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What happens when you are late to pick up your car rental?
After a long and tiring journey, there's nothing worse than getting to the car rental desk collect your vehicle only to be told that it's no longer available. This sometimes happens when the client arrives late, often because of a delayed flight, and the supplier had to release it to another customer.
Why can't the supplier wait for you when you're late?
Car rental companies depend on the constant flow of fleet cars to maximise their profits and avoid congestion at the pick-up station, especially during the high season. Because travellers are sometimes held up through through no fault of their own (ie flight delays, bad weather, etc.), the local supplier ends up having to release the vehicle before the customer arrives whether they want to retain it or not.
When a customer doesn't show up as expected at the stipulated pick-up time, the car rental company is at liberty to assume that they won't be coming and, after waiting a while, the booking will be registered as a no-show, which means that the reservation is cancelled without the right to a refund and the vehicle is available to be rented out to another driver immediately.
In accordance with the T&Cs stipulated by many suppliers, and for a variety of logistical reasons, it is rarely possible to reimburse the payment of a lost booking because of the fact that when the car provider hires the vehicle to another customer, the rental period is often shorter than the original booking or the driver's insurance isn't as comprehensive, which in turn causes the supplier to lose money in a situation for which they are not responsible.
Frequently asked questions about late car rental pick-up
To summarise, if you're late collecting your car rental, the chances are it won't still be available at the pick-up point by the time you arrive. Which begs the question: how late are we talking about? And what can the customer do if they already know beforehand that they're going to be late because of bad traffic or a delayed flight departure, for instance?
How late is acceptable to pick up a car rental?
In the majority of cases, you'll be allowed to collect your vehicle up to two hours after the pick-up time stated on your car rental voucher. Nevertheless, a lot depends on the local supplier's level of tolerance, which means that the period of grace might be limited to just 30 minutes in some cases. If you are running late, we therefore strongly advise you to inform both Auto Europe and the car rental supplier as soon as you can by declaring that you'll be arriving after the scheduled time with a valid explanation. Otherwise the car provider will consider you a no-show and potentially rent your vehicle to another customer.
Details concerning pick-up times and delays can be found in the General Business Terms of the Auto Europe website, as well as the T&Cs sent to you once the reservation has been confirmed. Our suggestion is that you don't make a last-minute booking (ie less than 48 hours before pick-up) outside office hours (after 9pm local time, for instance) if you're not 100% sure that the counter will still be open when you arrive. Flight interruptions are a common feature of modern travel and a delay of just 15 minutes can affect your plans to collect your vehicle at a specific time, thus possibly causing you a problem with your car rental booking. When arriving late at an airport, some customers prefer to to pick up their car the following morning rather than risk arriving late and losing their reservation, for example.
What should I do if I already know I will be late for my car rental pick-up?
In the event of something unexpected happening that causes you to know beforehand that you're going to be late collecting your vehicle, the first thing to do is to get in touch with Auto Europe. Following that, it's important to contact the local car rental company in order to provide them with your booking number which is clearly stated in the top right-hand corner of the voucher. All you need to do is let them know that you'll be late picking up your car, plus if your flight number has changed, please also inform Auto Europe's reservation agents so that they'll be able to update your travel details in our system. Keeping the local supplier fully up-to-date might also enable their staff to hold the car until you arrive, but there's no guarantee that they will.
You can easily find the supplier's contact details on your voucher. Alternatively, you can ask the Auto Europe representative for them when you call to inform us that you will be arriving late to collect your vehicle. If you happen to know well in advance that you'll be unable to arrive in time to collect your vehicle, then you have the option to modify or cancel your booking either online or by phone completely free of charge up to 48 hours before the at the scheduled pick-up time.
What should I do if my flight is delayed?
As in all other unexpected travel situations, the first thing to do is contact Auto Europe as soon as you possibly can in order to let us know what's happening. If your flight number is changed from the one you listed in the original booking, then please give us the new flight number so that we can immediately update your booking details. You will then need to get in touch with your car rental company to provide them with your booking number (you can find their contact details in the top right-hand corner of the first page of your car rental voucher).
What happens if the pick-up counter is closed when I arrive?
If something happens during your trip and you arrive so late that the car rental desk is closed when you arrive, please call our helpline so that we can help get you on your way. For instance, if you cannot afford to wait until someone arrives to open the counter, we will try to find a solution with another hire company that is still open or try to arrange for you to collect your vehicle at another branch of the same supplier. Alternatively, you can also try to pick up your car early the following morning and start the booking from that moment. Please note that this will solely depend on the supplier's terms and conditions and you most likely won't be able to get a refund for the unused time. However, if your voucher clearly states that the counter is scheduled to be open at the time you arrive, then please contact us immediately so that we can ask the car rental company the reason why the office closed earlier than originally planned.
Can I request to pick up my car rental when the desk/office is closed?
Yes. Depending on your chosen supplier, it might be possible to pick up your car rental outside the company's opening hours. For instance, if you already know that the counter will be closed when you arrive to collect your vehicle, Auto Europe can arrange a special out-of-hours service with the car hire provider in advance, which must be done at the time of making the booking either online or by phone (ideally by phone) and subject to written confirmation from the local car rental company. To formally request an out-of-hours service, the customer must submit an official request together with their Driver Profile Form which can be found in the My Booking section of the Auto Europe website. Please note that this service is extra and subject to an additional fee which must be paid directly to the provider.
Is there a fee for picking up a car rental outside of the opening hours?
Yes. The out-of-hours service is usually subject to an additional charge which varies according to the terms and conditions of the local supplier and must be paid directly to the car rental company's counter staff when you arrive to collect your vehicle.
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