Question 1

How do I check the vehicle?

Accepted Answer

We recommend checking the vehicle condition against the rental agreement and taking photos and/or a video on both pick-up/delivery of the vehicle and when you return it to us or make it available for collection.

Reporting Unrecorded Damage to your Rental Vehicle within the first 24 Hours

At the time of pick-up or delivery, if you notice any additional damage (outside our Fair Wear & Tear standards) or defects on your rental vehicle that are not recorded in the 'Existing Damage' section of your rental agreement, please report this to a member of our team before setting off on your journey.

If you picked up your hire car or if it was delivered outside daylight hours, or if you were not present at the time of delivery, please take the opportunity to inspect the vehicle within the first 24 hours of your rental start time.

Should you identify any unrecorded damage, please click the link above to connect with our Damage Hotline or email us at damage.hotline@europcar.com

To ensure a smooth process, please:

- Notify us within 24 hours of your rental start time:

a. Email: damage.hotline@europcar.com

b. Phone: 0800 0280 999, press option 6 - Provide your rental agreement number or the vehicle registration number.

- Submit details of the additional damage, including photographs.

Question 2

What is fair wear and tear?

Accepted Answer

Fair wear and tear is damage that naturally arises during normal use of the vehicle. We regard the following items as fair wear and tear rather than damage to the vehicle:

- Scratching of painted panel typically caused by small stone;

- Dent on metal or plastic panels with a diameter of less than 20 mm without need of painting;

- Scratch that penetrates the paint with a length less than 20 mm on painted panes or alloy rims.

These items will not be recorded on the check-out documentation and you will not be charged for the cost to repair them.

Question 3

What other charges may I be liable for and in what circumstances will I be charged for them?

Accepted Answer

Please note that depending on the damage to the vehicle, it might be that you are liable for other charges in addition to the damage and the Damage Administration Charge. For more details, please see the Tariff Guide. For details around the limit of your liability, please see section [13.2] of the T&Cs.

Question 4

What is Loss of Use and how is it calculated?

Accepted Answer

"Loss of Use is a charge to take account of our loss of rental income while the vehicle is being repaired, an item is being replaced, the vehicle is being professionally cleaned, while it has been seized by a relevant authority or on a vehicle that is a Total Loss. We calculate the Loss of Use Charge based on the daily rental rate set out in your Rental Agreement.

In the event of Serious Damage, the number of days charged by us for Loss of Use of the vehicle will be:

1. one day for the vehicle to be taken in for repair; and

2. one day for each period of four hours (or part thereof) of labour required by the relevant supplier to repair the Vehicle; and

3. one day for the vehicle to be returned to us and checked in following the repair.

In the event of loss of, or damage to, Other Essential Items, or Damage to Tyres and/or Windscreens, Loss of Use will be capped at one day’s rental income, and will not be payable in respect of a repair to a windscreen, only where the windscreen is replaced.

In the event of a Total Loss we calculate the Loss of Use Charge on the basis of the daily rental rate set out in the Rental Agreement, adjusted to acknowledge the fact that the number of vehicles we have available for hire to customers generally when the repair takes place will have an impact on our rental income. The charge is payable in respect of each day, or part day, after the end of the Hire Period up to the point that the vehicle is sold for salvage.

In the event of vehicle seizure, there will be a Loss of Use Charge to take account of our loss of rental income while we cannot rent the vehicle out to another customer. This will be calculated on the basis of the daily rental rate set out in the Rental Agreement for each day (or part of a day) in excess of the Hire Period and until the vehicle is checked in by us as returned."

Question 5

What happens where, as a result of a repair or part replacement, the vehicle is put into a better condition than it was at the start of the Hire Period?

Accepted Answer

In this situation, the amount for which you are liable to us will not be reduced to reflect the new for old replacement and/or the pre-existing condition of the Vehicle. Nor will you receive any credit to reflect the benefit that we may subsequently receive in the context of any commercial arrangements that we may have in place with our suppliers.

Question 6

Do you always repair the vehicle immediately?

