Goldcar Portugal Reviews 

Despite having insurance coverage, it was apparently not sufficient for GoldCar. Very high deposit required unless you take their extra insurance.

I have had cars from them at Faro airport 4 out of 5 months since xmas. THEY ARE LIARS… They charge for the toll reader, claiming it is LAW…..My last car hire was with Europcar at Faro, who asked if I was using the toll road, I said no. They asked if i was going to Lisbon or Spain.. NO ! So they did NOT charge me for a toll reader. I asked is it LAW that you should charge for it as Goldcar claim it is LAW….. THEY CATEGORICALLY STATED IT IS NOT LAW. Goldcar are ripping customers off as they take weeks and weeks to refund the Toll hire charges. When I constantly chased them for BOTH Feb and March Hires they told me it takes 10 days to process the toll refund…. Supposedly in their terms. SO WHY DOES IT TAKE 7 WEEKS ??? And that was with chasing. I BET MOST CUSTOMERS DO NOT CHASE… AND DONT GET THE REFUNDS…. Which are NOT LAW anyway. My recent April Hire, they still have NOT refunded, despite almost daily chases.. 1st they claimed it had been refunded, and to check with m bank, after which I chased them again asking when was it refunded.. THEY TOLD ME THE 1ST OF MAY….. NO not refunded. They then Lied more by saying they did not have my card details ? Only the last 4 digits…so HOW had they done the refund then ? and asked me to supply them.. THIS I DID 21st `May… 3 weeks after they claimed they had refunded me. 5 DAYS ON NOW AND STILL NO REFUND !! DESPITE CHASING EVERY DAY…. DO NOT RENT FROM GOLD CAR THEY ARE LIARS. AND THEY ARE CONNING CUSTOMERS AND NOT REFUNDING CHARGES…. THAY ARE NOT EVEN REPLYING… LEGAL ACTION NOW I THINK

Checked my car on pick up and thought I had checked everything however when I returned the car I was told the luggage cover was missing. This was definitely missing when I picked up the car as I had no reason to remove it from the car during my holiday. Still waiting for my toll deposit four weeks after dropping off car
It was very difficult to notice a missing luggage cover as it raises when the boot is opened. I have so far been charged 100 euros Goldcar also took money off my credit card for Toll Fees when I informed them I would not be using the tolls

Scammers. The car already had a lot of damage. Apparently, they failed to record one of the damages, even though I specifically pointed it out to the employee and he confirmed that he had noted it down. When returning the car, his colleague immediately went straight to that exact damage. Arguing was pointless — they spoke to me very rudely and deducted €215 from the deposit for a scratch on a wheel rim that was already there and which they had promised was documented. Deliberate scam — DO NOT RENT HERE!!!

We had no problems. A little more expensive than an other car rental places looked at, but at this place we could pay with debitcard since we didnt have a creditcard. At most rental places you will have to have a creditcard which is not common to have as a Young person in my country. (This experience is from goldcar in the madeira airport from april 20 - april 27, 2026)

My experience with Goldcar was, without a doubt, the worst I have ever had with a car rental company.

After returning the vehicle, I was accused of causing a small dent. I requested the photos taken at both pick-up and return to verify the claim, yet I was charged €484 for an extremely minor damage whose actual repair cost would likely not exceed €100.

I consider this charge completely disproportionate and abusive. I felt deeply disrespected as a customer.

After checking the company’s reviews, I realized that my experience is far from being an isolated case. Their very low ratings accurately reflect the kind of treatment I received.

I do not recommend this company to anyone. Even if the initial price appears attractive, the risk of excessive charges and the poor customer experience make this, in my opinion, one of the worst options on the market.

Stay away from this company and choose a more reputable and transparent alternative.

Can’t give zero stars. Bunch of rude criminals. Don’t know why they still exist. I got a full insurance booking via Holiday cars. This company still tries to sell their expensive package. Not needed. So then they block €2000 in case of damages. No option. Car was good and return without problems. However after almost two weeks still the €2000 blocked. They blame Visa. Visa has not revived info to unblock. So be careful when you honor vacation and you have 3000 or less on you card. 2000 is blocked so you can get into trouble paying your hotel and extras. At Faro airport are many reputable companies so make sure when you use intermediair that you don’t go for Goldcar. I read similar feedback on other locations. They are the Rianair of car rental. FYI. I rented a very expensive Suburban at Miami airport. No extra insurance and card block of few hundred $. Unblocked within 24 hours. At Hertz.

