RentalCars.com - www.rentalcars.com

RentalCars.com - www.rentalcars.com
★★★★☆
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85.0% of users recommend this
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Latest Reviews

“making changes was a breeze”

★★★★★

written by DayanaMcGregor on 29/10/2023

I had to make a last minute change to my trip and everything was up in the air. I was trepidatious about losing my rental rate or paying a change fee, so what a suprise that, after two changes to my agreement, the cost stayed the same and there were no change fees. Thank you!

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“I was greeted by an affable and helpful representative...”

★★★★★

written by Daniel Howard on 11/09/2023

I was greeted by an affable and helpful representative working out of the Athens office. He helped me a lot. I wanted to extend the Zurich insurance and he told me why I could not and we discussed various scenarios about returning the car and how to claim via RentalCars if something should happen with ALAMO at Sofia Airport.

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“COBRAR 30 EUROS POR CAMBIO DE TITULAR DE LA RESERVA??”

★☆☆☆☆

written by X.X. on 17/08/2023

INADMISIBLE COBRAR POR UN CAMBIO DE NOMBRE 72 HROAS ANTES

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“Worst experience ”

★☆☆☆☆

written by Hanyeltombary on 09/08/2023

Please don’t west your money, stop dealing with this company, if you need a car hire it directly from the supplier, otherwise you will face many troubles, my last experience with this rentalcars was so bad, they totally spoiled my honey moon, they took my money, all of it although I never saw the car. All employees had been trained just to say sorry sir we understand your feelings but we can’t do anything, very difficult to reach them, useless company, and by the way all suppliers might dealing with them but they still do not respect them, they will never offer you the same service like if you has dealt directly with them Yes you think you’re saving money by choosing them but it’s most likely too happen that you lose all of because of there tricks and hidden points that you’ll never notice, until they surprise you Me and my wife are very upset

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“Horribly bugy website ”

★☆☆☆☆

written by Manthazar on 09/06/2023

1. If you wanted to book a seat for your child, you may find yourself either in a read only view of your booking (where the "Extras" button is) or no possibility to change this. Absolutely annoying, but then it gets worse. 2. If you are asked for feedback, a textbox appears -without a submit or save button. Instead the comment gets erased and you are asked again.

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“Highly misleading ”

★☆☆☆☆

written by AndrewGerrity on 22/02/2023

Booked a car via Rentalcars.com which directed me Thrifty rentals for a small car pickup at the airport in Lanzarote. On rental cars website clearly states debit/credit card will be needed for the hold deposit. When we arrived to collect the car which we paid for online Thrifty wouldn’t accept our debit card for use. Only once your booking is made, does thrifty in there T&Cs state they only accept credit card. Too late then as booking already made. Two week for a refund if cancelled, as we made the booking within 48hr of pickup we now lost £75. Through no fault of our own. RENTALCARS should really change their wording as it’s highly incorrect. Fuming with the service we received. Will never use again or recommend to literally anyone. Turns out Thrifty is THEE only company used via Rentalcars.com that DO NOT accept debit cards. Even if you have far more than the hold value required.

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“Could not confirm, reps not helpful, took my money”

★☆☆☆☆

written by zgCurran359 on 11/02/2023

I have spoken with 3 different reps over the last 3 days, everyone claimed I was paid, but no one could confirm, tell me what card it was paid with or send me a receipt with payment method. Then I got emails saying that my card couldn't be charged. I couldn't get confirmations on anything. I couldn't update my card info. I couldn't trust that I would have a vehicle at my destination. The website was still reading "Awaiting Confirmation" 24 hours before I was to arrive -even though I have a rental voucher- so I cancelled, and then I was told that "if" I was refunded any money they would be keeping almost $300? Horrible, miserable experience.

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“Bad attention to customer”

★★☆☆☆

written by RickyCena on 26/01/2023

Your rates are probably the best in the market but my experience with the website (when I was choosing the time slots) and with your agent via chat support was pretty bad. I was not even offered a 900€ discount even after requesting it twice. Yesterday I paid 120€ and today I can't even get a little discount because a mistake generated by your website. Quite quite disappointed. 

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“Terrible customer experience. Stay away. ”

★☆☆☆☆

written by Andrey_october_2022 on 15/12/2022

Terrible customer experience. Stay away. I have booked a car via Rentalcars.com in October 2022. Due to the change of flights, we were supposed to arrive to the airport later than initially planned. I have notified Rentalcars.com about this a day before. But when we actually came - the car has been given away and there were no cars available. The rental company said that they were not notified by Rentalcars.com. We called to Rentalcars.com and tried to urgently arrange a new car with new rental company - after long flight, tired and having small child trying to find a car at 10PM. Eventually we made a new booking by phone, but when we came to the desk - we were refused a car, as we did not have physical bank card with us, but only Apple Pay card. But the charge has been already taken and not returned. At the end... at midnight with tired and crying daughter we had to search for a taxi and drive 120km with taxi and then a week later drive back again using a taxi service. Overall, we had paid taxi almost double amount of the rent, plus also being charged for the car. I have contacted Rentalcars.com and submitted a number of complaints - but after numerous calls and tens of emails - Rentalcars.com neither compensated the cost of last rental booking and taxi cost, nor provided any explanation why in the first instance flight information was not shared with the rental company. I am a very frequent traveller (and decade long user of booking.com) and have used many different car rental companies/aggregators very often - I had never had such a bad customer experience, unfair treatment and aftercare/complaint handling... Rentalcars.com is part of Booking.com holding, and it is appalling the difference in quality and service. "At Rentalcars.com we’ll move mountains to find you the right rental car, and bring you a smooth, hassle-free experience from start to finish" – cannot be further away from reality.

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“Fuel deposit not returned”

★★☆☆☆

written by Cooperle on 04/10/2022

I paid for my hire and insurance in full. At the airport Goldcar took a fuel deposit which is normal. On return the car was clean and full to the top. Goldcar returned £127 of my £275 deposit. I complained so the returned another £50. Rental car looked into it and said they had sent the report to jet2. 6 weeks later and after several complains no one will tell me why they have kept my money. I can’t claim on my insurance as I do not no why they have kept the money. It has completely spoilt the holiday.

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“Robbery with no right to complain”

★☆☆☆☆

written by 1952Fox on 09/09/2022

I booked a car and payed in advance, and when I came to rental car office the agent refused to issue the car to me because I didn't have international driving licence and he also told me to contact Rentalcars.com by email to ask for full compensation which I did. However, I got into multiple days chain email exchange with different people working for Rentalcar, who are always referencing the terms and conditions, without even trying to see that there was a mistake in their personnel procedures, which has led me to lose all my rights to reclaim. This is clearly a SHAM. I strongly advice anyone to avoid this company, as they have horrible treatment of customers.

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“Easy to use and good value ”

★★★★★

written by Essence360 on 30/08/2022

I found the site very easy to use and the prices are very good. There is also a very good range of cars . However; I entered my age as 74 but when I received the email confirmation it stated that the drivers for this car need to be between 19 and 70. I assume the error is just a foibles of the Web site. And assure rental cars will resolve this issue.

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“Wndy Car Rental is a very bad company”

★☆☆☆☆

written by Alicez126 on 25/08/2022

I had a very bad experience with Windy Car Rental. They have no commitment toward time, quality, promises, or communication. Customer service and customer satisfaction is their last concern, the only thing they care for is to take you money regardless of how they take it. The car they gave me does not fit into the category they promised in their contract. I was given a very bad car with the noise allover the place. The tires inflated sign was on and I had to look for a place to fill them up. With an empty (0 tank) petrol tank you have to find the closest petrol station, if you missed it you end up stuck somewhere with no petrol in your car. I rented a car with GPS but no GPS was in the car. After a short drive engine failure sign came up with a warning chime. I had to return the car to them to replace it. They insisted that the car is OK and that was just a problem with the computer! After a long discussion they wanted to give me another car with the same problems. After insisting they agree to give me another car and they promised to reimburse my petrol money back. This took from 11am to 5:30pm to finalize. After returning the car back they refused to give me the petrol money back for stupid reasons. I will never book a car from this company and don't recommend them to anyone.

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“does not work”

★☆☆☆☆

written by lavicpet on 19/08/2022

I was very satisfied previous years. Now it is horrible. I could not change my reservations on line, I could not make new reservation and canceled previous one. The email from Rental cars did not come. Very bad cooperation. I had to make many telephon calls to get informations about my reservations.

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“its good”

★★★★☆

written by MiaMcElroy on 18/08/2022

It is good and fast and good price I would recommend it to my friends mik

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“Terrible company with unsafe cars and bad customer service”

★☆☆☆☆

written by EdenWeaver1958 on 31/07/2022

I had a very bad experience with this company. They have no commitment toward time, quality, promises, or communication. Customer service and customer satisfaction is their last concern, the only thing they care for is to take you money regardless of how they take it. The car they gave me does not fit into the category they promised in their contract. I was given a very bad car with the noise allover the place. The tires inflated sign was on and I had to look for a place to fill them up. With an empty (0 tank) petrol tank you have to find the closest petrol station, if you missed it you end up stuck somewhere with no petrol in your car. I rented a car with GPS but no GPS was in the car. After a short drive engine failure sign came up with a warning chime. I had to return the car to them to replace it. They insisted that the car is OK and that was just a problem with the computer! After a long discussion they wanted to give me another car with the same problems. After insisting they agree to give me another car and they promised to reimburse my petrol money back. This took from 11am to 5:30pm to finalize. After returning the car back they refused to give me the petrol money back for stupid reasons. I will never book a car from this company and don't recommend them to anyone.

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“OUTLANDISH, NO CUSTOMER SERVICE”

★☆☆☆☆

written by on 24/07/2022

THE WORST COMPANY TO DO BUSINESS WITH. You cannot correct the time of your pickup car without having a price change. So when i booked this rental i stated 7:00pm pick up per my flight arrival and when i prepaid and received the confirmation it stated from 12pm to 12pm is my pick up and drop off; which is crazy! I try to change it to the correct time that my flight arrives which was the original reservation time and it's charging me more money to pick up later; which is the craziest thing i ever seen in my life. AND what's worst? no customer service number to call and the emails are useless. I will never do this business or recommend this place to anyone

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“Tricked by being timely!”

★★☆☆☆

written by idraycott on 30/05/2022

I feel tricked because having made an early booking I modified the pick up/ drop off times by only a few hours to be more precise (without extending the total period) I have now been charged an extra £40 for this. I will avoid using again unless refunded.

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“Extortion”

★☆☆☆☆

written by AnnikaBn on 24/05/2022

Airlinecompany (SAS) changed the flightdate so I had to change my reservation, pick-up one day after (and same with return). Changed my booking and the price went up 30%. It was expensive to begin with and now this. I feel shocked! Will never ever book a car through rentalcars again!

