Renter Beware: Costly Roadside Assistance In France

Travelling can be a wonderful experience when you rent a car. But not always. After 30 trips to France, I guess it was time for me to have an awful experience. My roadside assistance experience in France was not just stressful, but a shock to my wallet.  I have a little story nightmare to share with you about renting a car in France.  Hopefully, you’ll never encounter the types of problems I did, but if you do, you’ll understand what to do to navigate the difficult task of renting a car and dealing with road assistance issues.

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1. My French Car Rental Experience

I always book my car rental through AutoEurope. They work with all the major car rental companies and have always had the best prices (Note: although I am an affiliate of AutoEurope and earn a commission on rentals made by my readers, I’d still use them regardless). I chose Hertz due to its worldwide reputation and price and did not add on any extra coverage as my Visa credit card included the collision damage waiver.

Important note: Only collision damage was covered. Nothing else.

The rental was for 10 days, picking up the car in Lyon and dropping it off in Avignon. I headed south from Lyon towards the Ardeche (Vallon Pont d’Arc) where I was staying and within two hours into the journey I saw a flashing warning light on the dashboard. I drove to the next service centre and tried to figure out what the warning light meant.

And that French message, “Contrôler pression des pneus”? = “Check tire pressure”.

Warning light in the car. “Contrôler pression des pneus” = Check tire pressure.
Warning light in the car. “Contrôler pression des pneus” = Check tire pressure.

Important note: all car instructions were in French until I was able to change the language to English.

When I realized the problem was related to the tires, I tried to check the pressure but did not have a tire gauge. I was able to get help from the service centre manager. He showed me how to check my tires and add air.

Important Note:

  • use of the air pressure machine is FREE and to get a reading on your tires, you just push the nozzle into the tire. The needle will show the current pressure.
  • air pressure in France is not measured in pounds but rather kPa (kilopascals).

You might also like to read these posts:     
Why You’ll Need A Crit’Air Sticker When Driving In France 
Helpful Hints For Travelling In France  
10 Do’s And Don’ts When Visiting France   
Here’s What Taking A French Immersion Course In France Is Like

2. Help From The Service Station

It turns out the tire pressure in one of the tires was low. After adding air, the car’s dashboard still showed a problem with the tire pressure. The attendant and I checked and double checked the pressure on all the tires. They were fine but the car’s computer wasn’t registering.

3. Called Roadside Assistance

Hertz Roadside Assistance fob. Emergency road assistance. Declaration or reporting of an accident.
Hertz Roadside Assistance fob. Emergency road assistance. Declaration or reporting of accident.

I tried calling the roadside assistance number that was on the Hertz key fob but it wouldn’t go through.

Important Note:

  • Not all SIM cards for France will permit 1-800 calls. My Le French Mobile SIM card did not.
  • Hertz did not list any other phone numbers even when I texted them for additional phone numbers so I had the service centre call on my behalf.

4. Roadside Assistance Truck Shows Up

10 minutes later a tow truck showed up. He checked my tire pressure and concluded that the tires were fine but the car’s computer wasn’t registering. I asked him if it was safe to drive. He said yes.

The tow truck guy gave me a bill for 124.83 Euros and said he could only take cash. Fortunately, I had the cash and paid him. He said I could get reimbursed by Hertz.

Important Note: I should have called Hertz to confirm that it was okay to pay cash.

5. Ongoing Warnings

I then proceeded to drive to my destination during which the warning light was still on. When I arrived at my B and B, the owner, who knew about cars, checked my car and confirmed that yes, the tires were fine but the car was not registering this.

For the next 9 days, I always had the warning light on and in the last few days, a beeping warning came on that the gas cap was loose. I was constantly checking the tires and gas cap.

6. Shocking Charge Upon Dropping Off My Car

I arrived at the Hertz car rental office in Avignon just before it opened. I was determined to get a refund for the roadside assistance payment of 124.83 Euros that I had paid. I explained to the attendant on duty my problem and he deducted some Euros off the remaining cost of the rental (airport surcharge fee). I then proceeded to the office to pay the bill.

Imagine my surprise at getting charged an

additional 221 Euros

“For what?” I asked.

“For using our roadside assistance”, the salesperson said.

“But I already paid 124.83 Euros”, I said.

“But this 221 Euros is the charge to use our service”, he said.

“So it wasn’t included? Why do you have a roadside assistance phone number on your key fob?”, I asked.

“It’s an additional 5.5 Euros per day to get roadside assistance coverage”, he said.

