Centauro Rent a CarReviews 

Very quick and supportable. I did a wrong booking but Katarina managed everything very quickly and helpful. The car was nice and also the car drop-off was easy and stressless.

Overall service is good, good price, fair service Be aware of toll and petrol 152 Euro "deposit" which refunded by partial amount and one part took nearly 3 weeks to hit the account back. Only reason for 4 stars

Only issue we had was when picking up the car the fuel tank was only 3/4 full. The office was too busy and the kids were tired so just wanted to get to the apartment so never sorted it out there. I returned the car with a full tank of fuel. I emailed customer service with photos of the tank on pick up and when dropping off. Automated reply saying they will get back to me in 12-14 days which is a joke.

Other than this the car was great, we booked through centauro website so not hassle in picking up or dropping off the car. No hassle about insurance or deposits.

I will most likely use again. Looks like with most places, it’s fine if you don’t have an issue but if you do you are out of luck.

The waiting period upon arrival and returning the vehicle is deplorable. When I arrived at Centauro's Marco Polo Airport off site office to pick up my rental I waited over an hour. The same if not longer for the return. They use the counter staff to check the vehicle and to shuttle renters back and forth from the airport to the office. I'll never use this car rental agency again.

Do not ever use these guys. Cheap. But for a reason.
Over 2 hours spent in the Seville office. After already arranging car hire the day previously. Then an apparent IT issue meant the more expensive car I’d paid for I couldn’t have. So had to take a lesser car, fine, but no refund.
After 2 hours!!! Do not use these clowns.

The car and online service was very good BUT the customer service at Catania airpoort was VERY poor. Very busy pick up delayed by VERY pushes sales of full cover insurance. I must point out tha the full cover insurance is very good and i chose it in advance but WOW did they sell it at the desk to those who did not have it. Must be on commission. But that was not my main problem. I accidentally put the in correct pick up and drop of time on my booking form. She told me that the car wasnt ready for 4 hours which was my booked time. But I could upgrade to another car for €50. I said no and decided to wait but after one hour I relented and went back spoke to a different guy he said he could change the booking for the correct times for me NO CHARGE and the CAR WAS ready. I wish I got the name of the original assistant to name and shame her. She is at Catania airport Centauro desk. Shame on you not the customer service we want.

Don’t , don’t use this company ,particularly if you have booked through another agency. They will strike you. Poor very used car , full of damage ,possibly 100,000 kms. If you don’t buy their insurance they’ll get you for dirty carpets ( with no mats). Try and make more out of the marks dents ,wheel chips that were already there.
They will take off your card without your permission.
Theft is a speciality of theirs.

I recently had a very disappointing experience with this rental service at Alicante Airport. Although the vehicle itself was returned in perfect condition and with more fuel than when it was collected, the handling of our deposit and fuel refund was extremely poor.
We are still awaiting the return of our £1,200 deposit and the correct reimbursement for the unused fuel. Despite multiple attempts to resolve the issue, communication has been slow, unclear, and unhelpful. This has created unnecessary stress and frustration during what should have been a straightforward return process.
The conduct of staff during the process also raised concerns, particularly in terms of professionalism and transparency around charges and procedures. At no point did we feel the situation was properly explained or fairly managed, and we were left with the impression that policies were not being applied consistently.
Overall, this experience has significantly damaged our trust in the company. While the vehicle itself met expectations, the post-rental administration was unacceptable. Customers should not have to chase basic refunds or consider escalating matters to their bank to recover funds that are clearly owed.
I would strongly advise others to be cautious and ensure all documentation is carefully checked before and after rental, as resolving disputes afterwards appears unnecessarily difficult and stressful.

AVOID AT ALL COSTS Centauro Rent a Car.
Very disappointing experience.

After returning the vehicle, I was charged for an allegedly “missing tyre repair kit sealant,” despite the fact that we never had any tyre issue during the rental,
we never used any repair kit, the car was collected via smart key without joint inspection and the car was returned without any inspection in our presence.
I requested multiple times proof that the item was present at pickup, a signed return report,
and photos or inspection evidence.
Centauro failed to provide any of these documents, yet still refused to refund the money.
The most frustrating part is that they closed the case without presenting any actual evidence supporting the charge.

