It transpired that the car allocated to us needed a service so after a long delay we were given a backup vehicle. We received rather confusing information about our liabilities regarding accidents/ damage/breakdowns and for peace of mind we paid much more than anticipated in order to reduce these liabilities. On inspecting the hire car we observed scratches along the length of one side and numerous marks elsewhere plus black marks all over the roof lining. I returned to the reception to find it unmanned and after sometime I rang the two numbers left at the counter. Eventually someone arrived and we inspected the car together and obtained a signature to confirm our observations. This long delay resulted in our arriving on the east coast with all accommodation taken and our only option was to drive for two more hours and take a family cabin which twice what we expected to pay. This is by far the worst car hire experience we've ever experienced and wouldn't dream of using Europcar in the future.