Important Note:

  • I was never offered this option of roadside assistance coverage.
  • I called my credit card company but they said they only covered collisions. If I was in a collision and had to call for roadside assistance, that might have been covered!
  • I had the Hertz rental guy try to call Hertz’s main office but he couldn’t get through. He would not lower the charge.
  • I could not stay any longer to argue as I had to catch a train to Paris.
  • Once in Paris, I sent a private message via Twitter to Hertz but they said, no, they would not reimburse me.

I contacted AutoEurope and they said that if Hertz would not reimburse me, that I should contact AutoEurope’s customer service department to assist me. I did and they opened a case and put through a query to Hertz about my claim.

For just over 2 months I waited for them to resolve this.

7. Escalating My Complaint To The CEOs of Hertz and AutoEurope

I sent an email to the CEO of Hertz and forwarded it to AutoEurope’s customer service and their CEO requesting a refund. I said that I had a lemon of a car and while I had not purchased roadside assistance, I believed some sort of “compassion” was warranted.

To my surprise, 5 minutes after sending this email I got an email from AutoEurope saying Hertz would be reimbursing me $390—-not all I had paid, but most of it. I believe it was just a coincidence that I got this reply 5 minutes after sending my email.

AutoEurope wrote: “…..who have forwarded their most sincere apologies for the billing error, and advise that they have now issued a refund of the roadside assistance charge….”.

8. Moral Of The Story About Roadside Assistance

I tried not to let this rental ruin my vacation. In fact, I only used this rental for 1/2 of my trip in France. I told myself it was only (a lot of) money, I wasn’t hurt, and I hadn’t been in an accident.

I am VERY pleased with the help I got from AutoEurope. In the end, I don’t think it was their fault that it took over two months to get a resolution to this problem. They kept in touch with me and even though I tried to appeal to Hertz initially, I believe it was because of AutoEurope’s “clout” that I was able to get some money back.

Advice For Your Next Car Rental

Now more than ever I am very careful when I rent cars.

  1. Be sure to ask: is roadside assistance included and if not, how much is it?
  2. If you have a problem with your rental, visit your rental company office as soon as possible and get a new car
  3. If you do have a problem with a car rental and you booked through AutoEurope, start with the car rental firm (in my case Hertz) and if that fails, ask AutoEurope to open a case to assist you.
  4. If there is no resolution after a few weeks, start sending emails to the car rental firm and AutoEurope. Hindsight is always 20/20 and I was more than patient waiting 2 months. I sent over 16 emails but had to keep waiting for responses.
  5. Check to see if your phone can make 1-800 calls. This will be extremely important if you are stuck on the highway or out in the countryside
  6. Besides sending emails and making phone calls, also make use of social media. I have often found that contacting a company’s customer service via Twitter messaging can often produce positive results. While I had to escalate the problem to AutoEurope, my initial discussions with Hertz via Twitter did produce some initial, immediate responses.

For information about the more interesting and fun things to do in the Ardèche, check out this post for itinerary ideas: What Can You See And Do For 2 Days In The Ardèche?

For a subsequent trip I leased a car and it not only included roadside assistance but SO much more. And, I saved money (versus renting). Check out this post: Benefits Of Leasing A Car In France.

TRAVEL RESOURCES
Booking.com and Expedia: are the companies I use for finding accommodations.
: is super for booking apartments and houses. 
AutoEurope: is the only car rental supplier that I will use–with the best prices, and they will refund the difference if the price goes down. 
: offers an easy way to book train tickets.
Get Your Guide and : Both offer tours, city cards, tickets, airport pickups, and so many other things you’ll need at your destination.
-this is the company I use when I want a physical SIM card
Orange e-SIM and -both companies offer e-SIMS and get great reviews

Have you ever had a bad experience renting a car in France?

Renter Beware! Costly Roadside Assistance In France

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23 Comments

  1. Keith Van Sickle says:

    My goodness, what a mess! It almost makes you want to take the train instead of driving. Thank goodness you persevered, but it’s a shame you had to go through this.

    1. Thanks. What’s sad is that I was originally planning to take the train, but there was the train strike and I didn’t want to take a chance!

