and say its the hails fault)
(Note: the travel insurance failed, We made sure to purchase the cheapest one that covers rental cars for the day of the hail, I talked to the insurance company and they responded saying the package I purchased did not cover rental cars, So either it was a slight in error on our part then OR they changed their package over the past 9 months, of which I cannot be sure, ACE insurance essentials package through hsbc)
Dear OP, I'm glad it's all worked out from you. But I, for one, do not buy their now apologetic CR BS (which only come about when the situation has blown up in their face) considering how the evidence we've unearthed in the last few days all points to there being a systematic issue stemming from a rotten corporate structure, how they have treated us and the false accusations that they've laid against us (still no apology btw - if Europcar is following this thread). Personally, I'll not rent from Europcar and will continue to warn anyone I know against them.