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“awesome service really fast!”

★★★★★

written by Griffithcp1994 on 11/05/2022

awesome customer service really fast and secure

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Asked by sharonglenn50 on 8th February 2018 Report this content
I have been billed for $148.59, can you tell me what it's for?

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Asked by belindawasylciw on 21st November 2017 Report this content
If I book today for Dec/Jan hire vehicle, when do I pay?

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Answers (6)
Report this content Avraham Written on: 22/11/2017
Don't even think to use Rentalcars service!! Only after booking and paying you'll find that you have to pay more money in the rental office, any changes you'll lose your advance payment and none will really help you. The cheap price is just a fake, in fact, they will send you to the forest office to take the car.
Report this content frostar Written on: 22/11/2017
You pay at time of booking. Any extras like additional drivers, child seats etc. you pay the actual Car Hire firm directly when picking up the Car. Rentalcars are just the booking agents, additional charges are dependent on which firm you chose for the rental and can vary hugely. Most block off around 1,000€ on your Credit Card to cover potential damage (some actually take the 1,000€ out and you can wait weeks to get it back!) plus if you don't take the fuel "full to full" option you can get stung for pricey refuelling charges. The above applies to Spain as I have no experience of them in other Countries.
Report this content Ken100 Written on: 22/11/2017
You can end up paying more with rentalcars.com and the car hire companies they use. Be very wary.
Report this content Seajayii Written on: 23/11/2017
You pay at time of booking and I have never had to pay any extra when collecting the vehicle. You get a very reasonable price and with the guarantee of Rentalcars.com. Any rental company will charge you for any extras you have not ordered in advance. Normally a second driver is included free of charge. I made a mistake, and booked a car in the wrong airport and rentalcars.com refunded the full amount without any argument even though it was my fault. You can't ask for more. I have rented a vehicle with them every year for the past 8 years with no problems.
Report this content danielhuet Written on: 23/11/2017
I found rental car pretty clear and straightforward. You pay at the time of the booking but any extra like additional driver etc got to be paid when you get the car. Which can be in a different currency depending on where you go.
Report this content KenObo Written on: 23/11/2017
I've used Rentalcars several times a year for many years and they are excellent (I don't know why Avraham had such a problem). Normally if you book some time in advance you don't pay anything up front (or maybe a small deposit) and then it automatically gets debited from your card about 30 days before the rental date. If you book less than 30 days in advance obviously you pay it when booking. Buy Rentalcars full protection (which is much cheaper than buying from the car hire company) and refuse any other extra insurance or cover which the car hire company try to sell you when you collect the car. Don't believe the car hire companies when they say that the Rentalcars full protection doesn't cover various things - it does (check the Rentalcars full protection wording) - in the event of damage you have to pay the car hire company then claim it back from Rentalcars - and it works well, I had to make a claim once and got the refund within a few days.
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Asked by crjohnson111 on 18th August 2016 Report this content
All of the reviews I found were for outside the USA, what is the review status in the USA. Just rented an Avis car in Orlando?

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Answers (4)
Report this content Tommymurdicj Written on: 19/08/2016
If you are happy with Avis (I am, and use them quite a bit) stick with them and deal directly with them. Rentalcars.com impose a lot of unexpected terms on you when you arrive to pick up and that bumps the price up. I found that in the end Avis were cheaper overall even though Rentalcars initially gave me a cheaper quote. I've seen complaints about Rentalcars from the USA as well as Europe so no reason to believe their service is any different on the other side of the Pond.
Report this content FatTaff Written on: 19/08/2016
I have rented car hire numerous times in the USA through Rentalcars.com and have never had a problem. I have never used Avis but several of the others. All car hire agents will try to stitch you into extra insurances etc. that you don't need. Rental cars advise you of this in the terms & conditions, telling you that you don't need them. I have never had any problems with rentalcars. I have hired in Orlando only once but had no problems at all. Hope this helps.
Report this content Khaled65 Written on: 19/08/2016
Rental cars gives you the option to choose from all major car rent companies , compare prices and deals Personally I booked through them for my last trip to Orlando ( I choose dollar car rent ) and I was happy with the service, fast service and car was ready , all info were there all I had to do is show my driving license and card , wasn't asked to pay extra and wasn't charged for anything extra . Regarding tommymurdicj answer I think he was talking about the insurance, if you didn't choose it while booking even though if you do have insurance that covers the rental , there is some things that you need to buy from the car company and some are not optional. So always look at deals which offer insurance
Report this content johnwflanders Written on: 25/08/2016
We rented twice with Dollar Car Rental in Hawaii while visiting from Australia in May 2016 - once using rentalcars and once direct with Dollar, thinking it would be cheaper direct. It was massively more expensive even with just minimal insurance than through rentalcars. They are both great to deal with but always get a quote from rentalcars - we've used them in France, England and New Zealand too. Their service and attention to detail is faultless.
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Asked by charles2929 on 5th April 2016 Report this content
Do I need a credit card to book and pay for a car? I only have a debit card which was not accepted at San Javier Spain last time I was there. What would your advice be? Also what about driving licences?

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Answers (7)
Report this content janis.cevers Written on: 06/04/2016
You need a credit card. Debit cards will be rejected.
Report this content BenteJobsz Written on: 06/04/2016
Yes you will always need a credit card, usually your drivers licence will do, but a international drivers licence is the best. Good luck , Bente
Report this content ajci Written on: 07/04/2016
They should say in the terms and conditions but having hired several cars in UK, Europe and US I have always needed credit card. They require for security on recouping payment for damage, tolls if using easy pass etc in States. Again licence required and both card and paper. I have seen several refused a car for not having paper section as that where endorsements listed and not able to rent from any provider. Only suggestion Google car hire firms that do not require credit card may turn up something but can't see any not needing licence.
Report this content MarkSydneyAustralia Written on: 07/04/2016
Absolutely need a credit car whoever you rent a car from. Most rental car companies accept your local home country drivers licence, provided using the roman A-Z alphabet. The need for an international licence is a police requirement. Big risk if travel away from home country without one should you commit a traffic offence.
Report this content KristaN Written on: 07/04/2016
Yes, you will need a credit card and an INTERNATIONAL driver's licence.
Report this content montpellier Written on: 07/04/2016
The three things you have to provide are a valid licence, passport (abroad) and credit card. If you reject the full (comprehensive) insurance option you will have an amount put on hold against your credit card in case of damage caused to the car during rental. The bigger the car the bigger the excess amount put on hold. If this amount exceeds what your credit card limit allows, you are unlikely to be issued with the car.
Report this content Gustavo321 Written on: 09/04/2016
Get yourself one of those CC that do not need credit check, put a lot of money (I bilieve they will hold £1000.00) there and rent your car.
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Asked by kavanagh3684 on 22nd February 2016 Report this content
How can I get a refund? I have booked a car for the 16-02-16 but am unable to travel.

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Answers (6)
Report this content eaubleu Written on: 23/02/2016
Go online at the rentalcars.com or call them to cancel the booking. As long as you do it before the car pick up time you will get refunded. I have canceled many bookings before using the iPhone app and never had a problem. It's instant and the refund has showed up a few days after in my CC - not more than three days if i remember well.
Report this content FatTaff Written on: 23/02/2016
Contact the rental company, but, 16-2-16 was a week ago? Did you cancel before the date? If not I'm not sure you'll get a refund.
Report this content KenObo Written on: 24/02/2016
eaubleu answered your question of 22/2/16 on 23/2/16 but you say that you booked the car for 16/2/16 so you probably can't cancel since it's a week after you should have picked it up !
Report this content montpellier Written on: 24/02/2016
I always pay the full amount on booking. If you pass the date you can cancel, it looks like you have to claim against your travel insurance. Unfortunately, in my experience they will look for so much documentation they hope you'll get fed up and leave it go.
Report this content IAN8267 Written on: 24/02/2016
I have never been in this situation, but I believe that as long as you contact Rentalcars.com before the date/time of the booking you should be able to get your refund.
Report this content BenteJobsz Written on: 06/04/2016
Contact the hire company.
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Asked by ramonincabo on 18th February 2016 Report this content
I normally rent directly to the Alamo.com website when I am in the States, Alamo provided by far the best service and the best cars. This time we are in the States for 25 days. A friend recommended Rentalcars.com for a better quote. The difference in price is very significant and I cant help have doubts about how legit this will be once I get to the Alamo counter. Anybody can help me and tell me their personal experience with Rentalcars.com?