  2. Lyn aka The Travelling Lindfields says:

    We had a similar experience in New Caledonia last year. Although New Caledonia is a Pacific island it is part of France. Our Europcar broke down. It turned out that the battery had failed. Apparently batteries in new cars only last a couple of years and this car was two years old. It would have been such an easy thing for Europcar to have changed it as part of their regular maintenance. I am assuming that they do regular maintenance but our experience suggests not. New Caledonia is quite sparsely populated outside the capital of Noumea. The day before the battery failed we were in an area with no mobile phone reception at all and where the only ‘towns’ were native villages. I hate to think how much hassle it would have been had we broken down there. As it was we were stranded by the side of the road 45 minutes from our hotel – no public transport desperately trying to make ourselves understood in our schoolboy French to Europcar’s assistance people while watching our mobile phone come perilously close to running out of charge. It was also getting dark – just to add to our problems. In the end a local mechanic got us going so we could drive to our hotel which was on its own on a peninsula. Driving there in the dark praying the car didn’t stall was not fun. The next day we spent hours waiting for the Europcar service people only to be told they didn’t bring a battery with them – even though we had explained the problem. We were forced to purchase a new battery out of our own funds from a garage. Europcar told us by phone they would reimburse us when we dropped the car off at the airport in a couple of days. Our biggest mistake was to believe them. Once at the airport with the time pressure of not wanting to miss our flight we were in no position to argue when the person behind the counter point blank refused to reimburse us for the new battery for which we had a receipt. We did eventually get most of our money back once we arrived home in Australia but it was an enormous hassle. My advice on renting a car overseas is – don’t rent from Europcar.

    1. Wow and I thought my experience was bad! I said I’d never rent from Hertz again and have always like Europcar. I think all these rental car agencies sadly are the same….out for our money!

  3. Adele Aiken says:

    I am planning a trip to France in the Spring. We’ll start off in Paris for 3 days, then head to the Loire Valley for another 3 days. After leaving the Loire Valley, we’ll be off to Belgium. Should I rent a car in Paris for the Loire Valley portion of the trip, then return it to Paris and take a train to Belgium?? Or should I do trains everywhere?? Or, third option, should I take a train to the Loire Valley renting a car there for getting around? I have a reservation at Le Prieuré de Boulogne which is near Blois. We want to see castles, take a balloon ride, taste wine, and see Amboise. I can’t seem to find any info on how to get around once we are in the area so that’s why I thought we would need a car. I would appreciate any advice.

    1. Hi Adele:

      Looks like we’ll both be in France in the Spring!
      In answer to your question, one really should have a car in the Loire Valley. While you could take the train to Blois, as you want to see the castles and do different things, local transportation isn’t very good. You’ll need a car.

      As for taking the train there and then renting a car or renting in Paris and driving there?

      Part of your decision will depend on what day you are going to the Loire. If it’s a Friday, you might run into traffic driving into the Loire, especially if it’s a long weekend (there are lots in May). The will make your journey longer than it usually takes.
      If you are not concerned about driving out of Paris I’d rent a car and drive to Le Prieuré de Boulogne. It’s easier just throwing your luggage into the car and take off (vs. getting to the train station which is Gare de Lyon, and getting on and off the train with luggage).

      Once your time in the Loire is done, you asked about returning the car to Paris and taking the train to Belgium. It’s about a 4 1/2 hour drive from Blois to Brussels, Belgium. You could return your car to Paris but the train to Brussels is from Gare du Nord. You could either drive into Paris (Gare du Nord) and drop off your car there, or, drive to Charles de Gaulle airport, but then you’ll need to take the RER to Gare du Nord. The Thalys train goes to Belgium from there. There are no direct trains from Charles de Gaulle airport. Personally, I would avoid driving to Gare du Nord and I would not want to face the traffic getting to Charles de Gaulle airport and then have to get the RER into the city to catch a train. In all that time I would have driven to Belgium!

      So, as you can see, driving from Blois to Belgium is easier than doing it by train.

      Sorry for the long answer, but the only time you might want to do the train is getting to the Loire Valley. Keep in mind that you’d have to get out of Paris and for some people, that is a bit daunting….especially when you hit the Peripherique (roadway that encircles Paris)

  4. Unfortunately i had a similar bad experience last February.
    I’ve rented a car from Hertz through Auto Europe for a period of 25 days with pick up and return in Chambéry – France.
    For peace of mind, I opted for insurance with full protection, without deductible, although my Visa Card offers also an insurance.
    The voucher I’ve received ( Auto Europe) expressly provides that:

    ++++++++++++++++++

    Your rental includes:
    * 20% Sales tax as of Booking Date:……..LiabilityInsurance for injuries or damages to persons or thingsoutside the vehicle.
    * Rental includes Collision Damage coverage . Rental limitspotential vehicle damage liability to deductible of approximately EUR 0.00.
    * Rental includes Theft Protection for the vehicle. Rentallimits potential vehicle loss liability to deductible of approximately EUR 0.00.
    * Wheels, Glass, Tires, Roof, Undercarriage and InteriorCoverage.
    * Credit Card Block: EUR 270.00 will be blocked on the client’s credit card at time of pick up. (in fact they’ve blocked €500)
    * Unlimited Kilometers.

