Goldcar Portugal Reviews 

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.

AVOID AT ALL COST, TRAINED SCAMMERS! (Madeira Airport)

If I could give it a zero, I would. Due to a last minute emergency, we quickly booked the car via Booking.com, and went for the cheapest option without reading reviews with much care (our bad!). We paid for additional insurance on Booking and were prepared to pay the rather high deposit (over £1k), however, got charged for Goldcar premium insurance at pickup instead.

The Goldcar employee forcefully took our credit card from our hands and process two payments - we weren’t able to confirm the amount as she moved quickly before we could protest. First the fuel deposit, which we excepted, then the Goldcar premium insurance (£255) which we thought to be the deposit.

Once we figured out what happened, we questioned numbers, requesting to be charged the £1k deposit instead. The employee immediately started firing pre-prepared answers, getting progressively more aggressive and condescending, until they fully raised their voice to interrupt us.

The car itself was fully scratched on the outside, stained interiors, and had evident issues with the breaks.

Needless to say, we’re trying to raise claims against the employee and the unexpected charges. However, customer service is virtually non-existent and completely unhelpful.

Save yourself the stress and anger. Spend a little more and use literally any other company - it’ll probably cost you £250 less regardless as you won’t get scammed.

It was a real mafia-style scam: whilst we were unloading our luggage, the employee carrying out the inspection scratched the driver’s side wing mirror, and we were forced to pay an additional charge of €104.00 without being given any receipt. As a loyal customer, I’ll NEVER use Gold Car again!

We rented a car in Lisbon for 4 days and the vehicle already had multiple scratches and dents. When we asked staff to inspect the car and sign the condition report, they refused. The shift manager, Pedro Lopes, said scratches under 5 cm “don’t count” and refused to record them.

When we returned the car, the employee spent a long time circling the vehicle clearly trying to find something. Eventually she claimed to find a tiny dent and tried to charge us for it. Fortunately we had third-party insurance, so the €1,400 deductible will be reimbursed.

This felt like a deliberate attempt to charge customers for pre-existing damage. Extremely dishonest experience. Avoid this company. 🚫🚗

Awful Company, very unclear about additional charges, constantly trying to catch you out at any opportunity, rude and unhelpful, would not recommend at all.

Avoid Goldcar Lisbon Airport – hidden fees and very poor customer experience.

I rented an electric car in Lisbon Airport and received no instructions on how to charge it in Portugal (which requires apps and is not tourist-friendly).

At return, the vehicle was fully inspected by staff (Gabriel / Fastline) who clearly confirmed everything was OK. No mention of battery level, no warning about extra charges.

After I left the airport and checked in for my flight, I was charged €60 for missing ~20% battery.

This is the key issue:
Had I been told at the counter, I could have recharged the car at the airport for around €5–€6. Instead, they waited until I left and applied a very high penalty fee.

Customer support response was generic and unhelpful, just pointing to “Terms & Conditions” and ignoring the actual situation.

⚠️ Be careful with:
• electric car rentals
• return process at Lisbon Airport
• additional charges after drop-off

This feels like a hidden fee practice, not transparent customer service.

I would strongly recommend choosing another rental company at Lisbon Airport.

We rented a car at Madeira airport and the sales person Louis was extremely helpful, nice and competent. He gave us all the necessary info in a clear way so it was easy to find the car and also understand the contract details. The price was way more friendly than in other car rental places ath the airport. Totally recommend Goldcar rental in Madeira.

I had a very disappointing experience with this rental company (Goldcar Lisbon airport) last night and would not recommend them.
When I collected the car allocated to me, the staff were chatting among themselves, did not complete any check‑in procedure, and didn't provide a proper handover. I was simply handed the key while in their cubicle office at the car park.

The vehicle was parked tightly between two others, and I was simply given the key and ignored. No instructions, no inspection, nothing.

When I returned the car (a day early), the experience was completely different.

