Goldcar
 

Booking through doyouspain I have ended up getting a car through Goldcar. I know lots complain about them. Doyouspain have made it clear they will try to sell extra insurance and if you take it they take hundreds of euros on your credit card to cover themselves.

Does anyone know what rate goldcar charge for the additional insurance? Doyouspain have offered €2.99 a day saying that goldcar charge €4.29 a day, vbut I do nt necessarily believe them until I hear it from elsewhere.

Thanks

Re: Goldcar
 

I did use them in the past but this lark of charging u for a full tank from the onset and telling you to bring it back empty is just as good as saying " we are smiling as we rip u off".
I used them from Seville and decided to try out the return the empty tank policy, the service person thought the needle was faulty when I returned the car. It was running on fumes for the last few KM's.

Re: Goldcar
 

Yeah, I know they will overcharge for the fuel as well, but most of them do that. Im having the car for three weeks and have more or less got it down to a tee with the fuel levels :-)

Re: Goldcar
 

Hi,

I prefer to use Goldcar. Maybe not the cheapest, but I find them to be reliable with new cars and no hidden charges / hassle / scams about damage which was there before you rented.

Last time I got what I thought was a good rate. You can get a quote on their website http://www.rentalcars.com/en/country...Fczm7AoduQ4AJQ

Re: Goldcar
 

Goldcar (in Mallorca, and a few other of the usual "el cheapo" car hire names) has a terrible reputation for insurance and fuel ripoffs.

It seems many have reported that even if you book the "extra" insurance online, when you arrive at the desk, they claim the insurance company has nothing to do with them, and offer you their own insurance, and if you don't accept it, they block up to €600 off your credit card. To add insult to injury, they don't fill out pre-existing damage forms when you take the car.

When you return the car, if they find any damage, pre-existing or not, they simply take whatever they blocked on your card and tell you to contact the insurance company to get it back. The insurance company of course makes you do their work for them, forcing you to act as the liason between Goldcar (who ignores your requests for repair invoices), and the insurance company (who also ignores you).

FUEL: Yes, many car hires routinely impose an upfront charge of up to €120 for the tank of petrol (which normally costs about €50 or less) and you are supposed to return the car "empty" (although most rentals rarely use an entire tank), but usually you find out about it only when you arrive at the desk. However, it's written in the contract fine print that you agree to at booking time, so that makes it legal.

Considering the unexpected (but legal) insurance and fuel scams, it's always better to use the brand name car hires that not only don't conduct their business this way, but are very up front about charges. In fact, when you book Avis or Sixt and Hertz and many others, the price you see on the screen at booking time is actually what you pay with no surprises at the check-in desk. And most of the majors will give you the option of paying for a full tank and returning empty, or returning it full and paying nothing.

I reckon that explains a lot about why the majors always have higher advertised prices. But then again, the "el cheapo" companies like Goldcar who advertise cheap prices can cost much more than the majors at the end of the day.

Re: Goldcar
 

Budget will allow you to work either way - full to full or full to empty.

Re: Goldcar
 

I used goldcar a few years ago through Doyouspain, I had no problems yes as most full to empty re fuel, I used Budget also once and that was full to full but not always the same, depends who you book through so if in doubt suggests checking. As for insurance Doyouspain will offer cheaper rates however if you use their or any other insurance than the company you hire from you will have to leave a security deposit against a credit card. Depends how long the hire is for if long and you hire fairly regular better with an annual policy for around £39 per year. I do that have to leave deposit but never ever had any issues on returning vehicle re getting deposit cleared. Only ones I have had trouble with were Record who still kept trying to get me to buy their insurance even though I had my own, mind that was quickly dealt with by a bit of Yorkshire short shrift!

Re: Goldcar
 

Thanks all, Ive bought an annual insurance for £40 as sugegsted, although I'm sure it will meet with some annoyance from GoldCar when I get there. If they block off my card then so be it, but I believe in these circumstances they dont actually take the money, just "reserve" it

Re: Goldcar
 

Yes that has been my experience blocked on card only. I Dont think I had any problem re having my own insurance with Goldcar.