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Answers (22)
Report this content Andrew.porto Written on: 19/02/2016
Hi. In July last year I went online to rent a car for 5 days in Florida through RentalCars.com, with the added "problem" of picking it up in one place (Jacksonville) and dropping it off in another (Miami). There were no problems whatsoever. Coming from Europe (Portugal), as soon as I got to the counter and showed the booking for a convertible, it all went smoothly and in about 10 mins I was driving a Chevy Camaro. So yes, it's legit. :)
Report this content Aliarno27 Written on: 19/02/2016
I rented through rental cars.com for a 23 day period and they were great. As soon as I arrived at Orlando International and got to the car hire, budget, they had all my information and had a great car for me, which was exactly the one I ordered.
Report this content asalater Written on: 19/02/2016
This is a tricky question to answer as your previous experience with Alamo is unquantifiable. All I can say is that I have used Rentalcars many times and have had no problems that I can remember. Yes, their prices are incredibly cheap and we all need that these days. Like with any car rental, you need to be experienced and to make sure the classic hidden extras are already covered or dealt with. The one thing I remember is that the very cheapest price usually got me a car which was a short bus ride away from the airport whereas, the car desks in the main rental plaza were a bit more expensive. I just can't remember now, was I able to choose the main rental plaza or what exactly happened but it would be well worth checking out. Regarding the quality of the cars, Rentalcars.com use lots of different rental agencies – they are more like a broker than a rental company. I presume that they negotiate lower prices with the rental companies because they are bringing them smart business. I went with another crowd recently because it was advertised with the flight (first and last time I'll ever do this!) I ended up with lots of extras and was left wishing I had used rental cars.com...! But going back to my opening sentence, your experience will relate back to how well you did in the past with Alamo. Best of luck with it all, Ronan in Ireland
Report this content Fabvillas3 Written on: 19/02/2016
I used this company to rent a car in the UK (Manchester Airport). I pre-ordered a Ford Fiesta but on arrival I was given an Audi A1, much nicer car with built in sat-nav etc. My only negative comment would be that the customer service person was rather pushy about buying their extra insurance and there was one or two marks on the car that were not originally noted on the hire form. These were pointed out and the form was amended. Happy with the service provided.
Report this content charlottemolly Written on: 19/02/2016
Hi. I personally would advise against using Rentalcars.com. They seem cheap until you get to the counter and then you find you have to pay out. We found out the insurance they had sold us online didn't actually cover us if the car was stolen, we ended up paying out nearly as much again as the hire cost and spending 45 mins in a queue trying to sort it, with small children it was no fun. The following year I used a different company, paid nearly double bit had no hassle. These people who said they had no trouble probably didn't realise they were driving around with inadequate insurance. Avoid at all costs and make sure you buy adequate insurance before you go.
Report this content DarrellMonteith Written on: 19/02/2016
You will generally get a much better rate from a website like Rental cars and you will be treated exactly the same by Alamo when you arrive, you just need to know what exactly is included in each quote. That is the problem with comparison websites, everyone is trying to be the cheapest and they cut things out of the rental that is normally included to reduce price and get up the tables. Read the terms of rental in detail and use a known brand name (I refuse to book until I know the name of the rental company or at least make sure I can cancel free. Beware of local rental firms with no recognition, they are usually problematic when you arrive. Avoid SIXT, they are the worst.
Report this content tony.cooper Written on: 19/02/2016
Hi there, I live in the UK and visit America once or twice a year. I have had vacations in Florida, California, Colorado, Arizona and Boston. I always go with Rental Cars, they are consistently the best value and only once out of maybe 25 visits have I been disappointed with the car on offer. An upgrade which cost me an extra 7 dollars a day did the trick. I would always recommend them.
Report this content KenObo Written on: 19/02/2016
I've used Rentalcars several times now hiring in Nice (France) and Alicante (Spain) and had no problems at all. I always take the Rentalcars option of Damage Excess Refund Fill Protection and never from the car rental company itself - much cheaper and it works (broke the rear window once and got the excess refund of 300 euros paid back within days). I highly recommend them.
Report this content MissBeeHaven Written on: 19/02/2016
I can only go by my experience, and it was all positive. They had such unbelievable rates, better than other popular brands, so I thought I would take the risk. Rental Cars are a company that get you a good price in the rental car business. The company whose offer sounded the best,picked us up at our hotel the day after our arrival, and took us back to their office. Gave us an upgraded car, clean & in very good condition.The only issue is Insurance. I won't travel without insurance, so I had the whole trip insured, which included car insurance & any 'gap' covered.Rental Cars were very insistant that I purchase their insurance, which I did not need, and was already covered, at a cheaper rate, by my Travel Insurance. Don't pay for something you don't need. Hope that helps, uhavagooday!
Report this content kamenone Written on: 19/02/2016
Hi, I used RentalCars.com in Italy. I received the best quotes / much lower than usual / and the service was excellent.
Report this content Ibuyt Written on: 19/02/2016
Hi, I live in Brasil and had the same doubts you are having at first but went ahead and tried them just in case, and I was very happy with them. Their price was better the rental company they were renting from and they offered way more coverage plus a free tank of gas, so yes,I trust them very much and believe you will be happy with them.
Report this content Lynda1966 Written on: 19/02/2016
Rental cars are for deposit purposes only to secure the car with the company you do not hire the car from them they act as an intermediate, if you are confident of securing your car upon arrival there is no need to use a third party, I use rentalcars for peace of mind
Report this content Blueovation Written on: 20/02/2016
I have used RentalCars.com plenty of times with no hassle, excellent quality cars and brilliant customer service. The basic price is extremely good value for money, but the 'add ons' are a bit more expensive than others. However, even taking this into account you will still save money. One more little tip for you - Don't be tricked or bullied into buying expensive excess, waiver damage, windscreen etc cover. Get your excess, waiver damage, etc insurance from icarhireinsurance.com. We have used them for years the rates are superb - much better than almost anywhere else I've ever used, they use 'Chubb' (as in the locks) insurance and they are recommended by Travel Supermarket.
Report this content vswhite Written on: 20/02/2016
I use Rentalcars.com whenever I am travelling in the UK and have done so for many years. I book my cars from Australia and have never had any issues. This includes using different suppliers (ie Europcar, Thrifty, and Hertz) and doing one way hires. Last year I made four long term rentals online as I was in the UK for a total of 10 months. Rentalcars called me and offered comprehensive insurance for my rentals, which was considerably cheaper than what the car provider offers at the desk. My rentals also had free extra driver included, another huge saving on each two month rental.I trawl the internet and compare quotes each time and have not been able to beat Rentalcars.com prices for a long time now.
Report this content montpellier Written on: 20/02/2016
Rented 6 times over the past year through Rentalcars. Never had a problem. Got a car through them from Alamo in Cardiff last week. I go for the cheapest full-to-full and take the extra insurance from the rental company at their desk. Getting the same from any rental agency means you have to claim your excess (deductible) back through them if you damage the car. This can run the risk of a hitch you didn't see in the conditions. Getting it at the rental desk means you hand back the key without having to wait for the car to be inspected. (It's also a very fast way of having the car issued to you at the beginning.)
Report this content Bobby_Sole Written on: 20/02/2016
I used Rentalcars.com for my rental cars for 2 years solid in a number of countries. They are just an online broker but we mostly found that they were the best price available. Make sure that you read the terms and conditions as some deposits are not always refundable. They are only as good as the hire car supplier so make sure that you read the reviews for the supplier. We had great experiences with all suppliers with only one exception... Green Motion in Italy (Fiumicino off airport)did not supply a spare tyre for a very tired Fiat Punto and when we had a puncture they tried to charge us for two new tyres. Rentalcars.com were very helpful for dealing with the suppliers. I still use Rentalcars.com whenever I need a rental car. I highly recommend them.
Report this content Coloursofbyron Written on: 20/02/2016
I found them very good. Not only were their prices very low, but they included all the extra cover that the car companies try to load on when you get to the desk. My Alamo car was ready and waiting at ABQ just as if I had ordered it direct, except that the guy had no add ons to nag me about. All he could suggest was a paid upgrade, which I declined, but when I got into the pick up yard I was given a free upgrade anyway! Only downside was paying up front well ahead of our holiday, but at least we didn't have to worry about currency fluctuations.
Report this content MarkSydneyAustralia Written on: 20/02/2016
I used Rentalcars.com and from the quotes selected a deal from Dollar at LAX. The whole process at counter was exactly as expected when dealing with others, for me mostly Avis & Hertz. Had choice of car from around 9 in category. Vehicle modern, low miles and well maintained. Had no issues and will use Rentalcars.com again.
Report this content FatTaff Written on: 20/02/2016
I have used Rental Cars numerous times and they are most always the cheapest compared to other British sites. I have booked Alamo through them with no problems at all, recommend them. As with all USA car hire companies, Alamo will try to sell you extra insurance and upgrades you don't need at their desk, check what you're signing for. Enjoy your trip.
Report this content hickeysedona Written on: 20/02/2016
Rented a car in Denver and more use to renting in Europe where the car types are listed different. The car I chose was too smal when we saw it so we upgraded to another which cost a lot of money and couldn't get internet access to up grade from the offers we got from rental cars by email. So basically take the upgrade offer u get if u not sure of the car types. Otherwise no problem whatsoever. Ger
Report this content IAN8267 Written on: 21/02/2016
Hi, We have been in the States a couple of times in the last couple of years and have rented vehicles from Rentalcars.com on each occasion. The pricing for the packages was very good and there were no issues when we fronted up to the rental car company counter to collect our vehicle. We had the option of prepaying for the vehicle with an even better deal or paying when we collected the vehicle. The Rentalcars website converted the US to AU dollars so that we knew exactly what the vehicle would cost us.
Report this content Gigiki Written on: 25/02/2016
I regularly rent via rentalcars.com during my visit to the US and they are prompt and professional. Once I had a problem that I did not have an international driving licence and Dollar Rent refused to make the pre-payed car available, even though previously they always accepted my European driving licence. I reported this incident to Rentalcar and they investigated the case very fast and I got the full reimbursement of my payment. So, yes, go for it! :)
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Asked by sharonrileyjackson on 27th July 2015 Report this content
We are due to fly to Cairns in April 2016 and looking to hire a car for four days. Could you please confirm whether any deposit is due whilst we have the car as we do not have credit cards. If a deposit is payable can we leave a cash payment and they provide a receipt?

