Centauro Rent a Car Reviews 

I have booked with them few times and every time there was an issue.
Recently I booked again and on the 9th August I arrived at the Centauro desk, Alicante airport, before 23:00 and within the published opening hours, with my booking and collection ticket. However, I had to wait for more than 40 minutes because the desk was severely understaffed. Only two employees were dealing with several customers, one employee left the desk for a considerable period, and the remaining member of staff spent a very long time dealing with another customer's complicated booking.

Other customers who arrived after me were also given priority because, I was told, they had booked directly with Centauro.

Because of these delays, which were entirely outside my control, I was eventually served after the relevant time and was then charged €40 for “Pick-up/drop-off out of hours.”

I specifically raised this concern with the staff at the time. I have a recording of the conversation, as well as evidence of my arrival and ticket. The €40 charge was not clearly disclosed or explained to me during that conversation; I only discovered that it had been added when reviewing the documentation afterwards.

I therefore consider this charge unfair. I arrived within Centauro's opening hours and should not be financially penalised because Centauro did not have sufficient staff available to process customers within a reasonable time.

For clarity, I am not disputing the separate €43 vehicle upgrade. The originally booked vehicle was unavailable, I accepted the upgrade, and I was satisfied with the replacement car.

My complaint concerns specifically the €40 out-of-hours charge and the poor and non-transparent handling of the collection process.

Do not rent a car @porto airport here. They charge a really expensive insurance even if you have paid for one at booking.com. And when returning the car they charge 100 euros extra for cleaning the car because there is sand in it, ridiculous!!

Unfortunately, our experience was not as good as we expected.

When we picked up the car, we were told that the fuel tank was full, but this was clearly not the case. The estimated range showed around 530 km. When we later filled the tank ourselves, the range was around 700 km, which is quite a significant difference.

The car also had several scratches when we picked it up, but no one from the company went over these with us.

I think the handover process should be more transparent. A member of staff should inspect the car together with the customer at pick-up, confirm the existing damage and the actual fuel level, so that both sides have a clear record of the condition in which the car was received.

Overall, the process left us feeling that more attention and transparency are needed when handing over the vehicle.

Steer well clear, took weeks to return my deposit.

Chaotic collection and returns took hours.

You’ll see their reply here but when you raise a support case they just completely ignore you.

I am writing this review after receiving zero human support regarding a severe billing issue at Madrid Chamartín station (August 12, 2026).

Due to a mix-up with the parking ticket provided at the desk for the EMT garage, I was forced to pay €225.00 at the automatic machine. This amount corresponds to 9 days of parking accrued before my rental period started (an operational cost that belongs entirely to Centauro).

I opened a formal claim (Ticket #00074809) and tried to follow up via email and contact form, but I only received generic automated bot responses closing the ticket without any review.

No human agent has addressed the mistake or initiated the refund. If this issue is not resolved immediately, I will proceed with a credit card chargeback through my bank (Nexi) and submit a complaint to ECC-Net / Consumer Protection.

Booking / Ticket Ref: #00074809

Location: Madrid Chamartín Station

[Update after the ansewer by Centauro]: I Just received another generic response for public relations.

I ALREADY have TWO open support tickets that have been completely ignored since August 12 (Ticket #00074809 and Ticket #00085465), regarding the unjustified €225.00 charge for a parking fee incurred before my rental period started.

Asking a customer to open a third ticket through a generic link, instead of actually resolving the existing ones and issuing a refund, shows complete disregard for customer service.

The matter is now officially in the hands of my bank's dispute department for a chargeback. However, I am still open to revising this review if you actually process and resolve my initial ticket (#00074809) with a full refund.

Never again will I rent a car from centauro. This is my second trust pilot review as centauro responded to my previous negative review advising me to contact their customer service via a web link. However from what I can see this is just a standard response and they have zero intention of responding to my multiple attempts to contact them to submit an official complaint. The link they supplied results an an automated response advising that my query is considered resolved and when you proceed with Nother email there is no response. This company provides no customer service. Please beware!!!

