# GOLDCAR Car Rental SPAIN Worst Company Eever



## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

Hi,

GoldCar, please read this!

The Worst Company I have had the misfortune to deal with ever.

I usually use one of the big four in Spain now as the local company I used to use in Javea has closed.

I don't know why but in the past, I have avoided Goldcar. But, I booked via holiday Autos and here we go.

Booked an Automatic car on a FULL/FULL policy, to be collected at Alicante in my Wife's Name as sole driver. When we arrived to collect from Goldcar, they wanted €1200 euros Security Deposit and €56 for fuel. 

Okay, my Wife's credit card went through for the €1200 but would not authorise the €56 fuel. They would not let me pay for the fuel on my card and would not take any of my Wifes Amex cards.

So, we had to ring Holiday Autos to get the whole reservation changed into my name and had to pay extra for my Wife as a 2nd driver. They said we should have booked direct and not used an agent. They then said that they would reduce the €1200 if we take their 8 day CDW Waiver Insurance for €150. I explained that this was too expensive and that in any case, we are covered on or Amex travel insurance for Car Hire excess worldwide for £25,000 and showed them the policy.

We were then given keys to an almost new Mercedes B180D with 240kM on the clock.

We arrived out our house in Spain late Saturday 26th March. Used the car a couple of times with no problem. Tuesday evening , 29th we were going out for a celebration dinner when the car was dead, not starting, no lights nothing. We had not left any lights on and in any case, on this car, other than parking lights, they switch off automatically. I emailed Goldcar that night to explain the situation.

By Lunchtime the next day, 30th. I had had no reply so rang Goldcar to be told. As you did not take out our extra insurance, you have to authorise a minimum of €110 for a breakdown service to attend. I refused......

After hours of calls to Goldcar, Mercedes Europe, Mercedes Bennissa, Holiday Autos. We eventually agreed to amount of €110 on the basis that so long as the car is faulty and we have not broken it, they (Goldcar) will refund.

Wee waited nearly four hours in all for the breakdown who turned up, got the car started and claimed "battery". I told him to check the car as it would not go into gear and was flashing up numerous errors on the dash.

The car was stuck, would not budge and his tow truck could not get the car off the drive. He had to go to the compound to get another truck to lift the car off the ground and tow it away. 

I contacted Goldcar who said "you need to bring the car back so we can change it" After explaining that the car is not with us and broken. They said you need to get a taxi back to the airport and we will give you a replacement". But it will be your responsibility to return this and the other car to us at the end of the rental contract MONDAY!.

I cannot get it into their heads that the car they supplied us with is at Mercedes, broken with a complicated electrical fault that they currently are unable to fix. This and that we fly home to the UK on Monday and the broken Mercedes will still be at the Mercedes Garage 100kM from the airport.

Mrs. TM does not enjoy good health at the moment after some time in hospital. She has been in floods of tears and just cannot comprehend what a bunch of ............

I am not going to type what I really think of Goldcar.

And just to add, the Mercedes B180d is probably the worst Mercedes car I have ever driven. Noisy, gutless and flimsy mass produced build quality.

Avoid Goldcar and the Mercedes B Class.

TM


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## caulkhead (Jul 25, 2007)

Sorry to hear this TM. It must be incredibly frustrating and obviously very upsetting for your wife. Hope you manage to get things sorted and that you don't end up out of pocket. Good luck and best wishes........

Andy


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## peribro (Sep 6, 2009)

I've never had any experience of them but thanks for the warning. It certainly looks as though you are not alone with many complaints along the same lines as yours - and these are just from the first page on google!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/advice/Is-this-the-worlds-worst-car-hire-horror-story/

http://www.spanish-fiestas.com/goldcar-car-rental-rip-off/

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g187427-i42-k5364413-Don_t_use_Gold_Car_rentals-Spain.html

http://www.theguardian.com/money/2011/feb/19/car-hire-holidaymakers-goldcar

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=2744712


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

Thank you for the heads up on Goldcar, will not be using them next time we need a hire car over there.

cabby


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## dghr272 (Jun 14, 2012)

Feel for you and thanks for the information, we will be in Spain soon and will be hiring a car, but will now give Goldcar a miss.

