CarTrawler
Reviews and Complaints

I booked and paid in full for a return car from Phuket airport on 25/12/16 and return from hotel to airport on 04/01/17 and no car turned up at either venue despite receiving text messages from them telling me where to wait ! I waited at the airport ... no car I called the telephone number on my booking and was told they couldn't find any record of my booking and to get a taxi at my own expense and they would reimburse me. What a joke ! They also never showed up for the return journey. This debacle has now been going on for over 6 weeks now with cartrawler emailing generic emails stating 'they are trying to find a resolution' to my query. What query ... they took my money and did not provide a service and they will not answer my emails now nor will they refund my money!

To whom it may concern, I booked a car transfert from Bcn to my hotel on Friday, February 10th. The shuttle's driver never showed up, I stood up at the airport for two hours, called the nimber provided with my voucher and no one would answer. What a disrespectful behavior! I sent an email to complain and to ask for a refund. So far, i have received no reply! I try to cancel another booking on the portal. Obviously it's impossible. To me, it's clearly a fraud !

Angela steadman ref-gb655310970 and gb656041890. I booked a car hire on line through your company cartrawaler on 22/06/16. Which wouldnt authorise on my debited card so I did it again which worked 2nd time. The dates were for 22/06/16 to 29/06/16. When I checked my bank statement I had been charged twice one on 23/06/16 for 172.07 euro and again on 28/06/16 for 184.13 euro. I have sent about 10 emails to your customer care department and the last reply I had was on the 13/07/16 from tiaman asking for a screenshot of my charges which I sent him, but since then I havent had a reply. Could you please look into this matter and let me know asap what is happening. Thank you, angela steadman.

I booked what I thought was through Norwegian Air Loyalty a Car Rental for my trip to Portugal. It was a bit confusing as it redirected me to this site which just says "powered by" just like Sabre. Regardless I booked my trip and printed the confirmation out and was on my way. The voucher lists the pick up and drop off locations at Sixt and who to contact. When I needed to modify my booking I called Sixt directly and shortened it from 9/24 to 9/27. They said to check for refund when I returned as Norwegian only has a Norwegian number to call! They then directed me to Cartrawler who said there was nothing I could do because I was supposed to call them. I have pictures of the booking. THE PHONE NUMBER to call is on the 7th page of booking at very bottom of page in gray and says simply "phone no [protected]" Nothing about policy, that the line is for customer service etc. I reached out to them via phone email etc. and they said they cannot do anything and that Sixt prob still charged them for those days so they cant give me a refund or credit. DO NOT PREPAY WITH THEM OR WORK WITH THEM. Their team is rude, unapologetic and their user interface is misleading!

Misleaded by a link on the SWISS internet site I booked a car for Brindisi Airport with cartrawler. Giving the impression of a package deal with some minor additional charges, I paid € 340.- in advance to cartrawler. In Brindisi the Rental Agreement was made with europcar.
On the final invoice I had to notice that cartrawler had transferred to europcar the amount of € 242.- . The difference of € 98.- (29%) has evaporated in this can of worms in Ireland. What for? Mail and phone communications were not efficient and arguments not stringent. The promised call from the CEO I never received……

I rented a vehicle online in May 2016. I was going to be visiting friends in the UAE and whilst making my booking on the Emirates Airline website, I saw that they endorse Cartrawler so I blindly trusted that if Emirates Air endorse them they should be better than trying to make a booking via any of the other car rental companies. WRONG

I made the mistake of landing a day after I was supposed to pick up the car from EuropCar (should have gone to EuropCar directly) and the kind gentleman said I should have picked up a day earlier and now they do not have cars.

I was stuck in Dubai and had to phone a friend in Al Ain to drive through and pick me up. Exactly what I tried not to do as my friend is old and not in good health.

The guy at Europcar said that they cannot deal with any queries done with online bookings and that I should take it up with Cartrawler. I tried for the next 9 days to get in touch with them without any luck.

I am still trying to get them to respond to me, 3 months later.

I need a refund for the $149.46 that I paid them and got nothing for.