Received a partial refund so rang up and asked why , only to be told it was a cleaning charge 🤬🤬 to which I advised them I had videos of the state of the vehicle on pick up day , car covered in cement etc

Like many off-airport rental companies, Centauro Rent a Car - operates via a shuttle service rather than an airport desk. After an excellent experience using their shuttle in Tuscany this past April, we trusted the brand implicitly and booked with them again for our holiday to Rhodes, Greece, at the end of June.

Unfortunately, this operating model becomes a traveller's worst nightmare when the company fails to deliver. In Rhodes when our flight was delayed, Centauro simply never turned up. With no physical desk at the airport to visit for help, we were left completely stranded at the terminal with our luggage.

We were forced to find last-minute alternative transport at significant extra expense, and fortunately, the team at Rodoscars stepped in to save our holiday.

While operational failures happen, the real issue is the customer service aftermath. Nearly two months later, Centauro is still withholding our funds and has failed to issue a refund for a service they never provided.

Brand loyalty is built on trust, but it is quickly lost when a company refuses to rectify its own mistakes. If you are planning a trip, I highly recommend looking at reliable and dominant local alternatives like Rodoscars (that dominate Rhodes), and avoiding providers who leave you stranded without a desk to turn to.

#Travel #CustomerExperience #ConsumerRights #CarRental #TravelTips #Centauro #Rhodes

We recently rented a car from Centauro at Alicante Airport and unfortunately the experience was very disappointing.

The biggest issue was a €40 out-of-hours charge and additional insurance even though we had premium! We collected our queue ticket at approximately 10:40pm, but were not called forward until around 11:30pm. The delay was caused by the time taken by Centauro staff to deal with customers and was completely outside our control. Despite this, we were charged €40 for being served out of hours.

When we questioned the charge, we were told that the member of staff could not waive it because it would supposedly come out of his wages. I found this completely inappropriate. Any internal company policy regarding staff wages should not be used to justify charging a customer for a delay caused by the company’s own service.

I have subsequently complained to Centauro and asked for the €40 to be refunded, but my complaint was marked as “resolved” despite the money not being refunded. I am still waiting for a proper resolution and a clear explanation of the contractual basis for this charge.

We were also very uncomfortable with the pushy attempts to sell us additional insurance. We already had premium/comprehensive cover, but staff continued to push additional insurance despite us making it clear that we did not want or need it. This made the collection process feel unnecessarily pressured rather than customer-focused.

Overall, the experience left us feeling that Centauro was more interested in adding charges and selling additional insurance than providing a straightforward and fair rental service.

I would strongly recommend checking all charges and insurance requirements carefully before accepting the vehicle, and keeping records of everything discussed at the desk.

I hope Centauro will reconsider refunding the additional charges and refund it, but based on my experience so far, I would be very reluctant to use them again.

Updated
I followed the link and still it’s AI generated and no one gets back to! Your company is a joke! Complete rip off do not use!

I rented a vehicle in Atocha, Madrid for one day. I purchased the premium package as I didn't want up sales of overpriced insurance and scare tactics and also to avoid the deposit.
The incompetence started at the vehicle pickup when the clerk said he could not give me the vehicle because I had a UK driver's license and a passport from another country! Have they never dealt with foreign customers?! If you live and drive in the UK, by law, you need to change your EU driver's license for a UK one. After complaining and stressing out for 30 minutes about this they finally gave us the car.

The car was actually the best thing about this rental. The car was new, clean and in good condition. The return was also hassle free.

Because I drove in country side roads I didn't see a speed limit camera for 60 km/h limit and I passed at 69, a distraction, it happens. Spanish DGT sent a fine to Centauro which they passed to me. Even though I paid the premium package of Centauro they decided to fine me again with 40€ because I violated the terms and conditions of not following the laws and administrative charges. So essentially I got double fined. The fine from the government is already the penalty. But because Centauro is a predatory company they like to find any excuse to charge money out of you even if you pay the premium package.

Of course, because they are incompetent and do not train their staff properly, they completely mangled my data on their records and to the DGT. They gave the wrong passport number and put my Portuguese citizen card instead. Messed up my UK address with several mistakes, no country, misspelled street name and no flat number. Plus, of course, a typo in the driver's license number.
If the letter from DGT reaches me is a miracle from Royal mail.
Good car rental companies are a rarity, if you find one stay loyal. There are a selected few but I haven't found one in mainland Spain yet.