Terry


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## safariboy (May 1, 2005)

We had a good experience with "kiss a car". But that might be a good local office. They were only very slightly more expensive than through holiday autos who produced another trouble free hire through europcar. Both do full to full fuel. I was told that gold car insist on charging over the odds for a full tank with no refunds for unused fuel.


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## Kaytutt (Feb 5, 2013)

Goldcar frequently get awful reviews on trip advisor as do many other hire car companies in Spain and Portugal. If it's of any use to anyone I can recommend Drive4fun in Portugal, we used them four or five times with no problems


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## MEES (Apr 20, 2006)

What a horror story - sorry your trip must have been ruined :-(


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

MEES said:


> What a horror story - sorry your trip must have been ruined :-(


And FIVE Days on After GOLDCAR charged me €110 to tow it away to Mercedes where they have said it is faulty, we are still without a car as GOLDCAR has become NOCAR. They have not replaced the Mercedes with anything, nada.

We have to get a Taxi Back to the Airport and we have to claim the €110 back from Goldcar_NOCAR for the tow fee.

Taxis are not refundable.

Each time I speak with GOLDCAR_NOCAR or Holiday Autos. All they can tell me is that they have no solution. I have opened a complaint case and follow it through with them on our return of the rental (that I cannot return as it will still be with Mercedes).

FFS


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## kabundi (Feb 14, 2011)

As you used a credit card the credit card company are also liable. Report the incident to them and request a refund of all of your costs as effectively you have paid for something that was not delivered. They will also put pressure on Goldcar/Holiday Autos to sort out the situation.


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## javea (Jun 8, 2007)

Sorry to hear of your problems Trev. Before I had a car kept permanently at my house in Javea I always used Solmar who were excellent. I did have a problem with one car, they immediately replaced it without any delay or drama.

Mike


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Agree with kabundi - as you used a credit card contact them and they will raise a dispute and reclaim payment from Goldcar, you should not be out of pocket in any way.

They sound like a Shilock registered company who want a pound of flesh for doing nothing.....

The credit card company is the way to go....

Dave


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## Handysue (May 5, 2011)

We have a place in Javea, and we rent cars on a regular basis from Alicante airport and from Valencia airport. We have used all of the major companies, and they are all the same.
We find that every year the major car hire companies use a different way of extracting money from you, in order to reduce the "basic" quote on the comparison websites. When we see quotes of 5 euros per day, we know there will be extras.
Last year it was the full tank of fuel with no refund, this year it is the extra insurance. They also try and hide what the extra costs will be, but we find that when booking direct it is easier to find out the extra costs, it is the agents' websites that either try to hide the extra costs or try to sell you their own excess insurance, which would not have helped you in this situation.
We have ALWAYS used the extra insurance on offer from the car hire companies, we have never been tempted by the insurances available from the car hire agents or from annual excess policies.
We have had two problems in the last 10 years, one was a hail storm which damaged the car quite extensively, there was no come back whatsoever, secondly we had a car would not start (we were in Scallops at the time) and it was recovered by the grua and we heard nothing more.
Can you not use the Amex travel insurance to sort things out?


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## greygit (Apr 15, 2007)

We have been using various car rentals in Spain for some time now and we have found they are all rip off merchants of late. So with that in mind we have just sold our motorhome and put a deposit on a TOW CAR.:surprise:


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

kabundi said:


> As you used a credit card the credit card company are also liable. Report the incident to them and request a refund of all of your costs as effectively you have paid for something that was not delivered. They will also put pressure on Goldcar/Holiday Autos to sort out the situation.