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Answers (26)
Report this content john2842 Written on: 27/07/2015
sorry I can not answer that one, try ringing them direct I have found them helpful. good luck.
Report this content arjyr Written on: 27/07/2015
Rentalcars is not the direct supplier of the cars. They work with different car rental companies and whether they will ask for a deposit or not depends fully on the final supplier of the car. My experience is that all of them will ask for a deposit payable with credit card (not cash) and the amount of this deposit depends on each company. For example, Goldcar (worst car-rental company ever, in my opinion) will ask for as high as 2.500 euro, thus often exceding the maximum limit of most credit cards and then forcing you to take their own car insurance. Other companies (Herz, Avis, Europcar) will ask for a more reasonable amount (600 euro approx). But all of them (or at least all I have used) will ask for a credit card deposit (no cash, no debit card).
Report this content geraldinekirby Written on: 27/07/2015
I've always used a credit car for the deposit which they all ask for. Ring or email the company in Australia and ask them what they can do to help you. All the big companies are represented in Cairns and they are all of fairly similar standard. It just depends on the type of car and if they have it available when you need it. Sometimes you can check their websites online to get all the info.
Report this content nickflynn Written on: 27/07/2015
I would suggest that you contact the rental company direct ... my experience is that the car hire companies like to have a credit card on which to hold your deposit. I remember on a recent trip, the couple in front of me only had American Express Cards, which that renter did not accept ... they wouldn't take cash either.
Report this content KenObo Written on: 27/07/2015
I think that you will need a credit or debit card. Hire car companies normally ask for a deposit to cover any damage - it's not taken from your account unless the car is returned damaged but you need to swipe your card. I suggest that you get a card before you go (it's not difficult). It's very rare for someone not to have a card nowadays. You could contact Rentalcars or your supplier to confirm this.
Report this content kevinw858 Written on: 27/07/2015
I have rented cars & vans recently and all of the deposits came off my debit card. I am a UK citizen with a UK driving licence, I don't know what the terms for non UK drivers. They will need either a credit card or debit card for the deposit. As far as I know, no cash. Budget do some cars with no deposit. Green Motion is usually about £150 deposit, other companies want £250 deposit. As arjyr says Rentalcars finds you the cheapest car hire for your needs from usually about 6 different car hire companies. Green Motion, Budget, Europcar and Hertz usually come out cheapest. Worth calling them direct, last time I got a car from Budget car Hire, Friday to Monday £45, 4 days for the price of 2, not through Rentalcars.
Report this content adriangodfrey Written on: 27/07/2015
Hi we had to put a $500 deposit and it had to be on a credit card. I'm not sure if they will take cash. I used my debit/credit card
Report this content DrJohntyNSW Written on: 27/07/2015
My experience is they always insist on a credit card for the deposit but you could try some smaller firms by searching the web to see if they will take say $1000 in cash.
Report this content whyhaveone Written on: 27/07/2015
It is standard rental car policy to take a credit card 'deposit' just in case. I doubt they will take cash.
Report this content Parispearls Written on: 27/07/2015
A deposit is the normal thing to do for any company providing a service & cash should suffice with a receipt of course..I hope this helps. Yours truly parispearls
Report this content jeff57 Written on: 27/07/2015
All rental car companies require a deposit usually taken in the form of a hold on a credit card. Rentalcars.com are an intermediary like a travel agent so it will depend on which rental company you choose as to whether they will accept a cash deposit or not. You could try contacting rentalcars.com direct to seek their advice or even contact selected rental companies and make enquiries regarding their policy on cash deposits. I would have a concern leaving a cash deposit with them as it would likely take some weeks for it to be returned - they do not hold much cash at their collection points. There is still plenty of time to apply for a credit card prior to April 2016 so that remains an option to consider.
Report this content KeithDavo Written on: 27/07/2015
Can't say for sure but would concur with arjyr's comments below (apart from the fact that Marbesol in Malaga are the worst car rental company ever!) in that the local hire company will almost certainly require a credit card. Call/email them to verify and, if they say cash IS fine, ask for emailed proof to that effect including how much.
Report this content Vlad_777 Written on: 27/07/2015
In most cases car rental providers block this security deposits (excess) and in 99% it is done by using banking cards (credit ones are demanded, but ordinary debit cards may be OK as well in most cases). According to my personal experience of dozens rentals, avoiding excess money pre-authorisation requirement or making it in cash is also possible - through smaller local service providers approached directly (not aggregators like RentalCars) and/or by buying a more expensive 'full relax' coverage which can lower excess from $400-600-1200 down to $100 or $0. Anyway, avoid RentalCars at any price as I have once lost my excess of 400 euro for nothing (returned the car in a perfect condition, yet got no excess refund to my card acc) and their service is poor or offensive (unlike their other divesion's Bookng.com). Consider carefully, pay conveniently and enjoy! =)
Report this content Skoolboy Written on: 27/07/2015
We had to agree to a £250 dep, on credit card, when we arrived for our car. This is not charged to your account they just keep a note of your cc number.
Report this content millert Written on: 27/07/2015
I don't know for sure, but I have rented cars from many different agencies in a number of different countries and they have always required a credit card for a deposit.
Report this content Bobby_Sole Written on: 28/07/2015
It is unknown in Australia not to have at least 1 credit card. They will certainly ask for a security deposit and will need to take your passport details etc. If they take a cash deposit then you will receive a receipt. If you use Rentalcars.com then make sure that you take the full insurance cover then the issue about the cash deposit will not be a big issue.
Report this content bb516 Written on: 28/07/2015
I hired a car through rental cars in Noosa in february this year.the company I used was thrifty and did take a deposit on credit card and refunded after the 2week rental. i also bought my own excess insurance before i left the uk as carhire firms charge enormous rates. I paid £49 for 12 mths cover everywhere except USA and included 4 drivers,very good value.I drove to cairns which is 2000k each way and encountered a cat5 cyclone on the way back so it is very easy to hire a car but you will need a credit or debit card.My daughter sells car hire at palm cove in cairns at peppers hotel and says you will need a card
Report this content alschor Written on: 28/07/2015
You have to check with the actual car rental company for their policy on deposits
Report this content beckyboop1963 Written on: 28/07/2015
you will need a credit card, and currently usually the card will swiped. you may be better looking for a local forum for that area, to see if anyone can recommend a local, smaller car hire company, as all the large ones insist on CC's... We did this and found a smaller local hire copmany in Calpe, do not insist on CC's and much beeter value than the big compaines....ie.. return car with same qty fuel as when collected, met at airport, so no annoying car hire counter queus, free baby seats...
Report this content NealSweden Written on: 28/07/2015
Terms of Payment to Rental cars is something for which only Rental Cars can take responsibility. I would love to say: "Have the car for free", but I guess that Rental Cars would not be in business if they did that.
Report this content Lynda1966 Written on: 31/07/2015
Majority of car hire companies require you to have a credit card to take a deposit, however my cousin was able to obtain a car using her debit card via Sixt but had to pay a daily rate for zero excess insurance cover, hope this helps.
Report this content ibrobynb Written on: 31/07/2015
Rentalcars will direct you to various other rentals where you can choose your vehicle and particular company (Budget, Avis, etc.). All companies will require a down payment with credit card. I have used my back debit card in the past because it has a Visa logo on it. I don't like credit cards myself and because of the Visa logo, most places will accept by bank debit card.
Report this content anon-y-mous Written on: 26/08/2015
No not possible, every rental car company will require a valid credit card and this must in the main drivers' name. It will not be possible to reserve a car using any third party booking agent like rentalcars.
Report this content Lynda1966 Written on: 19/02/2016
My cousin used her debit card, you pay a deposit to rentalcars to secure the car, you would need to clarify with the different car hirer's who have various terms and conditions
Report this content hickeysedona Written on: 20/02/2016
My experience is that you need a valid credit card unless You take out their insurance which wouldn't cost much for four days. think u need one for original booking anyhow. Good livk
Report this content ozteam888 Written on: 19/08/2016
Rental car companies require a valid credit card so I think you will have some trouble.
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Asked by Barberella4 on 21st November 2014 Report this content
Please can you help. I was promised a £100 refund after a wrong booking and told it would take 30 days to be back in my account. This was 2 months ago. What should I do?

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Answers (11)
Report this content charlottemolly Written on: 21/11/2014
I would contact the trading standards office at your local council, they will deal with this for you. Avoid this company like the plague in future.
Report this content FieldsofConflict Written on: 21/11/2014
It is difficult to persuade this company to adopt an ethical roach to business. They tried to claim £1200 for additional charges from me. I finally received my money back after months of wrangling. I would agree with the trading standards option followed by the legal route. Definitely a company to avoid.
Report this content IronW Written on: 21/11/2014
I'm in total agreement with charlottemolly - avoid this lot. I waited for a refund, and just had to keep on mailing and pdoning them. The refund came after 2-3 months.
Report this content markpowelldavies Written on: 21/11/2014
Make sure you let all your friends and relatives know about this company. Use social media to spread the word. Hopefully it will mean others will avoid them I don't know how they manage to have a 4 star rating on this site considering the reviews they get
Report this content rarrentalvictim Written on: 21/11/2014
I booked a car through them in Spain a while ago and when we got there it was a shambles, unsafe, not roadworthy, etc.. When I queried this at the local car company they simply refused to give me a car then. In the end I rented a different one directly at the airport from Europcar, a decent provider. I was trying to get a refund over a few hundred pounds as they did not fulfill their contract but gave up after a few months, they just did not respond to my e mails. I was triign to get through to their call centre a few times as well but after 30 minutes in a que each time I gave up. I could have gone the legal route but it was just not worth the hassle. I agree with the others: avoid like the plague in future!
Report this content Steves66 Written on: 21/11/2014
Have you tried to speak to Rental Cars about this issue? I have had a number of issues with bookings through their website in the past but in fairness the issues have always been with the actual car rental company they were representing and rental cars always seemed to care and reacted. I think their offices are in Manchester and may be worth giving it a final try as I really don't think they will want the negative publicity this sort of thing generates. You can certainly take this issue further but you don't need the hassle and they won't want you writing numerous bad reveues about them. Reviewing businesses and services is a very powerful tool in modern day society. Give them a call and try and deal with it in the old fashioned way of talking about it, if not, go for it and good luck!!!
Report this content Citizen_of_Europe Written on: 21/11/2014
Find where the money are! I understand that you paid 100 quid for an option and then changed your mind and modified the booking accordingly. If so, I would go to my bank and write a refusal to pay that specific amount. If RentalCars still has your money, this should help. If they respond to the bank that they returned it and the money are "in the system", at least you let your bank know that you are expecting that money.
Report this content Chashatt Written on: 21/11/2014
It is essential actually speak to somebody. We have used their services on several occasions and find any issues easily resolved. Only money related issue was in Italy Malpensa when we had paid for fuel tankful and EuopeCar charged for it again. Took a couple months to sort out. This was an Italian agent trying it on, so nothing new there!!! On a USA rental I added Sat Nav and not only added it but rental went down due to change of rates, bargain. Remember talk to a human. Trading standards would be a last resort and I would consider I had failed in my negotiating skills.
Report this content thesyrup Written on: 21/11/2014
Try Trading Standards first. If that doesn't work, go to your local small claims Court and sue the company for the return of your money, plus costs and interest. If you get the award and they fail to pay, bump it up to the High Court. It's not as complicated as you think. I have stopped using car hire firms on RentalCars.Com now. I stick to my local Enterprise, and have had no trouble what so ever
Report this content Tohitui Written on: 21/11/2014
My experience with Rentalcar.com is they will say it is up to the rental car company (in my case Europcar) to supply the refund and the Rental Car Company will say your contract is with Rentalcar.com. If you paid by Credit Card get the Credit Card company to cancel the payment otherwise kiss you payment goodbye,
Report this content Lynda1966 Written on: 31/07/2015
if you paid by credit card contact them as you will be covered by insurance
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Asked by TaisirYamin881958 on 22nd August 2014 Report this content
I booked a car for 13 days with rentalcars.com and arrived the destination late due to flight delay. Consequently, the rental company cancelled the booking, and the RentalCars refused to refund the 15% down payment. Is this fair? They tried to justify such action and telling things not posted.

