Which? has rated the best and worst car rental companies for this summer – and Goldcar ends up at the bottom of the list, just like in 2023.
The consumer organisation surveyed over 2,000 citizens and members and asked them to rate their experiences with car rental companies and brokers on a range of criteria, including customer service, value for money, transparency about additional charges and vehicle condition, before awarding them an overall customer rating percentage.
Spanish car dealership Goldcar came last in the survey with a customer rating of just 52 percent, making it the sixth time in recent years that it has finished at the bottom of the table.
At the other end of the table are Canary Islands-based car rental companies AutoReisen and Cicar, as well as broker Zest Car Rental – the Which? recommended providers received an overall customer rating of 92, 91 and 90 percent respectively.
The survey found that travelers still face numerous problems and rip-off practices when renting a car, with nearly nine in ten (86 percent) of respondents expressing fear of being scammed.
The most frequently cited problems include feeling “strongly” pressured at the counter to take out additional insurance (affected by one in six respondents (17 percent); being charged more than originally stated (affected by one in ten (11 percent); and problems with the condition of the car (six percent).
The consumer organization points out that these figures are even higher for the companies with the worst results in the survey.
The survey found that a fifth (20 percent) of respondents who used Goldcar had problems with the condition of the car and a quarter (23 percent) said they had to pay additional fees when picking up or returning the car.
The company received only two stars for the correspondence of the vehicle description with reality, customer service and value for money, but three stars for the age, condition and mileage of the car.
Previous Which? research has found that Goldcar uses pressure sales tactics to persuade customers to purchase additional insurance at the counter. In this year’s survey, a quarter (25 percent) of Goldcar customers said they purchase additional insurance at the counter – compared to just over one in seven (13 percent) of all survey respondents.
One respondent told Which?: “The lady at the counter insisted that I had to take out additional insurance. I was in a rush so I gave in,” while another said: “We were under the strong impression that there was no other option.”
A separate analysis of car rental insurance by Which? found that Goldcar’s insurance was both among the “most expensive” and “worst rated” of all the providers reviewed.
Other car rental companies that were “unconvincing” include Dollar, with a customer rating of just 56 percent, Record Go (57 percent) and Budget (61 percent).
Dollar received just two stars for customer service and three for the car’s age, condition and mileage, as well as value for money. According to Which?, one respondent complained that the car’s condition was “poor,” with “marks and scratches everywhere,” a dead key fob battery, and an illuminated service light on the dashboard.
Worryingly, three in ten (30 percent) of Dollar users said they had to pay additional costs either when picking up or returning their car; one in seven (13 percent) said their car had a defect, and a quarter (27 percent) said they had to wait 30 minutes or more for pickup.
Record Go (57 percent) received only two stars for customer service and the correspondence of the description with reality, but three stars for the age, condition and mileage of the car and the price-performance ratio.
Which? finds that a fifth (19 percent) of the company’s customers said they received a different car to the one they booked; one in five (22 percent) said they had to pay extra when collecting or returning the car; and a quarter (25 percent) had to wait for more than 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, leader AutoReisen received a number of five-star ratings in key categories including communication, clarity of additional charges, ease of opting out of additional charges, clarity of final rental cost, clarity of fuel policy, age, condition and mileage of the car, and value for money.
To ensure you have the best possible experience this summer, book with a reputable company RORY BOLAND, EDITOR OF WHICH? TRAVEL
With an average price of just £21 per day, AutoReisen was the cheapest company in the survey, “showing that great service doesn’t have to come at a high price,” according to Which?.
Customer service also received four stars. According to the consumer group, one customer said: “I have been using Autoreisen for years – consistently excellent.”
Cicar also received five stars for clarity of additional fees, clarity of final rental car cost and clarity of fuel policy, as well as four stars for customer service. None of the customers reported being charged any additional fees when picking up or returning the car.
Other companies with high scores include Centauro (83 percent), Alamo (73 percent) and Enterprise (73 percent), but they did not achieve “Which? Recommend Provider” status, which is only given to companies with a customer service rating of four stars or more.
With only two recommended car rental companies in the Canaries, holidaymakers travelling elsewhere should consider using Which? recommended broker Zest Car Rental to find reputable local car rental companies.
The company received an “excellent” rating of 90 percent from customers, as well as a number of “impressive” five-star reviews for communication, clarity of additional charges, ease of opting out of additional charges, clarity of final rental costs, clarity of fuel policy, clarity of provider information and customer service.
The consumer group says: ‘Although it is the cheapest broker in the table, its rates always include either excess or excess refund insurance, free cancellation up to 48 hours before pick-up and a free second driver in some locations. It carefully vets the providers it works with and, unlike some brokers, does not work with Goldcar. As one customer put it: ‘Zest was simply a breath of fresh air.”
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Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, said: “Booking a car should be hassle-free, but all too often it feels like the Wild West, with travellers complaining of unpleasant experiences, poor customer service and excessive fees. Goldcar in particular is best avoided, with customers consistently reporting serious problems ranging from pressure selling to poor customer service.
“To ensure you have the best possible experience this summer, make sure you book with a reputable company. Our Which? recommended providers are all excellent options, and if you use a good broker like Zest Car Rental, they will also be able to represent you in the unlikely event of any problems.”
Responding to the survey results, Goldcar said: “Goldcar is naturally disappointed with the findings of the Which? report. The company takes customer care very seriously and has a Code of Conduct for counter selling and a Guide to Good Selling Practices, both of which are reviewed annually based on customer feedback.
“We offer very attractive prices that make travel affordable while giving our customers the freedom to choose additional options, including premium insurance coverage to ensure a smooth process should any damage occur during the rental.”
“Our customers are of course entitled to purchase their insurance cover separately, however in this case they will be responsible for any damage that occurs during the rental period and will then have to reclaim the cost from their chosen provider. We are committed to investigating any incidents where a customer feels they have received a service that falls short of what they would expect from a budget brand and we continue to invest in training our staff and best practice.”