During my rental, the car window was smashed by a third party in a clear act of vandalism — reported to the police with documentation on file. Goldcar then charged me €150 for a "Special Cleaning" fee, despite their own Terms and Conditions (Clause 6.2a) explicitly restricting this charge to dirt caused by the customer through abnormal use of the vehicle. Vandalism by a stranger does not meet that definition by any reasonable reading of the contract.
The experience at the rental counter set the tone for everything that followed. When I disputed the charge on the spot, the employee was openly hostile and dismissive. She told me I had no choice in the matter and that she was the one calling the shots — this while being demonstrably wrong about the contractual basis for the charge she was imposing. Being spoken to that way as a paying customer, at the end of an already stressful rental experience, was frankly unacceptable.
I then raised my contractual argument five times across detailed written communications. I received three identical copy-paste responses that did not address a single legal point I made. At one point they promised photographic evidence to support their position — twice — and failed to attach anything either time. The cleaning fee was also initially charged twice, without any invoice or explanation. The second charge was reimbursed after my written complaint.
This is not a misunderstanding. This is a company charging fees it knows have no contractual basis and then stonewalling customers until they give up. I have not given up.
I am currently in the process of filing formal complaints with the European Consumer Centre (ECC Germany and ECC Portugal) as well as the Portuguese consumer arbitration authority. I encourage anyone who has been similarly charged to do the same rather than accepting it.
Avoid Goldcar if you value transparency, honest billing, and a company that actually abides by its own terms and conditions.

DON'T BOOK WITH THEM. I mean it. Clearly a fraudulent company. They say you can pay with a debit card (it is even in the rent agreement, and the booking.com support also confirmed it) but once you arrive you cannot anymore and they say the only solution is paying a 300€ insurance. The person at the counter was David at Lisbon Airport. Terrible Fraud. There is no money or stress in the world worth it booking with them. Please avoid at all costs!

If you need to return the car outside office hours, be aware that any later claim for scratches/damage may be difficult to dispute, because the keys are typically left in a key box and (in my case) the return area was very dark around 4 a.m., making it hard to take clear photos.

At pickup, I felt there was strong pressure to purchase the company’s full insurance. During the handover inspection, I was shown a screen that appeared to mark affected panels in green, but I was not shown close-up images of each scratch at that time. I later received a report by email stating the vehicle had 38 pre-existing scratches; based on what I could see myself, I noticed far fewer.

After returning the vehicle, I was informed there was one additional scratch recorded, bringing the total to 39. I do not believe I caused any new damage. I barely used the car and parked it in a mostly empty hotel car park.

Tip for consumers (Portugal/EU): If you dispute a damage claim and the company relies on photos, you can consider making a GDPR Subject Access Request for all personal data they hold in relation to your rental/booking, for example:

All photographs/videos taken at check-out (collection) and check-in (return), including original/native files and available metadata (EXIF), timestamps, and device/app logs.
Any annotated, compressed, or edited versions of those images.
The check-out and check-in inspection reports/checklists, damage diagrams, staff notes, and system entries.
Any internal communications/logs/records referencing the alleged damage, charges, or liability decision.
Copies of any repair estimates/invoices and the basis for the amount charged.
In my case, after I requested this information, the charge was withdrawn. Do all correspondance via email.

I rented a car from Goldcar in Alicante and the warning signs were there from the start. The queue to collect the keys was painfully long, and the staff were aggressively pushing their own insurance. That should have been my first clue.

The car collection took place in a dimly lit multi‑storey car park, making it almost impossible to inspect properly. I moved the car into better light and recorded a full walk‑around video just to protect myself.

Despite this, after returning home to the UK I received a £300 “damage” charge. Goldcar sent a photo of a superficial scuff on the driver’s door — the kind of mark that would wipe off with a cloth. The paint wasn’t scratched, chipped, dented, or damaged in any way. They have refused to explain how this qualifies as chargeable damage and are refusing to refund the money.

Since then, I’ve read countless reviews from people who have experienced the exact same scam. I wish I’d seen them sooner.

Please avoid this company. They are dishonest, predatory, and rely on manufactured damage claims to make money. Don’t become their next victim.

Disgusting company! When I dropped the car back the woman went over the whole car and using her torch on her phone found some light scratches along the side of the car which arent visible. I did not do the scratches and now the are charging me 705 euro to repair! Avoid this company it is just a rip off!

