Beware - Goldcar Car Rentals Spain

richardw

nfe75 wrote: »

We paid..... 89 euros online to hire a car for 8 days in Alicante...

At less than 12 euros per day that is just too cheap, it was inevitable that they'd charge you extra.

cellbar

Read this with great interest - have you read the cancellation policy? Nightmare!!

Mrs_Alderton

I really really wish I had read the (thousands of) comments regarding the thieves that trade under the name GoldCar before I booked with them!

The same thing has happened to us, pressured into buying the 'extra' insurance. Received a car that had substantial damage to the front left wing - they didn't want to change it but we insisted. Upon return we insisted that the guy in Alicante airport check the car with us before we handed over the keys. He confirmed that the car was fine, however said that GoldCar do not have a form to sign upon return of a vehicle. Stupid us didn't force this issue, as funnily enough we had to leave to catch a plane!

3 weeks later (yesterday!) I received an email to state that €90 has been taken from our credit card for 'special cleaning' - the email is accompanied by 3 pictures. 1 showing the registration number plate of the car, and 2 internal shots of what looks like sand and a bit of crushed biscuit on the floor of a car. I am absolutely disgusted that they can just take money from our card with no advance notice. I'm also flabbergasted that sand and a bit of broken biscuit would necessitate 'special cleaning' - it's not exactly difficult to vacuum and certainly not €90 worth of labour and lost revenue as they claim!

I have tried to contact them - however their email link will not let you access it without a client reference number which is not shown on the charge notice. I've just left 3 strong worded comments on their twitter page so we will live in hope that I will be refunded - however I am not hopeful.

Lesson learned - I will always use Sixt, Avis, Hertz for future rentals and I will avoid GoldCar (and Firefly as they are just as bad) like the plague.

I will also be advising every customer I see in a Gold Car queue to walk away and cut their losses as it will save them money in the long run!

park_gate

richardw wrote: »

At less than 12 euros per day that is just too cheap, it was inevitable that they'd charge you extra.

I got back from Spain yesterday, paid 101 euros for 2 week hire + 60 euros for the fuel with Sol Mar at Valencia Airport. That's 11.50 euros per day including fuel which I did use as we had a few trips out. Very friendly staff and no pressure to buy extra insurance.

If you are one of those people who think you only get what you pay for you may be on the wrong forum. The idea of this forum is to get good products and services at the right price.

Have a look at http://www.carjet.com that's the company I've been using for the last 8 years. Athough they do use goldcar so watch out but they do at least warn you before hand.

Terry

gmcl81

Just back from a three day hire from Murcia airport. I have frequently hired cars here so think I know most of the ropes. There was no pressure to buy extra insurance etc and all went very smoothly but just before accepting the car I thought I would check on their three day full/full fuel policy. On checking that the fuel cost would be repaid if car was returned with a full tank I was told they are in the middle of changing their method of payment and no longer automatically refund fuel costs.!!!! It is up to the customer to go onto the Goldcar website and reclaim the money! I have not yet tried this but am pretty sure it will not be straight forward.

richardw

park_gate wrote: »

I got back from Spain yesterday, paid 101 euros for 2 week hire + 60 euros for the fuel with Sol Mar at Valencia Airport. That's 11.50 euros per day including fuel which I did use as we had a few trips out. Very friendly staff and no pressure to buy extra insurance....

So it appears you drove without zero excess insurance, and that cost isn't included in your figures. I wouldn't ignore total cost figures that include full insurance for all risks.

park_gate wrote: »

.....The idea of this forum is to get good products and services at the right price.....

Thanks, just did a dummy quote for a car at VLC through carjet and they suggest a car hire firm with very bad reviews, similar to Sol Mar's, hardly a good product or service.

NiftyDigits

When are there no other options???

Just avoid them. Broker or not.

park_gate

richardw wrote: »

So it appears you drove without zero excess insurance, and that cost isn't included in your figures. I wouldn't ignore total cost figures that include full insurance for all risks.

I think I understand what you are saying although I’m not completely sure with all the double negatives.

I worked out a long time ago you can do your own insurance. I first drove in Spain in 1978 and have driven most years ever since and the number of tyres I have damaged and the number of windscreens I have lost equals zero. So if you want to you can add £0-00 to the cost of the car hire.

Thanks, just did a dummy quote for a car at VLC through carjet and they suggest a car hire firm with very bad reviews, similar to Sol Mar's, hardly a good product or service.

If you look at my original post you will see I warned you they do Goldcar so watch out for what you book.

The advantage of Carjet is they are very open about who supplies the car, what the fuel policy is and how much the extras are. The only problem is they don’t say how much a full tank of fuel is. When I’ve asked they have told me to contact the hire company direct.

If you know of any better car hire brokers please let us know.

In the last 8 years I’ve hired cars in Spain from Goldcar, Solmar, Auriga, Centaro and Dickmanns and I’ve only had one bad experience. That was when they first introduced the overcharging for fuel. I didn’t know before hand what was going to happen and it felt like a rip off. Now I know how it works I factor in the extra cost.

I wonder if all the bad reviews are down to people getting a shock and feeling ripped off?

Terry

Airedalejoe

park_gate wrote: »

I wonder if all the bad reviews are down to people getting a shock and feeling ripped off?

Terry

Mine and I guess most other peoples bad reviews are down to getting ripped off big time, not because I feel ripped off.
A truly awful company.

richardw

park_gate wrote: »

... I’m not completely sure with all the double negatives....

Can't see the double negatives, sorry.

park_gate wrote: »

...I worked out a long time ago you can do your own insurance. I first drove in Spain in 1978 and have driven most years ever since and the number of tyres I have damaged and the number of windscreens I have lost equals zero. So if you want to you can add £0-00 to the cost of the car hire....

Self insurance is risky, ultimately there could be a cost, which could be high.

park_gate wrote: »

...If you look at my original post you will see I warned you they do Goldcar so watch out for what you book....

..it wasn't Goldcar, that's your wrong assumption.

park_gate wrote: »

... The only problem is they don’t say how much a full tank of fuel is. When I’ve asked they have told me to contact the hire company direct....

and did the car hire company give you the cost of fuel? Isn't it better just to have full/full fuel, so there isn't a hidden cost?