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Answers (15)
Report this content pstjm Written on: 22/08/2014
Sounds very unfair. I would suggest tweeting them to complain - companies will often respond to tweets very quickly as they don't want to look bad. Good luck.
Report this content jezsav Written on: 22/08/2014
Very unfair. I may not use them again.
Report this content philjcoates Written on: 22/08/2014
That's bizarre. There terms and conditions only say "If you are unable to pick the car up at the agreed time and date, it is essential you contact us as soon as possible. If you do not, there is no guarantee that the car will still be available – and you will not be entitled to any refund" there is also a clause about out of hours service, there might be problems if your car hire company was closed by the time you got there. Whenever I've used the company I've always told them my flight number so the company would have know you were delayed. Without knowing the details of what happened it's hard to understand why you lost your deposit. It seems out of character for rentalcars. At the very least they should be able to give you a coherent and reasonable explanation.
Report this content matase Written on: 22/08/2014
Sounds unfair. Try send them am email, to the central. Godo luck.
Report this content CalifN8tive Written on: 22/08/2014
This is quite unfair, I would definitely complain and add that many former users are questioning this policy when considering future rentals, I know I am, I don't think I will use them again if they have this policy, I use them primarily in Europe and flight delays are a frequent occurrence!
Report this content KeithDavo Written on: 23/08/2014
Not fair, especially if you were unable to advise them which was presumably the case. Put your case to them reasonably and they should relent. If not, go for them via social networking as advised below.
Report this content adgadg4 Written on: 23/08/2014
Unquestionably unfair! Rentalcars should refund and the car company should too. How late were you.
Report this content revanshk Written on: 23/08/2014
I had a similar experience but I had paid in full for 14 days hire and they refused to refund anything at all - so I got vocal - I reviewed them on every site I could find - I wrote email after email to them and also emailed their parent company in the USA several times - it took about three weeks of daily activity - posting on their own site as well in the review section and I got the money back - I came to believe that they say no no no and that most people give up so they keep the money so I just told them I would keep on going over and over and over
Report this content seamarshal Written on: 23/08/2014
RentalCars. com use several rental agencies to book car reservations, as you know. What car company did you book through? If it was Avis you will have to fight them with a complaint and forward it to the Better Business Bureau or your insurance carrier. At any rate, work with the rental company that cancelled your reservation. As far as I know, no agency will cancel your reservation due to a flight delay or cancellation. If they do, they will give you another car. It appears that the car agency had a customer that needed a car in a hurry so they give that customer your car. Avis did that in Hawaii several years ago and we weren't late! I think the desk agent got a bribe to get another car for a customer. If you paid by credit card, contact your card company and file a compliant. The card company should refund your deposit and investigate the situation. At any rate, it's just bad business practice to treat a customer in such a bad way. Hope this helps! Ciao PS: NEVER use Avis!!!
Report this content lise1938 Written on: 24/08/2014
This is certainly most unfair especially as they should have had the time of arrival of your flight. And even if they hadn't had it, it is a most uncommercial attitude. I had a very positive experience with them but I guess it depends on who you are dealing with. Apart from giving them a bad review, I don't se what else you can do. Lise 1938
Report this content PVRIET Written on: 24/08/2014
What was the late time in the Rentalcars contract? Do read all the conditions in the Rentalcars' contract in orde rto be prepared for every situation. Kind regards
Report this content TaisirYamin881958 Written on: 26/08/2014
Thanks for all of you who answered my question. In addition, when I asked the renting company to give me a paper, I have been told we do not have this, and will not give you anything stating that we cancelled the booking. In conclusion, the booking service charged about 15% of the 13 days reservation for the car, the renting company says we did not get your money, and the rentalcargroup refused to refund, and they send you answers which are not relevant at all to the case. Think seriously before you book with such companies. I am willing to communicate with this company via this platform. What do you think?
Report this content anon-y-mous Written on: 28/08/2014
I'm sorry to hear of your inconvenience and financial loss but it is typical of many that fail to read the terms and conditions. Many replies seem to relate to "Late Pick-ups / Early Drop-offs " or just plain guessing. If you read the "Out-of-Hours Service" in the terms and conditions then you will see that rentalcars have done everything in their power to make sure your rental is secure. You ask the question "is this fair?" well I am sorry to say "yes" because you had not added the additional cover in the event that such an event should take place, flight delayed. You were just unfortunate that the car hire company you had booked with offered no out of hour service.
Report this content charlottemolly Written on: 21/11/2014
They don't have a twitter account or I would tweet them daily !!
Report this content sdemirel Written on: 27/07/2015
Not fair if you have stated your flight number in reservation. Otherwise its fair on their side
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Asked by Hossamgobran on 19th August 2014 Report this content
Car millage and car condition is not mentioned in the offer, which can be leads to end with an old car and low class quality. What are the rules and responsibility of the suppliers and what is my rights?

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Answers (25)
Report this content bradexch Written on: 20/08/2014
Bear in mind they are acting as agents for car hire companies. We rented from Hertz via Rental Cars so didn't have or expect problems but may have paid slightly more. Even then car was clean but marked but low mileage and good
Report this content dave50 Written on: 20/08/2014
Every time I have used this company - in Australia, Spain, France and several times in UK, the cars have been new or nearly new low mileage and in better condition than mine at home. Car hirers have responsibility in law only to supply car that is legal and fully roadworthy. Rental Cars go well above that.
Report this content neil.williams.16568 Written on: 20/08/2014
They are only agents, however the car we had in Portugal was Brand new with low mileage. The company used was GOLDCAR, which we have used via other brokers in the past. Have always had good cars with this company.
Report this content uktony Written on: 20/08/2014
The cars I have had are with Hertz and Sixty. They have their own policies over age of the car. Like not over 6 months old. Also you inspect the car before you drive it away. If you are not happy, reject it. I have never had to do that. Rentalcars also have a name to protect. Even in Thailand from Thai Car Hire, the cars were clean, new and value for money.
Report this content PVRIET Written on: 20/08/2014
Hello everyone, Car millage and car conditions are never mentioned in any car hire contract. It is up to you when you pick up the car to inspect the car before you accept the rent conditions. Inspecting the car will be totally different in Chicago than in Johannesburg although last year in Anchorage , Alaska the agent did not know that there was no reserve wheel/tire in the car ! In Africa I take the car to a garage – indicated by the rental company – for an inspection under my presence. It can take up hours of your time but when you go on the road , you are sure to have a car in good condition. It will not be the first time that I discover discrepancies that will lead to refuse the car and request another one. Kind regards.
Report this content stanvaughan Written on: 20/08/2014
I have used this company only once in UK, the car was upgraded at no extra cost and new or nearly new with low mileage and in better condition than mine at home. Car hirers have responsibility in law only to supply car that is legal and fully roadworthy. Rental Cars are as far as I am concerned a reliable and trustworthy company and the staff that dealt with my hire were both courteous and well mannered.
Report this content elmandmm Written on: 20/08/2014
it is worth mentioning that the services provided by rental cars is an agent and a facility that helps you to get the best price and availability, it is a reputation issue for the car hire companies if they provided old or bad cars, simply they will loose business, because i simply beleive that rental cars will remove them from their data base if they are not providing proper service. overt the past year or so, i made at least 4 car rentals, and the car hire company was different each time, (National, Budget and dollar), i have never had an issue with any of these companies and i got a free upgrade as well.
Report this content Mapworld Written on: 20/08/2014
In life you only get what you pay for and I find this true ion car hire. "Generally speaking if you rent from one of the larger companies the cars are newer and hence have less damage. Personally I always inspect the car very well including the glass and never accept cars with anything more than superficial damage. Finally I always find that if you hire a car and pay a premium to bring your access down they are not so hot when you return. So always pay a reasonable price for a car, rent from a reputable firm, negate you access payments and walk round the car when you hire it.
Report this content matase Written on: 20/08/2014
This month I rented a car (in the UK), Focus class, when we arrived they gave me a Mondeo with 27 milles, it was new. I rented it to Firefly (Herz) from Rentalcars, and everything was ok. It had a limit of 2000 milles (more that 3500 km) and you have to pay if you do more than this (in 14 days). I almost made 1500 milles, so the limit wasn't a problem.
Report this content wehseuk Written on: 20/08/2014
Rental cars will offer quotes from various suppliers and it's up to you to choose the supplier. The supplier will determine the condition of the car, so if you stick to the mainstream car rental companies you are very unlikely to end up with a high mileage old car. The rules may vary from country to country, as well as the condition of the cars offered. Unfortunately i can't offer any advice on this except to suggest you ask the question before concluding a contract. Rental Cars should be able to check these sort of things with their suppliers for you.
Report this content NealSweden Written on: 20/08/2014
My slightly limited experience of this is (Zurich and London), that the cars that I have been offered by Rental Cars are brand new, fully equipped and beautifully clean and serviceable. Car model seems to be always current year or at maximum previous year's model. I would therefore say that fears of being given an old car, or a low quality vehicle from Rental Cars are no cause for conern at all. However, Rental Cars does not speciify to us renting public, what rules of the cars have been imposed on the car suppliers.
Report this content FatTaff Written on: 20/08/2014
All the rentals booked through RentalCars I have made in the USA have been new or nearly new with low mileage. Sometimes they have scratches etc. and you must point them out at the start of your hire, but most have been very good condition.
Report this content Lattib Written on: 20/08/2014
hired a car via Rentalcars in Munich - collected in dark carpark, no assistant, car was covered in dents and scratches. When we returned the car it was inspected in a bright reception area and a "new" 1 cm scratch on the wing mirror was found and as we hadn't taken their xs insurace, as we had own own. they billed us for 184 Euros. Put us right of hire cars and we now use public transport if possible.
Report this content MoabUtah Written on: 20/08/2014
I booked an Audi A4 for collection in Dusseldorf. The car body was very marked/dented but the interior was good and it had relatively low mileage. In the underground car parks of Koln some 'inconsiderate others' added to the scratches much to my annoyance. However, when we came to return the car, the receiving agent agreed it should never have been rented in the condition it was and did not check for any additions; so we were happy. The car was mechanically sound and gave good mpg but the vehicle looked tatty!
Report this content telfordguyz Written on: 20/08/2014
The cars I have hired via rental cars have always been as new as you would expect from a reputable hire company, they have certainly been within 2 yrs of age and mostly less than a year. I do recall one car still having the foam attached on the door from the delivery
Report this content KeithDavo Written on: 20/08/2014
RentalCars are just brokers so you could end up anything in theory although one would hope they'd be sufficiently bothered about their reputation to not knowingly hook you up with bad people, however, it's happened to me with another (possibly THE) major broker, and at the budget end of the market, where margins are small and competition fierce, it's very possible, perhaps likely, to end up with a duffer on occasion - they can't monitor all the companies, all the time (if they even do at all..). I've certainly had some awful vehicles at times but at least they were cheap.. I should stress that I've never had much of an issue with RentalCars that I can recall. I don't know the legalities but I assume the car has to be legal according to the laws of the country it's rented in and that's it, so it's basically up to you to accept or decline the vehicle using whatever criteria is important to you, but you should definitely take time to read the small print/t&cs and pay particular attention with regards fuel policy/surcharge; damage and excess cover - ascertain whether or not they actually extract the deposit, for which you'll incur currency transaction fees from your card issuer, or just earmark the funds. I know it's difficult to do all this when all you want to do it get on the road but, similarly, they want you out of the way asap, so politely asking for a better car or "kicking up a fuss" may be worth the effort.
Report this content itzunir Written on: 21/08/2014
As far as my experience goes with car rentals, Rental companies don't keep old cars as their main profit is from selling the cars after a short rental period. As for classes, it depends on the rental company size. the big companies have a large variety of classes to choose from. The smaller companies might be cheaper but the selection is limited.
Report this content davidgillespie Written on: 21/08/2014
Personally I have rented a car several times from various providers and never had one with high mileage or old in years I doubt if any would give you a low quality car . If so they would not be a reputable business and unlikely to attract customers In fact several times I have been given a better car than I actually booked at no extra cost
Report this content amjhsk Written on: 21/08/2014
No I never had the experience to end with an old car and low class. My experience has been always beyond expectations.
Report this content markpowelldavies Written on: 21/08/2014
From my experience avoid them at all costs. Even if the car is fine the extras you end up paying aren't
Report this content Greenblood Written on: 21/08/2014
Every time (3) I have used this company the cars have been almost new, certainly only a couple of months old with a few hundred miles. They were clean and tidy and the staff helpful. I will use them again.
Report this content alirobs Written on: 22/08/2014
USED THIS COMPANY ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS @ ALICANTE AIRPORT AND THEIR SERVICE IS FIRST CLASS. CARS ARE ALWAYS CLEAN,MODERN & RELIABLE.WOULD RECOMMEND THEM TO ANYONE.
Report this content DonDino Written on: 22/08/2014
Usually all the major car hire companies have fleets that are no more than 2-3 years old. After the cars hit a certain age or mileage (I think between 10 and 20k miles) they sell them and buy new ones.
Report this content anon-y-mous Written on: 28/08/2014
You have no rights if booking through rentalcars. Read the terms and conditions which are clearly laid out under "Car Capacity & Car Class". Quote: "We are unable to guarantee a particular make or model of car. The car shown on your voucher / eVoucher is for guidance only and the car hire company may instead provide a different car which is deemed to be similar or superior." As mentioned, rentalcars is only a booking agent and reviews should be directly aimed at user experience with rentalcars not with the independent hire company.
Report this content Tohitui Written on: 21/11/2014
The Cars are supplied by everyday rental companies and not rentalcar.com, so the car you get will be what ever is the stand the car rental company supplies. However if you have a problem rentalcar.com will blame the car rental company and the car rental comany will blame rentalcar.com. In our case we had an excellent car from Europcar but a 60% administration fee was added on with no one prepare to say they did it, my advice would be deal directly with a car rental company you trust and avoid rentalcar.com , it will save you heaps
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Asked by gwynethverster on 23rd April 2014 Report this content
I am unable to book on line as I am 72 years old and there is always an age restriction that needs to be changed by phone. If I need to book in a hurry and hassle free, how can I find out which care hire companies waiver the age limit? Or change the age on my account? Which at present is incorrect