Goldcar Faro

Worst experience ever, the fact that they tried to rob me and say I dented the car, also front brakes were metal on metal and I paid extra for the upgrade.

I returned the car at 5.30am, at 6.20, I get an email with pictures showing a dent and scratches.i knew I was the only person that drove the car(barely used as had no front brake pads)

They said its going cost around €230 to fix.

The car was covered in dents and scratches when I picked it up so how they can say this is beyond me.

When I returned home I emailed and questioned this, especially the fact that the picture of the dent was taken is broad daylight, yet at 6.20, I was still at the airport and it was dark. Also no pictures showed the number plate.

Still disputing the upgrade charge as the car was not roadworthy but response, they have returned my deposit is full and said they realised it already had those scratches and dent.

DO NOT EVER LEAVE THE CAR OUTSIDE BUSINESS HOURS, THEY WILL SCAM YOU!!!!

SCAM ARTISTS AT FARO AIRPORT
Picked up a car and was impressed with service. Car was checked by employee and myself and photos were taken.
When we returned the car the employee went on his knees and photographed the underneath of the car pointing out damage .I know I didn't do it but the lad said he was only doing his job .I asked why the lad who gave the car didn't go on his knees and point.out anything, he couldn't answer .
As a man of nearly 70 I have never had a problem with any company worldwide. AVOID AT ALL.COST.

Treated appallingly, tried to upsell excess damage waiver aggressively even when shown it was already purchased and is now trying to claim damage where there is none and put through a charge of 230 euro . The Credit Card companies should not allow these scam artists to be credit card merchants .

Scam artists I’m afraid; prepare to be hit with some rule of use or term that wasn’t made clear at booking, either resulting in an extra cost or being unable to pick up your vehicle.

Goldcar has proven itself at its worst again. Upon picking up the car and the request to jointly inspect it (based on previous experiences) I didn't notice anything special separate from the indicated damage left front. However.. when returning the car the airport of Valencia staff looked with every detail and flashlight to clearly want to identify any small damage. And yes, they found a tiny scratch on the bumper. So small you couldn't detect it without flashlights or a magnifying glass. It was a scratch that could easily be brushed or sandwashed away but they dared to charge 196 euro's for this. More than I paid for the whole rental! I have provided pictures and video's that we made ourselves to prove how invisible the scratch had been from the beginning, but they never used our information. This was unfortunately a confirmation of the bad reputation of Goldcar and the very last time we gave them a chance to rebuild confidence and trustworthiness. They just don't deserve that!

"All scammers – avoid at all costs!"

If you don’t buy their overpriced insurance, they will find any excuse to claim against your own policy – even when the damage was clearly there before. They know exactly where to look: the spots you’d never think to check.

When you pick up your car, do NOT trust what they say – not even "we’ve checked it carefully." Inspect everything yourself, especially the hidden areas:

· Under the car (yes, underneath)
· Inside the black plastic door sills
· The black plastic trim around the entire car

Take detailed videos and photos of every inch. The car they hand you is already full of scratches and dings, yet they expect you to return it in brand-new condition.

Complete scam operation at Porto airport. Save your money and sanity – rent elsewhere.

Basically criminals.
They don't accept "internet banks" for the deposit. But will accept "internet banks" for their stupidly overpriced insurance.
It's basically criminal because it is actually being made illegal soon.

I’ve had many years satisfactory car hire from Goldcar, but in the last few years something changed in the company’s ethos.

The first issue was in 2022. After filling the car and dropping it off, I then got a bill for not returning it full. The bill was for 10 Euros of fuel and 50 Euros penalty. I disputed it, but I forgot to take a photo of the fuel gauge when I dropped it off, so I didn’t have any evidence.

Thinking this was a one off blip, I decided to give them another chance and hired another car from them. This experience turned out even worse. Over a year later after dropping off the car, I notice that they had taken money from my credit card.

I contacted GoldCar and they said the charge was a “Fine management fee”. So I asked what the fine was for? They said they weren’t allowed to tell me. So I asked them what was the date of the alleged fine? Again they wouldn’t tell me, saying “The traffic authorities will send you the fine information and payment instructions by mail.” But nothing ever came.

I didn’t want to post a bad review straight away, just case they were telling the truth, but now after 3 years and no fine arriving, I can finally post the review with confidence.

There’s only one reason why they wouldn’t give me the date of the fine or any details, it’s because it never happened. It’s just a scam to get money from innocent people.

Ps. Both happened at Lisbon Airport.