Locauto Yes or No? or Europcar in Pisa

Old Jul 31st, 2012, 09:04 AM
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moo
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Locauto Yes or No? or Europcar in Pisa

Okay, so I have booked a car from Pisa Airport through rentalcars.com and the supplier is Locauto. Has anyone had any experience with them? Good? Bad? The rate is good and includes all insurance with zero excess (no deductable). However, my Fodorite friends have referred me to some not so great reviews of Locauto -- actually scary. I don't want scary on this trip.

I also booked an automatic Mercedes A180 through Autoeurope (Europcar is the supplier) but that is a pretty small car as I can conclude through the internet as we don't have those in the US. This is a bit more expensive for a smaller car but Europcar seems to be more reputable.

Any opinions on Locauto versus Europcar? Any reviews of the Mercedes A180? At least 2 adults with medium sized luggage and 2 small backpacks. Possibly 4 adult passenger for day trips.

Thanks!
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Old Jul 31st, 2012, 10:30 AM
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Europcar is one of the biggest rental agencies with offices throughout Europe. I have found it to be reliable.
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Old Nov 15th, 2012, 02:43 PM
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Locauto Scam Artists--just google them.
This is the worst company I have ever dealt with when traveling.
They charged us twice for a weekly rental when the car broke down on the second day we had it.
Then they charged us for the repair and the van already had 50,000 miles on it and was in horrible condition. The breakdown was in no way our fault.

You are better off with donkeys or bikes than renting a car from these people

They don't even have a customer service number that you can call from the US.
Pathetic.
J Stack
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Old Nov 15th, 2012, 03:15 PM
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I like that A180 have have rented it several times. Are you more than 2 people?
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Old Nov 16th, 2012, 07:30 AM
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The new A180 models for 2013 are a lot different from those up to 2012... http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/review...-2013/gallery/

Two people with luggage should be fine and 4 for daytrips too.
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Old Jan 21st, 2013, 03:29 PM
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DON'T EVER RENT A CAR THROUGH LOCAUTO. I and many other people have had terrible experiences with Locauto. They charge people huge amounts of money for "damages", petrol and anything else they can invent. PLEASE Open up the forums AND REVIEWS on the internet and you will find hundreds of complaints about Locauto. I am amazed that they are still trading and are not being criminally investigated. There is a even a website dedicated to NOT RENTING FROM LOCAUTO. CAVEAT EMPTOR!!!!!
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Old Jan 21st, 2013, 05:32 PM
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Have rented through (or ended up with them through Autoeurope) Europcar on numerous occasions and would use them again. Have always had great service.

BTW, make certain if you are buying insurance that you don't also need so-called super CDW which brings the deductible to zero.
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Old Jan 22nd, 2013, 12:55 AM
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Does nobody else find it strange that 2 of 6 previous posters, both complaining, have only ever made one post on Fodor's?

I have never used Locauto, so have no opinion on their service.
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Old Jan 22nd, 2013, 06:02 AM
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ira
 
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Hey w,

I find it interesting that KP would bother to resurrect a 2-month old thread.

I wonder what the OP did.

