“AVOID! AVOID! AVOID!
They will coerce you to take out their full insurance cover, if you don't then they will clutch at straws in order to keep a good part the 1200 euros insurance premium. As they told us, if a small stone hits the car and leaves a mark they will keep 600 euros!
Also when you book a car they never say what engine size it is going to be. I specifically booked the open corsa "type" thinking it will be at least 1.2 and when I got to the airport they said I booked a 1cc car!
Scammers!”
“Exactly the same happened to me as Bret (below), completed paperwork in the terminal all very helpful until I declined the additional insurance. Was given a plan with the keys which had damage marked on passenger side of car despite it clearly being on the driver side. Got to where the car was parked and no-one in the Goldcar booth to do a check in - luckily took photos of the damage. Returned the car and the operative in the booth set about taking photos of the car from every angle looking for damage - he advised that the damage to the drivers side was new and despite me showing him my date marked photos showing no damage to passenger side and existing damage to the drivers Goldcar are attempting to charge me 250 euros. THIS COMPANY ARE AN ABSOLUTE SHOWER AND BLATANTLY TARGET CLIENTS WHO REFUSE TO TAKE OUT ADDITIONAL INSURANCE PRODUCTS - AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!!!!!”
“Used at Murcia Airport. Very friendly when picking the car up, “no don’t worry about damage 5cm or under”. When we dropped the car off after 5 days and under 50km the lady in the car park said we had damaged the bumper with a scratch - we certainly had not. When we tried to talk to her she refused to talk to us, and refused to let us photograph her or give us her name otherwise she was going to get the police involved. A complete rip-off.”
“DO NOT GO NEAR THEM ! They are crooks.
I arrived at Palma Mallorca airport on Oct 11th 2018 to be be met by a very pushy agent who was insisting i take out their additional insurance cover. I refused, as I had taken out additional cover with Rentalcars. I specifically signed the 'do not accept' section of the agreement. On return to UK 4 days later I discovered that goldcar had charged my credit card for the insurance and I had a loss on exchange of £52. Currently Rentalcars are trying for one month now to get the £134.68 that I am still owed by goldcar.”
“I booked a car & insurance via Ryanair. When I collected the car from Marseille airport the attendant told me the insurance wasn’t valid & I had to buy their insurance for Eur 217. I was short if time so had to go ahead with this.
Goldcar customer care is no help & wouldn’t offer a refund. No idea how to contact Ryanair to complain.
Goldcar were called out in Radio 4 recently & in a Sun article a few weeks ago. The Guardian also ran stories of people who have been ripped off but they just continue. Search Twitter for @Goldcar before you contemplate hiring from them. I wish I had.
Sharp practice.”
“If I could give them zero I would. Car picked up in rain and seemed okay. On return they pointed out some small scuffs on the lowest point of the valance in an area that I would not have seen in the rain on the car. I know for a fact that I have not done this damage.
Charged over 200 Euros for « repair » which will no doubt be charged again to subsequent hirers. The staff obviously know of this scam and find marks very easily!!!!
Ask yourself would you hire a car from a company that has burly security guys near to the customer desk - no doubt because they get lots of irate customers who are being scammed as I was. Wish I had read reviews before booking!”
“Rented a car from Santander airport. The pick up instructions indicate that the Goldcar office is off site and you will met from your flight by a transfer service "at the Goldacar Meeting point". There is no such meeting point, only a general, public meeting point in the car park where no transfer vehicle was waiting. After a couple of phone calls we were transferred to the offices 40 minutes after we arrived. The company then started the hard sell on extra insurance - which I didn't want. They took a 1100 Euro deposit plus a 65 Euro payment for a tank of fuel plus a 21 Euro payment for refilling the tank - even though I said I would return it full. In other words, they charge you for the work involved in refilling the car even if they don't have to do it! The car reeked of cigarettes and a week's driving with the windows open did little to improve the awful smell. The car was dirty inside and out and had numerous small knocks in addition to the two larger ones indicated on their report form. The salesman said that they were not interested in small marks on the car but I strongly suspect that this story would have changed when I returned the car. I took photographs of all the panels and was a little surprised when a worker coming out of a nearby factory suggested to me that I take plenty of pictures - he had obviously heard plenty of arguments from angry customers.
When I returned the car the salesman agreed that no further damage had been done to the car but he would not give me any written confirmation of this statement. He accepted that the tank had been refilled but would not refund the 21 Euro "fuel service charge". The only redeeming feature of the service was that he agreed to return us to the airport terminal in the hire car - thus saving us from a wait for a transfer bus.”
“Picked up car from Girona and was charged €150 for damage to car hired 12 months previously. First I’d heard of it, was checked and given the ok last year. Very difficult to contact and unsatisfactory response. Requested policy info on charges, nothing forthcoming. Sent me form back which was signed by goldcar staff showing damage, but not signed by me. Won’t be using them again.”