Thank You

I have done just that.

TM


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

Thank you everyone, still without a replacement from GOLDCAR.

In the past, we used Moraira Autos. I do not know what happened to them but it seems to point towards Victoria Cars who were their competitors.

But now it seems looking at the website and costs that they have followed the same tactics as all the other hire car companies.

Mike, SolMar I had seen but they had very bad reviews so I avoided them too.

I did see a company advertising older cars in a free weekly here, but we prefer automatics that they do not have many of . www.flamencacars.com

Annoyingly, Automatics now often cost the same or not much more than the manual versions. Yet, when you come to hire an auto, they are twice the price.

We mostly drive to Spain Via Bilbao/Santander. Bilbao is the best for us but Brittany Ferries seem to favour the Santander routes, or its passenger numbers do. We will now only be coming Late September-May.

So, I think I am going to buy a Toyota Previa or Landcruiser and leave it at the Airport in September. Keep it here for Family to use and drive it back before the 6 months time limit.

Any Recommendations on Airport Parking, Alternative cars and insurers welcome.

Thanks everyone again.

TM


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## javea (Jun 8, 2007)

I used these people for quite a few years and found them to be very professional:

http://royalparking.es/en/.

Why not register the car in Spain, saves the hassle of taking it back to the UK every year and easy to arrange insurance locally, which includes breakdown recovery as a standard policy feature. I can recommend someone to arrange this if you decide to go that way.

Mike


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

Hi Mike,

Thank you, that may be an option.

My Thoughts were that as we will not be in Spain from End of May to Beginning of October, we could have the use of the car in the UK.

Otherwise, it might be stood for 6 months in a dusty compound.

But if there are other advantages to having a Spanish registered car, this is something we would consider. Because that too could be driven in the UK for 6 months.

Trev


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

So, the saga continues.

Today (Now yesterday). We called into Mercedes Benissa in Spain. They say that the car from Goldcar, the brand new Mercedes that was towed to them last week, they cannot currently fix it. They do not know what is wrong with it and have opened a special case with Mercedes in Germany.

Cost of Taxi to Mercedes €27.00

So, we have to take a Taxi to the Airport in Alicante.

Cost of Taxi to Alicante €105.00

We went to the office in Alicante, I was very polite and Goldcar Representative at the desk said, in points.

*You need to read our Terms & Conditions
*It is your responsibility to return the car to us here in Alicante
*For Every day, the car is in the Mercedes Garage, you will be charged for our loss iof use.
*You will have to pay for the tow truck. If the car is faulty, you will have to claim that back
*Even if the car is faulty, you will be liable for its return to us here in Alicante.
*You should have asked for the car to be towed to the airport, Accompanied it and taken a replacement from us.
*We have placed a block on your credit card of €1200, this will be your minimum liability to us at Goldcar

I can't go on any more. Suffice to say, we kept calm and avoided arrest.

These companies never cease to amaze me. They join the ranks of easyjet, Admiral Insurance and all the other crooks with no customer service.

F******* Fed up.com

Trev


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## coppo (May 27, 2009)

Cheeky bleeders, shocking way to operate, surely that is against some law of running their business.


I see what you mean about walking away to save getting arrested.


Paul.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

What a nightmare Trev. Must be really ruining your holiday. My expectation would have been for the hire company to deliver directly to me a replacement car and to do what they wish with their broken one. At worst I would have expected it just to be returned to them to deal with as they wish and for me to pick up another one at their expense including taxis. I am confused as to how or why you ever got involved with the garage, its not your car.

They sound appalling. Post it on as many high profile forums as you can, tripadvisor, trusted reviews etc will hopefully be the death of organisations like this.

For what its worth I have always used AutoEurope in the past. They tend to use Hertz, Avis etc, most of the known names and I have never had a problem. I even crashed one once into a lampost in Menorca and when I took it back bent they werent even bothered. I think its luck of the draw though depending which country and airport your at. 

