GoldCar Rental

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.

Fraudulently over sold Goldcar insurance cover at the terminal desk even though we clearly showed we had purchased Zurich Full Protection cover on top of the normal third party offered. Informed by Goldcar representative that the extra cover purchased was not recognised by Goldcar and we would not receive cover if the vehicle was damaged by a third party where no third party details were obtained. Despite showing that Zurich covered this, The representative was adamant that we would not be covered. We felt overwhelmed and compelled to purchase.

On the 30th of may I had a key n go booking to be picked up at

Toulouse airport. The reason I did a key and go was so I didnt have lots of forms to fill in. When I arrived even though the sign said they were open untill 10 oclock there was noone there. The key and go machine was inside a locked portacabin. After nearly an hour of walking about I decided to book into a hotel at the airport so I could pick up the keys the next morning. When I returned the next morning they refused to give me the car (which was still sitting there) because I had not collected it in time. So I then had to make my own way by public transport some 80 plus miles away. He gave me a form with the reference [protected] and told me I could apply for a refund.

So here I am, after faffing around on various goldcar sites without any direction.

Please can you sort this for me as I did nothing wrong and infact if the workers had of been where they were supposed to be for the correct time then this would never have happened. My name is mr lee curtis

Mobile number [protected] and my email address is [protected]@gmail.com

After dropping off a Rental Car from GoldCar

- GoldCar have added three false damage reports. We did not damage the car.

- GoldCar are stating we were in an accident. We were not.

They have not supplied any evidence for the damage or the accident details. i.e. no information about where, when and who this accident was with. No police report.

The company sent a threaterning letter stating we have to fill in an accident report. But there was no accident so we can't meet their demand to fill it in within 48hours.

Dear Sirs

My Ref:DYS-[protected]

I am making a complaint regarding the way Goldcar treated my case.

From 06/05/2023 to 17/05/2023 I booked a car for 11 days and prepaid for the car and the Money was taken out of my Bank account.

On the day I was travelling to Stanstead air port in Essex England, due to road works I missed my Flight, the Flight number was FR8026 to Murcia Corvera Airport. Spain

I then immediately phoned my son and asked him to phone Gold car staff at Murcia airport to tell then what had happened and that I am coming on a later flight that same day.

The person did not give his name to my son and kept saying I can not help you you must rebook a new car the car prices are very high.

Even I had leased the car for 11 days and all was paid for.

I then have to hire a new car from another car company with more money.

Due to late landing in Murcia airport almost all restaurants and

Hotels were closed I have to spend the night in the car in a car park.

I want Gold car to pay all my expenses for my 2nd car booking

Please please if you like more evidence from me I will send it to you.

I receive a message from some one his exact words for you

"Gonzalo (DYS - DoYouSpain)

22 May 2023, 16:26 CEST

Good afternoon

Thank you for your email

According to the Ts&Cs it states that

Please note that the supplier for this booking allows up to 6 hours of courtesy from the time on your rental voucher. If you do not collect your car before this time, your booking will be cancelled by the supplier.

Unfortunately in this situation we are unable to generate the requested refund.

Regards

Gonzalo

DoYouSpain.com"

I do not understand this reasoning, as I prepaid for the car for 11 days, and advised the car company that I would be landing later that same day.

I rented a car in Barcelona airport from March 6 to March 21 with Goldcar.

The issue is that I returned a car before their office opened and used the key box available for customers for out-of-office returns. I took pictures of the car and left, knowing the car was in perfect condition. The car was parked, next to their booth, in a safe place, away from the main parking lot in a spot reserved for returns. After a few hours, I received an email about damages on the front bumper that were not present when I dropped the car off. I suspect these were either caused after I returned the car or manufactured, as I have proof I did not cause the damages.

What are my options?

Dear Sirs/Madam,

I did the booking [protected] for pick up a car from Bergamo airport on 6th May 2023 at 21.00 , but Mr. Butturini who is the driver, arrived at your stand at the airport and it was closed. It said 20.00 closed, why in the website offer later time pick up time?

Next day he rent from you a car , you charged him 410.90 Euros, invoice issued IT020AP230040552 and paid . Totally crazy price when through your website same car cot less than 200 Euros! Why is this policy?

PLEASE REFUND ME THE COST OF THE BOOKING 2349662 IN MY CREDIT CARD THAT YOU HAVE CHARGED AMOUNTED 175.96 EUROS also explain me the price difference?

Waiting your positive reaction.

CHARILAOS SIOURAS

I rented a car from the 29th of March to the 2nd of April 2023. Paid a deposit for fuel (€82) and toll (€150). As of today, neither has been refunded.

For the toll they should refund the deposit minus what I used. Instead I got an email saying they tried to charge my card for the toll and failed so I need to make the payments with Portuguese highways directly. First I see no reject payment from my bank, second they should use my deposit as stated in the contract.

I called customer support to sort out and someone called Leila picked up: she could hear me fine and confirmed so, as soon as I explained the issue, she hang up on me. I called again twice, same person answered and hanged up as soon as they recognized my voice.

