Avoid auto europe at all costs...
 

Just had the unsatisfactory experience of dealing with this company from Maine, so this is a warning to all FT'ers. Avoid like the plague.
Booked a vehicle in Madrid for 3 days.
Got the rate and the Hertz confirm # as well.
Show up at desk, I am told there is a 50E charge for picking it up at the airport.
I show them my Auto Europe voucher that says I have $0.00 owing, but they insist I have to pay an extra 50E as an airport pick up charge or no car.
I'm stuck so I sign off on it.
I call Auto Europe to get the mistake rectified, and they state that not on the voucher but on page 2 of a 4 page PDF attachment they sent along with the voucher states that 50E charge.
Their voucher says $0.00, and they stick this surcharge on the legalese that comes with the agreement.
Yes I should have read everything, no a company should not operate in this manner.
It's underhanded knowing most people wont read through 4 pages of legaleze.
Avoid!

Thx for the heads up. I'm still hunting like crazy trying to figure out a deal on an Ireland rental. It is crazy expensive.

Out of interest, what did you pay for those 4 days and what time did you arrive?

I tried making a dummy booking on the website for 4 days in November, I got prices ranging from 11€ to 97€ with Hertz.
The Hertz rate clearly specify it includes airport fees/surcharges, the one for 11€... well, you get the picture.

Always always read the fine print about what is and what is not included in the price you get.

Although I once had a similar surprise charge using Auto Europe, it was still cheaper than I could have gotten elsewhere.

I'm just speculating here, but it may be that third-party cannot pay certain fees and they have to be collected locally. This once happened to me on a hotel in Belgium involving VAT. But they often do hide this in the fine print.
After my original expereince with Auto Europe, I carefully read the "What it includes" and "What it doesn't include" descriptions on the web page and haven't had any other surprises.

You can get good rates with AutoEurope -- especially if you call them and ask them to beat another rate you found -- but you MUST read the fine print related to the rentals. Surcharges can vary a lot in Europe, and the agents aren't always knowledgeable.