Beware - Goldcar Car Rentals Spain

eddmac2

I rent a car most weeks in the UK. There are lots of unfamiliar names in this market today. Usually they put a hold of £1200 on my credit card each time in case i have an incident. This is usually not deducted and i dont even bother looking for it anymore.
They have other revenue creation measures, fuel being the most common. They look meticalliously for minor scratches, any damage is costly. They add a high admin charge for processing infringments like bus lane violations or speeding fines.
Quite often they are off-aiport and a pick-up takes about 1 hour. they also employ, fewer and less experienced staff than you might find with the larger, more familiar companies.
With this in mind, I wonder are many of the complaints here given by people unfamiliar with todays carhire market.
My operandi is, I take annual excess carhire insurance from moneysavingexpert.com. Take the basic insurance included at the time of booking (dont use american booking sites). Check the car thoroughly before driving off and get the attendant to investigate any scratch or blemish no matter how minor. The last step is the fuel penalities but experience lets you know about the individual companies and their rates. Sometimes when suffering the fuel penalty, I can still save some money on the bigger companies.

In light of what i have just stated, do any of our comment makers on this topic feel that i will be safe with GoldCar?

leylandsunaddict

The question should be why would you want to even contemplate booking with Goldcar, given their horrendous reputation? There are plenty of other car hire companies to choose from.

Penny126

I have just had exactly the same experience in Italy - it seems to be a neat trick that ends up costing you loads of money. I had also taken out car hire excess policy (on advice from this site) but they were not interested! I will never use them again but am still trying to pursue a refund.

Does anyone have any tips for getting a refund?

eDicky

Penny126 wrote: »

I had also taken out car hire excess policy (on advice from this site) but they were not interested!

The policy you bought separately was for you to claim on for any excess charge in case the car was damaged. It is of no interest to the hire firm, who have to take a credit card pre-authorisation to cover the excess if you do not buy their excess cover. Telling them about your own cover is pointless. The MSE article perhaps does not make this clear.

Sorry but your chance of a refund for something you willingly bought (and not mis-sold) is zero.

Penny126

I do understand what the car excess cover is. My point really is that I believe that I was mis-sold the GoldCar Super Relax Cover - the words were NEVER mentioned.
I do not believe that I chose the Super Relax Cover – I certainly did not understand any explanations given. I know that it is my problem that I do not speak Italian but I do not think it unreasonable to ensure that staff at an international airport are able to communicate what appears to be a crucial part of their hire procedures. From the broken English explanation, I thought she was explaining that money would be credited back for the petrol and that a deposit of around €1000 would be put against my credit card. This charge would be returned after my safe return of the car – possible up to 10 working days.

I think my understanding, albeit in broken English, is somewhat at odds with what has actually happened? It seems strange to me that I managed to understand so much but not anything about a Super Relax Cover – those words were never mentioned in any way, shape or form that was comprehensible to me. I am a seasoned traveller, which is demonstrated by my taking out a Car Hire Excess policy.

antenna

But not quite seasoned enough to google "goldcar scams" it seems.

bris2016

I've been stung with the fuel 'full to empty' charges and 'corbertura super' deposit that I was told would be refunded on return of the car in good condition - tried to resolve this via cooks (with whom I booked the hire) and then via abta - without success - has anyone managed to secure any useful response from goldcar - the car hire of £43 with Cooks - eventually cost me £163

SabG

I had a very similar experience with Goldcar in Pisa, paid for everything ahead of time and then they would not let me have a car for not having the 'right' licence. Walked to the next desk and hired a car at double the price but no problem with licence. Later in the holiday I stopped two different sets of traffick cops and shoed them my licece. They said it was fine. After three months Goldcar has refused to give me my money back. DO NOT USE THEM

SabG

The same in Italy: I had a very similar experience with Goldcar in Pisa, paid for everything ahead of time and then they would not let me have a car for not having the 'right' licence. Walked to the next desk and hired a car at double the price but no problem with licence. Later in the holiday I stopped two different sets of traffick cops and shoed them my licece. They said it was fine. After three months Goldcar has refused to give me my money back. DO NOT USE THEM

SabG

I agree, I trust MoneySavingExpert to remove them from the site