Ten months ago another driver damaged a vehicle I was hiring through Europcar in Northern Ireland. I reported it straight away and assumed it would be a simple process.
Two months later, after no communication from the company, Europcar wrote to inform me that as I had failed to respond to its requests for information my case had been closed. But I had received no such requests. I then received a letter saying it was still waiting to hear from the third-party insurers – it appears Europcar was closing my claim but continuing to claim the money off the third party.
I have chased continually and last month discovered that the other driver’s insurer had in fact accepted the claim, and authorised Europcar to refund me the £482 excess I had paid. Europcar keeps passing me from department to department and my emails generate only an automated response. I’ve still not received the money which was my savings for my 50th birthday treat to myself. SB, Bromley
How companies must dread customers like you who refuse to be stalled by that usually effective rebuffing strategy: silence! But what may have appeared to be 10 months of corporate indifference was, if Europcar is to be believed, deceptive, for behind the scenes staff were busy as beavers appointing lawyers to handle your claim. Usually, it tells me, it aims to settle such claims within eight weeks.
In your case it blames the Irish insurer who, according to a spokesperson, “failed to respond to numerous communications”. Europcar doesn’t explain why it failed to respond to numerous communications from you.
Liability was indeed accepted nine months later and the money paid to Europcar, but the latter forgot to pass it on. This, it says, was due to “genuine error”. You can thank your lucky stars you weren’t victim of a phoney error! The company has coughed up just in time for your birthday trip to New York and, to show it’s contrition, is adding the magnanimous sum of £50.
If you need help email Anna Tims at your.problems@observer.co.uk or write to Your Problems, The Observer, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Include an address and phone number.
