GoldCar Rental

I hereby submit a complaint regarding the service of a distance car rental contract with Goldcar. on September 27, 2023 I was unable to pick up the car resulting from the distance contract. at the Palma (Mallorca) airport, the employee did not allow us to pay for the deposit or insurance using the chosen payment method. we were forced to conclude a new contract, thus spending several thousand euros more. We requested a full refund of the entire amount resulting from the concluded but not performed distance contract but the company refused to return it, claiming that no refunds can be made if the booking has been cancelled less than one hour before the start of the rental period.

We didn't cancel the booking - the company did, even though we paid in advance for the entire rental period on the day of booking.

Please book with anyone else. We booked the car with a third party and at the counter goldcar first told us insurance was not valid so we had to pay for that again. However the real problem started after we returned the car. Upon returning the car I was told the hold on my bank account woukd bevrefunded to my card for the fuel. But after a month of not getting it back I started emailing them. Yulia at this useless car company is probably the worst unhelpful customer service representative I have every had to deal with. For weeks I just a automatic message pretty much that I need to talk to my bank, and they have nothing to do with it. Only when I told them I had made a formal complaint to the econsumer.gov about this car company did this yulia girl start to look into things. They had refunded the hold to someone else's card and told me to talk to my bank again. Honestly after two months of trying to get 159 euro back they won't give it back to me. I have no words for this company and the words that I have I don't think are appropriate for this forum. Never use theae people they are scamers they won't help you even when they have done something wrong. Any car company is probably better than this one

contract Ref: [protected]

We recently hired a car through Gold Car for our holiday in Fuertaventura, booked online and paid via visa debit.

When we collected the car we were informed that a current credit card or a fee (299.45 euro) for full insurance cover was required. This also included a fuel deposit of 77euro which was to be refunded if the vehicle was returned with a full tank. The contract referenced above was in my husbands name (David Taylor) and the deposit of 299.45 euro was paid on his visa debit card.

We returned the car on 25/10/23 with a full fuel tank and the staff at the office confirmed the fuel deposit of 77euro would be refunded within 48hrs via my husbands debit card. At this time we are still awaiting return of the deposit as expected within the terms of the contract. I emailed the company on 1/11/23 to highlight the fact that the deposit still has not been returned. As we have received no communication or explanation I now wish to raise this as a complaint.

I have just returned my car rental in Malaga airport 16.10.23 - 26.10.23

I have noticed an extra payment of €149.26 which I did not agree to.

I take out car rental insurance so I specifically said I did not want your insurance when I arrived. The man behind the desk said then I would have to have a 1100 block on my card which I agreed to as I already had 'car hire insurance' which I always take out. As I did not have a credit card to block the €1100 I used my debit card, the gentlemen said there would also be an extra charge on my card that would be bank fees. I was a bit miffed here but He said he could get the payment on my card down from 210 to 160.

So understand my frustration that I paid for Cobertura extra relax. He specifically told me that my debit card would be charged as I did not have a credit card. I should have at this point been worried and asked for someone new or cancelled the whole thing. The total was 518 minus the deposit for the fuel.

I want a full investigation as I think your company have acted in a very dishonest way and I want a refund of €149.26 to be paid immediately back to me.

How clear could I have been that I did not want to take out your insurance as I had already paid for my own insurance. When I returned the car it was only then that I realised what dishonesty had taken place and that in fact no block of 1100 had been used on my card which is what we had both agreed on. Instead you used your own Cobertura extra relax.

I am angry and outraged and it put a very sour taste in my mouth after a family reunion. I have rented from AGP airport before and never with a problem with my car hire insurance.

I can send you information of when I purchased car hire insurance and I can provide other information and bank details.

It's very clear to see that this is a common occurance with goldcar and you cannot keep getting away with this.

I look forward to your prompt response.

