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Europcar damage charge: how to dispute it

Updated
General information, not legal advice. The outcome depends on the facts of your case.

Europcar usually sends a damage invoice by email after the rental, often priced from a damage schedule rather than a garage bill. If you think the charge is wrong, you can challenge it, and for many rentals there is a free dispute body whose decision binds Europcar. The clock starts early, so act quickly. This guide is not linked to Europcar in any way.

Watch the 14-day window

Europcar publishes a damage management policy per country. In the versions for Ireland and Belgium, you have 14 days from the invoice to challenge the charge. Check the policy for the country you rented in, and send your challenge inside that time even if you are still collecting evidence. You can add more later.

In the Irish policy, Europcar says it sends photos and a statement of the damage, assesses the cost with industry-standard estimating software, and caps light damage at the excess plus an admin charge. Disputes go to its damages department and, after that, to ECRCS.

The light damage price list

Many Europcar charges for small damage come from a fixed price list, sometimes called the light damage schedule. A fixed price is not proof of a real repair cost. The industry's own guidelines say damage tables must reflect real repair costs and must not be used for fair wear and tear. So ask which line of the schedule was used, and why that level of damage was chosen.

Some Europcar countries publish what they count as damage at all. Europcar Germany, for example, says scratches under 2 cm and dents under 5 cm are normal wear and are not charged. If your rental country has a published threshold and your damage is under it, say so. Our guide to wear and tear versus damage has more on this.

What to ask Europcar for

Write to the address on the invoice, or to the damages department named in the policy, and keep a copy. Say that you dispute the charge and ask for it to be put on hold. Then ask for:

You do not have to prove you did nothing. Europcar has to show that the damage exists, that it was not there at pick-up, that it happened during your rental and is more than normal wear, and what it costs. Most contracts make you liable up to the excess whatever the cause, so "it was not my fault" is a weak line. "Show me it happened during my rental" and "show me the amount is real" are strong ones.

Get the final answer

Keep the exchange in writing until Europcar gives you its final answer. The free dispute body will not take your case without it.

ECRCS: free, and binding on Europcar

Europcar takes part in the European Car Rental Conciliation Service (ECRCS). You can use it if:

It is free, and the decision binds Europcar but not you. Read how ECRCS works first. Note that Goldcar and InterRent, though part of the Europcar group, are not on the ECRCS list. If you rented from Goldcar, see our Goldcar guide.

Other routes

Some background

In 2017 Europcar set aside €44 million after Trading Standards in the UK began investigating its repair charges there, according to press reports at the time. We did not find the final outcome. It does not prove anything about your charge, but it is one more reason to ask how the amount was calculated.

Honest limits

If the return report you signed shows the damage, or the photos clearly show new damage, the dispute may only be about the amount. ECRCS says it cannot rule on repair method or cost, so price arguments are often stronger with your bank. Nobody can promise the result.

In short

  1. Challenge in writing within 14 days of the invoice, and ask for the hold.
  2. Ask for the reports, photos, inspection time and how the price was set.
  3. Get the final answer, then ECRCS within 12 months, before any bank dispute.

If you want the letters written for your rental, with the dates worked out, our pack does that for a flat fee after a free check.