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Old Aug 13th, 2014, 06:34 AM
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Be aware of this company: although they initially might have the best price, you'll find out later why. A surcharge of 231 euros (!!) was taken without any questions from my credit card account because we left the car with some bread crumbs on the seats, enough to declare the car as 'too dirty'. When we dropped off the car (which took about an hour with 1 person queuing so make sure you don't have to rush for your flight), they tried to make me to sign a document in which 170 euros was going to be charged, which I refused. It means, even beyond the discussion whether the car was given back in the right condition, Locauto 'punished' me for not signing the document with an extra 61 euros. I dare to call this inacceptable 'ripp off' practices to which the customer has hardly any defence ( also because they freeze an amount of 2000 euros on your credit card account when you don't take their overpriced insurance package). It was also my first experience with rentalcars.com and I must say that I am highly disappointed that companies like Locauto are being recommended. F. Develter
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Old Oct 11th, 2014, 04:36 PM
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Bad experience with rentalcars / locauto - Milan Malpensa airport! The intial cost was relatively cheap but then they charged 500 euros extra. It took a long time for them to find out that they have billed me for another costumer!! I did get some of the money back at the end but it tooked lots of emails and time!! Good luck
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Old Oct 22nd, 2014, 05:54 AM
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Stay away from LOCAUTO car rental Company.
They have lots of tricks.
I have rented an economy car from Locauto two weeks ago.
I picked up the car on time and return it back on time.
Just 1- 2 km before I returned the car at Rome Fiumicino airport. I fulled the gas tank and received an invoice. Then I drove 1- 2 km to the car rental office. Sometimes, the pointer of the gas tank on the front panel reacts slowly. The pointer did not showed ‘FULL’ at the time of return. I told the boy working for Locauto that I had the receipt. He was insensible and rude. He did not accepted the receipt and told met hat I have to pay a fine. As I had two more hours of time, I drove back to the gas station. The man working at the gas station opened the hood of the car, disconnect the cable of the car battery and then reconnect the cable. The pointer began to reacted correctly. He told met hat this is a TRICK that some car rental companies do.
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Old Sep 1st, 2015, 10:38 PM
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Avoid Locauto rent like the PLAGUE.

My family just returned from a holiday to Sardinia where we have been scammed by this company. We rented a car in Alghero airport that had a rear bumper damage, which was noted by the assistant (Marco, very rude guy) and we also took a picture at the time of the pick-up. The assistant had me sign for the pick-up on a PDA with an electronic signature, assuring me that the damage was recorded.

Since our return flight was very early in the morning, we returned the car outside their office hours.

After a couple of days I received a charge of 297 EUR on my credit card and an invoice for "rear bump damage". It turns out that my friend Marco "forgot" to put the damage in his PDA where he had me sign (or he removed the damage from the electronic form after we left).

I escalated this case to their customer complaints, attaching also the picture - taken at the time of pick-up - showing that the damage was already there when I picked up the car.

To date, there is no reply from them.

Really, really horrible experience, with rude and cheating personnel - obviously a company that feels very comfortable stealing from customers.

So - avoid them at all cost!
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Old Sep 2nd, 2015, 07:02 AM
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jstravels
KATHLEENPARKER22
fredje123
feder72
onderuretmen
bog_naf

all of the above have the same in common - They have only ever posted on Fodor's to complain about Locauto.

Strange that.

I have never used Locauto, so have no opinion on their service - but this looks suspiciously like an orchestrated campaign to me.
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Old Sep 18th, 2015, 02:13 PM
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I was connected to Locauto via rentalcars.com. Horrible experience!! Locauto charged me for false damages. I successfully disputed their charge through American Express. They would not provide evidence to me or American Express (reason being there is NO damage!!).

I have now received emails and a letter from an Italian collection agency for even more money. If I do not pay they will send my case to their American correspondents. May be when it comes to America I can get this pitiful case resolved.

Do not use this company - they will scam you!
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Old Sep 18th, 2015, 02:43 PM
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jstravels
KATHLEENPARKER22
fredje123
feder72
onderuretmen
bog_naf

Now MikeVie

...
I've rented with rentalcars, and don't even remember the name of the local company.
Had damages, got in contact with Rentalcars, got paid back in less than a month.

Don't see why Rentalcars would good in some countries and bad in others.
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Old Dec 1st, 2015, 05:13 AM
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Me and my friends rented a car from Locauto's office at Rome's Fiumincino Airport in Sept' 15. During our two-week rental period, we unfortunately received a small bump in the front of the car when a car in front of us backed in to us in San Marino. The police were present, insurance and personal details exchanged, and we agreed that the driver of the other car, being responsible for the accident, would contact his insurance company with regards to paying the costs for our car.