Liisa Long

I emailed you last week asking you to escalate my complaint to a senior manager within your organisation and wonder if this has been done yet and if any progress has been made

My query is a straight forward one I was told by your agent at the airport (Benjamin) I could not take the car using my credit card as security because my rental was for more than 21 days or if I didn’t have your insurance I couldn’t have a car you have already clarified this is not true

It’s a simple enquiry but one no one at Goldcar seems to grasp why was I charged over £300 take your insurance when I had my own cover and as an aside prior to my trip could have taken the same cover for 124 euro begging the question if I did want your insurance why would I pay more

I’d be grateful if you would provide me with a full explanation that you have progressed the matter upwards and to clarify the matter with Benjamin at the airport who is clearly aware of the discussion that took place

Graham Harrison

Sent from my iPhone

On 5 Oct 2023, at 13:37, Graham Harrison wrote:

Thank you for clarifying this, I was not given the option I was clearly told that my rental was more than 21 days and I had to take your insurance. If you read my previous correspondence to you you will see and hopefully understand what happened

Clearly I was duped into taking your insurance I had my card in the reader to pay the deposit of 1100 e and at this stage I was given one option pay our insurance or you don’t get a car

I can’t be more clear or specific about the events and I want you to pass my grievance on to a senior manager to review

Thank you

Graham Harrison

Sent from my iPhone

On 5 Oct 2023, at 12:15, Email-Goldcar-ES-BR-Info wrote:



Dear Graham Harrison,

Thank you for contacting Goldcar.

Regardless of the rental period, the client can choose whichever option suit them better.

If you need additional information, please contact us.

Kind regards

Bruno

Goldcar | Customer Service Department

goldcar.com

Please use the "REPLY" function to answer to this email

ref:_00D58L9nB._5001i1EzJoL:ref

--------------- Original Message ---------------

From: Graham Harrison [[protected]@icloud.com]

Sent: 5/10/2023 12:56

To: [protected]@goldcar.com

Subject: Re: [EXT] Car Hire 27th September 23 Lanzarote Airport - Case #[protected]

CAUTION: The sender of this email is from outside of the organization.

Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.

Thank you for response and explanation however your representative would not let me leave a 1100 euro deposit and explained the booking was for more than 21days I could not have the car unless I took out your insurance.

It would be difficult to add any further damage to the car I was given it has multiple scapes and scratches but it is efficient for our needs,

You still have not explained why I could not leave a deposit as I have done on numerous occasions it was a “take it or leave it” situation.

I understand nothing will result from my complaint and not using either Goldcar or Do You Spain will do nothing to hinder your profits but I was forced into a situation by your representative ie “ you take out our insurance or you don’t take the car”

Where in your terms and conditions does it state I can’t pay a deposit when hiring a car for more than 21days?

I had already presented my card for the 1100e deposit when your agent informed me “no sorry your rental is for more than 21days you HAVE to take our insurance “ He was called Benjamin very pleasant but quite insistent that this was the only way to take the car.

I’d be grateful if you would relook at my original complaint and give me an explanation as to why I could not leave a credit card deposit your response implies I didn’t want to and this was clearly not the case

I’ll wait you’re response with interest

Graham Harrison

Sent from my iPhone

On 5 Oct 2023, at 11:27, Email-Goldcar-ES-BR-Info wrote:

?

Dear Graham Harrison,

Thank you for contacting us regarding your current rental experience.

Customers booking through an intermediary website, as is the case for this booking, may be offered the possibility to take out additional damage cover or insurance offered by the intermediary website during the booking process. However, it should be clarified that this does not mean that customers are covered directly by Goldcar.

At the time of collection, every customer must choose one of the two options set out in our terms and conditions regardless of whether they have taken out additional cover with a third party or not. The first option is to leave an excess deposit for damage and theft of a minimum of 1.100 € (the amount varies depending on the location and type of car booked) and any further damage occurring during the rental period will be charged from this excess deposit at the end of the rental period. the contract.

Customers who have taken out additional cover with a third party or during the booking process on the intermediary's website and who choose the excess deposit option would also have to pay for any new damage and then send the documentation to their insurer for a refund.

After reviewing the details of your contract I have seen that you have taken out the Super Relax cover. When you took out our cover you did not have to leave any excess deposit and Goldcar directly covers you for any damage during the hire period and therefore the charge is non-refundable. I am sorry if you feel that the conditions were not made clear during the booking or collection process. We will continue to work closely with our intermediary partners and our offices to ensure that the options are clearly explained at all stages of the customer journey.