Accepted Answer

Not where, in our reasonable opinion, we assess that the Vehicle has suffered Light Damage and does not necessarily require immediate repair for safety, mechanical or cosmetic reasons before it can be rented to another customer. This is because our vehicles are working assets. In these circumstances, you will be liable to pay us the pre-agreed fixed sum(s) set out in the Light Damage Charges Schedule OR the sum resulting from a desktop assessment and the Light Damage Administration Charge, which is set out in the Tariff Guide.

Question 7

How do I query a damage invoice?

Accepted Answer

If you wish to query your damage invoice, please refer to the instructions on your damage invoice pack, or alternatively:

- Phone: 0371 384 0235 (charged at standard landline rate (or similar); other networks may vary depending on your service provider).

Further details can be found in section [23.2] of the T&Cs, which [together with section [24], also set] out the steps that you can take if contacting Customer Service does not resolve your query.

Step 1. Check out	Step 2. Accident or Incident	Step 3. Check in & damage assessment	Step 4. Fees & invoicing	Step 5. Queries
What do I need to do?	What do I need to do?	What is the process?	What happens around fees and invoicing?	What happens if you have a query regarding the charges?
Inspect the vehicle, and if there is any difference from the vehicle condition in the check out documentation, then take images and tell us before you leave. If you notice unrecorded damage after you have left, then you may notify us within 24 hours. But please call us as soon as possible on becoming aware of any damage to the vehicle.	Where you are involved in an accident or incident with a third party where your vehicle or the vehicle of the third party is damaged, the following process should be followed: - Do not admit liability; - Call First Call Assist on 0800 0280 999, press option 1 as soon as it is safe to do so. - Quote your Agreement Number and/or your vehicle registration number; - Provide all details of the incident to First Call Assist including: - Contact details for the third party driver(s); - The 3rd party vehicle registration number(s); and - Photographs of the incident so that we can deal with any claim. - Inside the vehicle, you will find an Incident Card. Hand the card to the third party along with the Europcar vehicle registration number.	If damage is identified at check in, or you have notified us of an incident or accident but no damage assessment has been made, then our team will explain the process to you at check in, including your rights around challenging any charges. - Light: If the damage is classified as light damage, then we will use our matrix to calculate the cost of damage and advise you of the cost. You may sign and settle this amount immediately. Where it is not possible to assess the damage using our matrix, a desktop assessment will be carried out to assess the cost. - Serious: This will need to be evaluated by independent engineers in accordance with section 12 of the T&Cs which can be found here. - For unreturned or out of hours check in, see step 4 for more details.	If you acknowledge and agree the damage by signing the statement of return, we will provide an invoice for the charges which will include a Light Damage Administration Charge. Where you pay this at the station at the time of return, we will not charge you the Light Damage Administration Charge. If you query the damage and do not sign, and / or the check in is unattended or out of hours, or there is serious damage, then we will send you: - Statement of return with damage identified; - Pictures of the damage; - An invoice detailing all charges, including the relevant Administration Charge - In the case of serious damage, we will send the above, once it has been evaluated, and the invoice may include an Engineer's Charge and Loss of Use (if applicable).	You will have 14 days from receipt of your invoice to raise any queries, please refer to the instructions on your damage invoice pack, or alternatively: Phone: 0371 384 0235 (charged at standard landline rate (or similar); other networks may vary depending on your service provider).

Damage Management Guide

What is your responsibility?

Who do I need to contact if the vehicle is damaged?

What are the types of damage that can occur to the vehicle?

1. "Light Damage": means any minor damage to the Vehicle (as listed in the Light Damage Schedule), or the loss or theft of, or damage to, the Vehicle's keys, accessories, or documentation.

2. “Damage to Tyres, Windscreen and Loss of or Damage to Essential Items”, this could include:

3. "Serious Damage": means any damage other than Light Damage and/or Damage to Tyres, Windscreen and Loss of or Damage to Essential Items, which will be assessed by an independent third party assessor. Loss of Use charges will apply as outlined in the section below: ‘Step 4. Fees & Invoicing’.

4. "Total Loss": means a situation where we consider the damage caused to the Vehicle to be sufficiently serious that its repair would not be possible, or our Engineer determines it would be uneconomic or impractical to repair. Loss of Use [capped at 60 days] will be chargeable.

What is the damage process and what are your obligations in relation to the damage process?

Frequently Asked Questions