MADRID–BARAJAS AIRPORT CAR RENTAL REVIEWS

This Europcar branch is awful, they seriously discriminate against Asians. Watch out for them, avoid at all costs. You'll regret choosing them.

The car was very new and the price was great value.

I thought it was a small rental company, but the car return process was very smooth.

Madrid Airport T1, the store is easy to find, the staff speaks good English, and the fees were explained clearly. They didn’t push additional insurance after knowing I already purchased one.

Terrible car, suddenly showed DEF LOW one day, had to spend time fixing it, ruined the whole day's plan.

The provided vehicle was old and full of scratches. During a 5-day rental, we had to stop at a highway service area to refuel. After parking for about ten minutes, the vehicle wouldn't start due to its own issues. Following coordination with the car rental platform, we exchanged the vehicle at a Lisbon branch, but this delay caused a 7-hour interruption. On May 29, we returned the car on time in Madrid. The vehicle breakdown caused a 7-hour delay, leading to significant panic and anxiety. Not only did we receive no compensation, but one week and three weeks after the return, 1700 euros were deducted from my credit card twice. This rental company provides poor quality vehicles and is very dishonest. During the vehicle exchange in Lisbon, the staff prohibited recording and threatened to sue us if we did.

We needed a small car for a short trip, but when we arrived 30 minutes early at the car rental company, they told us there were no cars available. They offered an upgrade for an additional 20 euros per day or we could wait for more than half an hour. Since an automatic car is more convenient, we accepted the upgrade. Hertz has always provided good cars, and this time it was a car with just over 10,000 kilometers on it. It worked great over the past few days. Returning the car was also easy, no issues with insurance. We returned the car a day early due to a change in plans and asked if we could get some discount for that, they agreed initially but didn't give any discount in the end.

They gave me a Toyota CHR hybrid when I picked up the car. It was fuel-efficient and only used half a tank over two weeks. The Echo tag also offered a 25% discount on parking fees in Madrid's city center, which was very convenient.

The staff are very professional.

Shortly after returning the car, I received an additional bill from the rental company claiming the car was scratched and demanded compensation. Fortunately, I had taken photos when renting the car, proving the scratch was already there. Currently, I'm still in dispute with the rental company.

Staff quality varies.

We rented a car for three days, but after driving it for just one day, the car broke down on the highway due to a malfunctioning cylinder. We had to wait by the roadside for almost an hour before the rental company arranged a taxi to take us back to the hotel. On the third day, we were told to go to the nearest location that had the necessary replacement vehicle, which was a 50-minute drive away. The rental company arranged a taxi to take us to the Avis branch. After waiting for half an hour, the staff at the branch informed us that our reservation had been canceled the previous day. There was no car available for replacement and we would have to place a new order if we needed a vehicle. They claimed they had no idea why we were sent there and didn’t know who arranged the taxi for us. Essentially, nobody knew anything and nothing could be verified. The service attitude from the rental company depended on the representative; initially, one staff member told me that since our contract was with the branch, we needed to resolve any issues directly with them. But I had paid all the rental fees to the 'rent a car' app! Later, another representative called, claiming to be a customer service specialist, and said they would help coordinate a solution. As of now, aside from the full payment already made for the first car, we also paid entirely out-of-pocket for the second car. The rental period was from July 14th to 17th. To this day, I haven't received any response regarding the issue. Staff at car rental companies in Spain generally don’t speak English, and the 'rent a car' customer service doesn't speak Spanish. If I ever rent a car in Spain again, I would directly book with a major rental company to avoid unnecessary complications and to ensure faster resolution of any issues (since third-party services seem to be of no help).

Satisfied

Make sure to take videos at each spot to avoid getting scammed.

Very good

Very satisfied, the staff speaks slowly to communicate with you

Very satisfied, the car return inspection was completed in just two to three minutes.

The car rental company is very responsible. When picking up the car, the staff recorded any newly discovered scratches on the rental form. The A3's trunk space was sufficient; I easily fit a 26-inch suitcase, a 22-inch suitcase, and a handbag.

I purchased full insurance and informed them I didn't need additional coverage, but they still added tire and glass insurance. I arrived early but couldn't pick up the car early. I was sick and had to wait for a long time. Eventually, I got frustrated and quickly finished the process to take the car.

Pick-up and drop-off were very smooth. The staff were professional and communicated well in English!