When returning our car, we explained the situation in detail to Locauto's staff, showing pictures and other proof of the nature of the accident. Locauto, however, charged over 400 euros from our credit card on the spot, claiming that we would get this money back once they are reimbursed by the insurance company of the driver who backed into us. This seemed understandable at the time, and being from another country, me and my friends possess values such as integrity, honesty and decency which later proved nonexistent in the business model, actions and "customer service" of Locauto.

Three months later, we still haven't received a penny back from Locauto. More concerningly, there's no real sense of anything ever being done. Locauto's personnel seem to carry proud traditions of hanging up on the phone, not answering e-mails or refusing to speak English, which is a brilliant form of service from a company mostly dealing with tourists as customers. Countless efforts have been made by us to get Locauto to even attempt to explain to us what, if anything is going on with our case. The company seems to embrace a policy of treating any queries, questions or complaints with complete disinterest, and the Italian mafia could probably learn a thing or two about their nonchalant "give us your money and shut up"-policy.

On top of the general sense of confusion, the utter impossibility of getting any answers on the state of the process or when will we finally get our money back, Locauto today decided to charge an extra 50 euros from our credit card, presumably for our preposterous behavior in actually trying to get them to engage in some level of communication with their (never again-) customers.

Overall, a fantastic showcase of immorality, inability, unprofessional behaviour and money-grabbing from a company which sadly seems to do these things all too often. Would definitely recommend.
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Old Dec 1st, 2015, 06:14 AM
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What a surprise, yet another "only one ever post and it's to complain about Locauto" poster.
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Old Dec 22nd, 2015, 05:39 AM
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Locauto scam!!
Yes, Willit, another Locauto complaint! The ONLY reason I signed up to this Fodor forum was to complain and ask for advice about being scammed by Locauto. I have been searching online about this company because I have disputed and redisputed charges on my credit card from this company for the last few months. Finally, I closed the card, so I wouldn't keep getting falsely charged. But, those charges are still in dispute, and I may have to pay them anyway.

I traveled to Italy with my 3-year-old twins this summer and rented from Locauto. Upon returning the car, there was no one in the lot to check my car and only one person at the check out counter with a huge line behind me. She could not come outside to check the car. We left it in the exact condition we rented it in. No damage at all. I am now in redispute with Chase for $500 charges from Locauto falsely accusing me of returning the car with dents. Then a couple of weeks ago, my card was charged by Locauto again for about $50. I am also in dispute over that charge. So, I put a block on my credit card, so Locauto couldn't charge my Chase Sapphire card again. Well, Locauto changed their name slightly, so yet another $50 charge is pending from yesterday. I have spoken with Chase's dispute dept ad nauseum. I have to keep faxing my version of events and wait to see what happens. Finally, yesterday, I closed that card and opened a new one, so Locauto can't continue to charge my card. The current $50 charge is supposedly because I received a traffic violation. I never got a ticket, and I was never pulled over. The allegations are ludicrous. I'm so bummed that my beautiful, serene vacation with my babies has been tainted by this awful car company. Anyone with suggestions on where I can go from here, so I don't end up having to pay these charges would be greatly appreciated.

So, yes willit, another Locauto complaint. Not sure why you are finding it so odd. The OP asked about Locauto services. The OP's question shows up in a google search for Locauto reviews. That's how I found it, and I am desperate for help on this matter....and will make sure I do everything possible to ensure EVERYONE knows not to ever rent from this car company.
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Old Dec 22nd, 2015, 05:54 AM
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In general, the police in Europe do not chase after drivers who commit a minor infraction. If an offence is recorded on a speed or other traffic camera, a note is sent to the registered owner who either pays the fine or tells the authorities the name and address of the person who hired the car. In the case of a hire car, the rental company charges the driver a fee for performing this service, and then the civic authorities send a demand to the driver for the offence. There may be a delay before this happens, and in some case it never happens at all.

The most probable offences are speeding or driving in a prohibited zone. Locauto would be obliged by law to pass your name and address to the authorities. What happens in your country?

I understand that cancelling a credit card does not prevent new charges being added to the outstanding balance.
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