Kind regards

Bruno

Goldcar | Customer Service Department

goldcar.com

Please use the "REPLY" function to answer to this email

ref:_00D58L9nB._5001i1EzJoL:ref

--------------- Original Message ---------------

From: Graham Harrison [[protected]@icloud.com]

Sent: 29/09/2023 12:28

To: [protected]@goldcar.com

Subject: [EXT] Car Hire 27th September 23 Lanzarote Airport

CAUTION: The sender of this email is from outside of the organization.

Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.

Good morning,

We booked a car for 28days for our stay in Lanzarote through the agent Do You Spain, however when we collected the car we were told we couldn’t hold a fee on our credit card of 1100 euros as our booking was for more than 21 days.

The only way we could take the car was to take out your insurance ( I had my own ) at a cost of 393.85 euros, but to make us feel better upgraded us from Fiat Panda to a Renault Meganne which has more damage than paint!

What was an excellent price for the car turned out to be more than double at the desk, I have read the terms and conditions and I can’t see where it states you can’t secure a vehicle for a rental of more than 21 days and hold a credit card deposit.

I have looked at Do You Spains terms and conditions and again there is no mention of the 21 day limit.

I have written to them and would welcome your comments regarding this issue, I have rented over ten cars from yourselves and feel hard done to by the whole experience

Kind regards

Graham Harrison

My DYS booking ref is DYS-[protected]

Goldcar Ref [protected]

Sent from my iPad

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Tel: Ext: Móvil: Fax:

www.goldcar.com

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I have rented a car with Goldcar directly on their website, picking up 9.00am of 28th September at Fiumicino Airport, reservation n.[protected]. Service fully paid by credit card in advance.

I lost the flight, and rescheduled it 12 hours late.

Goldcar was promptly informed (both by telephone and by email) and it was asked to wait and postpone the pick-up time. The reservation is automatically cancelled after the courtesy period (4 hours). Refund not available, and they pretend to charge the full period (including extras, full coverage insurance and baby seats).

No alternative whatsoever

Following our car rental with InterRent in Rome, Italy (an Internet search on InterRent brings up a website [www.InterRent.com accesses GoldCar) - many, many months later - we received some notice through the United Postal Service - in Italian about a "so called" traffic violation of some sort with little to no information substantiating the claim was in fact even valid. The letter in Italian did NOT explain the so called "infraction" OR include pictures which is surprising as we understand the Italian government uses "cameras" to police parking and other "traffic violations". As a result, we believed this contact to be an illegitimate attempt at extorting money from us. Most unfortunate is the fact that InterRent had to have provided our personal information to the letter's sender -- but they NEVER advised us at any time that there was any inquiry from any party, and we NEVER gave InterRent permission to release our personal information. Now once again we have received yet another letter in Italian -- not our native language OR a language we understand or can interpret -- once again asking for money - only now double the amount [why not?] but NOT accompanied by any legitimate evidence or substantiation of what the issue is -- evidence that would have to visually prove what supposedly occurred with a clear picture of the sign that supposedly advised us of the restriction being referenced. A picture of the rental car alone is NOT adequate substantiation - to be clear. I have reported this issue to the Italian Consulate in Miami and advised this is an attempt at extortion at best. They asked us to forward all documentation so they can look into the matter. We need InterRent to provide ALL documentation related to this rental and any subsequent contact or request for information that InterRent supported without our permission by releasing our personal information to parties unknown to us and for which we gave no permission.

I was charged 170€ extra insurance when collecting the car after paying for insurance when booking online

Upon handing the car back I was charged 150€ major cleaning fee for some sand in the car

At the very least I want a full refund of the cleaning fee!

Rental was from Friday 15th September to Friday 22nd September at Malaga Airport. Vehicle was a Vauxhall corsa when I’d booked a VW Polo, very different cars!

I hired a car in may 2023 and shortly after my hire I noticed the duplicate amount deducted from my credit card. I've tried the online help portal on Goldcars website on numerous occasions and have had to give up after sometimes 2 hours of a wait for a response. I've also called them and explained my situation and was promised a return correspondence and still have received nothing!

Not good enough!

Rented a car for two weeks from Gold car 5/8/23. Paid £124 euro on my husbands card for fuel deposit, was advised by the guy at work he rental desk that the car must be returned with a full tank of fuel to receive the deposit back. returned the hire car to the parking space at the airport as advised, dropped the keys into the drop box at the Gold car desk as nobody was at the kiosk on the 19/8/23 fuel tank full on return. Car checked over and a copy that this was done sent via e mail from Gold car. No fuel deposit given back on the credit card.

