Who? has ranked the best and worst car rental companies for this summer – and it’s Goldcar that’s languishing at the bottom of the list, just like in 2023.
The consumer group surveyed more than 2,000 members of the public and its members, asking them to rate their experience of using car hire companies and brokers based on a range of criteria, including customer service, value for money, clarity of surcharges and the condition of the vehicle before the contract was awarded. their overall customer score percentage.
Spanish company Goldcar came last in the survey with a customer score of just 52 per cent, sixth bottom of the table in recent years.
At the opposite end of the table are the car companies AutoReisen and Cicar based in the Canary Islands and the broker Zest Car Rental – the Which? Recommended providers received overall customer scores of 92, 91 and 90 percent, respectively.
The survey revealed that passengers continue to face a number of problems and fraudulent practices when renting a car, with almost nine in ten (86 per cent) of respondents citing concerns about being taken advantage of.
Common problems reported include feeling “a lot” of pressure to buy additional insurance over the counter, affecting one in six respondents (17 percent); charge more than originally stated, which affects one in ten (11 percent); and problems with the condition of the car (six percent).
The consumer group notes that these numbers are even higher among the worst-performing firms in the survey.
The survey found that one-fifth (20 per cent) of respondents who used Goldcar said they had problems with the condition of the car, and a quarter (23 per cent) said they had been charged extra when either collecting or returning the car.
The firm was awarded just two stars for how well the vehicle description matched reality, customer service and value for money, and three stars for the age, condition and mileage of the car.
Previous Which one? surveys have found that Goldcar engages in push-selling tactics to encourage customers to buy extra insurance over the counter, and in this year’s survey a quarter (25 per cent) of Goldcar customers said they bought extra insurance over the counter – compared to slightly more than one in a total of seven (13 percent) survey respondents.
One respondent said Which?: “The lady at the counter was adamant that I had to take out additional insurance. I was in a hurry, so I admitted it, while another said, “We had a strong impression there was no other option.”
Single Which? An analysis of rental car insurance policies found Goldcar’s to be among the “most expensive” and “poorly rated” of any it reviewed.
Other car rental companies that “failed to impress” include Dollar, which received a customer score of just 56 percent, Record Go (57 percent) and Budget (61 percent).
Dollar received just two stars for customer service and three for age, condition and mileage and value for money. According to what? one respondent complained that the car’s condition was “poor”, with “smudges and scratches all over”, a dead battery in the key fob and a service light on the dashboard.
Worryingly, three in ten (30 per cent) of those who used Dollar said they had been charged a surcharge either when collecting or returning their car, one in seven (13 per cent) said their car had broken down and a quarter (27 per cent ) reported waiting 30 minutes or more for pickup.
Record Go (57 per cent) scored just two stars for customer service and how well it matched the description, and three stars for age, condition and mileage and value for money.
Who? notes that a fifth (19 per cent) of those who used the company said they were allocated a different car to the one they booked, one in five (22 per cent) said they were charged extra when collecting or returning the car, and a quarter (25 percent) had to wait more than 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, the AutoReisen desktop machine received a number of five-star ratings in key categories including communication, clarity of surcharges, ease of opting out of surcharges, clarity of final rental costs, clarity of fuel policy, age, condition and mileage. car and value for money.
To ensure the best possible experience this summer, make sure you book your accommodation with a reputable company RORY BOLAND, ITS EDITOR? TRAVEL
With a reported average cost of just £21 per day, AutoReisen was the cheapest company in the survey, which “showed that great service doesn’t have to come with a high price tag”, which? he says.
It also received four stars for customer service. According to the consumer group, one customer said: ‘I’ve used Autoreisen for years – consistently excellent.’
Cicar also received five stars for clarity of additional charges, clarity of final car rental costs, clarity of fuel policy and four stars for customer service. None of her customers reported being charged extra when picking up or returning a car.
Other high-scoring firms include Centauro (83 percent), Alamo (73 percent) and Enterprise (73 percent), but they fell short of the Which? Recommend provider status, awarded only to companies with a customer service rating of four stars and above.
With only two recommended car hire companies based in the Canary Islands, tourists heading elsewhere may consider using Which? Recommended Zest Car Rental broker to find reputable local car rental companies.
The company received an “excellent” customer score of 90 percent and a number of “impressive” five-star ratings for communication, clarity of surcharges, ease of cancellation of surcharges, clarity of final rental costs, clarity of fuel policy, clarity of provider information and customer service.
The consumer group says: “Despite being the cheapest broker in the table, its rates always include either zero excess or overpayment insurance, free cancellation up to 48 hours before collection and a free second driver in some locations. He carefully vets the providers he works with and, unlike some brokers, does not work with Goldcar. As one customer said, “Zest was just a breath of fresh air.”
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Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel said: “Booking a car hire should be easy, but all too often it feels like the wild west, with travelers lamenting underwhelming experiences, poor customer service and bogus fees. Goldcar in particular is best avoided as customers repeatedly report serious issues ranging from pushy sales to poor customer service.
“To ensure the best possible experience this summer, book your accommodation with a reputable company. Our Which? Referral providers are an excellent choice and if you use a good broker like Zest Car Rental they will also be able to advocate on your behalf in the unlikely event of problems.”
In response to the survey results, Goldcar said: “Goldcar is of course disappointed by the results of the Who? message. The company takes customer care very seriously, with a Code of Conduct for Over-the-Counter Sales and a Good Sales Practices Manual that are revised annually based on customer feedback.
“We offer very attractive rates that make travel affordable while giving our customers the freedom to choose other options including insurance cover for a hassle-free process should damage occur during the rental.
“Obviously, our customers have the right to choose to purchase cover separately, but if they do, they will be charged for any damage that occurs during the rental and will then have to claim a refund from their chosen provider. . We are committed to investigating all incidents where a customer believes they have received a service that does not meet the expectations of a budget brand, and we continue to invest in staff training and best practices.”