Flat Tire Misadventure Led to £700 Loss — Europcar Refuses Compensation

In June, my wife and I rented a car for a journey to Lake Como and Lake Maggiore. Everything proceeded smoothly when we picked up a Volkswagen Golf from Europcar at Geneva Airport, and we headed towards Como.

About 170 miles into our 200-mile trip to the hotel, another driver hit a rock that bounced into our path, damaging one of our tires. Forced to drive cautiously along a busy dual carriageway without a hard shoulder, we made our way to the nearest exit and managed to reach a car park. Upon checking the boot, I discovered there was no spare tire available. I attempted to contact the Europcar emergency helpline displayed on the windscreen but was unable to connect.

With the hotel’s reception closing at 8 p.m., we decided to abandon the rental car and pay €120 for a taxi to the hotel.

The following morning, I finally reached Europcar, who assured me someone would be at the car’s location in an hour and a half. I incurred another €120 taxi fare to return to the vehicle. Despite arriving at 11 a.m. on a rainy day, and repeated calls to Europcar, it took an agonizing eight hours for a flatbed truck to arrive. The driver informed me that rather than replacing the damaged tire, he was collecting the car and could not give me a ride back to my hotel, leaving me stranded once again. I was forced to pay for another taxi.

Once back at the hotel, I called Europcar to request a replacement car. I was told the only options were for them to bring one from Milan Airport for €900 or for me to collect one myself from either Milan or Lugano. We chose to go to Lugano after our lake cruise the next day, which resulted in an additional €250 in taxi fares. Thankfully, the replacement vehicle functioned without issues.

I have since tried to claim reimbursement for the total taxi expenses of £513 and an additional £180 for the loss of rental time over two and a half days, but I have not received any updates regarding this claim. — Peter Fowler, Monmouthshire

Troubleshooter Insights:

Your holiday was significantly impacted, and to make matters worse, Europcar has billed you €300 for the damaged tire. Though you acknowledged that the puncture might have been due to driving errors and accepted this cost, you rightfully expected a refund for the other expenses incurred after being improperly stranded.

Europcar has stated that their emergency breakdown line operates around the clock. It is concerning that they failed to respond to your calls that day.

Regarding the eight-hour wait for assistance, Europcar initially claimed that this was within the average waiting time but could not specify what that average actually is, only suggesting it was under eight hours.

Your confusion about why the car was taken instead of just replacing the tire was noted; Europcar explained that such decisions are made by the breakdown service, though the driver should have provided you with transport back to your hotel.

In response to your experience, Europcar stated: “We apologize for the service Mr. and Mrs. Fowler experienced while in Italy. This did not meet our usual standards. We are processing a refund for the days missed on the rental and will cover the taxi costs.”

You are now not out of pocket, but it’s disappointing that the company did not offer further compensation for the inadequate service that squandered a day of your holiday.

60th Birthday Celebration Ruined by British Airways Overbooking

I represent a young rock band named Cavalcade, who were scheduled to perform at my 60th birthday party in Gibraltar this March. They had booked four round trip flights from Gatwick through British Airways, with the tickets divided into two reservations due to two members returning the following day.

The night before the flight, two of the band members encountered issues checking in online, receiving a prompt to visit the airport. Once they arrived at Gatwick in the morning, they were turned away due to overbooking. My celebration was scheduled for that evening, and there were no other available flights to Gibraltar on that day. While the other two members managed to catch their flight, the band missed out on performing and lost their £750 fee.

British Airways instructed them to seek a £411 refund and compensation. They submitted their claim in April but have yet to receive reimbursement. When attempting to contact the airline for updates, they were simply told to keep trying due to the absence of a direct complaints line.

Aside from the loss of income for the band, British Airways spoiled my birthday celebration. Could you assist them in obtaining their refund and compensation? — Wayne, Gibraltar

Troubleshooter Insights:

The two band members did nothing wrong, yet they were unjustly denied boarding due to British Airways overbooking the flight. Unfortunately, this practice is not uncommon, as airlines often overbook to ensure full flights, presuming some passengers won’t show.

One band member even traveled two hours to the airport, resulting in a needless four-hour round trip. Jack from the band expressed frustration that British Airways only informed them of the overbooking upon their arrival at the airport, suggesting that earlier notice could have allowed for alternative arrangements to reach Gibraltar.

Given this situation stemmed from the airline’s errors, it was disappointing they hadn’t processed their reimbursement yet. After my involvement, they received the £411 refund after a week. Since the booking was canceled at the last moment, the two members also qualified for compensation, amounting to £336 each. British Airways commented: “We have reached out to our customers to apologize for their experience and to resolve the situation.”

£1,427,862: the total savings Troubleshooter has generated for readers this year.

If you are facing a financial issue that requires investigation by Katherine Denham, please email [email protected]. Kindly include a contact number.