CarRental8 Reviews 16,201

TrustScore 3 out of 5

3.1

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Looking at 142 reviews, most reviewers were somewhat happy with their experience overall. Many customers found the booking process efficient and appreciated the ability to find good rental rates, sometimes significantly lower than other platforms. Some users had positive experiences with the pick-up and drop-off process, describing it as fast and seamless, and were pleased with the overall service when things went smoothly. However, a significant number of people were dissatisfied with various aspects of the service. Many reported issues with unexpected additional charges at the rental counter, making the final price much higher than initially estimated. There were also complaints about difficulties with refunds, with some customers stating they were double-charged or denied refunds even when services were not provided. Several reviewers highlighted poor customer service, particularly when problems arose with their bookings, and some experienced issues with car availability or specific requirements like child seats not being met.

What people talk about most

Booking process

Clients share ambiguous opinions on the booking process. Many reviewers report significant issues, such as... See more

Price

Reviewers mention negative feedback about price. Many customers report hidden charges, unexpected fees, and... See more

Payment

Reviewers highlight negative aspects of payment. Many customers report issues with unexpected charges, such... See more

Service

Users describe negative interactions with service, often reporting that they paid for services that were... See more

Refund

Consumers find refund experiences to be negative. Many reviewers report that the company refused to issue... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

I arranged a 16 day car hire through CarRental8.com and when the booking came through, the car hire company was Avis. I arranged the "Quickpass" service online but when I arrived to collect the car Av... See more

Company replied

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

Signed up for a Ford Focus in Lisbon, got a Peugeot 308 that smelled faintly of dog food. Clerk shrugged, “same class.” Price stayed low, pickup line moved fast, return took half an hour because the p... See more

Company replied

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

Edit* After writing the below review a customer service agent reached out and corrected the mistake and they refunded the ~$130 that I had been overcharged at the counter. So I raised the score t... See more

Company replied

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

One car type was reserved with Car Rental 8 but when I went to check in at the Deer Lake airport (Budget) they could only provide a less than adequate replacement (downgrade).

Company replied


Company details

  1. Car Rental Agency

About CarRental8

Information provided by various external sources

Car rentals for the United States (USA), United Kingdom (UK), Europe, Latin America, Australia and other worldwide locations. 

Car Rental 8 is a USA based corporation that offers car rental services in 125 Countries serving 17,000 locations. We have car rental supply agreements with major car rental companies worldwide and the ability to negotiate discount prices through booking volumes. These savings are passed on to you. To assist our customers, our website supports several languages as well as multiple currencies.

Our website has been designed to let you book a car through "Search. Book. Done." Simply type in a destination you are interested for a car rental, and it will automatically provide you a list to choose from. Select your dates, then click SEARCH. You will then see a variety of choices along with our low special rate. Choose what you need and then, BOOK your car. Fill in your personal and payment information, confirm your reservation, and you are DONE!

Car Rental 8 is chosen by more travelers because we provide the ultimate option – the CR8 Protect Package.  Choose this option when booking your next rental car. The CR8 Protect Package will cover a portion of your deductible or excess in the unfortunate event of an accident or minor incidents such as windshield or tire damage.  In some cases, the CR8 Protect Package may allow you to avoid paying a cancellation fee when your planned trip must be cancelled.

Go to Booking Page to start, read our Privacy Policy , or read our General Info page for more information.


Contact info

3.1

Average

TrustScore 3 out of 5

16K reviews

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Replied to 100% of negative reviews

Typically replies within 1 week

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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

SCAM

SCAM
Do not go near!! I paid £170 for 2 day car rental then received no email confirmation or instructions how to pick up / where to pick up car.
Any attempts to contact ph number issues did not connect
Had to reorder & pay another hire company to get to where I needed.
Carrental8.com will NOT refund me and are APPAULING with any kind of communication. My advice DO NOT USE!!

October 13, 2025
Unprompted review
CarRental8 logo

Reply from CarRental8

Thank you for reaching out.  We do send a confirmation with the name of the supplier and pick up instructions to the e-mail address entered during the booking process.  It seems that you entered an incorrect e-mail address.  We have a "Contact Us" button on our website and our customer service email address is listed in the FAQ's on our website as well.  Had you contacted us we would have been able to amend the e-mail address.  Nonetheless, we were able to verify the details with the supplier and have issued a full refund to you today.  Please allow a few days to see the refund since credits go through a process.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

2 hours waiting in a queue to collect a…

2 hours waiting in a queue to collect a car we had already reserved at Budget furteventura. Guy on the desk just walked off whilst we were still in line. No explanation for crazy queueing times, can only assume they’ve rented out more cars than they physically have. Bad service from this big company. A very tired toddler meant we eventually had to rent a car from another company as it was so late, just so we could get to our hotel! Now we need a refund but Car Rental8 are not communicating. Looks like I need to do a chargeback with my Card Company.

October 11, 2025
Unprompted review
CarRental8 logo

Reply from CarRental8

Thank you for reaching out and we are sorry to hear that you experienced a long wait at the rental location.  We take supplier issues seriously and your complaint is being escalated to their management team.  In the meantime, we will reach out to you directly with regard to a refund.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

This company is such a scam

This company is such a scam, just go directly withe th provider and proper insurance. The insurance they provide is insufficient and hard to get compensated for, not to mention their slow response time.

