Europcar reveals its strangest forgotten items

Europcar offers a wide range of vehicles, designed to cater for every occasion, but judging by the unusual items customers leave behind, the rental cars have strange stories to tell. In a survey of its branches, Europcar staff revealed the strangest items found in the back of returned vans and cars, ranging from furry handcuffs to a false leg.

CDs, sunglasses and umbrellas are among the most common objects left behind, but staff at Europcar’s Liverpool branch were surprised to find a false leg in one car. Staff in Liverpool also found a pair or white, ladies shoes under the passenger seat of a car returned by a regular customer. They rang his home, but his wife answered and said the shoes were not hers. The red-faced staff explained that they had probably been left by the previous customer. Luckily his wife was understanding and he laughed about it next time he came in.

Europcar customers obviously have a lot of cash to flash, considering staff at different branches have found £1,000 worth of designer clothes left behind, £600 of House of Fraser vouchers and £300 in cash. Some of the more unusual items include a set of furry handcuffs left in a car at the Yeovil branch, 50 fluorescent light bulbs and a Scottish Piper’s black ostrich hat left at the Hamilton branch and a cooked sausage behind the engine of a car rented in Exeter.

On a more fragrant note, one worker at the Stansted branch found an estate car full of plants. They couldn’t be locked in the lost property cupboard, so the office smelt and looked like a florists.

Catriona Lougher of Europcar comments, “The size and variety of Europcar’s fleet obviously attracts customers from all walks of life, judging by the bizarre objects staff find left in vehicles. However, Europcar staff are always professional and understanding, going the extra mile to try and reunite customers with their lost property.”

Most Common Items Left in Europcar’s Rental Cars

• Sunglasses
• CDs
• Keys
• Mobile Phone
• Sat Nav
• Umbrellas
• Wallets

Unusual Items Left in Europcar’s Rental Cars

• A false leg (Liverpool)
• A stocking (Hull)
• A mannequin (Hull)
• Furry Handcuffs (Yeovil)
• 50 Fluorescent Light bulbs (Hamilton)
• A Scottish Piper's Black Ostrich Hat (Hamilton)
• A printer (Aylesbury)
• A toy elephant (Milton Keynes)
• A car full of flowers (Stansted)
• A wheelchair (Bradford)
• An ammunition case and stretcher (Reading)
• Half a pint of beer with a CD called ‘The Art of Speed Seduction’ (Reading)
• A pair of ladies black pants (Sheffield)
• £300 cash (Sheffield)
• Colostomy bags (Sheffield)
• 10 odd pairs of shoes (Salford)
• A cooked sausage – behind the engine! (Exeter)