    ++++++++++++++++++
    I had a small accident that resulted in a flat tyre.
    The owner of the lodge where I was lodged lend me a hand and called Hertz (in french), using the number on the key ring.
    They then sent an employee to replace the damaged tyre, but at no point was I being told that I should be paying extra nonsense on account of that.
    Upon termination of the lease, my credit card was charged with the extra amount of € 546.56 euros, described as follows:

    Roadside Assistance: 221 EUR
    Counter Product (???): 183 EUR
    Damage Administration Fee: 50 EUR
    VAT: 92.56 EUR

    That is, the flat tyre became more expensive than the total value of the rental (U$404.00) ! ! !
    I complained to Hertz but they say they only cover tires if I book the assurance directly at the counter, which means that the AutoEurope voucher is worthless to them and that I should understand myself with AutoEurope.
    Here is Hertz’s answer :

    +++++++++++

    Tire and Glass coverage can only be added at the counter. If you purchased coverage through a third party when booking you will need to reach out to them for assistance with this. -TM

    +++++++++++++++
    I’ve just received another email from Hertz, in which they explain that the item called “counter product = €183” is the cost for putting back the original wheel after they have repaired the flat tyre !!!!

    Congratulations for having your money back.

  5. Omgoodness! I had no idea stories like this could happen with a rental car. Scary…

  6. Ria Windcaller says:

    Here’s another rental story to add to the cue
    Picked up at Schiphol airport, in Amsterdam to Paris.
    That tagged on an additional fee of 300 or so – this was back in 2017, but the experience taught me a lot.
    Short story- my receipts and vigilance allowed me to get a full reimbursement and also the deduction of the one way drop off fee. In the end I paid less overall, but anytime taken from a trip is $. We missed going to my favorite watering hole in Brugge – Staminee de Garre.

    First the tips:
    1. Before you leave rental office check that you have the phone numbers for all the countries that you are traveling through for roadside assistance. My car failed in Belgium, but the roadside assistance numbers were only for the Netherlands.
    2. Save the receipt for final gas fill up at Charles de Gualle airport (CDG). Hertz said we didn’t pay, but then had to remove excessive fee (maybe $275, I can’t remember) because I had the time stamped receipt to prove it.
    3. ….Keep all receipts and a log of the steps you had to take mitigate the rental woes.
    I absolutely agree, that posting complaints on twitter do help -despite it feeling as if one is adding to more venom being spit out into the world.
    4. CDG is one of the most weirdest rental return locations. It feels like a beehive, because the rental car area is in the middle of this round airport. Exhale and take it slow, and allow yourself time to navigate a wrong turn.

    This one way rental was via Auto Europe – to Hertz.
    I was not impressed with Hertz response time and was on my laptop in Brugge, Belgium way too long working with Auto Europe and then Hertz.
    I wasn’t charged for roadside assistance – they had to tow the car and we soon got a new one.

    I’ll be back at CDG in February renting a car…fingers crossed.

    BTW, I also had the same tire deflation problem that other renters have had during another CDG rental. I was able to keep refilling the tire until I returned it to CDG. It was a pain, but at least I was able to continue on with my trip. Thankfully I am an eternal optimist. 🙂

    Stay safe, Ria

    1. Thank you so much for sharing your experience renting a car.
      I can’t believe the similar problems you had…and it was Hertz!
      Good luck in February. I’ll be in France too, but in the south….so I can avoid CDG airport!

  7. Yikes! I live in France and don’t have to rent cars but many friends have visited in the past and asked for advice… from my own experience, no one company is better than another (usually – some are notoriously awful) but agencies differ hugely. An agency in one city might be a pearl, and in another a nightmare. The advice you provide here is excellent – I never would have thought about checking for roadside assistance charges and rather stupidly assumed I was covered. Who knew!

    1. Thank you. Glad it helped.

  8. Teunis Bos says:

    You all are victims of faulty pressure sensors. I carry my OBDII monitor with me and plug it in the moment I start driving. This way I can reset after filling up the tyres or so the computer fault message. It also gives me a log file on my iPhone that I can show in case of dispute.