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Answers (8)
Report this content beckyboop1963 Written on: 23/04/2014
Hertz do not have an upper age limit, and thoes that do are effectivly breaking the law, as it is discrimination. check the special conditions field on the booking form, you may find you can enter detials there, but may also help if you carry a copy of your counterpart driving licence to show no convictions and also get a letter from your doctor confirming your ability to drive.... Hope this helps and good luck
Report this content FatTaff Written on: 23/04/2014
Usrentacar.co.uk you can book on line without any problem.
Report this content PVRIET Written on: 23/04/2014
I am 83 and have booked without problem last year and this year with Rentalcars.com and with Avisexpress.com
Report this content VM-1602 Written on: 23/04/2014
Contact Hertz direct They have no upper age limit providing you have a clean licence.  Rentalcar.com are booking agents. Beware of the terms & quoted costs with Rental Car
Report this content luckyjohn Written on: 23/04/2014
My best suggestion is to find a friend or relative who has a desktop computer or even an iPhone. With an iPhone just download the Rentalcars App and it will accept bookings with the age of 72 imputed with no problem. It's very quick and easy so if you are not computer savy ask someone who is to do the booking for you and just use your credit card On the secure Rentacars site to pay upfront for your rental and get your voucher. With an iPhone you can Just download the voucher to your ph and no paper needed. If doing it on a desktop simply print out your voucher. Cheers. John.
Report this content tonythetraveller Written on: 24/04/2014
Economy Car Hire give you the same opportunity as RentalCars to put in your age when booking, and also offer free second driver as standard. They show you the rental firms who will accept rentals from your age group. Goldcar rentals, Firefly and (I think)Sol-mar offer rentals to the over 80s in Spain and you can book direct at the same sort of price as through car rental firms. Goldcar offer second driver free on some models.
Report this content dave50 Written on: 20/08/2014
I recommend you call rentalcars. They are very helpful.
Report this content anon-y-mous Written on: 28/08/2014
I have just done a dummy booking with rentalcars for a collection in London and added the age 72. Before proceeding to the finalise the booking with Alamo car rentals I checked the T&C for the rental and have pasted below. For Avis there was no maximum age only a minimum and likewise with Hertz. "Driver Age & Requirements" The minimum driver age required is 22 . The maximum driver age is 99 years, except at the following locations; Pembroke, Carmarthen, Plymouth, Exeter Downtown, Newquay and Taunton. where the maximum age is 75 year(s). For vehicle groups MCMR, ECMR, CCMR, CDMR, EKMN, IKMN, SKMN the minimum age is 22 . For vehicle groups IDMR, CCAR, IVMR, IWMR, CWMR, SDAR, SDMR. the minimum age is 23 . For vehicle groups FVMR, FVAN,PWAR, PDAR, LDAR. the minimum age is 25 . For all other vehicle groups the minimum required age is 25 . Young drivers aged between 22 and 24 Inclusive pay up to £27.08 + VAT per day All drivers must have held their licence for a minimum period of 1 year(s) If you would like to be more specific then perhaps one of us could answer your question in more detail but it does appear that you are indeed able to book and rent a car if you are aged over 70 but this would also be subject to location.
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Asked by bluebullstops on 3rd April 2014 Report this content
I want to book a vehicle from rental car but the price advertised and the price they want to deduct from my credit card differ. Is this normal?

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Answers (27)
Report this content rl1988 Written on: 04/04/2014
Yes, because rentalcars.com rob you by offering you a cheap price, which goes up by the time you get the to actual car hire place. Book direct and don't use rentalcars. My rental literally doubled from the initial price they quoted me.
Report this content Ferylcat Written on: 04/04/2014
It should be...what they advertise is what you pay. otherwise it's false adverting - right ? Take my advice and go to a company direct and not the middle man like Rental Car. I had my fingers burnt and have learned my lesson !!
Report this content itzunir Written on: 04/04/2014
It should not be normal but unfortunately it is. I encountered the same situation. I wrote a letter to RentalCars.com and to the specific rental car company but the answer I got from both was embarrassing.
Report this content NarinderSingh Written on: 04/04/2014
This would be normal only if they gave you a break up of what they had advertised and what they are wanting to charge now - so you understand if you have selected more options than they had advertised. Sometimes the advertised prices are the rock bottom ones and you need to pay for options. Hope this helps!
Report this content Bakubeli Written on: 04/04/2014
Check that you didn't accept their insurance by mistake. My experience with Rentalcar has always been good
Report this content dmez Written on: 04/04/2014
I just booked through Rental Car and the price shown is what will be deducted from your credit card. If it is otherwise there is something wrong, and I would query it before making the booking
Report this content dawnpearson Written on: 04/04/2014
To my knowledge it should not differ when you book on the site. When you get to the rental car agency they will add onto your card any extras. Every time I have booked I have paid the price that they have offered - maybe give them a ring and ask? I have even got special deals by ringing them up.
Report this content jhbaxter Written on: 04/04/2014
The price advertised is the base price. If you require additional drivers, child seats, Sat nav or non-basic insurance (which is very wise) there will be additional charges. If you need clarification, why not ring them?
Report this content Flashards Written on: 04/04/2014
as other people have said, just check out any options, eg waiver insurance? Ive used Rental cars numerous times and they've always been great to deal with. I tend to agree a deal on line and then call them and complete the purchase on the phone. they're also good at sorting out problems, such as when AVIS recently double charged me for insurance.
Report this content FatTaff Written on: 04/04/2014
The price quoted on line is the price you should pay. There must be something extra there possibly by mistake. As previous answers, give them a ring and they'll sort it. I've booked with them numerous times and found them to be very good and 99% of the time they are the cheapest available.
Report this content anon-y-mous Written on: 04/04/2014
The end price will only vary from the advertised price if you were to add extras to the booking. The advertised price is the bare bones price so to speak so excess insurance cover for example will cause the end price to increase. Check your booking carefully to avoid any unnecessary charges.
Report this content KeithDavo Written on: 04/04/2014
As Narinder says, look at the cost breakdown and check which options you've selected. On the subject of options selected, verify you actually require them rather than them being autoselected. You should be able to reconcile the advertised price with your options. If not, go with someone else..of course, you could always ask the rental company!
Report this content philjcoates Written on: 04/04/2014
The price advertised is indicative. The price after you have selected your car etc should what they charge you. They have always found a car for me way cheaper than anything I've been able to organise for myself. They've never let me down.
Report this content Mauricecarter Written on: 05/04/2014
I had a bad experience with this company. They booked something different to my order and I had to pay extra. I was advised by the company providing the car to go direct to them. Wouldn't touch this inbetween company again
Report this content PABC Written on: 05/04/2014
The advertised price is certainly misleading as it is the basic without add-ons such as insurance which you also need to pay for. I have been satisfied with the overall price quoted, however, regardless of the add-ons and I got a better deal through rentalcars.com than when I approached the rental car directly for a so-called "special price".
Report this content markpowelldavies Written on: 05/04/2014
Avoid Rentalcars at all costs. I've had rip off charges from them
Report this content FrankFisher Written on: 06/04/2014
No, this is not normal - but what can happen is that you may have selected an option that is additional to the base price for the car hire - maybe travel insurance, or a GPS navigation system? In my experience, RentalCar do not try to cheat you on price - there must be some other reason for the difference between the two prices you mentioned.
Report this content ArnoW Written on: 07/04/2014
The answer from Narinder seems to be correct. You should get a breakdown of they are charging for and why it differs from the quoted price. It might also be different seasonal charges from the fees advertised.
Report this content PVRIET Written on: 07/04/2014
No this is not normal, contact rentalcars directly via email. I rented two times with Rental cars without any problem. Piet.
Report this content beckyboop1963 Written on: 23/04/2014
no, when booking on line the price they quote is what should be deducted on the final payment screen. You may have to pay for fuel on arrival, but outside of that this should match
Report this content VM-1602 Written on: 23/04/2014
Buyer beware, Watch them with your credit card.
Report this content luckyjohn Written on: 23/04/2014
Have used Rentacars many times Over a number of years. If you search on desktop or iPhone or and book and pay for your hire upfront you will receive a prepaid voucher and that is ALL you pay unless you want to get rid of the CDW excess when you pick up your car and you have not chosen to pay for the excess protection offered by Rentalcars Personally my Amex credit card covers me automatically for any excess for which I may become liable so I don't need The Rentalcars excess protection. However no rip off. I have Never repeat NEVER paid any more than the prepaid voucher amount in all my many experiences with Rentalcars.com. over many years in many countries worldwide. Cheers. John.
Report this content mrrentalcar Written on: 27/05/2014
some brokers take a partial prepayment in lieu of their commissions. the important thing is to make sure your total doesnt change (as any non-prepaid element may vary due to currency changes)
Report this content PatrickTucker Written on: 20/08/2014
Don't trust RentalCars to do anything but maximize their profit
Report this content rarrentalvictim Written on: 21/11/2014
Don't book with them. When you ge there, the local car hire comapny will ripp you off with addtional insurance charges, mine were higher than the rental price. The cars they provide are also rubish and many not roadworthy.
Report this content Tohitui Written on: 22/11/2014
If you think that is bad, if you do rent the car be prepared for a huge undeclared administration fee on the return, no where in the rental contract does it say this but 60% was added to our rental by rentalcar.com/Europcar and neither would explain why and each said they would not discuss it as it was the other company, we got ripped off for 60% extra weeks after the car was returned. Go directly to the car Rental firm and avoid rentalcar.com
Report this content Bobby_Sole Written on: 28/07/2015
The difference is the excess insurance. You will need to untick the excess cover and the quote will be the same. Their web site is a bit poor but once you get use to the silliness that I have pointed out to them on several occasions then you will like the site. I book hire cars for about 8 months out of every 12 and with care, Rentalcars.com can be the best price.
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Asked by Isak.lousky on 1st April 2014 Report this content
I booked a car and got a reservation which is paid in full, suddenly they send cancellation. Do they have the right to do this?