Unacceptable Service – Unwanted Voucher Instead of Refund
​I am extremely disappointed with Centauro's customer support. I cancelled my reservation (Booking Reference: 260816-093243), but instead of returning my money to the original payment card, I was issued an unwanted bonus coupon/voucher.
​I have reached out multiple times through their support form and written directly to their contact emails requesting a full refund to my card, but I have received zero response. Ignoring customers and withholding refunds by forcing store credit is completely unacceptable.
​I request an immediate refund of my money to my payment card. If this issue is not resolved promptly, I will be forced to initiate a chargeback through my bank and report this to the European Consumer Centre.
Serhii Kliepov.

Really strange company.

The rentals I have had with them have been okay, but I have been trying to contact their customer care with an issue and after an initial AI reply with false information, now they are just ignoring my messages.

It's a very strange way indeed to treat a 3x repeat customer, and it doesn't inspire confidence.

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UPDATE:
I responded through the link provided in the Centauro reply to this review. Hilariously, because the review is specifically complaining about the AI customer service that ignores the issues and provides false information, this was the response that arrived immediately....:

"Thank you for contacting Centauro Rent a Car.

We remind you that you can review the FAQs on our website or access the rental conditions.

At this moment, your enquiry is considered resolved. If you still need help, reply to this email so an agent can review your case.

Best regards.

Customer Service"

There seems little point continuing.

Incompetent at best but more likely a scam at Lisbon. DO NOT USE.

I wish I had take more notice of the other poor reviews and warnings.
First thing I noticed at the Lisbon airport depo was the intimidating manner employees circled around returning cars, made me glad I choose to take up their own insurance.
However, that didn’t prevent them from finding other tactics to try “scam” me.
The car was given to me without a parcel shelf in the boot which I didn’t think anything of at the time.
However, upon returning the car I was charged €360 for the missing self without my authorisation. I protested and insisted they review their own CCTV.
After reviewing the manager admitted the shelf didn’t appear to be in the car when it was being cleaned just before being handed over to me.
She said they would inform head office and a refund would be issued but refused to give me written notice of this.
I tried contacting the head office but only receive automated replies and 3 weeks later there has been no refund for the charge or contact from the Centauro.
Also, within 2 days my on-line account had also been disabled (luckily I had saved my documentation).
On top of this the car was given to me without a full tank of petrol (this was explained to me at the desk but never noted in the contract).
Despite this I returned the car with a full tank but the petrol deposit refund I received (after 3 weeks) is short by c. €25, and mo explanation given.

I notice they have been replying on trustpilot with a link to a contact form.
This is the same form to which you only ever receive automated responses and never an actual reply. Don’t be fooled that they’re trying to make things right, its part of the pretence.

Before using them I would question is my experience due to their incompetence, Sharpe practice or a deliberate scam and do you want to deal with a company you can never get a direct response from.

My advice….STAY CLEAR!!

Very disappointing experience with Centauro. The staff were unpleasant and unhelpful.

We were left waiting at the airport while all the other passengers were taken away by shuttle bus - they took only 1 person

On top of that, we were charged an extra €200 for something that was not included or clearly stated in our original agreement from other company they are working with. We were not expecting this charge and felt we had no real choice but to pay it.

Unfortunately, based on our experience, I would not recommend Centauro. Poor customer service, unexpected additional charges, and a very disappointing start to our trip.

Tried multiple times to speak to Centauro about a few problems I had with my trip and they can’t seem to provide an (working) email address or phone number to do so

Scam Warning – Alicante Car Hire

Scammed two young girls whilst visiting Alicante.

I had booked the car for our summer trip and was aware before arriving in Alicante that we would have to pay an additional €104 due to being young drivers, plus a €1,000 deposit for the car, which we understood would be returned at the end of the trip.

However, the representative was extremely pushy and pressured us into taking the “Smart Cover”. He repeatedly told us there was no difference and made us believe that, by choosing this option, we would receive the money back rather than having to pay the €1,000 holding deposit.

We were confused and repeatedly asked him to clarify exactly what the difference was. We specifically asked whether we would receive the money back, and he confirmed that we would. He even wrote down the amount we would receive back, which turned out to be completely false.

