At the start I felt pretty relaxed about this rental. I booked the car on QEEQ and I just wanted to drive from Zagreb to Budapest like a small graduation trip. On that early April day my pickup time was around one in the afternoon. Spring in Zagreb was a bit cold but the sun felt nice. I stood at the Europcar counter with my luggage and I was kind of excited. When the staff gave me the key they talked about insurance. Their English had an accent and I was a bit nervous. I did not fully understand everything. I kept saying that I already bought insurance online. Then they talked about upgrade and extra cover. I only wanted to hit the road fast so I signed several papers without thinking too much. The real trouble came later after I returned the car in Budapest. Around the twentieth of April I dropped the car at Budapest airport also in the early afternoon. I parked the Peugeot 208 took some photos and then rushed to catch my ride into the city. I was still thinking about the views on the way and I did not expect any problem with money. A few days later I saw a new charge in my account. There was an extra insurance fee of around 1900 Australian dollars. I was shocked and froze for a few seconds. I had already planned my budget and checked my insurance before the trip. This huge extra amount felt like a big hit for a student who travels alone. First I thought maybe I made some mistake. I went through my emails and contracts again and again. The more I checked the more nervous I felt. At that moment I reached out to their customer support. At first I did not expect much. I thought it would be very complicated. The person who answered me spoke in a very calm way and asked me about my situation step by step. I sent photos of my bill my contract and the papers I signed at the counter. I explained that I drove from Croatia to Hungary and there was no accident or damage. It was just normal use of the car. They listened and said they would help me check with Europcar about this insurance charge. During those days I checked my bank account every day and my head hurt every time I saw that 1900 number. The support person kept sending me messages from time to time. They asked if I received any new email and if I had more photos from the counter. It made me feel like someone stayed on this problem with me and did not just leave me alone. I also went back to ask the Europcar counter staff. Their answer was that the fee was for an upgrade and extra insurance and they said I agreed so they charged me. I still felt it was not fair. I never knew it would cost so much. I only remembered that day the line was long I was in a hurry and the staff spoke fast and mixed many topics. I just signed in a rush. The good thing is they kept helping me talk to the rental company. I could feel they were trying to make the story clear for me. They checked that I had already bought another insurance before pickup and that at the counter no one clearly told me the real cost of this upgrade. They also helped me read the bill and understand which item was this fee. I did not see the full process between them and the rental company but I could feel that someone was always pushing this case forward. When you travel alone the worst thing is a sudden big cost that you do not understand. During that time I still had classes and homework and I also had to explain the situation many times. Without this kind of follow up I might have given up. Now when I look back if it was just me talking to the rental desk by myself it would be very hard to explain everything because of language and information gaps. This time there was a dedicated person staying with my case and I felt more safe. At least I was not just staring at that 1900 dollar charge all by myself. For a solo student traveler with a tight budget this kind of care really matters.
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