CarTrawler Reviews

Name: CarTrawler
Rating: 1.10

1.1 Rating 81 Reviews

2 %

of reviewers recommend CarTrawler

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1.1

Based on 81 reviews

Shipping & Delivery
Delivery Methods	Own Driver
Customer Service
Communication Channels	Telephone, Live Chat, Email

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CarTrawler 1 star review on 30th April 2024

Matthew Monley

CarTrawler 1 star review on 23rd December 2023

Anonymous

Anonymous // 01/01/2019

Sort by: Most Recent Most Recent Highest Rated Filter: None None 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Stars Helpful

“DEFINITELY THERE ARE COMPANIES THAT ARE DEDICATED TO LOOKING FOR A MINIMUM DETAIL SO THEY CAN STEAL YOUR BEACH, AND carTrawler IS ONE OF THEM. I CAN'T BELIEVE I BOOKED WITH THEM FOR MY TRIP TO MEXICO, AFTER BOOKING I REALIZE THAT THEY ASK FOR $7000 DOLLARS DEPOSIT WHEN RENTING THE CAR AT THE COUNTER, I CHECK WITH THEM AND MAKE THEM EXPLAIN TO ME AND TELL THEM WHAT OTHER OPTION THEY HAVE, AND FROM PAYING $198 IN MY RESERVATION THEY OFFERED ME TO PAY $598 + AND PAY AT THE COUNTER A DEPOSIT OF $750 WHICH I THOUGHT WAS SUPER EXPENSIVE BUT WAS MY ONLY OPTION. AS THE DATE WAS APPROACHING I HAD NO OTHER OPTION BUT TO PAY THE DIFFERENCE. I ARRIVED AT THE CANCUN AIRPORT TO PICK UP MY RENTAL CAR AND WHEN I PRESENTED ALL MY DOCUMENTS WITH MY NAME ON THEM AND THEY WERE GOING TO MAKE THE DEPOSIT OF $750 THE POINT OF SALE BLOCKED MY CARD, SO I HAD TO USE MY FRIEND'S CARD AND THEY MADE ME PAY THE FULL RATE AGAIN WITH A DIFFERENT CARD AT THE AIRPORT AT THE RENTAL CAR OFFICE, THEY TELL ME THAT carTrawler WILL REFUND THE FULL FEE PAID, I ASK FOR REFUND AND THEY ONLY REFUND ME $54, I CALLED TO CLAIM AND GET MY MONEY BACK AND THEY TOLD ME THEY WILL NOT REFUND ME ANYTHING. IN THE END EVERYTHING CAME OUT TO ME AT $1398 SINCE AT THE AIRPORT THEY MADE ME PAY A LITTLE MORE SINCE I HAD TO UPDATE MY RESERVATION. THEY ARE DEFINITELY SCAMMERS, I RECOMMEND THAT YOU DO NOT USE BROKER INTERMEDIARIES BECAUSE THEY DO NOT GIVE YOU A SOLUTION AND THEY KEEP YOUR MONEY. I STILL WAITING FOR MY $598 THAT THEY STOLE FROM ME. SCAMMERS SCAMMERS SCAMMERS SCAMMERS THEY DON'T EVEN DESERVE TO HAVE A STAR, THEY ARE OPPORTUNISTS.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“Due to unforeseen circumstances (their fault also, but that’s another story), I could not pick up my rental vehicle when I arrived to collect it. The guy at the desk asked if I wished to cancel then, to which I obviously replied with ‘yes’. On eventually tracking down the top tier culprits, I asked for my refund, but I have now been told, either due to blatant lies, or communication ineptitude, that it was never cancelled, therefore I ams not enititled to my £179 back! This seems to me like an issue between the gangsters Cartrawler and Budget, who were the actual supposed suppliers. I feel like they have committed daylight robbery, and they simply do not care.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“Refund, customer service. If I do not get my refund today cleared in my preferred bank account FNB then I'm taking this so much further. Making up sick excuses as to why you didn't refund and then you go and re open the case but ignore me! Case nr 02406210 Nicky Currie 062 170 1894”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“They operate via the Holiday Autos name too. I ended up with them via SWOODOO, which was very disappointing since I always had good experiences with them and trusted them. I won’t go through the details but mine is pretty much the same story you read here over and over. They found a escuse to not give the car and kept the whole amount, got it back via charge back with the bank. I seriously don’t know how they let them do business, they are clearly a scam company. Just write the review so it pops up when someone else in the future goes through the same and maybe help them fight back 🙂”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“NO POINT IN BOOKING CAR HIRE VIA EASYJET/CARTRAWLER AS YOU END UP DEALING WITH HIRE COMPANY OR INSURANCE UNDERWRITER WITH NO HELP IF THERE ARE ISSSUES. Booked Hire Car with flights via EasyJet who outsource car hire to CarTrawler, who used Hertz. Booked with additional insurance to avoid charges for damage, which I have found many hire companies try to claim irrespective of damage being present. When returning the car to Hertz, nobody to collect, so put keys in keybox. Noticed a week after getting home an additional charge on my CC from Hertz. Seems they claimed there was damage, but also said I agreed to it at drop-off and signed forms!! Contacted Car Trawler, who got the claim details from Hertz, but then said they were only a broker and couldn't challenge the claim as they are not at desk. I was directed to AXA who underwrite the EasyJet insurance to try and recover my money. Pointless booking through EasyJet/CarTrawler or paying for additional insurance as they add no value. Down to the customer to sort out!”