I rented a car on Tenerife in advance. When landing, I needed to wait in line for 1 hour to be served. While being processed, they added terms that were included in the email PDF "contract". There were new restrictions to the usage of the car, e.g. not changing the island. Despite debating for another 45 minutes with them, I took the car. It is parked 500 meters away from the check counter. So all the issues with the car are not checked before you sign the contract!

The car itself was a wreck. Totally demolated. Even the document said it was demolished, but there was more than marked. I tried to tell the local clerks, disrupting their chat breaks 5 times. Then one lost his patience with me and said "take a pencil and just mark the issues on the document here and leave". I did just that. After returning the car, they wrote an email with "new" issues on the car. Nothing was new. They claim they never receive fotos from me, which is a lie.

After 2 months, they withdrew money again without consent. My insurance will cover it, even I didn't do anything. Worst car rental ever experienced. Lowest.

To whom it may concern;

I would like to file a complaint regarding our contract [protected]

We rented the car in Malaga airport. When we got to the car we checked it and took pictures we noticed several damages/marks that were not on the condition report. We went back to the counter, where the person requested we bring the car to the counter and when showed all additional existing damages/marks on the car we were dismissed that all this is nothing and he turned around and went back to the office. He would not add it to the condition report.

When we returned the car at Alicante airport there was no one to inspect the car, the lady at the counter insisted that she can not leave her post and that it is totally fine to leave the car and return the key.

10-15 minutes later we received an email stating that our car was damaged and that we need to sign accident report and additionally we received documents stating that they will keep 200,78 eur of excess deposit. I am attaching their photo of the returned car.

I am also attaching photo (time stamped 27/04/23 at 16.26 geolocated at the airport parking at Malaga) of the car in the condition before starting the rental contract, where you can clearly see the same damage on the edge of headlamp and dent that your report is insisting was caused during our rental contract.

We are not responsible for that damage and can not sign the accident report as we did not cause it. Signing accident report for damage that was existing before our rental would be fraudulent and illegal and would be participating in committing insurance fraud.

I think keeping our money for damage that was existing before our rental contract is illegal and fraudulent.

On March 18, 2023, I made a car reservation through the Booking.com portal and the car was to be picked up at the Goldcar counter at Tenerife South Airport. The cost of the reservation shown online was 137.06 Euro.

When I arrived at the Goldcar counter and presented my reservation number from Booking.com, I was presented with a contract in Spanish, which I do not understand, to sign. The amount on the contract was for 219.69 Euro. Additionally, they charged me a deposit of 118.00 Euro, which should be fully refunded if the car is returned fully fueled.

My account was charged as follows:

• 219.69 Euro by Goldcar

• 118.00 Euro by Goldcar

• 189.78 Euro by Cars on Booking London

I do not understand why my account was charged twice for the same service by two different companies.

As a customer reserving a car through Booking.com, I expect the car to be rented at the price shown in the online application

I returned the car washed and tanked fully, and of the deposit of 118.00 Euro so far, only 94.46 Euro has been refunded.

To my online complains by Goldcar there is no answer since 3 weeks!

Cannot believe something like that is possible now a day in Europe.

I complaint also to Booking, and they answered that I not necessary signed new contract, and they also refused to return my money!

What can I do now?

I hired a vehicle (via DoyouSpain) from Goldcar out of Alicante airport. When I arrived to pick my vehicle up I was informed that the contract had been cancelled and that I had to take out a new contract. The contract had not been cancelled! The new contract that I had to take out was €347. The original price I had already paid was €229. When I complained Goldcar would only refund me €52. In reality I should have been refunded €347.

An underhand way to increase profits! If you can't afford to honour the prices you quote then you should not quote them.

We came to Alicante Airport getting a car from GoldCar rental and with the car key was the previous damaged report of 2 small scratch and dent on back bumper and mirror housing.

If we find any other small fault: Take picture and send e-mail to [protected]@goldcar.com, it will be dokumented, it's "GoldCar procedure" Told us by GoldCar front officer Joxxxxn 31/3-2023.

We find 14 other scratches and irregularities not mentioned in GoldCar check-out list. We send 7e-mail with 17 pictures + updated check-out list as requested and gave good dokumentation for them to prosess.

We trusted GoldCar professional service standard which they claim they have.

After renting the car and deliver it before opening hours as planed, in the right place, at the right time, we go over the car and there is no additional damaged made to the car.

When GoldCar office opens and the car is checked* We get a e-mail from [protected]@GoldCar.com the car we rented has been in a traffic accident, we have 48 hours to report back with damage report!

I send e-mail responding off course we have not been in a accident and is suspicious the pictures we took and the additional damage previous rentals was not possessed correctly.

Customer service at GoldCar is now telling us to send pictures to 2 different e-mail adresses and because we did not buy extra expensive innsurace with GoldCar they can not help out at service desk level and no office manager take phone calls, (goldcar prosedure) further information given us is the [protected]@GoldCar.com will be using up to 30 days to reply, giving us no time for the previous 48houre claim from first e-mail to get this matter out of order.

