Beware - Goldcar Car Rentals Spain

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  • rossco1701
    rossco1701 Posts: 7 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post
    Sorry but just to add to this thread I booked a flight and car hire, Goldcar, with Ryanair from Bournemouth. I had already purchased the excess insurance advised but this site so no need to get their ridiculously priced extra insurance. When I got home I had two extra bills that I was not aware of 70 euros for excess mileage and 8 euros for getting my car from the airport terminal. Neither of these I have had before on the many years that we have hired cars at Malaga airport. After e-mailing, they do not allow you to contact them by phone, I was e-mailed back stating that as I did not take out their extra insurance they would charge for excess mileage. I am a bit of a saddo and read the terms and conditions given to me with my keys at the desk and this is not written in those t&c's. Nor was this explained to me at the desk. However, apparently it is in the websites t&c's and therefore correct in their eyes. I tried to argue this with their customer services department but I was told that this is the response from the department that deals with complaints and therefore the end of the matter. No recourse, no one to escalate or argue with, the end. No more Goldcar for me that's for sure and next time maybe a bit extra reading on this site for other travellers experiences. Pity as I have never had this issue before. On another note after MSE's programme on telly the other night I have now bought an annual excess insurance policy with CARHIREEXCESS.COM and it looks very good, and very reasonably priced.
  • pientello
    pientello Posts: 1 Newbie
    I completely agree

    AVOID GOLDCAR They are out and out crooks

    For GOLDCAR Read FORCED INSURANCE

    I booked a hire car for a holiday in Majorca through Auto Europe - after it was recommended on Martin's Money Saving Tips.

    Before the holiday I printed all the Auto Europe documentation off prior to the trip and took it with me.

    When my family (wife and children) and I arrived at midnight in Palma Majorca in July 2018 I showed my booking documentation to the assistant at the GOLDCAR desk. The assistant insisted I needed to take out the GOLDCAR Relax car insurance on the car even though I pointed out the terms and conditions of the Auto Europe booking which specified that any excess for damage to the car was covered and that I would have to pay a €1550 deposit. I assured him that I had sufficient funds on my Virgin One charge card to pay for the €1550 deposit. He still insisted that scratches to the car were not covered and that we would be charged €600 in the event of any damage to the car.
    He would simply not release the car until I paid €365.93 which included €130.00 Fuel deposit. The whole experience was extremely stressful for myself and my family as I had already spent half a day in the UK looking at car hire and insurance options thoroughly on social media and otherwise. It was just past midnight when we arrived and did not count for this horrible experience.

    When I was back home I rang Auto Europe and emailed them to explain what had happened . I spoke with someone called Yuliya several times who reassured me over the phone that Autoeurope were responsible and would investigate my missold insurance and challenge it on my behalf if Goldcar disputed it. I had already received some emails from Goldcar - which I told her about - that completely disregarded what I was telling them about being forced in to buying unneccessary insurance.

    Yuliya asked me to obtain a letter from my bank detailing the fact that I had a valid card and sufficient funds in my account to make the €1550 deposit. Which I duly did. Several weeks later I got the following email back from João C. Auto Europe UK Customer Service :

    "Hope this email finds you well.

    We have contacted Goldcar to dispute the amount you have been charged for the local insurance, according to Goldcar you have choose to take the Super Relax cover with them and they have sent us your rental agreement with your signature showing that you have accepted the charges.

    Please note that at the time of pick up you must sign the local rental agreement and in doing so you agreed to the additional items. The rental contract is an agreement solely between you and the local supplier. Auto Europe has no influence on any additional items or services that were signed and paid locally. It is not possible for Auto Europe to dispute any of these charges.
    Attached to this E-Mail you will find the rental agreement from Goldcar."

    I am furious I explained all this at the outset and Autoeurope would have known I had signed an agreement with Goldcar for the 'Relax insurance' so why waste my time over several weeks asking for a letter from my bank etc?

    I was unnecessarily charged €235.93 for insurance cover I did not need and I still want a refun. I am also very dissappointed in Martins Money Saving Tips for recommending Autoeurope in the first place.
  • brianposter
    brianposter Posts: 1,290 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post Name Dropper
    It cannot be emphasised enough that if you have this sort of problem in Spain you should ask for a "complaint form" - and if they will not give you a form, you call the police. Mere possession of the form is probably adequate evidence that you have only signed the hire contract in order to mitigate your losses (although it is probably preferable to insist that the name of the organisation is filled in.)