October 4, 2025
Unprompted review
CarRental8 logo

Reply from CarRental8

Thank you for reaching out and we are sorry you experienced some trouble with your booking - specifically relating to insurance.  We would like to investigate your concerns, however, we would need for you to provide us with your booking number.  Looking forward to hearing back from you with this information.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Do not go near this company

Do not go near this company. They completely ghost you, if anything goes wrong with your booking you are on your own.

Edit: They did reach out then gaslit me for trying to get my money back through my credit card so they said they couldn't refund me but then they fought the credit card recall and got their money back. Awful.

August 28, 2025
Unprompted review
CarRental8 logo

Reply from CarRental8

Thank you for reaching out.  We are looking into your concerns and will reach out to you directly.  In the meantime, we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused to you.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Resolution of payment refund

Further edit- many thanks indeed for addressing this issue. It was not Car Rental 8's fault that there was no child seat available at the local site...thank you for contacting the rental company and requesting a waiver in these circumstances...we genuinely were not able to proceed with our booking through no choice of our own and we are very pleased to say we have now received a full refund. We are really grateful to you for listening and responding to our request and it has hugely restored my faith in your customer service. Thank you.

Edit- thank you for your response and for looking into it. Our booking reference is 916425196.

I am absolutely dismayed with the treatment we have had from this company.
Through them we booked a car with a child seat for a weekend trip. We arrived in the evening, during a storm, me pregnant and with our 2 year old daughter. We were told they had no child car seat available and there was nothing they could do.

It would have been illegal and absolutely unsafe to drive the car we had hired without a child seat for our daughter. We had absolutely no choice but to cancel our booking and go to the next car rental desk where fortunately they were able to assist us with a car seat and a new booking so we were not stranded without accommodation for the night, 2.5 hours' drive from our destination.

Not only did the rental company fail to apologise for our inconvenience and refuse to offer any compensation or advice, when we advised Car rental 8 of the situation they refused to give us any refund whatsoever and instead charged us the full £260 rental fee despite being unable to provide the service we, the customer, had paid for in good faith and expected.
Their explanation was that it says in the small print car seats may not be locally available. This absolutely negates the point of offering a child seat if you have to take your own in case they don't have one. We have rented cars multiple times with a child seat and have never once had an issue before.
However, if it is the case that they cannot be guaranteed at local site then so be it ...but there also needs to be a clause that in this instance the customer has the right to claim a refund. If the company can only offer you a non-functioning car with no wheels or no engine...you would be entitled to a refund. A car seat for a child is not an optional extra. It is a necessity.
How did we have an option but to cancel? My 11kg small child legally needs to travel safely. How and why am I being put in a position to risk her life or lose my entire booking and be charged the full fee? We had to pay all over again for a new car and booking..so we have paid twice. No apology, no compensation, nobody cares.
I feel so let down and honestly outraged that a company could care so little and take payment for a service they absolutely could not and did not provide to the customer. It is absolutely shocking.

October 3, 2025
Unprompted review
CarRental8 logo

Reply from CarRental8

Thank you for providing the booking number.  We are very sorry to learn that the supplier did not have a baby seat available for you.  We have sent another escalation to them requesting a billing waiver under these circumstances and will reach out to you once we hear back.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Scam

Scam. I Paid 50euros in advance for car rental. The flight was in 2 hours delay, they cancelled the booking. (info from RentSmart24 who might be scammer too).
No answer to phone call

October 6, 2025
Unprompted review
CarRental8 logo

Reply from CarRental8

Thank you for reaching out.  We are sorry to hear that you experienced a flight delay. We strive for a problem free rental from beginning to end and can assure you that we are not scammers.   We will reach out to your directly to gather more details for an escalation with the supplier.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

never used services from this company

never used services from this company
we had to pay twice as much for the car when we picked it up.
We had already paid for the car and were supposed to pay 0 krónur when it was picked up at Kastrup airport.
paid for the car for extra insurance, but was still charged for the car at the rental car company in advance
It's not the fault of the car rental company in Kastrup.
I have to pay for the car and insurance again to get the rental car.

September 26, 2025
Unprompted review
CarRental8 logo

Reply from CarRental8

Thank you for reaching out with regard to insurance charges.  We will be happy to investigate the charges with the supplier and will reach out to you directly.  Thanks for choosing carrental8.com.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Be Very Weary

Be very weary of rental companies like this. They advertise things like flexible cancelation, free amendments, etc. but in fact that is not the case. When I tried to merely just change a pick-up location it did not allow me to do so and had absolutely nothing available in any of the surrounding areas. Then when I spoke to CS to just have them cancel the reservation since we couldn't make ANY amendments to the trip, they wanted to charge me a $75 cancelation fee. A customer should not be penalized when the company fails to uphold their end of what they advertise. Stick with booking directly through the rental car companies and avoid these types of websites.

