written by iceland-travel on 10/09/2023
This is a shady, poorly-run tourist trap. We booked through a third-party (Discover Cars) and didn’t know what we were getting ourselves into. When we arrived at the airport, it took several hours and multiple attempted phone calls for the promised “meet-and-greet” pickup to materialize. Once we arrived at the car company, we waited an additional three hours to pick up our car rental, and the other reviews give me the impression this is common. The car itself was clean and in working condition, but they attempted to tack on additional fees wherever possible, including a mileage limit that anyone leaving Reykjavík would hit. The employees seem overworked and I don’t blame them—this is a catastrophically run business, and I would avoid using them again at all costs.
written by Lorenzo_G on 09/01/2023
Totally bad experience. Starting from the beginning: before picking up the vehicle we were denied payment by debit card and therefore had to pay for a more expensive package. Picked up the vehicle was already in very bad condition. After 5 days we had technical problems: we had a flat tire and, forced to call for help (there was no spare wheel envisaged by the contract), the van was withdrawn from us as the mechanic found a tank leak. In addition to the fact that the mechanic arrived 1 hour and a half later (PAID OUT OF OUR CALL + SERVICE= 300€!!), we had to spend a whole day (about 10 hours) in a service station in nowhere to wait for the new van We had to spend the night in the hotel PAYING OUT OF OUR POCKET (around 140€!). Around 00.00 the "new" van arrived. The following day we found that this too had problems (Heating not working). We still decided to keep this one so as not to waste any more days. At the end of our vacation we brought the van back to the rent and we exposed our misadventure to several local employees receiving only some excuses. We decided to speak to the manager who was only able to tell us to write to customer support. Apart from the lack of professionalism I would add that they were rude and rude. HAVING PAID FOR THE PLATINUM INSURANCE (the maximum) I expected at least decent assistance. WE HAD TO PAY FOR EVERYTHING, WE WAS NOT REFUNDED ANYTHING except €50 “for the day lost”. IT WAS BAD IF NOT TOTALLY ABSENT SERVICE! DO NOT TRUST THIS AGENCY.
written by AdriannaM on 13/11/2022
If you read only one review of Faircars Iceland, I hope you read this one: We booked our car rental with Faircars before we read the reviews and honesty, we were PETRIFIED of what we would expect. We even tried to cancel our reservation, but it was too late. After reading 100’s of bad reviews, we decided to prepare ourselves for the worst experience ever. However, we were pleasantly surprised that upon checking in, Carnect (the very helpful representative who helped us) admitted that the company is aware of the bad reviews and are trying to turn things around. What you have to remember is that Faircars is one of the cheapest car rental companies (they charge almost half of other companies like Hertz and Avis) and to keep their costs down, their cars might be a little older and not brand new. However, the car we drove and others we saw looked good to us and not the “rusted tin cans” we were expecting. Pro Tip 1: The most important tip I cannot stress enough is to get the Platinum Insurance protection. It actually costs more than the car rental itself but is 100% worth it. A lot of the negative reviews are of people who did not get the insurance and then were shocked they had to pay enormous fees for damages. Anyone who lives in Iceland knows that the weather and conditions are BRUTAL and even if you are the most careful driver, the unexpected WILL happen. As careful as we were, we couldn’t control that a passing truck flew a rock at our windshield and put a crack in it. However, we weren’t worried since we had the Platinum protection which covers all those unexpected incidents with no additional deductibles or expense. The only thing it doesn’t cover are doors being blown off by the wind (yes, this IS a thing as several other reviewers have mentioned). Make sure you park your car into the wind and hang onto your doors. Pro Tip 2: Get the hotspot Wi-Fi. Don’t bother with the navigation option as it’s very difficult to use. Having Wi-Fi allowed us to use Google maps to navigate which was much easier. We loved having Wi-Fi everywhere we went. Make sure to take the hotspot with you and charge it at night in your hotel. Pro Tip 3: Allow plenty of time to check in. Fortunately, we only had to wait 10-20 minutes when we picked up and dropped off the car. I can imagine during peak season it is much busier so plan accordingly. Pro Tip 4: Make sure you pay for parking at designated lots and the one tunnel up North along the ring road. If you don’t, don’t be surprised when the bill comes to the rental car company and they add a surcharge. Just be aware and read signs. Pro Tip 5: Be nice to the Faircars representatives. Being courteous and friendly goes a long way. It was a pleasure dealing with all the people at Faircars because we were nice to them. As a result, not only did we receive excellent customer service, but we also got upgraded to a nicer car and received additional perks like the hotspot at no extra charge. Kindness and courtesy is always rewarded. Believe me, I was VERY nervous about renting from Faircars, but after my experience, I have to say I was very happy with the whole experience. I think most of it was due to being INFORMED and PREPARED. I knew even before picking up the car, we were going to buy the highest insurance protection because we didn’t want any unexpected expenses and didn’t want the stress of worrying about “what if”. Even if you are on a budget, don’t skip this. It might cost you a lot more later. Overall, we were very happy with our experience and would definitely recommend renting from Faircars Iceland.