The staff member used a tablet and a special light, rubbing specific areas of the car before claiming to find two “scratches” over 5 cm. These marks were so small that they were as thin as 2 strands of hair together, and completely invisible to the naked eye, yet I was charged 577,92 € for them.

I took great care of the car and I believe I absolutely did not cause these scratches. They were so fine that they could easily have been caused by a passer-by with a zip or bag. The return staff ignored my concerns and simply told me I would receive the bill for this damage.

The inconsistency between the zero‑inspection at pickup and the hyper‑strict inspection with a light at return is unacceptable. I have rented cars for many years, including from budget companies, and have NEVER experienced such unprofessional and passive aggressive treatment as a customer.
I do not believe these charges are fair or justified, and the overall service was extremely poor. I strongly advise others to take photos and videos of the car at pickup, because this company certainly will not do it for you.

This relates to Goldcar at Faro airport.
My initial thoughts were they were ok but I upgraded my reserved car to a bigger one….I agreed the additional cost which was ok. But on return I got charged additional costs that I subsequently took issue with.
Initially customer service were very responsive….but then just started ignoring my emails. I sent four or five with no response.
So I will never use this company again and would recommend if you want to rent a car at Faro Airport then use Avis or one of the other on site rental companies.
As for customer service you should be ashamed of yourselves. Replying to emails must be the most basic requirement for you job function

WARNING!!!! WOW!!!! WOW!!!! WOW!!!!!
YES THEY HAVE BETTER PRICES BUT... Not worth because you never knowing if it brake in the road...
I rent a car Fiat 500 and the VERY COLD service at desk was AMAZING.
First I don't want use tools no chance I have to pay 22 euros to activact something I don't use.
Second: The car is damage everywhere so many damages the person check the car with me told me you can't damage more than it is now, so imagine, the car is OLD with 120.000 Km
DON'T RENT FROM THIS GOLD CAR

When I left the car back the man in Goldcar said he saw scratches on the rear pumper (using a handheld device)which were not desernible to the naked eye.
Complete and utter scam.
Renter beware

I have rented hundreds of cars with lots of different rental companies. Goldcar are by far the worst and I strongly advise anyone to avoid them at all costs, as they find a way to charge for damages when you know you haven’t hit or struck anything, a microscopic scratch you wouldn’t notice on pick up can lead to a charge for hundreds of pounds.

Very disappointing experience with Goldcar at Doha Airport.
I collected the vehicle and within minutes it became clear something was seriously wrong with it. Every time I turned a corner the car made a very loud mechanical noise, and the vehicle also did not drive straight. It felt unsafe to drive.
Because of this, I returned the car within about one hour of collecting it. I did not use the vehicle, caused no damage, and returned it immediately for safety reasons.
Despite this, I was still charged for the rental.
When you rent a car, you expect the vehicle to be roadworthy and safe. In this case the car clearly was not. I even have video evidence showing the condition of the vehicle.
Very frustrating experience and not what you expect from an international rental company. I would strongly advise anyone renting here to inspect the vehicle carefully before leaving the airport.

Very disappointing experience at Lisbon airport.
I had booked a car from 3 March to 11 March and already purchased full coverage insurance online.

At the counter, I was asked to pay €1600 security deposit + €150 fuel + €150 toll = €1900, which I agreed to pay with my credit card (all documents were in my name).

However, there was an extra €58 charge that was not clearly explained. When I asked to pay that amount with my second card (also in my name), the staff refused.

Instead, I was repeatedly pressured to cancel my existing insurance and buy their insurance for €271, saying I would not need to leave a deposit.

I felt forced and uncomfortable as a tourist. This kind of sales pressure is unacceptable.

Due to this situation, I cancelled and had to take a taxi to my hotel, causing stress and inconvenience.

I would not recommend this location to tourists.

Extremely misleading. Price wise and category wise it was a scam. Good lesson again, “if you pay peanuts you get monkeys”. Back to Sixt.

AVOID THIS COMPANY THEY WILL RIP YOU OFF.

We've just got back home and have been charge £130 for excess cleaning, and made up damage