We rented a car with you from Faro Airport from 22 August to 29 August.

We received an email with some pictures to say that the car required specialist cleaning and we were being charged €50.00 for the cleaning.

The complaint was made about some sand in the footwell of the car and water spilled on the seat of the car. I would like proof that the water spillage wasn't there when the car was collected.

I also would like to see where it says you have to clean any slight sand contents in the footwell. We rented a car in Portugal, surely you would expect the occupants of the car to visit the beach?

Also, you have given us an over inflated cost of Full Full Penalty of €50.00 when we did fill the car backup and a further 12.00 for more fuel.

My husband went to the petrol station and has a receipt for €64.00 and the car wouldn't allow him to put any more petrol in. We believe the tank was full and there is a problem with the fuel gage.

The reason he thinks that is because it wasn't full when we collected the car either. I would like a picture of the car which confirms the full fuel tank. The registration is AF24 XG.

How can he put in £64.00 in the Galp Petrol Station and then the car not be full when the galp petrol station is literally minutes from the airport.

I am extremely disappointed with the car I was given on the 30th July 2023. I have a new born baby where we had plenty of luggage and a pram for our family, and chose a c4 picasso (in the family size category) as that has room for supposedly 4 suitcases, but you'd frustratingly given me a jeep compass where we can only fit in 2 suitcases in the boot! A citroen c4 picasso has a boot size of approximately 630 litres +, a jeep compass boot size is 424 litres.

We took a trip to the north of the island to stay with friends, but had to leave some of our luggage at our first destination so I had to do two trips coming from Cala Mayor to Sa Pobla just because the size of the car. We've had to do multiple additional cab journeys to compensate when going out because of the smaller car.

I’m absolutely furious, it’s wasted time on my holiday where it’s my wedding and honeymoon, and this is completely unacceptable.

I tried to dispute this Goldcar at the airport, but the queue after picking the key up from the machine, was 50 + people deep. I’m not prepared to wait for this sort of issue to try and resolve it with children by my side. Not only this, I've tried to contact Goldcar over the past month trying to resolve this. Every time I call, I'm told to email. Every time I email, I don't get a response. I dropped the car back on the 5th August on time but again, the queue was so large that I couldn't stay with my children by my side.

Bought car hire online through Doyouspain and picked a specific car and paid the premuim waiver insurance, all at a total of £160. They sent me to Goldcar at Mallorca airport who then told me I had bascially paid nothing and had no insurance and had to pay a further £350. Doyouspain give you a price online for a car you chose and ask if you want premium insurance to cover everthing, so you book all of this then then when you collect your car at your destination airport it's like that booking never happened and all you have is communication set up. I didn't get the car I wanted and didn't even get the £70 petrol refund they state you do if you take the car back full of petrol which I did.

Contrato- [protected]

While visiting Spain I had the opportunity to spend 24hours in Portugal with my daughters. Although I prefer to take the bus than drive, I decided that as this time with my daughters was very precious so I would hire a car so as to avoid hassle and make this most of the time with them.

I hired a car from Granada airport. Even though when I booked the car, through a third party, I bought full insurance, I still had to pay a deposit of +€1000. Okay… annoying but okay.

I started to drive… and after one hour of normal driving on the motorway, not particularly fast as I was getting used to the roads here. I got a message on the dashboard that “the car is too hot, you have to take a pause”. That was a scary message to receive while on the motorway and a shock too.

If my time with my daughters wasn’t time limited and if I hadn’t booked a very nice and expensive hotel for us to enjoy together, I would have turned around and returned the car. But I had to get there. Luckily, I found a place very soon to turn off the motorway and take a pause.

I tried to call goldcar during this first stop but you were already closed.

Then after half an hour of pause I drove again, this time I drove half an hour and then got the message again. This time there was no safe place to stop, I had to turn off the motorway and park in the middle of nowhere without shade. I looked in the internet to find out how to stop cars from over heating. Here I learned that if you put the windows down and the heater on, it pulls heat away from the engine and stops the car from over heating.

So after a pause in the crazy heat, without shade, I drove with the windows down and the heater on, this enabled me to drive one hour and a half before the message that the car was overheating came again. All of the time I was driving I was anxious and stressed that the notice to pause would come on again.