written by andreasjacob on 08/12/2020
0 Stars - worst company ever. DONT RENT A CAR HERE! A new windscreen, which was pre-damaged for 1200 € - and 150 € more for some "Administration Fee". Damaged trunk and a window, which doesnt work proper. Dont answering calls when they dont waiting for your call. FairCar is the most worst name for this Company. RipOfDudes would be better.
written by Jay3064 on 21/08/2019
I had rented a car from this company while traveling to Iceland. The process was to be picked up by one of their employees and taken to their office to get a car. We were forgotten and had to call them after 30 min to 1 hour to be picked up. I had forgiven a lot because they were a good price but when we were signing for the car there was over $100 in additional charges that were no mentioned prior to being at their office. When I dropped the car off at the end of my trip I requested the employee to look over the car to ensure there were no issues. He refused and said everything was fine. Now one month later I have been charged $90 as a cleaning fee, I checked the car personally and am sure the car was cleaned and there was nothing in the car that would cause issues. After having spoken with one of the employees I have found multiple similar complaints with regards to this company. Do not rent their vehicles!
written by Maximillianj83 on 13/04/2018
I spent 4 super nice days in Iceland thanks to FairCar. The vehicle was in super good condition. They were on time for airport pick up and dropped me off at the airport also right away when I brought back the vehicle. The vehicle itself is practical to drive anywhere and well organized inside. Bed is comfy.
written by johnyoder on 13/12/2017
I was very pleased with the car we received. It worked well and was great for traveling in Iceland. The Fair Car staff were courteous and helpful as well. I only have one suggestion for improvement. I would prefer if they could go over the car at the time of drop off to verify that there was no damage. But other than that, everything was perfect.
written by 1985Rooney on 24/10/2017
Picked up from the airport terminal on time, The Car was clean and the staff were friendly and helpful. Thanks a lot!
written by TheRuhlander on 23/10/2017
These people are great. I used half the budget I thought I needed thanks to renting a campervan with them. Very fuel efficient, plenty of space, lots of kitchenware, I couldn’t have been more happy with this
written by ebunce on 27/07/2017
Unfortunately, we didn't read the numerous online bad reviews about fair car rental in iceland until after we had booked our rental car. From the online reviews on trip advisor.com and trustpilot.com, Fair car rental has treated many other renters with the same dodgy practices that I experienced (credit cards charged months after renting with for 'damage' costs). I have rented cars all over the world for the past 30 years and fair car is by far the worst and most unethical company i have ever encountered. Their rates are cheaper when you book but you get billed for thousands of dollars/euros weeks or months after the car rental is over. They take an impression of your card when you pick the car up so they can (and do) charge whatever they want after the rental period is over. I made sure i did the pick up and drop inspection during their office hours with a fair car employee present and got a copies of both inspection reports. I took photos of any damage that was already there when i picked the car up and when i dropped it off. I purchased all of the insurance that fair car offered (including sand & ash and the complete excess damage waiver which according to their rental agreement, reduced our financial responsibility to zero. i received a small rock chip on the passenger side windshield (with no cracking or spreading) during my rental. I've had similar rock chips repaired on my own car but fair car informed me that the entire windshield would need to be replaced. I filed the claim with worldwide insurance (the cedw insurance that fair car offered) and worldwide agreed to pay them directly. After this, fair car charged my own credit card for almost $1200 for a new windshield. I have reported fair car rental to the european and icelantic consumer protection agencies. do your research and read trip advisor.com and trustpilot.com for other negative reviews on this rental company. the other reviews are all very similar to my experience with high charges on your credit card after your vacation is over. save yourself a lot of wasted time, money and headache and rent your car with another icelantic company. Useful
written by on 25/07/2017
My rental was hit by another vehicle's door and left a small ding. I had third party insurance and was told I would need to leave a credit card authorization for 100 EUR, which I did. If you didn't have insurance you had to leave a 1500 EUR deposit. I received an email showing damage of 114. Krona and a charge for $1312 USA appeared on my credit card even though I had third party insurance. My insurance is paying, however, I feel this was a drastic overcharge. I used Fair Car 12-2015 and 6-2017 and probably would have been their repeat customer for life if this had not happened. GPS is not good, outdated. The person I dealt with is friendly and fantastic.