I booked a car rental today with cartrawler.com. I tried to cancel the same booking within 30 mins from booking the rental car. I have since had to make 3 phone calls to AVIS car rental to try and cancel as cartrawler.com's website did NOT allow me to cancel the booking online - it returns to the same page - last step in the cancelations process and does not proceed any further. FINALLY had to google to find an actual contact number to call cartrawler.com directly as NO CONTACT details on their website! I finally managed to contact someone to cancel the booking. What is final outcome - I will be charged R850 cancellation fee for trying to cancel a booking 30 minutes after making said booking. THIS COMPANY is appalling and their customer service is unacceptable. I will never rent a car from this website ever again. If there are any South African trying to rent from this website - you can reach cartrawler.com at [protected] when things go south.

The service is unfortunately not adequate when working with Green Motion in London Stansted:
1) web-site and voucher do not specify the closing time, as a consequence i was left without car because "i was late", pity that the concept of "late" is not specified anywhere (nor in the website that enables any time renting, nor in the voucher);
2) your partner green motion has a terrible agreement with the shuttle provider that considers green motion customer as a liability to take in;
3) green motion has virtually no customer care, only a recorded voice, on the other hand, cartrawler has an answering customer care, after 3 calls trying to book another car i gave up, it was impossible to get a car as it was too late...unfortunately the customer care only gives you the numbers to call to rent a car, does not rent it for you.
Please find more reliable partner if you don't want to lose clients.

Yesterday morning I made a car rental reservation through CarTrawler. 12 hours later I went to go pick up the car and Dollar Car rental refused to rent me the car claiming my son made the reservations not me. I had added my son as a driver so I thought. Both my son and I pulled out or drivers license, and credit cards but because my son was 21 and only had a debt card they refused to rent the car to me even though I had already paid for prepaid for the rental with my credit card to CarTrawler. We called Cartrawler and let them know there was obviously a misunderstanding and I not my son made the reservation and asked if they could fix it so we could rent the car we paid for. Cartrawler refused to help claiming I did not give them a 24 hour notice and it was not their problem. I asked Dollar Car rental what could I do and they said just cancel the reservation and make a new one. All that needed to be done was change one word on the contact and cartrawler refused to do anything to help and have now stolen my money. I asked to speak with a manager and they said one would call me and I have not heard anything and can no longer get a hold of anyone at Cartrawler. I have never heard of any business that could care less of a product or service they sold you and not refund your money when they do not give you what you paid for. I am 100% sure now this company has no business integrity. That would not correct a name on my contract, would do absolutely nothing to help me get what I paid them for, then stole my money and refused to communicate with me. How any business could do something like this and still exist just blows my mind. All I asked Cartrawler to do was change a first name on my contract which wasn't even 14 hrs old yet and they refused to help me and claimed I didn't give them a 24 hour notice. Dollar Car rental would not rent me the car and Cartrawler took my money. This is the most upfront honest information I can provide and no one will help me.

I placed a reservation and had never used this particular card online at all. Within one day, my account was hacked for over $6000. My bank had to immediately discontinue my card and mail me another one. I was working out of town, and my bank is a local bank to my home. Although I had paid for the car, cartrawler would not let me get the car because they needed an active card and I had not yet received mine. This is understandable to me. BUT, for a $94 rental, THEY KEPT $65 OF MY $94 FOR AN ADMINISTRATIVE FEE! Really?