“Goldcar Faro are scam artists. They charged me over 100 quid for a ruined tyre even after I drove to the front door and had it signed off as having no damage. Without any evidence I have been unable to put in an insurance claim. AVOID THIS COMPANY!!!”
“Rented a car and filled it with fuel on return. They just emailed saying it was 8 euro short of being full which is rubbish. They charged me an additional 50 euros with no proof of this. Customer Services didn't want to know about it and hung up on me. Worst hire company I have ever come across. Will never use again.”
“I have just returned from Madeira when I have just been ripped off by gold car, they said I could have an upgrade if I paid for full comp insurance, which I did, I had to return the car full on its return, the contract said diesel but when I opened the filler cap it said Un-leaded, I was 90% sure it was Diesel but decided to go to the gold car desk, they said they would sort it out and charge me for the Diesel, I have now been hit with a £78 bill which included a £50 fine for not filling it up !!!!
I appealed the fine and it was said to be fair !!!
wish I had put un leaded in now and screwed the engine
DONT USE THESE HORRIBLE PEOPLE”
“I was sold insurance I did not need, and returned the vehicle with a full take, Goldcar, then stated it was 7 euros short and fined me 50 euros with additional 7
NEVER USE AGAIN”
“This is the worst rental company. Avoid at all costs! The service is appalling and they are just trying to make money out of customers. We had rented a car (Fiat Panda) from Pisa Airport. We arrived 1 hour after the expected time because our flight was delayed. We were asked to pay Euro 40 for arriving late! They also blocked Euro 133 from our account for fuel charges in case we did not deliver the car back with a full tank (the max amount to full up the tank could not have exceeded 50-60 Euros) as it was a very small car). We were then asked to deposit Euro 960 for insurance purposes which would be blocked for 30!!! days after the return of the car or pay them Euro 96 non-refundable for insurance cover. These people are really trying to make money out of their customers. Customer service was appalling both employees were extremely rude. Needless to say we will never rent from them again. AVOID AVOID AVOID!!!”
“Booked Golcar at Malaga Aiport thru Rental Cars. Paid £90 to RC for maximum insurance.
Showed the certificate for this at Goldcar Malaga desk,Told them i do not want or need their insurance.
Gave them my credit card details, was assured no charges would be made on it....it was just to cover the euro 1400 excess..
As my RC insurance was precisely to reduce that excess to zero i was happy.
UNTIL i discovered that same collection day Goldcar took £217 off my card mainly for their insurance....
Rental cars are not now helping at all, in fact are saying it is my fault.
Halifax Credit cards tell me half their disputes are with Goldcar.”
“Avoid Goldcar/Rhodium at all costs - and also the car rental broker sites such as AutoEurope who deal with them and do not reveal which company you are booking with until you've already paid and it's too late!
I booked a 10-day rental in Nice via AutoEurope at a total cost of £149.98
On collection at 5pm I asked them to change the incorrect return time at rental end from 8.30am to 12.30pm - a 4 hour change. This was duly done on computer at the pick up desk but the sales person omitted to also change the time on the contract, which error I failed to notice.
Goldcar blocked an amount of approx £1400 on my credit card as deposit on pick up and failed to release the block until 9 days after the end of the rental, meaning I was unable to use my card for that period. I also did not receive a final invoice. There was no explanation or apology for this despite several emails and telephone calls from UK to France. When they DID finally release the block they also took an amount of £106, again with no explanation or invoice. AutoEurope contacted them on my behalf to be told that this was for late return of the car.
I was charged almost 70% of my 10-day rental cost for a perceived 3 1/2 hour "late" return. COME ON! This is downright dishonest, a rip off, a scam
I strongly disputed this charge which arose from the incompetence of the Goldcar employee who failed to make the change I had requested on pick up, but am told that I signed the contract and was aware that penalties would be imposed for non-adherence so they will not refund.
Nowhere in Goldcar's contract, website, or rental paperwork is there any mention of a late return charge, though had I been beyond my 10-day rental period I would of course have expected to pay a pro rata charge. NOT £30 AN HOUR - especially as the fault lay with them getting the time wrong, not me. Disgusting company. Don't use them - and spread the word!”
“Terrible company I will never use these again and if I were you I would avoid at all costs. I have been charged 216.00 Euro for damage that was already on the car when I collected and have photo evidence of this as I don't trust any of these car rental companies.
Avoid at all costs as what they have tried to do to me is out and out dishonest and a total scam!”
“Booked a car at Tenerife South airport They took a £1420 deposit out of my account and only returned £1275.they don't answer emails.they charged my brother inlaw for insurance he didn't take out.save yourself the stress and money and book with any other company”