Re: Goldcar
 

Make sure it's a sterling card though.

I only had UK debit card so had to use a Spanish Credit card. They 'reserved' an amount but when they removed the reservation, exchange rates had changed and I lost out (quite a lot).

Re: Goldcar
 

I've been using it for about 3-4 years now, a fortnight's holiday and you are on a winner, plus you can use it as many times as you like after that, I really don't know why more don't use it. True, they may not like it, but it's not compulsory to use their's, they have to deal with it. Yes, they swipe your card, and "reserve" it, but I've never been charged yet, even when I took a car back badly damaged. Depends on the company though, I guess.
Edit. Seeing snikpoh's post, the company I use have never actually taken anything, so no conversion charges.

Re: Goldcar
 

insurance4carhire.com

I think the bottom line is that the car insurance is so cheap they try to recover it in many other ways ..... just like Ryanair I guess!!!! Twenty one days car hire costs only €83, hence why I'm guessing I'll get the big fuel bill.

Having said that Spain is no different to elsewhere .... in the States they try and hit you with everything they can. Upgrades, fuel, extra insurance ... you name it ....... :)

Re: Goldcar
 

I nearly always hire from Málaga and have used the same company for many years now, they give you so much in the tank, you bring it back the same, so no charges, no fuel rip off prices whatsoever. But they aren't all like that! :rofl:
Your charges, around £4 a day is a good price!

Re: Goldcar
 

We've used both Goldcar and Record because of the prices (£3/£4 per day), refused their extra insurance and let them block a sum off my credit card. Never had any problem with being charged for any minor damage - wheel rims etc. We pointed out a scuff to the bumper paintwork that had happened last visit when we were parked and not in the car, and the Goldcar rep just waved us off. Yes, I appreciate that they make some money on a full tank of fuel but given that hire fees here in the UK are £20-£30 per day I don't really feel I'm being ripped off - and we've been driving a lot of miles every trip so far, so we've had our moneys worth out of their depreciation budget and emptying the tank has not been a problem :)

Re: Goldcar
 

I wasnt asking about being tripped off though, I just wanted to know what the rate per day for the extra insurance was

Re: Goldcar
 

I have annual insurance and it used to be a problem but since the broking companies started selling insurances as their own add on the rental companies are used to renters not requiring it.

Re: Goldcar
 

Sorry for not knowing the answer to your question, but Goldcar (Mallorca) took me for ride too regarding insurance. My own fault for being a little naive I guess, but I wouldn't ue them again.

Re: Goldcar
 

I started using Zitauto for the last two years. Cash paid on the day. Flat insurance. No charge crossing borders to Spain from FAro. All good !

Re: Goldcar
 

Ive booked through Atlaschoice , the car hirer is Marbenjo Rent A Car ,(Malaga) anyone have any experiences with them? I`d normally use a big name but they are the only ones I could find who offer 4x4s.

Re: Goldcar
 

Found these reviews on trip advisor from these they sound ok? http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTop...Andalucia.html

Re: Goldcar
 

Thanks for that , they do seem to be a good Spanish company :eek:

I`ll report my experiences in a couple of weeks.

Re: Goldcar
 

If you are in the UK you could get an annual policy to cover all the excess through Insurance 4 Carhire.com. Goldcar are very expensive and usually have the longest queues to check in of any of the rental companies as so many people argue about their charges. Beware their charge for fuel and return empty policy which is an immense ripoff!

Re: Goldcar
 

That is a problem the queues and why to be honest I prefer the ones where picked up and taken off airport you get quicker service.

Re: Goldcar
 

Agree, many years ago I gave up all that at Málaga after having a couple of 45-60 minute waits, life's too short to spend it in queues! Especially when you're on holiday! Certainly in Málaga there are companies a 2 minute minibus ride away that don't operate the fuel rip off policy and are quick and pleasant to deal with.