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“I am sharing this in hopes that other consumers will read it BEFORE not doing business with these scammers. I booked a car to which I paid a premium insurance, only to find out that the rental company will still secure a $2,250 deposit on my credit card and they will use the ENTIRE amount if the car gets any scratches or dents. When I asked them to cancel the useless policy they said it needed to be cancelled more than 24 hours prior to the rental period, ignoring that I booked the rental only 2 h in advance. I wasn't informed of none of the important facts - that they need 2,250$ security deposit and that I can't cancel the policy if I don't needed it. I will NEVER do business again with these scammers!”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“Hey there! Quick warning about CarTrawler: It's all about keeping things simple. The bottom line? They only take credit cards. Don't forget, otherwise you will lose your money! 🚗💳 Important Notice - Beware of Car Trawler's Inflexible Payment Policy Dear Fellow Travelers, I feel compelled to share a recent experience I had with Car Trawler, in order to raise awareness and spare others from potential inconvenience and frustration. My intention is to provide valuable information that might influence your decisions when choosing a car rental provider for your travel needs. During my attempt to rent a car through Car Trawler, I encountered an unexpectedly rigid and inflexible payment policy. The company exclusively accepts credit cards as a payment method, with no alternative options available, such as debit cards. This policy, in my opinion, reflects a lack of consideration for the diverse range of customers who may have varying preferences or constraints when it comes to payment methods. By imposing such an inflexible payment policy, Car Trawler has demonstrated a lack of customer-centricity and the willingness to accommodate the needs of its customers. This experience served as a stark reminder of the importance of thoroughly researching a company's policies before committing to a service, as inflexibility can lead to unexpected roadblocks and inconvenience. For those who rely on debit cards or other payment methods, it might be wise to explore alternative car rental providers that offer more flexible options.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“The rental car company (Firefly rental car) tricked me into buying a insurance I had no need of, after Cartrawler had sold me one in advance. I was never informed at the rental desk about any extra insurance. I had in advance payed Cartrawler for a premium insurance, and thereby I was in no need of another one. The clerk at the counter circled out all the 0 EUR outstanding costs, and never mentioned anything about a insurance. While in the rental agreement the costs of it were hidden by using abbreviations and small text. After the rental they withdrew over 200 EUR (!) for a 7-day insurance, and since I signed the rental agreement, neither Cartrawler or Firefly are willing to refund this amount. In my eyes this is fraud put together by both companies!”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“Booked via EasyJet. They hid a requirement for an international license in the fine print for picking up a rental car in Italy and wouldn't issue a refund when the vendor would not release the vehicle. For context, both my wife and I used to live in Europe and go there at least once a year. We rent cars every year in Europe. We rented a car in Sardinia 2 years ago. We rented a car in this instance, one desk over from where our car rental with car trawler was supposed to be picked up, with no problem and only our US license.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“Car Trawler cannot be trusted. Dont accept what they offer at face value. Best to go with a more reputable Company Car Trawler advertised a special offer for second driver to go free. On this basis I bought the package. On return to the airport the car Firm DOLLAR, part of Hertz I think, refused to remove a £79 bill on my card. They said the offer was from Car Trawler and they dont accept such deals I had to fill out all the paperwork to Car Trawler, spoke to Agent who confirmed mt special offer, which I copies again to Car Trawler. They also wanted evidence of the charge on my card which I provided to them Nearly one month on they are still saying they are investigating matters and were not at the airport when we returned the vehicle!! What a ridiculous statement They have all the clear evidence they need but are acting appallingly and delaying payment Dont trust them, dont go with them”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“I will never book again, coming to the rental company at Malaga, the Creditcard was not sufficient because my first name was missing on the card. Booking was cancelled no refund. Because it was impossible to make an deposit. The booking was taken from the same card 2 weeks before. I call this steeling from your customers.