We are accused with no dokumenting or pictures of damaging GoldCar Rental property and is not getting swift service resolving this matter.

We do not like this at All!

Arrived at Malaga Airport after a lengthy flight delay so 6 and a half hours late for my car rental, and was told I couldn't have the car as I was too late. This appears to be the gold car policy. Which is a disappointing but understood.

I had spoken to the goldcar customer services call centre prior to my flight, knowing the delay, who told me that the car would not be held, but if a car was still available then the booking value could atleast be used towards a new booking.

Upon arrival a very rude assistant dealt with me by abruptly telling me my booking was no longer valid, when I explained my previous conversation with customer services, I was flat out lied to and told there were no cars available, (a fact I can prove was a lie by the fact I hired a car with a fresh booking on the spot), the staff member then walked off leaving me alone at the counter not knowing what was going on.

My wife, a native Spanish speaker then told me what the conversation the staff had had in Spanish was about. Assuming we as English speakers couldn't understand them, a colleague told the woman dealing with me, Estafania, that she she could let my original booking stand, but she rejected that, she accused me of lying about the call to customer services.

At this point I managed to speak to a different member of staff, who said 'of course there are plenty are cars', again proving the earlier blatant lie. Then proceeded to offer me a new rental for just £440 (the original was £142), with zero discount or money back from my first booking, and he got particularly angry at me when baulked at this offer and rejected it. I guess they thought they had the opportunity to REALLY rip me off.

Needing a car and seeing no help coming at the counter, I made a fresh booking online for £142, a third of that offered at the counter.

Unfortunately when returning to the counter with a new booking I was dealt with by Estafania again, she was again incredibly rude, virging on abusive, she eventually, and reluctantly honored the new booking making very clear she was not happy to do so. She accused me of faking my own signature amongst other dramas and when I asked if the name of who had served me was on the paperwork she shouted 'dont worry, I won't be hearing from you, you don't scare me'. At know point did I try to 'scare' her or act threateningly, but I guess this was a reaction to knowing a complaint was coming against her. But it seems she is confident that when she acts like this noone from goldcar customer services takes any action against her.

Overall, the worst customer service I have been subject to, possibly in my entire life, an absolute disgrace.

And this is on top of feeling ripped off by the policy and implementation related to the delay. I will be chasing that up separately.

Goldcar Car Hire Alicante Airport. Pick up 16th March return 23rd March 2023.

Seat Leon Agreement No. [protected]. My complaint is after returning the vehicle I was emailed to say my car was involved in an accident and was sent a form to complete within 48 hours or be charged 94 euros. I immediately replied stating that I had not been in any accident. I also received a check out form indicating areas of damage on the car that I strongly dispute. It also mentioned no luggage cover in the car. When I picked up the car there was definitely no luggage cover in the car. On the 24th March my Barclaycard has been charged £214.90 with no detailed explanation as to why. I would also add that I took out the maximum insurance cover of Mega Relaxed Cover in order to safeguard myself from any charges relating to damage to the car. I would stress that the car had been in no accidents and was well looked after to the point where I even washed it before handing the car back. The car was in the exact same condition when I returned it as it was when I picked it up. I have photographs of the vehicle at drop off.

I rented a car from Goldcar at Marseille airport from 9-13th March, 2023.

Contract number: [protected]

On the morning of the 13th we had an emergency and realised we would have to extend our stay until the 14th. We emailed the Marseille agency at around 9am saying that we had a situation and would need to keep the car a day longer. We had no response. We also tried calling and got no answer. Later that day when I finally got through, I was told I would need to bring the car to the agency to extend the booking or run the risk of a fine. This is an insane rule, given that many customers will be very far away from the agency where they hired the car. Given the emergency situation we were not able to drive all the way back to Marseille so had to keep the car regardless. Every other hire company allows you to change the booking online so I don't see why Goldcar does otherwise. I am happy to pay for the extra day hire but not for the late return fee given that I tried to contact you several times regarding this.

Then, I was charged an additional €72 cleaning fee. Again, every other company I have hired from cleans cars inside and out post hire. This amount is totally excessive.

The worst is that I was then charged at least €260 for an incredibly faint and shallow scratch on the rear of the car near the bottom. I used the car twice, once to drive to my destination and once to return to the airport. If a small stone hits the car whilst driving, what is the driver expected to do? This is entirely unpreventable, and I have received no evidence of the scratch still being there after the car was washed. Can you provide evidence of it still being there? Regardless, the fact that you are charging people this excessively for normal wear and tear is absolutely unethical and frankly disgusting.

You also didn't communicate the final charges or breakdown of costs. It is through sheer luck that I checked my bank statement for something else and saw the nearly €600 charged to my card. For a rental which was meant to cost €108 to now cost 600 because of some mud and an unavoidable (and not proven scratch) is absolutely absurd. I will be taking this as far as possible in order to get the refund I am due.