I had the worst customer service experience ever from this company. I would NEVER recommend this company to anyone.
I attempted to rent a car through this company. Only to realize that the price that was advertised would not be the final price. Upon check out I realized that there would be an additional payment due upon pick up of our rental car. The final price would end up being much more expensive than going through another rental company. I immediately tried to cancel the reservation online, however I due to my computer settings I was unable to cancel the reservation online. To find Cartrawler's contact phone number on the their website is almost impossible. I finally became so frustrated that I could not cancel the reservation, I contacted Dollar Rental company, the car rental company that was renting me the car, to cancel the reservation. I was told by the first two operators that I had to cancel the reservation online, which I explained to them I was trying to do, unsuccessfully. They put me on hold and I was hung up on. I called them back a third time, explained the problem and was told that they would cancel the reservation on my behalf. Well, that didn't happen, upon return from our vacation I was slapped with $149US charge on my credit card, for a rental I never picked up.
I immediately contacted Dollar Rental Car, they directed me to Cartrawler, then the month long emails back and forth began. From the time I first contacted Cartrawler I was given the runaround. I emailed them everything they required, only to hear back in the end that they would only partially refund me my money. $65US to be exact, which is almost $100 Canadian. They had in fact received the cancellation message from Dollar Rental Car that same day I had made the reservation, however they sent me the small print in their email stating I was required to cancel my reservation online with their company directly. I would have if my computer would have allowed me to. It would have been helpful if Dollar Rental car company had provided me with Cartrawler's phone number so I could have contacted them directly.
In my attempts to get a refund, I had to contact Cartrawler numerous times by phone (once I finally found their phone number) and each time I spoke to someone new, they told me that the previous person I spoke to had not entered the information I had provided the last time.
I cannot stress this enough. Do NOT use this company. It's not worth the hassle and headache, even if you think you're saving a few bucks!

Booking reference number : it534701010, date 12-july-2015, request a refund. Sudden urgent business trip for 2days to italy. While booking at cartrawler system (Via malpensaairport official web, indicating drivers name of my husband) I paid by my credit card, and the swift has been done immediately. When arrived to rental desk, I found that my husband didn't have credit card on his name with himself (It has been lost). We asked politely to change the driver's name onto my name as first and his name as second driver - what could be more easier to change 2words (Especially when booking done - it was not fixed any driver's licence numbers, nothin, whatever). Moreover when got the copy of booking - there were no info about forbidden changes of drivers names, just big red letters not to forget the printed copy of reservation. The reservation/booking is not a contract for renting, just booking, can't understand why it was not changed, and the carrental officer didn't help us, he only said plenty of times: sorry madam, we are not able to help you and even not abe to make new booking. How that could ever be possible in 21st century, meaning that cartrawler got full payment (+i paid extras for useless insurance also immediately while booking, and could not even cancel it) ! When I understood that is nonsense to stay at rentaldesk, I immediatelly started to check what to do and how to cancel the booking, knowing that withoutcancellation fee 24hours before renting, and if one day - than 50euro is cancellation fee. I have emailed several times: at 23:26, 23:30, 23:33, first two times I got the reply that the message has been not delivered. The negative point is that the navigation at the car trawler web has been created in a sense - hidden button of booking cancellation, no any emails indicated, and same situation when we get the booking confirmation - there were no any link for cancellation of reservations. I feel myself diddled. I never get such experience in my life, but travelling quite often.
Today I have minus 176euro on my account for useless car trawler system, no any services provided. The car which I paid staid 2days not used! No any proper replies, except robotic replies and status closed of my claims (Each time I create new claim on web, emails are ignored, they robo-reply, and make it closed). Losses of more than 500euro for another car at different carrental, because could not stay overnight at airport. I really can't understand how that could be possible? All companies are not ideal, its abput how the company solve the problems. Cartrawler doesn't solve, just gets money. But you are providing broker's services, you should be 10times better than others, only in this way clients will come back / I feel myself cheated, and is veryvery unpleasant feeling. I would prefer better to transfer that small amount to the children's community for books or whatever...
Do your findings yourself about car trawler company, please google more feedback about it, you will find many interesting "satisfaction" about its services..

Completely unethical travel company. I had booked a car with them during trip to Malaga. The car rental company thru Cartrawler was Marbella. Marbella just refused to honour the car trawler voucher. They said it is agents commission! So I had to forgo Euro 38 and ended paying Euro 76.50 for two days. I had booked on 13 April to 15 April 2015. Car trawler was booked thru Airticktes Ltd. Marbella gave me a car with 88000 kms! Useless car...

Airtickets Ltd. Your reservation reference is ES286368620.