I hope you can get it sorted and try and enjoy the rest of your stay.


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## TheNomad (Aug 12, 2013)

If you have a Facebook account then publish a detailed report on the Spanish expat Facebook groups, such as Expats Costa Blanca.


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

barryd said:


> I even crashed one once into a lampost in Menorca and when I took it back bent they werent even bothered.


I wonder why that did not surprise me.....:frown2: >

Dave :wink2:


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## BrianJP (Sep 17, 2010)

In my experience they are all rubbish except Helli Hollies who are Scandinavian owned.


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

This is what I sent to GoldcarCares on twitter
@goldcarcares well I have been to the Goldcar office Alicante today. They told me will charge me for every day your faulty Merc is in garage

Their reply.....

"Hi T! As stated in our T&C's (https://www.goldcar.es/en/tc/ ) Goldcar reserves the right to charge customers compensation for loss-of-income owing to immobilization of the damaged vehicle. Such compensation will be calculated on the number of days required to repair the vehicle, established by an independent adjuster or, after the vehicle has been repaired, by counting one day for every eight hours of work invested by the garage and used as the base to quantify the daily rate at which the vehicle was hired. The days the vehicle is immobilized count as days the vehicle was not returned on the convened date, and thus the extra €40 per day set out in the preceding clause will also apply.

If you have further queries feel free to contact me. Thanks!"


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Don't go back to them again, simply inform the Credit Card company that it is a disputed payment, that can be done by e-mail or by phone. The CC will freeze the payment and will seek further information from you, including have you raised the problem with the company and so on.

Give them an accurate account of all that has occurred - how the car is NOT damaged but is broken due to an electrical fault that is not of your making at all as admitted by the Mercedes garage and that therefore their t&C is a breach of trading regulations with the Credit Card company.

The key word in their reply is "damaged" which implies that it is something that YOU are responsible for - the car is NOT damaged but mechanically (or electrically) faulty. Not the same thing at all IMO. The car itself is totally undamaged;

_*damage*

verb
past tense: damaged; past participle: damaged
inflict physical harm on (something) so as to impair its value, usefulness, or normal function.
"the car was badly damaged in the accident"_

Return the present one when you leave, ask for a signed receipt for it when you do and take pictures of them examining it for damage. Keep those "just in case" they try that trick.......

I might even be tempted to return the current one now and get one from another company so that they cannot make things worse..... the fact that the garage cannot repair it is NOT your fault and the rental company cannot rent out a car that does not work and is stuck in a garage so there can be no loss of income as the car is not marketable in it's broken condition.

That way, if the CC company reclaim the fees paid so far (as they are entitled to do and will do) the rental company does not have any leverage against you if you still have one their cars and they say "you have not paid for it and it is therefore theft" and perhaps try to involve the Police......

Walk away and let the Credit Card company deal with it.

Dave


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

Penquin said:


> Don't go back to them again, simply inform the Credit Card company that it is a disputed payment, that can be done by e-mail or by phone. The CC will freeze the payment and will seek further information from you, including have you raised the problem with the company and so on.
> 
> Give them an accurate account of all that has occurred - how the car is NOT damaged but is broken due to an electrical fault that is not of your making at all as admitted by the Mercedes garage and that therefore their t&C is a breach of trading regulations with the Credit Card company.
> 
> ...


Thanks Dave,

I could not return the car as it was immobilised in the Mercedes garage, Still is. I cannot return it now as I am back here.

Very much appreciate your reply and will be following your advice.

TM


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

TM - do let us know how things progress, such things make an excellent lesson for all of us to learn from other people's unpleasant experiences - sorry for you as the worry and stress will continue until it is all resolved and no-one knows how long that will take, but I hope that it is quick for your sake.

Best wishes,

Dave


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

TheNomad said:


> If you have a Facebook account then publish a detailed report on the Spanish expat Facebook groups, such as Expats Costa Blanca.


