Centauro complaints: form, phone and deposit refund

Centauro complaints: official channels

The company is CENTAURO RENT A CAR, S.L.U., tax ID B03965506, according to its legal notice. If you booked through a broker website, Centauro says some matters (payments, refunds or the price breakdown) must be handled with that website.

The vehicle check and damage charges at Centauro

• Check at the return: according to its terms, the return is completed after its staff have made a full check, and any damage is noted on the contract. You can ask for a vehicle inspection with a member of staff. Do so, and photograph whatever they note.
• Damage price list: Centauro's terms refer to its damage price list for Spain (in Spanish; revision B, 17/04/2025), which sets an amount per part and distinguishes minor from serious damage. If you are charged for damage, check that the part and the severity match that list.
• Excess: with the standard option, you are liable for damage up to the excess in your contract. Its Smart cover removes the excess and the deposit.
• Exclusions: its terms list damage that can be charged in full under the standard option, including damage to tyres, door locks and windows.
• Accidents: after a collision or damage, Centauro asks you to notify it within 48 hours and, where possible, provide the accident report, a police report or a description of what happened.

How to dispute a Centauro damage charge

1. Find the charge notice. Centauro says charges made after the return are emailed to the address you gave when booking, and you can see payments and invoices in your account.
2. Gather the return contract with the damage noted, and your photos or videos from pick-up and return. See our guide to disputing hire car damage.
3. Compare the amount with the damage price list: the part, and minor or serious.
4. Send your complaint through the form, with your booking number, what you dispute and the outcome you want. You can start from our complaint letter template.
5. Keep a copy of what you sent and of the reply.

Deposit at Centauro

Unless you take Smart cover, Centauro takes a deposit on your credit card for the excess. Its help centre says it is released when the car is returned and checked for new damage, and its terms say the card is refunded at the end of the hire within approximately 10 days. If you still don't have it after that, ask for written confirmation and see our guides to the deposit and to card holds that aren't released.

Fuel at Centauro

Centauro asks for the value of the fuel at pick-up; its help centre gives amounts from €70 to €250 depending on the model.

• Full-Empty: you don't need to refuel before returning the car. Its terms say that once the car is returned, Centauro refunds the unused fuel, based on the level it was delivered with.
• Equal-Equal: you pay for the fuel in the tank at pick-up; any fuel left at the return is refunded, up to what you paid.

Either way, Centauro says you get back the fuel you don't use. If you don't see that refund on your invoice, claim it with a photo of the fuel gauge at the return.

Cleaning and fines: what its terms say

• Cleaning: if the car is returned dirtier than normal use would explain, the extra cleaning charge is €100, "against evidence of the cost of the service provided". If you are charged, ask for that evidence.
• Fines: Centauro charges a €40 penalty for each fine notified in Spain, Portugal and Greece, and its terms say you are entitled to a refund of that penalty if a later administrative or court decision cancels the fine. If you appeal successfully, claim the €40 back too.

If Centauro doesn't reply or rejects your complaint

• Consumer bodies in Spain: Centauro's own claims information refers you to the municipal consumer information office for your home address or, if there isn't one, the regional consumer authority. Spain's Ministry of Consumer Affairs explains the official channels (in Spanish).
• No arbitration: the same document states Centauro's formal opposition to mediation or arbitration, and its terms also rule out the Transport Arbitration Board. Don't count on those routes.
• Official complaint form: according to Spain's Ministry of Consumer Affairs, if a business has official complaint forms (hojas de reclamaciones) you have the right to ask for one, and it must give you a stamped copy. Ask at the desk if the problem arises there.
• If you live in the EU, Iceland or Norway: the European Consumer Centre in your own country can help with a dispute with a trader in another of these countries. If you live in the UK, the UK International Consumer Centre can help.
• Your card issuer: if your card was charged an amount that was not fixed when you gave it as a guarantee, and it is more than you could reasonably have expected, you may be able to ask your card issuer for a refund within eight weeks of the charge. This comes from articles 76 and 77 of the EU Payment Services Directive and, for UK cards, regulations 79 and 80 of the Payment Services Regulations 2017.

How does Centauro compare with other companies? See our comparison of ten car hire companies in Spain: deposits, deadlines to dispute damage, fuel and conciliation.

Common questions about Centauro complaints

What is Centauro's complaints phone number?

On its official pages, the complaints route is the contact form. Its legal notice also gives +34 966 360 360 and legalinquiries@centauro.net as company contacts. Always complain in writing so you have a record.

How long does Centauro take to return the deposit?

Its terms say the card is refunded at the end of the hire within approximately 10 days.

Can I be there when they check the car?

Yes. Its terms say you can ask for a vehicle inspection with a member of staff.

Can I take Centauro to consumer arbitration?

Centauro states that it opposes mediation and arbitration, so that route is not available unless it agrees in your case. Go to a consumer office or, if needed, the courts.