Europcar - Am I being unreasonable?
I hired a car from europcar on Saturday at 10am for a one way trip to Harlow in Essex, from Gloucester. I booked the car from 10am to 3pm, so plenty of time to make the trip.
When I turn up at the drop off location, it is closed, with nowhere to drop the keys. I call customer services, but this is closed, so I speak to reservations (the only place which is open). I ask them what to do and they inform me to take the car to Kings Cross! Obviously this is out of the question and I ask for an alternative, as I am due to be at a meeting very soon. They inform me that I should keep hold of the keys, leaving the car secure, and the Harlow office will call me to arrange collection of the key.
This morning I have been told I have to return the key to them as the hire is still open, and I am being charged! I explain that I have a hire agreement between myself and Europcar which states I will drop the car off at 1500, and it is not my fault the booking system has allowed me to do that, but they see it as I haven’t returned the car. They are now going to charge me for 2 more full days hire and I have to take time off of work to travel to Harlow to return the keys.
If the booking was straight forward, with no indication that there would be any sort of an issue, why is this my fault?