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“If I could, I would give it 0 stars. What can you expect from a company that hides behind their policies to scam their users? We showed up with a credit card in PHYSICAL, with a sum of 3000 euros (as it appears in their mandatory documents) and they did not want to rent the car because it could not be done with a prepaid credit card, which does not appear in any of their policies. Now they have 800 euros out of our pocket. DON'T GET SCAMMED, AND DON'T USE THIS SITE.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“I had a reservation for a rental in January at 2pm, when I arrived at 2pm the company was closed. Cartrawler is declining the refund and I’m out of money for a service I didn’t receive. There should be a way that we can report this company and have them shut down. When I find a small claims court, I’m definitely suing them.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“Refused to give a refund despite three separate attempts. Totally DISHONEST company. A complete FRAUD!”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“SCAM!!! DO NOT USE!!! Book directly with the car rental company after you search. Do not use car trawler under any circumstances. I booked a car at the airport and when I arrived it was closed. Car trawler told me “it’s not our problem if they close before you land”. They won’t even offer compensation of a taxi journey to cover my route to the hotel for one day. Disgusting customer service and have taken legal action. Reading other reviews it’s obvious this company won’t last much longer based on how corrupt they are. SCUM!”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“absolutely the worst rental car broker and app, with hidden fees and no ability to change reservations unless you pay additional service fees. I have been renting cars for business travel for 30yrs, and this is the worst experinece ever.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“You receive your rate after changing to GBP. You then go to book the car and it is at the point when you start putting your home address in and the rate changes!! Remembering that you have asked for the rate in GBP.... The format and rate of the car is automatically set to an address input of Ireland. Once you change and input your home address and in my case the UK, this is when the rate dramatically increases by nearly £300 and all because of the taxes!!! Their website needs sorting out and when you adjust from Euro to GBP at this point you should be able to add that you are from the UK as opposed to seeing a cheaper rate as if your residency is Ireland.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“Lost money and nerve!!! Booked a taxi transfer from hotel Augusti to Barcelona Airport on 30 January 2023 and paid for the ride in advance. But the cab never came to pick us up!!! We waited for 20 minites while calling the CARTAWLER “assistance desk”. The desk was not able to contact a driver too, so we had to catch another cab on the street and to pay extra in addition to the full price of CARTAWLER transfer service which was never delivered to us. After that I forwarded a claim to CARTAWLER with a view to get my money back. They replied that the consideration process takes 20 working days, however they never contacted me again. IT’S A SCAM!!!”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“They charged my visa debit for entire amount online at KLM website. When I showed up to get the car, they refused to use the same debit car for a deposit and refused to give the car. Also refused a refund as they said it was in their terms. Watch out when using a debit card with these scammers. Date of experience: March 27, 2023”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“Do not and I say do not even give a thought about trying to get a car from this company. You would set up yourself for the worst miserable experience in your life time for renting a car and that is including third world countries rental experiences !”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

CarTrawler is rated 1.1 based on 81 reviews