OK here is the fuller story
"These guys should not be in business" is a pretty strong statement mountainannie. So far all we know is that you rented from them and had problems with the car. That has absolutely nothing to do with Europcar's competence to do business. If there is more to the story and other things happened that make you feel that way, by all means tell us about them. I've rented from them twice (STI office) with no problems whatsoever.
The company that seems to have the best reputation in the DR is National, and I have rented from them a few times also. On one of those occasions I had a radiator problem which led to a breakdown. It was an inconvenience of course, but IMHO they provided appropriate assistance, and I won't hesitate to rent from them again.
IMO, reasons to "warn" people about a business would include things like a pattern of inferior products or services, obvious incompetence, failure to provide support promised, rude or disrespectful treatment by employees and fraudulant/dishonest business practices.
OK-- first car was a tiny little Chevy- silly me returned it just because the CD player didn?t work and I wanted to take a long trip to the mountains. So they were very nice and gave me a bigger car for the same price. So far so good.
Went from the Capital to the mountains of Cotui, about an hour and a half. then noticed that suddenly the gas tank was Empty. so filled up and six guys swarmed the car saying there was a hole in the tank and advised that I return to the Capital - although they said it would not leak fast with a full tank. Arrived back in the Capital - Euro switched after arguing that there was no leak that they could find but then agreed that I should not have used an entire tank to Cotui. They also agreed to give me a half day credit. They had to search a bit through their lot in the Capital which is filled with cars in need of repair - about five were out front.
Third car, off to Constanza - a day later than planned. After the full day??s drive, first hotel was full, and the car would not start til the third try. Then I found a hotel and the car would not start at all. Nor the next morning. So I called their service number (very good, they called back three times while I was waiting) and waited for 4 hours at the hotel while they sent a mechanic up from Bonao. OK- I am chillin - safe at the Hotel.
He arrived, along with another car and three Dominicans. He and the driver were sharing a bottle of whiskey. His tools - well, he tested the battery with pliers, jacked up the car (for reasons unknown),then got out some gizmo and tested the electric connectors, pressed down on one, announced that he had found the problem,, then got in and the engine started. He assured me that he had fixed the problem. I was less than reassured.(the whiskey? the lack of tools? the entourage of three people including the derelict Skoda that he had rescued on the road-- oh where oh where was my giant AAA trucker with the flatbed truck and all the bells and whistles?)
I went about my interviews (reporter) only stopped the car once and had the same trouble starting (third try) after that I just left the car running. I did not leave the hotel at night to go for dinner since I did not want to be stranded in town in the dark. Ditto the same problem with starting on the road back. Called the service center from Bonao but car started on the fourth try.
I was really shaken by it all -- this being my first experience driving in the DR being alone, etc etc etc,,,, the car had 56k miles on it.... And well,,,,
then I get back to Eurocar and they assure me that there is nothing wrong the car.
Turns out they have a computer chip gizmo that has to connect with the motor. Said I just had to sit for a while a wait. Told me that the mechanic had done nothing. Really implied that I was just a very silly idiot who did not know how to drive (which of course did nothing to calm me since,,,,,,,,, well........)
Well, I said, if you have this advanced gizmo would it not be a good thing to tell people about it when they rent? Or have some sort of written explanation about it in the contract?
I have rented cars in Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rico, Europe, etc etc, and NEVER had such bad cars or such really quite insulting service.
That is why I said that they should not be in business.
In the end, they calmed me down, gave me a good price,after I told them that I was ready to write to American Express and tell them to pull the card from them.
I was clear with the Dominicans who were working there that I was not blaming them, that I knew that they were not responsible, that they did not own the company. I walk by their office every day - I certainly don?t want to make enemies out of neighbors and I know that they are just doing the best that they can with what they are given.
I have lived here for four years- I am pretty used to things, pretty adaptable now, but I really think that if you are the business of renting out cars to people, the least that you can do is give them a reliable vehicle and proper instructions (if you have some sort of peculiar mechanism) and perhaps not a mechanic who is drinking in front of the customer.
Too much to ask for? I think not.
OK-- my fault for taking the car at the bottom end perhaps and not the giant SUV.. but I do try to keep a small carbon foot print.
Next time I will go with National per the posters suggestion. And I will really check out the car a lot better. Or rather some sort of public transport to get where I am going and hope for a local rental - I know that they have them in Constanza although I am not sure how to get there by public transport.
I was lucky - I live here, I had the time to spend exchanging cars and waiting, and enough Spanish to feel comfortable - if I had been a tourist on a week long holiday, I would have been really freaked.
So really, I don?t think that they should be in business.
But I am still adjusting my standards down.
I do love adventure travel but I don?t think that the adventure should be the car rental!
This enough?