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Answers (19)
Report this content brianded Written on: 02/04/2014
You don't say how much advance notice they gave you of the cancellation. If it was a reasonable time before your hire period, I assume that they are entitled to cancel as long as they refund the money you paid immediately. Have you spoken to them to find out why they cancelled? Are you satisfied with their answer? Good luck
Report this content TheFlyFifer Written on: 02/04/2014
I have had nothing but good experiences with them . I would think there has been a missed communication or misunderstanding. Phone them, rather than email, to ask why they have cancelled. I hope they sort it out for you.
Report this content watforid Written on: 02/04/2014
I am sure their contract terms would allow them to cancel. They would be foolish if they did not. I am also sure the terms would NOT require them to give a reason. In any event, is it really worth the effort and aggro of doing anything about it? You could not be expected to trust them now (though they were fine for me), so, provided they have refunded you, get on with finding another rental. It is a shame but, in reality, it is best to put it behind you and get on with life. I assume this is not an April Fool!
Report this content philjcoates Written on: 02/04/2014
Ouch... that's a drag. The two previous answers covered all bases. Talk to them. They've always been brilliant for me.
Report this content johannesop Written on: 02/04/2014
My experiences with them have all been good. I suppose that you should read their terms of agreement to see if they can do this, but I would write to them or call them and complain. The other question is "did they give you notice of cancellation?" If not then they are at fault and should reimburse for any inconveniences that you may have had. Did your credit card company perhaps decline the transaction after initially approving it because they may have suspected a fraudulent activity on your card and blocked the card and referred it to their security department. If this happened then the transaction is automatically cancelled by your CC company and therefore Rentalcars cancelled your reservation - but again they should have informed you by way of an email to this effect.
Report this content dicko Written on: 02/04/2014
Like all the other replies I have nothing but good to say about this company. I would also recommend you telephone them to find out exactly why your booking was cancelled. Best wishes.
Report this content itzunir Written on: 02/04/2014
I suppose there is something in "small letters" that state they can do it. I ordered a car and made a full payment in advance. When I came to get the car I was surprised with additional payments. In one case it doubled the original price. I filed a complaint but did not get any reasonable explanation.
Report this content dawnpearson Written on: 02/04/2014
I've also only had good experiences with them. I agree with the others - ring them. Use the cheap access numbers from a landline that you find on the moneysavingexpert site which means you are not paying a fortune.
Report this content Ferylcat Written on: 02/04/2014
Can't really answer your question as I don't know the legalities....but I personally will never use them again. They let me down very badly and I've decided to always go direct to the company concerned and not deal with a middle man. I would have thought that since you had paid the reservation in full - they should have at least offered you another option. I was let down at the airport on arrival and ended up having to go to another company - luckily for me - it was a much better option. More than likely - you will find some teeny print somewhere on the terms and conditions that will cover this cancellation - but not good for you...Sorry :(
Report this content FatTaff Written on: 02/04/2014
As previous answers, I've found them very good. Phone and find out why, I'm sure you'll get satisfaction. I cancelled one booking and the money was refunded straight away. Hope all works out well for you.
Report this content Bomabri Written on: 02/04/2014
I expect they probably can, but I would read the contract and check. I am sure it will mention it there.
Report this content shazzpr Written on: 02/04/2014
As with the previous correspondents, I would suggest that you contact them directly by phone. Not knowing all the details it does sound like they have a good reason for cancelling of which you are unaware. I do believe that businesses have the same rights as individuals with regards to cooling down periods on contracts.
Report this content choy_ck Written on: 02/04/2014
You have to read the terms and conditions stated in your booking. If there is a clause that allows cancellation, then that is valid and allowed. Similar to the condition that allows you to perform your cancellation: if you have paid in full they would also allow you to cancel your booking without any penalty.
Report this content Tairuabunny Written on: 02/04/2014
Totally agree with the other positive comments. Ring them. From our experience they've been great to deal with on the phone
Report this content matase Written on: 02/04/2014
I had a problem, not the same as you, and they solved it after I contacted them by email. Good luck.
Report this content Mauricecarter Written on: 02/04/2014
I had a very poor experience with them. Did they give any reason as to why? Their PR is very poor. The company they sent me to said we would do better to contact the provider direct. How quickly did they return the money and how long after confirmation did they cancel.
Report this content EpsomEscuela Written on: 03/04/2014
I too, have had good experiences with them. It seems a strange thing to do.
Report this content Menvo Written on: 04/04/2014
Clearly this Rental Cars is a bunch of toads , did they return your money is the first thing , if you don't collect the car they keep yours so in my opinion they should compensate you for not providing the service. Anyway I will never book on line again since they refused to give me a car at Eurocars when I could not produce a bill in my name. Avis on the other hand at the same building did so without a problem , watch the small print T & S in small small small writing click on it and read it know its boring but I bet they have some get out clause for them and NO get out clause for you. Its time the government cracked down on these people.
Report this content PatrickTucker Written on: 20/08/2014
As I said before, don't trust Rentalcars...
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Asked by bcondon on 4th February 2014 Report this content
I rented a car in Las Vegas for 10 days last December (2013). On my reservation voucher it stated the all insurance and local taxes were paid. When collecting the car I was informed that no insurance or taxes were indicated on the booking made by RentalCars.com and to be allowed to leave with the rental car I have to pay both insurance and local taxes which amounted to nearly $800. I have requested a refund from the company, but now 28 days later (this is the time I was informed it would take to answer my query) I have had no response. What action should I take?