At the end of the trip, we only received the €99 fuel deposit back. We did not receive the additional €211.35 that we were told we would.

All of the insurance and cover we required had already been booked through Booking.com. As far as we understood, the only additional payment we should have needed to make was the €104 young driver fee.

Instead, we were charged an additional €310.35 on the day.

The way this was explained to us was completely misleading, and we feel we were deliberately pressured into paying for something we did not understand and were told we would get the money back for.

The biggest issue now is that it is IMPOSSIBLE to get in touch with customer service to properly resolve this.

Please be extremely careful if you are hiring a car in Alicante and are offered the “Smart Cover”. Ask for everything in writing and do not rely on verbal assurances about what money you will receive back.

I rented car at the Alicante office but was unable to leave the airport as it was faulty.

I received a replacement and two days later, I was unable to leave my location due to a fault.

The car was eventually towed back to the office, however as I was unable to drive it, I could not refill the tank.

I was given a replacement car (number 3) to complete my booking, however this process took more than 4 hours and resulted with me missing a very important event.

I advised Centauro and they said that enquiries can only be dealt with once the contract had been completed.

I was charged for not refilling the car, even though it was impossible to do so. I did not have full access to the rental, due to the car being faulty, however despite this and the 5 emails Centauro have not acknowledged my complaints.

The tow truck driver advised that they are often called to retrieve the Fiat 500s that Centauro hire due to a 'known issue'.

I am absolutely disgusted with their behaviour as I have been using Centauro for many years without issue, but having read other reviews it seems that if a problem is encountered, they do not want to acknowledge or take any responsibility.

Cancelled hire and stated I did NOT want a voucher as been caught out before and requested a refund as per their terms and conditions. No response from customer service and voucher issued automatically - now contacted bank to raise a charge back . Please be aware when booking with Centauro

UPDATE- the link that you (AI) have provided is the standard feedback proforma which are totally ignored hence my feedback. I will now need to contact my bank to issue a chargeback. Please treat your loyal customers with some respect!!

UPDATE: Centauro has now responded to my review, but unfortunately their response simply asks me to complete the same form that I already completed when I initially contacted them.

My case is Ticket #00068311, and I already provided screenshots by email showing the discrepancy between the automatic vehicle I selected on the website and the manual vehicle listed in my confirmation email.

I would appreciate it if Centauro could please review the information already submitted under Ticket #00068311, rather than asking me to submit the same information again.

My concern remains the same: I need confirmation that my existing reservation (Voucher #260806-051684) is correctly recorded for an automatic vehicle for pickup at Olbia Airport on October 11.

I am happy to provide any additional information that is actually required, but I would appreciate it if the existing case and information already provided could be reviewed first.

Centauro at Bilbao Airport
Airport collection – On arrival at Bilbao Airport, I had to wait for four shuttle bus runs before there was space for me and my passengers to be collected and taken to the rental facility. This resulted in a delay of approximately 1.5 hours. The shuttle was advertised/expected to run every 10–15 minutes, but in reality it was closer to 20–25 minutes, and with only five passengers per bus, the process was extremely inefficient. (I noted on return the bus was a 8 passenger bus)
Condition of the vehicle – The car was dirty both inside and outside when I collected it. There was also an issue with the rear safety belt, I raised this with the staff member at the time, but my concern was simply dismissed.
Fuel level – The vehicle was not provided with a full tank of fuel, despite this being the expected starting condition.
No windscreen washer fluid – Two days into my journey, I needed to use the windscreen washers and discovered that there was no washer fluid in the vehicle. This is a basic safety and maintenance issue that should have been checked before the car was handed over.
Overdue service warning – During the rental, an overdue service warning appeared on the dashboard. Again, this raises concerns about the basic checks and maintenance carried out before the vehicle was provided to me.
Fuel refund on return – When I returned the vehicle, I had replaced the fuel and returned it with the correct amount. The member of staff who inspected the vehicle confirmed that everything was fine, including the fuel level. Despite this, I subsequently received only a partial refund. I will note the car was park on the slope going into the facility. This was the most expensive i ever paid for Car Hire and i never had to complain about car hire from other brands used previously. Hi Centauro, thank you for your message below. I completed that online form yesterday 18th August before posting to trust pilot. I await your reply and will update this review with your response.