    In the absence of a form I wonder if you might be successful in the small claims court in reclaiming your full payment to Auto-europe, on the basis that the car hire contract which you paid them for, was not provided.
  • nickcc
    nickcc Posts: 2,265 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    brianposter wrote: »
    It cannot be emphasised enough that if you have this sort of problem in Spain you should ask for a "complaint form" - and if they will not give you a form, you call the police. Mere possession of the form is probably adequate evidence that you have only signed the hire contract in order to mitigate your losses (although it is probably preferable to insist that the name of the organisation is filled in.)


    In the absence of a form I wonder if you might be successful in the small claims court in reclaiming your full payment to Auto-europe, on the basis that the car hire contract which you paid them for, was not provided.
    Surely must be easier to advise potential Goldcar customers to avoid at all costs. No matter what is advised on this Forum all advice is retrospective. Don't know how we as forum members can advise prospective first time hirers, suggest Martin is a little more prominent in his advice condemning Goldcar and other car hire rip off merchants,
  • Ladywadey
    Ladywadey Posts: 2 Newbie
    I have had worse experience with Solmar than Goldcar...both bad though.
  • brianposter
    brianposter Posts: 1,290 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post Name Dropper
    nickcc wrote: »
    Surely must be easier to advise potential Goldcar customers to avoid at all costs.
    This is more difficult than you might think. I went to pick up a hire car yesterday and was confronted by a large GOLDCAR sign outside the office.
    Apparently Goldcar was taken over by Europcar a few months ago, and Europcar seem quite happy to use the name.
  • nickcc
    nickcc Posts: 2,265 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    brianposter wrote: »
    This is more difficult than you might think. I went to pick up a hire car yesterday and was confronted by a large GOLDCAR sign outside the office.
    Apparently Goldcar was taken over by Europcar a few months ago, and Europcar seem quite happy to use the name.

    Perhaps Europcar have more morals than Goldcar, unfortunately they are not the only rip off merchants. I personally now only use the car hire majors, bit more expensive but greater piece of mind.
  • deeleys
    deeleys Posts: 25 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Post
    Why didn't I check the reviews before I went with Gold car!! We arrived home this morning after dropping the car at Lanzarote airport late last night. I paid the 1100 euros deposit, as I used my own CDW insurance and paid 119 euros fuel deposit and was told to bring it back full. The staff member got me to check the car myself beforehand, as she said she was on her own; they didn't check it when I dropped it off either and said the deposit will be given back tomorrow. I filled the car up in Playa Blanca, before going to the airport, but the gauge was just under the full line. I then stopped at a garage just by the airport and the attendant managed to squeeze another 2 euros of fuel in. The gauge still read just under the full line. I told the Gold car staff member that it was full. I got an email this morning saying that they are charging me £58 euros because the car wasn't full. I opened an incident on their website disputing this and then read the reviews online. I looked at my credit card details online and saw the 119 had already been taken out and 1100 euros was still pending, so I rang and had to cancel my credit card to try and stop them stealing anymore of my money. I think I'll be lucky to get any of the 119 back.
  • nickcc
    nickcc Posts: 2,265 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    deeleys wrote: »
    Why didn't I check the reviews before I went with Gold car!! We arrived home this morning after dropping the car at Lanzarote airport late last night. I paid the 1100 euros deposit, as I used my own CDW insurance and paid 119 euros fuel deposit and was told to bring it back full. The staff member got me to check the car myself beforehand, as she said she was on her own; they didn't check it when I dropped it off either and said the deposit will be given back tomorrow. I filled the car up in Playa Blanca, before going to the airport, but the gauge was just under the full line. I then stopped at a garage just by the airport and the attendant managed to squeeze another 2 euros of fuel in. The gauge still read just under the full line. I told the Gold car staff member that it was full. I got an email this morning saying that they are charging me £58 euros because the car wasn't full. I opened an incident on their website disputing this and then read the reviews online. I looked at my credit card details online and saw the 119 had already been taken out and 1100 euros was still pending, so I rang and had to cancel my credit card to try and stop them stealing anymore of my money. I think I'll be lucky to get any of the 119 back.
    If you've cancelled your credit card will they be able to give you a refund ?
  • EssexExile
    EssexExile Posts: 6,134 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post Photogenic
    nickcc wrote: »
    If you've cancelled your credit card will they be able to give you a refund ?

    And cancelling the card won't prevent them taking more.
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