I don't, always avoided FaceBook.

But may well start one up


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## TheNomad (Aug 12, 2013)

teemyob said:


> This is what I sent to GoldcarCares on twitter
> @goldcarcares well I have been to the Goldcar office Alicante today. They told me will charge me for every day your faulty Merc is in garage
> 
> Their reply.....
> ...


The paragraph that he is referring to ONLY APPLIES in the case of an ACCIDENT DAMAGED damaged vehicle. 
Read their T & C's carefully.
It doesn't apply if there is no accident which damaged the vehicle.
In your case there was no accident. The vehicle simply developed a fault itself.
Ergo, the charges in that paragraph that they are trying to stitch you up with simply do not apply.


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Read Clause 5 in the T&C;

_5) FAILURE TO RETURN THE VEHICLE

Failure to return the vehicle on the date and time set out in the Contract authorises Goldcar to charge customers for each day they use the vehicle after it should have been returned. Goldcar will also charge a penalty of €40 for every day of delay to cover the inconvenience caused to Goldcar.

Where Goldcar's delivery of the vehicle is delayed by more than 59 minutes after the rental agreement is signed, the customer will be compensated for the same amount.

Similarly, returning or abandoning the vehicle in a place other than the one indicated in the Agreement, will entitle Goldcar to require customers to pay:

i) Rent for each extra day needed to retrieve the vehicle and return it to its pre-rental condition so it can be hired again;

ii) €40 as compensation for loss-of-income, and

iii) plus the cost of moving or towing the vehicle, tolls, and safekeeping and guarding, as the case may be, to the place convened in the Agreement for returning the vehicle, as set out in Schedule I, which can be found at www.goldcar.es/tc._

and the rest of the T&C are determined to ensure that they can extract as much as possible without ever being liable themselves if the car is not suitable due to it breaking down......

Heads you lose, tails they win.......

As I posted earlier, they obviously studied hard at the ******* Business School as they are determined to extract at least a pound of flesh whatever you want.......

Their excesses are amazing...... not a company that I would wish to use....... "unfair terms and conditions" would be the verdict in a UK Court I suspect....

Dave


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## greygit (Apr 15, 2007)

We always pay for their insurance(although its a rip off) then you avoid these problems.


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

Update from other posts.

Thanks all.
Still ongoing. AMEX (who I paid Holiday Autos With) Credited me straight away. I sent copies of my emails to Holiday Autos and Goldcar and American Express sorted it all out.

But, We had to pay €1200 deposit on my Nationwide Credit Card and for Fuel at the Goldcar office when they changed the contract into my name. Cost of fuel and extra driver was £98 (€46 for fuel). On My return, Goldcar got the car back from Mercedes. But, charged me another £87 for fuel and refuelling. 

So, i all I have paid Goldcar over €160 for fuel. When, in fact, we used less than 2 gallons or around €8.

Nationwide sent my dispute back stating it is all in Goldcars terms & conditions which I signed for. And said they cannot claim it back.

Now, I have sent it Back to Nationwide: 
Pointing out that I signed a Screen and was then given the copy of the T&C's where Goldcar, without asking, charged me in GBP with a 2% mark-up. Also, I asked how I could re-fuel a broken down car that was stuck at Mercedes?. And that I am a lot of money out-of-pocket for taxis. €135 just to get back to the airport. I also pointed out that we have been customers for 37 years.

We often drive as you may know. But, I have booked flights for September. I am going to keep a car at Alicante Airport. I am following your advice of a Spanish registered car. So far, we have seen a Subaru Tribeca 7 Seat and a couple of Mercedes and Toyotas.


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## emmbeedee (Oct 31, 2008)

Welcome back & thanks for the update. 
The only person I know who travels to Spain regularly is my brother so after your earlier postings I warned him to avoid them like the plague. He normally uses Europcar BTW.


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