As a customer, I expect transparency and fair treatment, especially when money is withheld from a deposit. Unfortunately, this experience felt unfair and unprofessional.

I would strongly advise future customers to carefully document the entire vehicle, including all accessories and equipment, before leaving the rental location.

I will never use this company again.

I had booked a car with Centauro for 2 days, to be collected from their office at Corfu Airport at 09:30 on 6 June. The booking was made through DiscoverCars.

I attended at 9:30 and was told that there was a problem with the payments system, which meant that the security deposit could not be processed, and that they were unable to supply the vehicle (for which I had already paid the rental to DiscoverCars) until the system was 'back up'.

I waited for an hour to see if the system became functional, but it did not. It was only then that I was told that on previous occasions when this had happened, the fault had sometimes lasted over the whole weekend. I was told to go elsewhere to find a car to rent - which I had to do, at additional expense having lost half a day's use of a hire car.

This was clearly not an isolated incident, but an ongoing issue, about which their staff appeared to be entirely unconcerned.

I will certainly never book with Centauro again, and would caution others against doing so.

Edited after their "reply":

Standard response to all complaints - absolutely meaningless.

Dreadful.
If you pay on debit card and cannot leave a credit card you have to take out their insurance which is more than the car hire.
The queues are horrific to collect the car and service if snail pace.
Tried using the smart key pick up (additional charge) and it failed and just sent back to the main terminal to join the queue had paid to avoid. Staff could not care less.
Start to finish over 90 minutes to just collect the car. Could not recommend less

Very disappointing experience with Centauro. We booked a baby seat three weeks in advance, yet on arrival they had no suitable option available.
The first seat offered was broken. The replacement was filthy, clearly poorly maintained, and completely inappropriate for a 6‑month‑old baby (far too large and unsafe). In the event of an accident, I would have had serious concerns about my child’s safety.
To make matters worse, staff were unable to properly install the seat, which is basic support you would expect,
especially when dealing with infant safety equipment.
This situation caused unnecessary stress and, more importantly, put our baby at risk. When you book essential safety equipment, you expect it to be clean, suitable, and safe, not improvised at the counter.
We were unable to make proper use of the car, as we felt it was completely unsafe for our child to travel.
Extremely unimpressed.

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Following Centauro's response:
I am extremely disappointed with your response. The link redirects to a limited set of options, none of which apply to my issue, and there is no way to provide a full explanation.
Selecting “Other” resulted in an email incorrectly stating my issue was resolved, with nobody asking what the issue was. This is inaccurate and demonstrates a lack of proper handling of my complaint.
Please review this matter properly and provide a meaningful response.

AVOID AT ALL COSTS: Deceptive Bait-and-Switch & Insane Hidden Fees

​Do not use Booking.com for car rentals, and absolutely avoid Centauro Rent a Car. I fell victim to a massive bait-and-switch scam, and both companies are actively using each other to deflect blame and steal money.
​I pre-paid £64 for a 5-day rental through Booking.com, thinking the cost was settled. When I arrived at the Centauro desk at Málaga Airport to pick up the car, the agent silently slipped a €140 "Smart Cover" charge onto my contract without a single word of explanation, taking advantage of the fact that I was rushed to pick up elderly family members.

​When I demanded a refund for this unauthorized upsell, the nightmare really started. Centauro claimed it was Booking.com’s fault for "not charging the right amount" and selling a package without coverage. Booking.com told me to deal with Centauro, even while simultaneously admitting in writing that this €140 cover was "mandatory to pick up the car."

​They sell you a cheap, pre-paid rental online, only to hold your car hostage at the desk unless you pay an insane markup for their premium insurance. If you refuse the €140 fee, Centauro's "alternative" is demanding a prohibitive £1500+ (€1,100 - €2,300) block on your credit or debit card—a completely unfeasible amount for most people travelling abroad. Crucially, the desk agent never even gave me the choice; they just forced the charge through.
​
Both companies benefit entirely from blaming the other while walking away with double what you originally agreed to pay. It is a predatory business model designed to extort tourists at the counter. Stay far away from both of them.

