Alicante car hire advise, nightmare

[dogken]

Just booked a sneaky week in Spain and looking to hire a small car from Alicante airport.
Some of the prices are so cheap it is unreal, so I put them all into trust pilot for a review, every single one of them get's slated on the reviews, from getting scammed to cars being damaged and dirty.
I would be looking to get my own insurance to cover for any damage but you still have to leave a large amount on your credit card before you take the car.
Anyone got any advice or recommendations?

[Hmr89]

We've always used RecordGo for Alicante and Malaga and never had any problems x

[Stella_11]

They are all a bunch of scammers and I really do not know how they get away with it.

We also have our own excess insurance cover but, like you say, we have to leave a hefty 'hold' on our credit card.

There are loads of horror stories of people being charged for damage, when there was none. Cleaning charges for perfectly clean vehicles etc etc

We hire in Spain several times a year, my advice is always to check the vehicle thoroughly. Take photos and videos of the entire car including the fuel gauge. If you notice any damage NOT indicated on your paperwork get the car checked and the paperwork re-issued. It is a pain, especially as you are anxious to get away and sometimes its dark but it is so important.

Keep your documents and make sure the car is inspected when you drop it off. Arrive at the airport in plenty of time. When we flew home (from Alicante) in January we were told there was no-one available to inspect the car for 45 minutes, so we said we'd wait. A lot of people just left without having their car inspected. I imagine they all got a nice charge on their credit card! When they have inspected the car get a signature to say that its been inspected. Again, take a photo of the fuel gauge and keep the receipt for the fuel.

Finally keep checking you have received the fuel deposit back and chase it up if necessary, less the admin charge of course. That cheap hire is not as cheap as you think once you have read the T & C's.

Centauro are the best of a bad bunch.

[Pete1]

Have you seen how they drive in Spain?😮😁

[dogken]

Originally Posted by Hmr89

We've always used RecordGo for Alicante and Malaga and never had any problems x

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Thanks I'll check them out.

[dogken]

Originally Posted by Stella_11

They are all a bunch of scammers and I really do not know how they get away with it.

We also have our own excess insurance cover but, like you say, we have to leave a hefty 'hold' on our credit card.

There are loads of horror stories of people being charged for damage, when there was none. Cleaning charges for perfectly clean vehicles etc etc

We hire in Spain several times a year, my advice is always to check the vehicle thoroughly. Take photos and videos of the entire car including the fuel gauge. If you notice any damage NOT indicated on your paperwork get the car checked and the paperwork re-issued. It is a pain, especially as you are anxious to get away and sometimes its dark but it is so important.

Keep your documents and make sure the car is inspected when you drop it off. Arrive at the airport in plenty of time. When we flew home (from Alicante) in January we were told there was no-one available to inspect the car for 45 minutes, so we said we'd wait. A lot of people just left without having their car inspected. I imagine they all got a nice charge on their credit card! When they have inspected the car get a signature to say that its been inspected. Again, take a photo of the fuel gauge and keep the receipt for the fuel.

Finally keep checking you have received the fuel deposit back and chase it up if necessary, less the admin charge of course. That cheap hire is not as cheap as you think once you have read the T & C's.

Centauro are the best of a bad bunch.

See more...

I'm sure we used Centauro a few years back so I'll look at them, thanks.
All I want is to pay a fair price for a fair deal, simple

[dogken]

Originally Posted by Pete1

Have you seen how they drive in Spain?😮😁

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Haha, I drove in Dubai in 2017 so anywhere after that is a doddle

[mskitty]

Funnily enough we're just dropping off a car at Alicante now! For the last two years we've used Goldcar and all has been fine. The cars aren't perfect which I like as I'd rather them already have a couple of marks on them when we get it rather than it being pristine and us worrying about it. We take our own additional insurance and leave a credit card deposit. This time it has cost us £50 for 9 days for a decent size car (c4).

I would always go "on airport" for hire as there are some crooks who operate off site.

Have a great time and if you need any tips about the area let me know... we are seasoned pros now!

[mskitty]

Originally Posted by dogken

I'm sure we used Centauro a few years back so I'll look at them, thanks.
All I want is to pay a fair price for a fair deal, simple

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Apparently Centuro wont let you take your own excess insurance any more and you have to take theirs.

[dogken]

Originally Posted by mskitty

Funnily enough we're just dropping off a car at Alicante now! For the last two years we've used Goldcar and all has been fine. The cars aren't perfect which I like as I'd rather them already have a couple of marks on them when we get it rather than it being pristine and us worrying about it. We take our own additional insurance and leave a credit card deposit. This time it has cost us £50 for 9 days for a decent size car (c4).

I would always go "on airport" for hire as there are some crooks who operate off site.

Have a great time and if you need any tips about the area let me know... we are seasoned pros now!

See more...

Thanks Kitty, did you book direct with Goldcar or did you book it through a third party?