Goldcar complaints: phone, email and deposit refund

Goldcar complaints: official channels

These are the channels Goldcar publishes for hires in Spain:

The company named in Goldcar's terms is GOLDCAR SPAIN S.L.U., tax ID B-03403169. Its customer service page lists no separate line for English speakers, so use the contacts above and write in English if you prefer.

If you hired outside Spain, check your contract to see which company hired you the car. Goldcar operates in other countries through other companies, with their own terms and contacts.

How Goldcar handles damage under its own terms

Goldcar's terms and conditions for Spain (September 2026 revision) describe the procedure. Knowing it helps you ask for the right things:

• Damage found with you there: if you accept it by signing the return declaration, Goldcar later invoices the repair, the time the car is off the road and an administrative charge. You don't have to sign if you disagree.
• Damage found without you (an out-of-hours return or a return without you present): Goldcar must send you the return declaration with a description of the damage, images of it and an estimate of the repair cost. You have 14 days to dispute it by writing to csdamages@goldcar.com with any evidence you have.
• Accident Processing Charge (DAF): unless you took Relax, Super Relax or Mega Relax cover, Goldcar charges €50 for handling new damage beyond its "complimentary" allowance.

The return standard: what Goldcar counts as wear

Goldcar grades damage using its return standard, «Estándar devolución vehículos» (in Spanish). Some criteria you can check against your photos:

• Scratches, scuffs or dents under 2 cm on bodywork or plastic: Goldcar treats them as wear ("courtesy" damage).
• Level 1: 2 to 5 cm. Level 2: over 5 cm, up to 40% of the part. Level 3: serious damage to more than 40% of the part, or broken parts.
• Windscreen: a chip counts as repairable if it is less than 2.5 cm across (a €2 coin), less than 5 mm deep, outside the driver's line of sight and at least 6 cm from the edge.

The cost of each level depends on the part and the car group, according to its table «Coste medio de daños por grupo de vehículo» (in Spanish; prices before tax, in force since 12 December 2025). For example, level 1 damage to a front wing is listed at between €137.44 and €218.78 depending on the group.

How to dispute a Goldcar damage charge

1. Note the deadline. If the damage was found without you, count 14 days from when the documents were sent and reply before then.
2. Ask for anything missing. If you haven't received the images, the return declaration or the estimate, ask for them in writing: Goldcar's terms say it must send them.
3. Compare with your evidence: photos or video from pick-up and return, the pick-up report and any damage already recorded. Our guide to disputing hire car damage explains what to look for.
4. Compare the amount with the damage level in the return standard and with the average cost table for that part and your car group.
5. Send your complaint to csdamages@goldcar.com (or by post to the address above), explaining what you dispute, with your documents attached, and ask for a specific outcome. You can start from our complaint letter template.
6. Keep proof of sending and the reply.

Deposit, fuel and cleaning at Goldcar

Deposit. Under Goldcar's terms, the deposit is blocked on a credit card or charged to a debit card. It is released or refunded after the return, once Goldcar has checked the car. Goldcar's help centre (in Spanish) says it is released four days after the return, and your bank may take a few more days. Its terms set maximums: with a credit card, the hold lasts at most 30 working days from the start of the hire; with a debit card, the refund comes at most 15 days after the return. If those periods have passed, ask Goldcar for written confirmation and see our guides to the deposit and to card holds that aren't released.

Fuel. With the Full-Full policy you prepay a deposit for the fuel in the tank, which is handed over full; if you return it full, Goldcar refunds that amount. With "Smart Return" you can return the car without filling up and the missing fuel is deducted. Keep the petrol station receipt and a photo of the fuel gauge.

Cleaning. Goldcar's terms allow a "special cleaning" charge of between €30 and €150 when the car is returned in a clearly inadequate state.

If you bought cover from Rentalcars, Booking, Doyouspain or your card

Goldcar's help centre (in Spanish) explains that if you bought extra cover from a third party, or have insurance through your card, you pay Goldcar what is due and then claim it back from your insurer. Check the time limits in that policy and ask Goldcar for the invoice and the damage documents, because your insurer will need them. Our guide to being charged the excess explains how this works.

Goldcar's basic cover also expressly excludes damage to tyres, alloy wheels, the interior, exterior mirrors, windows and the underbody, as well as punctures and blowouts.

If Goldcar doesn't reply or rejects your complaint

• Consumer bodies in Spain: Goldcar's terms say that if you are not satisfied with its customer service's reply, you can take the matter free of charge to an out-of-court consumer dispute body (arbitration or mediation) or complain to a municipal consumer information office (OMIC). Spain's Ministry of Consumer Affairs explains the official channels (in Spanish).
• 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. Ask your bank how it applies to your card.

How does Goldcar 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 Goldcar complaints

What is Goldcar's complaints phone number?

For post-hire queries and claims in Spain, Goldcar lists (+34) 91 834 14 00, Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 17:00. Always complain in writing as well, so you have a record of the date and what you said.

Which email do I send a damage dispute to?

To csdamages@goldcar.com, the address its terms give for disputing damage. For other issues, use escustomerservice@goldcar.com or the online form.

When does Goldcar return the deposit?

Its help centre says four days after the return, once it has checked the car; your bank may take a few more days. Its terms set a maximum of 30 working days from the start of the hire for a credit card hold, and 15 days after the return for a debit card refund.

Can I refuse to sign for damage at the return?

Yes. If you don't accept the damage by signing the return declaration, the procedure applies in which Goldcar sends you images and an estimate, and you have 14 days to dispute it.