written by Lawsongi1970 on 21/07/2017
As I am Icelandic and I know how it is to drive in Iceland I must say that just ower hearing the staff, giving very good edvice to the customers, I was amazed ! I higly recomend them and I'll definitely use them again when I go back to visit my family !!!!
written by MinaHudson on 24/06/2017
Great operation. Simple and inexpensive, but reliable and convenient. The car was clean and worked well on Icelandic roads. People were friendly and accommodating. Picked us up at the airport even though we were early. Highly recommend. The car was a bit dented, to begin with, but nothing serious. They warned me about all the dents and assured me there is nothing to worry about. The only problem was that in the middle of the trip the low oil sign lighted up on the panel. I bought a quart of oil and refilled it myself. I mentioned about it when I returned the car. They told me that I should have called them and immediately reimbursed me for the oil while apologizing for trouble. I would rent from them again.
written by on 19/06/2017
The car was nice, the people were friendly, and the overall experience was great. I would only be aware of a few things: (1) the company is not attached to the airport and they will be expecting to pick you up from the airport and take you elsewhere at the time you put in for reservation. Be aware of this because otherwise you will get charged a reservation "no show" fee. I was not charged once I explained that I did not know about this. (2) they give a fob for discounted gas during the trip, but the one that we received did not work. The discount is hardly worth much anyway, though. (3) they had many wifi problems when we arrived to get the car, so plan for some delays as all the paperwork is processed. It is a lot to go through after all. (4) nobody told us that in Iceland it is a law to drive with the lights on. That's something a rental company should share with tourist drivers. (5) Again, the overall experience was great and I would recommend people use this company, if they are aware of these items.
written by Gutzy88 on 14/06/2017
Great company, we have used them tvice and everything has work perfekt. The cars are in god conditions. Regards Erik Nilsson Sweden
written by John2531 on 12/06/2017
Prompt pick at the airport, vehicle clean and ready, suitable for our purpose.Staff helpful with local knowledge Hassel free return and transport back to airport. .
written by BigLoui on 11/06/2017
On arrival we weren't sure what the arrangements were for picking up the vehicle as we thought that Fair Car were based at the airport, they are not. However, we were picked up at the airport and taken to the Fair Car office which was 5 minutes away. We were treated very courteously and the car was just what we had ordered with no fuss or hastle regarding extra insurance which you normally get - in fact, they did mention additional insurance which was cheaper than the insurance we had taken out when booking the vehicle. The vehicle, a 7 seater Citroen Picasso (2017 reg) was excellent but the winter studded tyres took a bit of getting used to - it felt like you were driving on flat tyres!! However, all ran smoothly and the ride was very comfortable. The drop off was similarly easy and all ran smoothly. Fair Car provided an excellent service at a very competitive price - what more do you want.
written by Estelleestelle on 11/06/2017
Person from the office arrived 1 hour after our fight (no call for that) Car not ready, still in the garage A part of the bed was broken, a nightmare to install it every day The gaz cooker was broken We got the car at around midday.... we loose an half day of rental !
written by CLINT62 on 24/04/2017
I repeat this review every so often to warn prospective new customers. Fair Car already have their fair share of poor reviews on Trust Pilot and Trip Advisor so they've wiped their slate clean and shortcut to Review Centre. I've reported them to Icelandic Consumer Advice but not much happens. This is my reveiw from a year or two back. Still seems relevant as there are more reveiws like it still happening. Don’t let the good reviews fool you. This company take detailed pictures of every panel of their cars (in a well-lit garage) before and after your hire. Only you will be checking the car outside in the dark/ wind/ rain/ ice/ snow. What chance will you have of spotting small stone chips? Either deliberately or by accident they will leave some of the damage off their condition report which you sign before driving off.Ten weeks after my hire, my credit card was debited for £1140 (Euro1447) for ‘my’ stone chips on a car with nearly 100,000 kilometres on the clock. I know I didn’t cause them – I stayed off F roads and drove normally. So if you want to play Russian roulette with your Credit Card, book Fair Cars. If you insist on using Fair Cars take time to check the car – take your own photos and write on the condition report ‘unable to fully check condition of vehicle due to weather/lighting conditions’. I recommend using a company such as Insurance4Carhire which can protect your CDW Excess. They have a good reputation.
Do you have a question about this product or company? Simply type it in the box below and one of our community will give you an answer
Once we've checked over your question we will put it live on the site and our strong community of experts will hopefully give you some great answers that you find useful.
We will email you when the question is on the site
As rated by our community of reviewers