Re: Goldcar
 

Firefly (via doyouspain) currently have some full to full deals from Valencia airport for those that may be interested.

Re: Goldcar
 

Well, the queue was for about 15 minutes, i was charged around 80 euro for a full tank for a focus, and although they accepted my insurance they still took 800 deposit against my credit card

Re: Goldcar
 

Yes, but you will get your 800 euros back and if there is a problem "insurance4carhire" will do battle with the hire company, on your behalf, and you are quids in!

Re: Goldcar
 

I have never had any real problem with having my own insurance other than I say Record who were persitant and ignorant when I didn't want theirs. The girl who spoke fluent English suddenly lost this ability and indicated I had to point to the no part on the form! Needless to say I have never used them again. One time I was given automotive cars as my hire co, I think that may have been through Doyouspain. Anyway they were first class located near to IKEA, the whole set up was immaculate very friendly near brand new car etc, no hassle re having my own insurance whatsoever. On that trip I had my car broken into very slight damage to lock. I rang automotive to let know, no problem but pleased you let us know we will sort it out on your return. Couple of days later whilst reversing out of covered parking bay at El Ingenio dunched the front of car, quite bad damage to wing indicator light smashed etc! Again rang them no problem we will sort it out on return so long as car is drive able. I was thinking this will mean a claim on my own insurance? When I returned the car showed the girl the door lock damage, no problem, then showed her other side front wing!!! Oh she says that is nothing I thought it was major damage, you are fully covered for that, my deposit was returned in full.

Re: Goldcar
 

I use Record at Malaga. The cars are new, or almost, and it is a cheapo compared to Avis. I have never had a fuel scam with them, although I think they ask a lot for fuelling. I was pressured into buying the complete 100% insurance last time (tyres, rims, towing etc.), which hiked the price up. However, when I returned the car, nobody showed any interest in looking for damage. So, I would just take the regular insurance next time.

Car hire is never straightforward, is it?

Re: Goldcar
 

I should say the extra insurance hiked the price up, from their webpage.

For £40 a year you can go as long as you like (up to 30 days?) as many times as you like, they love people like you. ;)

Re: Goldcar
 

I wouldn't be happy with that. Have read a lot of complaints where Spanish companies are very slow in returning it, if at all.

Re: Goldcar
 

I live in Thailand and only go to Mlg once a year, if that. I guess the 40 quid insurance deal would not be worth it. It was my own fault that I took out the Comp insurance last time; I had flown Doha-Mad-Agp in 22 hours and I didn't want to wait in a 15 minute queue. But the girl did cheer up when I took the extra insurance, unsurprisingly. I think it was 78e more for a 4 week hire. At Mlg, though, it seems to me that Record is the furthest away from arrivals and is in the sub-basement

One thing in favour of Record Hire: I had to leave a few days earlier than the plan. When I emailed their HQ, they did refund me the hire for those days, about 10 days later. I suppose that some would not refund anythg.

paulo

Re: Goldcar
 

Tripadvisor is full of those stories. But I agree with some of the wiser contributors, who point out that the big names have a reputation to protect, and the smaller, cheap ones need not bother, especially if most of their business blindly comes from "agents" like doYouSpain, who in itself has a reputation for assuming no responsibility for anything. An extra layer of finger-pointing...

Insurance / damage is a very good scam, and legal too (all over, not just Spain). And they rarely actually repair the (€400) scratch. Just collect the money and put the car back in play...

Re: Goldcar
 

I have never had trouble with car hire (other than some long waits) either renting directly or through an Agent.
I also thought that the standard insurance included damage to body work, with the extra insurances being for glass and tyres etc.
I invariably get a ding on my hire car when parked and have yet to have to pay or claim on my insurance. The only time I wasn't covered on a standard insurance was when I returned with a broken indicator lens. They charged me 30 euros that I thought was less than a replacement would be. I didn't bother claiming on my extra insurance.

Re: Goldcar
 

You are very, very lucky. Car hires are on the top 10 list of common tourism scams. Especially in Spain.