  9. Christina says:

    Hi, Can I ask if I should book with Auto Europe for insurance with full protection, without deductible? I’m researching for a potential trip next year with senior parents and for the look of it, it’ll be Hertz pick up from CDG Paris airport. Should I pay with deductible and less of the insurance and then pay more for the insurance and roadside assistance at the Hertz counter? Thanks.

    1. Since that awful incident with Hertz, whenever I rent a car, I do it with full protection and 0 deductible– where everything (ie. roadside assistance) is included.

      I guess I have reached the point where I am willing to pay more for fewer headaches and problems. I know a lot of people use their credit card coverage for renting a car; however, roadside assistance is not included. When you add in that added cost of a deductible, roadside assistance coverage and inconvenience of dealing with insurance companies, etc. I just don’t think it’s worth it.

      While I always use AutoEurope to rent cars, if I go for more than 21 days, I consider leasing (new car, etc) through them or Renault. Not sure if this applies to you, but it can be worth it. I wrote a post about it here: https://www.francetraveltips.com/benefits-of-leasing-a-car-in-france/

      I just got back from France and leased a car. Renting would have been a bit cheaper but getting a new car, automatic this time, not having to return it with a full tank of gas, having a GPS, and the support was worth it.

      1. Christina says:

        Thanks Jan. Not enough days for a lease so it will be renting.

        SIM cards/ GPS in rental car: Can you provide some guidance on sim cards or GPS rental in the rental car? Since that terrible experience, which new sim card company did you use so that you could call the 1-800 number just in case?

        Rental car trunk size: Also when the car description says 1 medium 1 small suitcases, 4 or 5 doors, really I can’t fit more? Have you had a hatchback in the past? Just wanted to check if there’s a cover as I might need to park somewhere and visit sites and then check in to a hotel.

        Thanks in advance.

        1. For my last trip I used the Orange SIM card. I went to the Orange store and the sales guy set up all the settings for me on my iPhone and activated it. 39.99 € for 14 days and 20 GB. After a few days I sent in my personal info (passport photo) so the SIM could be registered (and so that I could continue using it past 30 days) and after 12 days I topped it up. I used the Orange SIM because I wanted to tether it (use it as a hotspot) to my laptop. Had I not needed to, I would have used Le French Mobile. My understanding is that 1-800 numbers are fine with the Orange SIM; however, I still have $ on my SKYPE plan as the calls are dirt cheap and so I use SKYPE. My post about the two SIM cards is here: https://www.francetraveltips.com/sim-card-for-france-lefrenchmobile-orange/

          GPS rentals in rental cars is insanely expensive. I would use your smartphone and Google Maps if you can’t get a GPS included in your rental. Just don’t pay the daily rate as it can really add up.

          As for trunk size, I’ve usually travelled alone and even when I haven’t, a compact car was fine for 2-3 carry on suitcases. They’ve always been hatchbacks with covers. My last car was a compact SUV and the trunk could take 3 carry-ons. If your car description says 1 med and 1 small I would imagine that’s like 3 carry-on. You might want to call AutoEurope for advice on that.

          1. Christina says:

            I just realized that you are Canadian too. Yeah!! 🙂
            Thanks Jan for sim, GPS & trunk size. Definitely not getting a GPS in the rental car. I’ve read your post on sim cards (initial reading on Le French Mobile is hard to get a handle on things – hard to understand.) Can I ask about your SKYPE plan? Going through your other wonderful posts gradually. Lot of useful resources. Thanks again.

          2. It’s always fun connecting with other Canadians!

            I know Le French Mobile can be a bit confusing with regards to their plans, but once you get the hang of it, it’s easy. I tried to outline the steps in the post. I’ve used it for many years.

            As you know, most people use Skype for video chats; however, you can add funds to it to make calls. I have $11.95 in credit left.
            I don’t “subscribe” to a monthly plan. The first time, I just added $5 and later added another $10. I checked my past calls and there was one for 15 minutes and it cost me 12 cents! And I believe 1-800 calls are free. I can’t remember what the equivalent 1-800 is in France and to be honest I didn’t have to call any 1-800 French numbers during my last trip.

  10. Christina says:

    Super! Thanks Jan.

  11. Thanks for the link for AutoEurope. I’m happy to help out a fellow educator and France lover. And it was the BEST rate of everywhere I looked for my two week rental next summer. Enjoy your trip next month.

    1. Thank you so much for your support. I really appreciate it!
      Enjoy your trip…next summer!