After another pause I drove more: with the heater on and the windows down - very hot and very uncomfortable and very stressed. I also drove very slowly.

Finally I managed to make it all the way to my destination in this final drive.

The drive to Portugal should have taken four hours - a manageable drive. As it was this drive took six and a half hours because of the pauses and driving slowly so as to avoid getting the overheating message.

Like I said, I had a very short time with my daughters and my 24 precious hours with them was now cut down to 21.5 hours because I arrived two and a half hours late. Not to mention the stress of driving in a hot hot car with the windows down and the heater on - not knowing if or when I’d get the message that I have to stop.

I called gold car the next day. I was on the phone for one hour trying to sort it out. Another hour of precious time with my daughters wasted.

They said I could swap the car at Faro airport. So I had to do that, because there was no way I could return to Granada in that car. But again, it took me two hours of time with my daughters to swap the car - to drive it to the airport and then all the faffing about and explaining.

The new car was normal and functioned like a regular car. I drove all the way from faro to Granada without getting any overheating messages and all was smooth - I had the ac on and the windows closed.

Two weeks ago I dropped the car back in Granada and was told I can’t have my deposit back until the car is checked by the garage.

I am furious. I hired car to save on hassle and maximise my time with my daughters. My experience of hiring a car from you is that it has been a massive hassle, stressful and I feel I have lost a lot of time in calling and changing cars and having to drive slowly and having to pause. I guess hiring this car has cost me about six or seven hours of time.

And now I have been told I can’t have my deposit back until the car is checked.

From my perspective your company has cost me time and energy and a lot of stress. In the keeping of my deposit any longer, i feel I’m being penalised - asked to pay - for your company’s bad car and service.

I would like a refund - at least - for the hire of the car. I feel my case warrants compensation too. And I want the remainder of my deposit returning immediately. Everyone I’ve spoken to at gold car has been nice enough but everyone says “it’s not my fault” it’s just like this. But who makes the system and who is responsible? Your organisation is responsible for hiring cars that function and for offering a customer service. I don’t feel like I’ve been offered either to a very high standard.

I'm not blaming anyone personally in your organisation but I feel your organisation needs to take responsibility for this and sort it out- and put things right.

Rental car had a tyre blow-out on the first of eight days. Had paid for full (super relax cover) insurance, so assumed there would be no problems. Car towed from motorway and we were left with no car for six days while they tried to have it fixed. At first I was told I would be taken by taxi back to Girona airport. Then told it was too far, so I would be taken by taxi to Toulouse bus station, then by bus to Girona airport. Finally told that contractually they only had to take me to Toulouse airport (nearest office - but because I'm only 20yo I could not hire a car in France and they knew this). Told that if I returned to Girona airport myself (11 hour round trip) I would get a replacement car. After four days, when I realised the car was not going to be repaired in time, so finally decided to return to Girona there was a 'system failure' and they had no car for me. Had to hire a car from Firefly instead. The day before our return flight from Girona, was told car was ready to be picked up. Explained that we could no longer pick the car up - and they charged me for re-fuelling the car! On return to UK complained and was offered a 20% discount for future hire. Appalling customer service throughout. Totally RUINED our holiday. Cost a fortune in travel expenses. Our costs were: Travel expenses €213.60 (fuel and road tolls to and from Girona Airport) + Return of re-fuelling charge €106 + Refund of unused car hire (7 out of 8 days) €491.08, giving a total of : €810.68 (this doesn't include all the other associated costs of not having a car on holiday). Would give no stars if it were possible. DO NOT HIRE FROM GOLDCAR.

Rental agreement Goldcar at PMI airport June 23-26.

Car handed over unaccompanied in the night - car had 8 registered damages already.

When returning the car, Goldcar claimed another damage.

We felt pressed to sign the return document as we were about to miss our plane.

We received a damage claim of EUR 222,76 right after and the note we would have been involved in an accident with the request to fill out an accident report. We reacted to this by email rejected the payment request.

Goldcar booked EUR 314,88 from our credit card on July 6 without providing any invoice / declaration about it.

We have send 4 reminders without receiving any reply.

We are under the impression of a fraudulent transaction and a fictitious damage claim.