October 5, 2025
Unprompted review
CarRental8 logo

Reply from CarRental8

Thank you for the feedback.  We are very sorry that we were unable to modify your booking due to no availability at the locations.  We are very happy to waive the cancellation fee under this circumstance and we will reach out to you directly.  Thank you for choosing carrental8.com.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Won’t change driver

Due to a passport issue I couldn’t travel and wanted to change the main driver name on the booking. They were uncontactable prior to the booking time starting. When I did contact them, they said that they couldn’t change the name as the start time had passed. I will never booked with them or autoeurope again!!

Update - spoke to CarRental8 on 3 occasions. Spoke to the manager who was apologetic and I am hopeful they will get me a full refund. This review will be updated if needed.

New Update - They have charged me £150 cancellation fee and refunded the remaining £157. This is simply not good enough for me. All I wanted to do was change the drivers name. We would have kept the booking. This should surely be so simple. They blamed Sixt, but they had no problem if the company I booked with changed the name. I want £150 fully refunded or I will take this matter further.

My honest warning - book directly with the car hire companies and they are much easier and helpful to deal with. Sixt are always great.

Response to CarRental8 reply. Booking number 918648796

Update on 17/10/25 - I have spoken to Sixt. They have put a note on the system that will allow the cancellation fee to be refunded. However, this fee must be refunded by the booking company.
Please go ahead and refund the £150. Reference - 12111130 is on the system. I will then update this review.

October 5, 2025
Unprompted review
CarRental8 logo

Reply from CarRental8

Thank you for the update.  We will reach out to you directly to gather more information.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Billed for Vehicle that was Unavailable

The agent at the Thrifty Car Retal counter informed me that the vehicle I had rented through CarRental8 was unavailable. I was offered a different vehicle that I would need to pay for because I would be renting this one through Thrifty Car Rental, and that because the vehicle reserved through CarRental8 was unavailable I would be reimbursed for that charge (vehicle rental) by CarRental8 (for a vehicle I never used or received). I used a different credit card and drove off in a different vehicle rented from Thrifty. I was charged for both vehicles. I have been trying to dispute the charge, so far unsuccessfully because evidently CarRental8 has a no refund policy. No refund on a car I was told was unavailable and never picked up. So I'm out for the car I rented through CR8. CR8 should make sure cars reserved are available. Beware.

January 9, 2025
CarRental8 logo

Reply from CarRental8

Hi Dan:  Thank you for reaching out.  We would like to sort this issue out for you, however, we need your booking number in order to do so.  The reference number provided does not pull up in our system.  It sounds like there was a glitch and we look forward to hearing back from you.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Dishonest company – they lie to avoid refunds 🚨

This company is not only unprofessional – they are dishonest.

I booked a car through Carrental8 and went to the Green Motion office on time after more than 2 hours of travel. I had two valid credit cards in my name (£1,000 and £1,600 available) but they refused to give me the car because I didn’t have a single card with a £2,500 limit. This unreasonable condition was not clearly stated when I booked.

When I asked for a refund, Carrental8 repeatedly refused. Now, to make things worse, they are lying to my bank by claiming that “the client contacted us after the pick-up time because they did not check out their rental.” Have proof of paper for this, just received today.
👉 This is 100% false. I was there on time, ready to collect the vehicle, and the supplier refused to hand it over.

They are deliberately misrepresenting the situation to keep my money. This is not just bad service — it’s fraudulent behaviour. They advertise cheap prices that are too good to be true, hide critical conditions deep in the small print, and when things go wrong, they twist the facts to avoid responsibility.

⚠️ Be warned: Carrental8 will take your money, refuse service, and then lie to protect themselves. I have already filed a dispute with my bank and will continue sharing this story and all evidence publicly to warn others.

Avoid this company at all costs — they do not deserve anyone’s trust.

September 30, 2025
Unprompted review
CarRental8 logo

Reply from CarRental8

Thank you for reaching out and we are sorry that you were not able to pick up your rental due to the credit card policy with the supplier.  We will be happy to reach out to see if there is anything we can do for you, and will contact you directly once we hear back from the supplier.  Our cancellation policy is not meant to be difficult, however, suppliers do still bill for rentals that are not picked up.  Thanks for choosing carrental8.com.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Awful

2nd EDIT: after their SECOND reply under this review, only then did this company actually reach out to me. They asked me to explain what happened (which I have done over calls and emails 100's of times now) and ultimately, they told me the same message - that a refund cannot be processed. Why contact me if you are going to waste my time yet again and not give me any refund? So bad it's funny at this point.

EDIT: The company's reply below is simply to make them look better. They have not contacted me still 3 weeks later.

Awful. Rented a car with them and paid in full. When I got to the car rental agency, they denied my car because on the bank card I was paying with - I had an initial of my first name "A" instead of my name "Anna" followed by my surname. Despite me showing them on my banking app my full name, and offering various different forms of ID they denied it. Never have I been denied a car because my bank card didn't show my first name on it!!

Called car rental 8 and they kept hanging up on me. One guy eventually said I would be getting a refund but it never came. Every time I called I would be placed on hold and then hung up on.
280£ gone. Ended up going with a different rental agency on the spot there for a decent price.

Completely out of my control on what I could do. