Dear Barry,
Because currency conversion rates vary daily, Europcar Chile sets a fixed rate based on the exchange rate on the first day of the month, plus 2 percent to account for the rate variance through the month. That’s generally industry standard. Acknowledging that you might not have had full access to the terms and conditions when you booked through a third-party site, Europcar has refunded your $194.
Dear Tripped Up,
Our tire blew out shortly after picking up a BMW from Europcar in Rome. We were told that roadside assistance would cost 300 euros, plus the price of the tire; alternatively, I could exchange the car at the nearest Europcar location, about 16 miles north. But with a flat tire? Our Airbnb host helped us purchase and install a new tire, but I lost $96 in the process. Chris
Dear Chris,
Europcar confirms that its 24-hour roadside assistance for a flat tire should have been free, and that “it is not the company’s policy to ask a customer to drive with a blown-out tire.” (Amen to that.) In order to resolve what it has called “an honest misunderstanding,” Europcar has refunded you for the cost of the replacement tire. Here’s hoping that your next trip to Rome won’t be such a … Roman holiday.
The Oct. 27 edition of Tripped Up, in which a woman unsuccessfully tried to travel internationally with a passport set to expire four months, inspired all sorts of reactions from Times readers. Kate R. got right to the point: “Wouldn’t it make life easier if the powers that be just put that info on their websites instead of folks having to guess? That’s a problem with many government websites.” Agreed!
Sarah Firshein formerly held staff positions at Travel + Leisure and Vox Media, and has also contributed to Condé Nast Traveler, Bloomberg, Eater and other publications. If you need advice about a best-laid travel plan that went awry, send an email to travel@nytimes.com.
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Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/15/travel/europcar-rentals-travel-disasters.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
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