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Answers (34)
Report this content OzgurKaracaKiev Written on: 05/02/2014
Never use this company. I had lots of problems and they never help. I got my refunds through my bank in one case, and in the other case from the renting company directly. This company must be closed as soon as possible.
Report this content GwenWatkins Written on: 05/02/2014
I would write a polite but firm letter with a time deadline that indicates that if it does not refund you, you will litigate and inform all users through social media - I suspect that this is a local dealer attempting a scheme
Report this content roly16 Written on: 05/02/2014
If you haven't already done so I would write to their managing director by recorded delivery requesting a refund attaching a copy of all the documentary evidence. If you still don't get a reply I would do the same again stating that if this isn't forthcoming within 28 days you will issue a county court summons.
Report this content Tadekl Written on: 05/02/2014
I also had problems renting cars from Las Vegas Airport. It seems that the rental companies at that location have their own rules. You did not make it clear as to whom you made a request to, regarding the refund! If it was to the actual rental car company, you will be lucky to get a reply first time round. I suggest that you contact Rentalcars.com and put in a complaint, as they are the brokers. In my experiance, they get back straight away and do a very good job in resolving the issue. May I suggest that next time this happens, call the company which you arranged the car hire through (normally it's a freephone number)and resolve the problem whilst you are at the car rental desk.
Report this content brianded Written on: 05/02/2014
Keep on at them for another couple of weeks - try phone / e-mail / letter - they may get fed up and settle. If you paid by credit card for the reservation, talk to them about Section 75 liability. If no luck there consider the Small Claims Court (think that's what it's called) which is relatively cheap and supposedly quick.
Report this content Chashatt Written on: 05/02/2014
We have used this company several times and found them both helpful and fair. I suggest you telephone them and actually speak to somebody. Just had a car in USA from Dollar at Tampa airport via them and absolutely no issues. Had one incident in Italy Malpensa where the local Italians were trying to make extra money by insisting we paid extra for a tank of fuel we had already had included in our rental. Reantalcars refunded me the value but it did take a couple of months as waiting to the 28 days soon adds up. Just keep at them and you will get a result. HOWEVER be sure to have your paperwork in order that proves that the Insurance & Local taxes were included. Additionally you should always have those bit of paper with you when collecting the vehicle.
Report this content TheFlyFifer Written on: 05/02/2014
I have used this company several times over a four year period, although my bookings have always been in UK and Europe. I have never experienced this problem, and I suspect that the US company has made the mistake, not RentalCars.I have nothing but praise for them, having always found them to be friendly and helpful. It is easy to offer advice after the event, but I would have stood my ground when picking the car up and would have insisted that they check the booking. A phone call at the time may well have prevented the problem. There may have been a disclaimer or other fine print that you missed, but $800 does seem excessive. The delay is probably due to them having to deal with a third party, who may not be co-operating. I would give them the chance to sort it out. I believe that they are part of the Priceline group,and would be unlikely to let you down. Good luck!
Report this content Mapworld Written on: 05/02/2014
I have used RentalCars formally CarHire3000 for many years in both the UK and the US without any problems. The only thing I ever have to worry about is whether to return the car full or empty. I sympathise with you but did you read the contract as I have never known RentalCard to rip you off. A sensible conversation with RentalCars may help you resolve.
Report this content dmez Written on: 05/02/2014
I have booked with Rentalcars.com several times and in each case the taxes and insurance were always included in the rate. I have never had any problem with Rental Cars.com, though I have had issues with one of the rental car companies, Dollar. Is the response you are waiting for from RentalCars.com?
Report this content DonDino Written on: 05/02/2014
RentalCars.com, as far as I know, always books cars with all taxes and insurance included. This extra money request is a problem with the local supplier and RentalCars.com had better take it up with them as they are not helping with their reputation. How did you contact RentalCars.com to claim your refund? Why have you waited 28 days instead of chasing it up? The amount of $800 sounds to me like the insurance excess which is always authorised on the customer's credit card to cover the insurance excess (which is usually NOT covered by RentalCars.com unless you chose a specific deal that included Full ZERO Excess). This authorisation is refunded by the local supplier once you return the car in the same condition you got it. Are you sure this is not what it was?
Report this content philjcoates Written on: 05/02/2014
I've used the company in several different countries and have always been amazed at the good service and great value. I wonder what went wrong for you. I suspect the company in Vegas were the problem. Either way.... rentalcars have a 24 hour phone line. Emails aren't always reliably delivered. Call them up. See what they say.
Report this content nickallbeury Written on: 05/02/2014
Firstly I must say it was ridiculous to pay $800 to the agency. I would have demanded to speak to the proprietor and if that didn't work I would have rang RentalCars.com - their number is on the reservation voucher. That should have done the trick there and then; the agency wouldn't have pushed their luck any further. They get a commission on additional insurance. Anyway you should now write a recorded delivery letter to the Las Vegas agency demanding your money back or else you'll take legal action. Tell them also you're writing to your local consumer protection authority. Secondly write to RentalCars informing them of the problem and tell them to support you and ask them also to contact the agency; stating that you will take legal action against both firms if they don't refund the money. Also I'd take my copy of the voucher to your local citizens advice centre plus consumer protection office and ask them to confirm that you are within your rights and see if they can bring added pressure against the agency. If you paid by credit card you may find its recoverable thro' the credit card company - write to them also with card details and payment details. The agency in Las Vegas are the culprits and should be showered with complaints to stop their employees carrying out these sharp practices on unsuspecting clients.
Report this content PatrickTucker Written on: 05/02/2014
Let me add to the tsunami of criticism about Rentalcars.com - they are a terrible firm, as the large number of people who now state they will never use them again shows. I found their main office obstructive, and intent on taking as much money as possible from you, and refusing to consider any refund however justified, relying on their "small print" to get out of any argument. Be as brutal with them as you dare - but I fear you will end up (like me) reduced to complaining about them on various websites.
Report this content FatTaff Written on: 05/02/2014
I have used Rentalcars.com many, many times and only once had a problem with extra charges at the hire depot. Their agents are on commission and will try to stitch you into extra insurance and upgrades every time. It took a long time to get a refund as the car rental company took a very long time to respond and agree a refund. Keep contacting Rentalcars.com and don't give up. Best of luck.
Report this content puertouk Written on: 05/02/2014
Did you pay with your credit card? If you did, get in touch with them, as they might be able to assist you. Next, get in touch with Citizens Advice, which I did. Tell them you have waited for the period of 28 days, which rentalcars.com stated they would get back to you. They did the same with me. Wait for the reply from Citizens Advice. If they come back and say you should get a refund and that you are within your rights to take them to the small claims court, copy their reply and paste it into your E-mail to rentalcars.com. Tell them that you have waited the 28 days, as they quoted for them to get back to you and that you have been in touch with Citizens Advice and they have informed you of your rights over the matter and you have included a copy of their reply underneath for them to read. This is what I did and I received a refund shortly after. They do not want taking to court, as it will cost them far more, especially if they loose the case. Hope this helps.
Report this content JacquieQ Written on: 05/02/2014
Just keep on writing/emailing them and make sure they know that you are not going to give in without a fight. If you have written confirmations that those costs were included try sending them a copy and see what happens. Good luck
Report this content kmilovm Written on: 05/02/2014
I Really want to help you, but In my case I had nothing to do, this company is registered on manchester GB, and I was trying to ask them for refund and they only tell me that they cannot refund me because It was explicitly described on they terms and conditions. if you figure out about what to do, please tell me because I've give that money for lost on my case...
Report this content Bomabri Written on: 05/02/2014
If you paid by card it should be easy to check your statement and see how much they deducted, or froze in your account. I would get back to them again by email then you have proof of your communication and ask them again, if they did deduct it. Sometimes they don't deduct but just freeze part of your available money, so check that too. Hope you come right.
Report this content Zuzazu Written on: 05/02/2014
I have made 3 bookings with RentalCars.com in the last 3 months. When I was in South Africa I had a problem, where the agency couldn't give me a child seat. I phoned the UK office of RentalCars.com and explained the situation, and they issued me with a refund immediately, which reflected in my bank account within a few weeks. They are always highly professional IMO, and if you call them they should sort it out straight away. Their Manchester-based Uk number is hard to find. Good luck!
Report this content Scotianic Written on: 05/02/2014
I had a slightly similar problem in that after I had returned the car the rental company charged my credit card for an additional amount, though not very great. I wrote to RentalCars to ask why, since they had assured me upon making the booking that there would be no extra charge. Within a fortnight the charge was reversed. On a previous occasion in London my booking, also through RentalCars, included a free additional driver, but afterwards I saw that the rental company charged for that. After questioning it they refunded my credit card said amount and offered me a 10% reduction on my next rental. So I feel that you should persist in your request for reimbursement.
Report this content Erin01 Written on: 05/02/2014
I agree with other answers - write to Rentalcars and request a refund, enclosing copies of all relevant documents, and give them a reasonable time to reply. If you don't get anywhere then claim in small claims court. For help contact Cits Advice Consumer service. In future consider taking out your own worldwide Excess insurance for about £40! And mine covers for all the family driving. Just google it or go to moneysupermarket. We had this when we rented from rentalcars in Ireland and Cyprus and saved about £20 per day. Just for the record, when I had to alter my booking with rentalcars they sorted everything very quickly and couldn't have been more helpful. Good luck!
Report this content MichaelandChristine Written on: 05/02/2014
I have only had a similar problem in South Africa. It seems there is a new rule with insurance (world wide??) all about the excess that we are liable for. I was asked for approx $2000 deposit for a rental, but after arguing had to pay approx£600. Which is still a large amount as this is on top of the normal deposit. This can be easily overcome by taking out a yearly world wide insurance cover at competitive rates although this particular rental company (Budget) over here would not accept this insurance. After complaining to management and spending too much time there getting nowhere, I complained in writing on return to their head office. Eventually I was refunded all me rental costs. By the way, I am not a hot rod but a normal 59 year old male with a perfect driving record. Hope this helps.
Report this content Ferylcat Written on: 05/02/2014
Unfortunately, I have born the brunt of using this website and will make sure that I never will again !! If anything , I've learned to deal with the actual car hire company and NOT a middle man who can't or is unwilling to help you. You have a written instruction - you can try and refer this to a specific Ombudsman who will review the case on your behalf. Keep all documents pertaining to your agreement and hope for the best !!
Report this content libmum43 Written on: 05/02/2014
We gave up on Rental Cars at the end of it. At no point did they explain that we would be faced with extra charges when we got to reservations desk. They passed the buck to Goldcar (an even more disreputable company). We put it down to a bad experience but do my best to warn others to avoid
Report this content Mauricecarter Written on: 05/02/2014
Apart from commiserating with you and also suffering invalid information, I don't think there's much can be done except writing a strongly negative review. In my case the money wasn't that much, but I would indicate to the company you will do everything to publicise the case. Like others I wouldn't use them again and the hire company used, Hertz, indicated they would have been as cheap if I'd made a direct phone call to them.
Report this content nobby2650 Written on: 05/02/2014
The same thing happened to me in Denver there appears very little you can do,nobody seems to want to help.
Report this content wehseuk Written on: 05/02/2014
Can't help directly with this as the car we hired was in the UK. Different contracts and laws. However, all I can say is that all went well with the hire and no problems with the pre-paid insurance. In fact everything went very smoothly and the "extras" promised were no problems.
Report this content seamarshal Written on: 06/02/2014
There are two things you can do: 1) If paying my credit card inform the card company of what occurred. You will have to submit your confirmation of the rental car showing that taxes and insurance were included and your receipt showing that you had to pay for these charges with your credit card. You will need to fax, mail, or e-mail this information to the card company. The card company will delay payment to the car company or subtract the payment from future card charges to the rental company. If the rental company refuses to credit you, the card company, depending on what card you used, will credit you back the amount and may refuse the rental company from using their card in the future. 2) Send the above info to the Better Business Bureau and the State Attorney General's office of Nevada, consumer affairs division. If the rental car company is ripping you off they will investigate and bring charges against the rental company or the company you made the reservation through. One or the other may be barred from doing business in Nevada in the future. Most reputable companies will make good on this since they don't want to loose future business from you or others when this is publicized. Hope this helps. Good luck! --
Report this content Mrsdavesmum Written on: 09/02/2014
We also booked a car through them and paid insurance etc. up front. We had quite an argument with the people at the desk in Malaga, Spain, as they wanted to charge us again, though we did get the car. We returned to the UK on 3 October, and on 30 Oct a payment was taken from my account by AVIS in Malaga. I emailed Avis (who had supplied the car through Rentalcars) attaching copies of all receipts and requesting both an acknowledgement to my email, and of course a refund. They acknowledged pretty much straight away, but the money wasn't actually refunded until 18 December. That was quite a while to wait, but there was no disagreement that it was owed. I would contact them again to ensure they have received your query and to see where they are with a reply before you consider your next step.
Report this content hayleyy Written on: 09/02/2014
We had no issues with them. I printed all my correspondence with them before I arrived to pick up the car so that if there were any issues I had it in black and white. Everything was exactly as I had ordered. Prior to picking up the car I changed the vehicle type and everything was smooth and easy. Not sure what you do now. Other than keep harassing them?
Report this content choy_ck Written on: 02/04/2014
Quite similar to the experience I had recently in Jan 2014. You might want to read my posting/review on how to get a refund for the extra insurance paid. Nonetheless my advise to you is not to do any car rental booking in advance. Did you not notice that the whole car park is full of cars waiting for people to hire. ... so why book in advance and take the risk.
Report this content rl1988 Written on: 04/04/2014
Never use rentalcars!
Report this content puertouk Written on: 04/04/2014
Tell them that unless they settle this matter within 7 working days you will take them to the small claims court. Easy!
Report this content VM-1602 Written on: 23/04/2014
Small claims court
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Asked by AquiPrueba on 24th December 2013 Report this content
Is RentalCars.com a broker or a car rental??

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Answers (4)
Report this content luckyjohn Written on: 28/12/2013
They are a broker and usually book with suppliers such as Europecar, Thrifty. Dollar. Hertz. Avis etc. I have always had a good experience all over the world over 7 years with Rentalcar .com and on the only occaision I had a problem with an extra charge on my credit card from a rental car company booked through Rentalcar .com I only had to send an email explaining what had happened and they organised a refund for me from the car hire company.
Report this content Isak.lousky Written on: 02/04/2014
I called them and they could not said why the booking was cancelled without notifiying me. They suggested to book again the same car but for more then double the orginal price. They claimed that orgially it was booked without insurance... This is not reaaly fair...
Report this content VM-1602 Written on: 23/04/2014
They are a Booking Agent
Report this content Tohitui Written on: 22/11/2014
Almost every person I have spoken with about rentalcar.com have the same opinion as me they are neither, they a rip offs and cheats, go direct to a reputable Car Rental Company and avoid massive hidden undeclared costs that will never be refunded and no one is prepared to discuss
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