Hidden horrors of Spanish car hires

What TripAdvisor says

Goldcar charges - Guardian

There are plenty more to list. But curiously, you rarely see Hertz, Avis, Sixt mentioned in any of these complaints. None of those 3 are the cheapest, but you rarely hear about them conducting these scams.

Is that who you hire from?

Re: Goldcar
 

The only time I did get charged the 30 euros was with Advantage (now Firefly).
I have never had trouble with damage to bodywork with any other Company including Goldcar as it has always been covered as part of the basic insurance cover. Your post stated that you get charged for scratches. I have never found that to be the case. I don't even bother checking the bodywork when I pick a car up for that very reason.

Re: Goldcar
 

I think you will find that there is an excess amount to pay before the included insurance kicks in, as much as 800euros in some cases. I'm always on my guard when taking a hire car.
The big players can give problems as well. I returned a car to Dublin airport and was charged 100euro for a new tyre as one was losing pressure and I reported it on returning the car. I paid under protest and later emailed the head office and asked then to audit the branch as I felt they may have more than the normal numbers of tyre repairs. The charge was later reduced to 18euros!

Re: Goldcar
 

Goldcar and a few others are notorious for this scam. This stuff is reported all over. It's not exactly a secret.

The usual scam with many of the "discount" car hires is when you arrive at the car hire desk at the airport, they tell you that you are obliged to take the "extra" insurance, or else they will "block" some amount from your card - usually €200-€800. Many have already booked insurance online, so they don't agree to the extra insurance, and so the money is blocked off the card. There's no getting out of it. Except to go to another company, hoping to get lucky on a "walk-up" car hire without a reservation.

OK, so when you return the car, they find "scratches" or other "damage" that may or may not be pre-existing, so they simply keep whatever they blocked off the card, and getting reimbursement from the insurance company is your problem. Many have reported they only find out about it several days later, after they're home. Sometimes they're not informed at all. The money is simply is taken from the card. YOU have to call them and ask why. Whether you caused it or not, it's too late to dispute it. It's a done deal.

Then, your "3rd party" insurance company will need to see a receipt for the repairs (a "3rd party" can also be the insurance you booked online when you made the reservation on the car hire's website, all too often has nothing to do with the car hire, and the car hire won't accept it as proof of insurance, even though they offer it on their own website).

Since the car hire likely never had the car repaired (if there were even any damage in the first place), getting a receipt from them is like pulling teeth. When they finally provide a receipt, it magically comes to exactly the amount blocked off the card.

Exactly that happened to me in the UK at Green Motion. Upon arrival, they demanded additional insurance to the one we booked on their website because, according to them, the one on their website is not affiliated with them (really? why is it on your goddam website then?). We refused, so they blocked 200 quid on the card. After the car was returned after using it for just 6 hours, with absolutely no possible chance of damage whatsoever, 2 days after returning home, we found out they kept the money and called them - and sure enough, they'd found unspecified "damage" to the car.

OK, after some shouting, we realised it was a lost cause. The insurance company we booked on Green Motion's website would not reimburse without a receipt for the repairs, and even more insulting, would not talk to the car hire directly. My problem, not theirs.

Long story short, after tireless hours on the phone, Green Motion promised to provide a receipt but after weeks of repeated requests without any action, we had a Solicitor friend send them a letter, and surprisingly, promptly received a poorly disguised receipt for exactly 200 quid (even with VAT separately listed - it magically came to exactly 200 quid). It took a while, but the insurance company eventually paid. Still, it was just a pain in the arse - to be kind. Green Motion: 1, Me: 0.

This stuff goes on all the time in the car hire biz. Really. It's legal extortion.

Now I ignore the el-cheapos and use Sixt or Avis all the time - and I have the same experience you do. Nothing to worry about. It always just works.

Re: Goldcar
 

Different countries have differing terms. When I rent in the uk I go over the car with a fine tooth comb.

Re: Goldcar
 

Ami, see my previous reply.

My experience in Spain is real, yours appears to be anecdotal.