I wish that I could give "0" or negative stars. This company is pathetic. I booked a flight and car rental together (through booking.com) from the USA to Barcelona with a stop at Frankfurt. The connecting flight was delayed, and when I arrived at Barcelona, Centauro was closed. I took a taxi to my hotel and returned in the morning. Centauro staff were rude, they stated that they had cancelled my rental, had no cars available, and would not refund my money. I went with Hertz (excellent service) and got a much better car.

Terrible experience
They take you off site via bus at Malaga airport.
They insist you don’t have the right insurance, you need to pay either 150 euro for the right insurance ( car hire was 90 euro total before hand) or they take 1500 euro deposit against their car, stating the slightest mark on the vehicle will result in losing all your money . Total charlatans.
Don’t book with them

Centauro Alicante is a joke! Don’t go there … they will do anything to take your money without giving you neither the car you have booked nor the service you deserve. I have written to them three times now with a complaint and I get the same automated reply every time: We will answer you within 10-12 working days. Just wait and see their response to this Trustpilot feedback, - they will say how sorry they are and refer to a link that doesn’t work! Never again Centauro… stay away from them if you want a good holiday!!

Have used Centauro rent a car a number of times in Italy once we navigate our way through the find the shuttle bus scenario generally a pleasant service - hence we booked through them again as we hired a car for fortnight to collect from Malaga airport. No signage where their shuttle collection point is located. The driver was lovely but the queue system arriving to collect the car was longer than it should’ve been and the agent rude at best! A lengthy process despite pre registration completed. We went to collect our car however the pole sized dent to the back meant we had to return to the collection point again 1 hour later waiting patiently for an alternative - on the plus side the experience can only get better !!!
Will not be using Centauro service again.

Terrible terrible experience in Naples Airport where their customer service started yelling and screaming after refusing to be ripped off. I wasted my time and money on this booking- they’re unprofessional and unreliable.

First off the car received wasn’t the one requested. The collection process was chaotic, rushed and poor service.

Secondly I was made to pay the holding deposit (1300 euro) twice because of an error made by the member of staff in the Venice branch. When I showed the one transaction was already pending they refused to continue with the booking. This is despite the transaction saying pending on my statement and me showing this as proof. as it wasn’t showing on their system the refused to believe me. On returning the car the one transaction was refunded instantly. 10 days later I still haven’t had the second cleared back to me and Centauro have ignored my 3 emails so far.

The only positive was the return process. The gentleman taking the cars back was professional and helpful despite being very busy himself.

I would strongly warn people about Centauro Kefalonia. Our worst car hire experience in 30 years. Complete scam. My first ever review.

My experience included:

* Nearly £100 in unwarranted charges
* A faulty fuel gauge
We added €40.01 of fuel shortly before return, but the gauge did not move. A Centauro staff member recognised the issue, tried to reset the gauge by disconnecting the battery, then added more fuel himself. The gauge then jumped to around 90%. But we were still charged for fuel!
* A €75 “biological clean” for beach sand
We were charged for a so-called biological clean because of ordinary beach sand in the footwell and a minor luggage dust mark on the rear seat. The mark wiped off by hand. Calling this biological contamination is absurd.
* Their own staff member said the charges were unfair
One Centauro employee agreed the charges were unreasonable, argued with his supervisor, threatened to leave his job if they were applied, and even offered to reimburse us personally for any costs, and told us to leave this review. Absolute scenes. Madness.
* Police threat when we tried to record evidence
When we tried to record the condition of the car, another staff member said she was calling the police. This was intimidating and completely disproportionate.
* Complaint ignored, card charged anyway
I emailed Centauro with evidence and a formal complaint. They ignored it and charged my card.

This was an appalling customer experience.

In my view, Centauro Kefalonia use unfair extra charges to make profit, ignore evidence, give no proper justification, and responded aggressively when challenged.

I would never use Centauro again.