Unbelievable.
So... I accidentally book through these guys like an internet idiot because they are splashing Dollar-Rent-A-Car logos everywhere. So much for being a tech/internet lawyer for 20 years - still made this simple error. Anyways, find out I booked with them and then need to move my 3 day rental one day earlier (pick up one day earlier, drop off one day earlier). Call CarTrawler customer service...and the rep tells me "Due to this being a high demand vehicle, your change of moving your reservation a day earlier will be an additional $500. Would you like to go ahead and make that charge." My response "Absolutely not". I go back to Dollar.com, book the revised dates, save money.
Yes folks, the rental rate for make a last minute rental at Dollar was $114. I go back to CarTrawler...we will cancel your reservation but it will be an extra $31 processing fee. Best $31 dollars I ever spent :)
The fact is, their unethical pricing model probably works, and I am sure that they have a bright P&L ahead of them -- ugh.

I made a fully-prepaid rental car reservation via CarTrawler. Reservation sheet clearly mentions that no pay needs to be made at the destination and detailed description about what is included in the plan. However, after I returned the car, this US rental car company Dollar has billed me for exactly the same item such as GPS, taxes, airport fee, insurances that were already included in the reservation and prepaid. My credit account has been billed for the same items twice.
Of course I made a complaint to Cartrawler and got a response that they will make as quick action as possible, but I have not heard from them ever since.
I post this issue here hoping that anybody can tell me a lower or governmental consumer center who can help me make this issue right.

cartrawler will take the money from your visa and then disappear. They don't have any contact information on their website, no email and no chat service. They only have international land line phone numbers which will cost you a fortune because they will keep transferring you from a department to another. The operators will not solve your problem. Cartrawler is just a supplier. When you go to any rent car office and present your cartrawler booking they will get angry and tell you to ask for a refund which is something impossible.
Again, i still insist in taking a full refund because it is their mistake not mine, but unfortunately no contact information.

I live in Australia and booked a car hire through the Virgin Australia website which turned out to be through their "trusted partner" Cartrawler. My credit card was deducted 872 AUD yet I received absolutely no confirmation of my booking. The website put me back to the main page after I provided my details and clicked submit. My bank has confirmed the amount has been deducted and I have nothing to show for it.
I cannot contact cartrawler as their bookings management page requires you to have your reservation number. I have managed to find an email for the company only to have the response that it is not to be used for customer enquiries and to go to the website and enter my reservation number to proceed. I see there is a Dublin number for head office but being in Australia this is a last resort. I have since read appalling reviews of car trawler online of horrendous dealings people have had. All I want is to be able to communicate with them so I can request the most basic of needs: I just need my booking confirmation, my car rental voucher and reservation number. At this stage I am out of pocket almost 900 Aussie dollars and NOTHING to show for it and no way I contact them. It's fraudulent and farcical behaviour on car trawlers behalf.
They will not recognise me or my request and that is criminal.
Please help!

Can you help me?

I agreed to hire a car from Cartrawler in Warsaw, Poland on 2nd July. The period was from 7th October to 11th October.

Due to Ryanair changing my departure airport I’ve had to change my car hire pick-up and return time and location, and also return the car a day earlier. I informed Cartrawler of this and requested a change.

However on 27th July they increased their charges from €119.23 to €141.84 and the excess from €125.00 to €250.00 for this change of time and location. That same day I asked them by e-mail for an explanation as to why the increases in their charges even though I was returning the car into the city centre and a day earlier? Having had no reply by 31st July I cancelled the car hire order and demanded the return of my €21.78 deposit and informed them they had no permission from me to take any further monies from my credit card due to their contemptuous and greedy attitude. To this day I still have not had my deposit back.

Cartrawler’s contemptuous attitude and greed have dismayed me and cannot be left unnoticed for the sake of other unwary and potentially misfortunate customers of Cartrawler.

Can you help me with the return of my deposit of €21.78 and highlight Cartrawlers business ethics?

Yours truly

GERALD WARREN

Cartrawler cancels booking without notification without notice, blaming it on safety concerns on credit card, even if amount is already withdrawn from your account. I booked car to be ready in Bangkok airport, at arrival no car there, after contacting car rental company, they informed me Cartrawler had cancelled. Do to this I had to book directly with rental company, refund from Cartraler less do to exchange rate changes, car rental higher, and wasted 2 hours before getting car. They might give you cheaper car once, but only headache next time. Using these guys is not recommended if you want to be at a point at the right time.
They might just be speculating in exchange rate!
Kim, Malaysia.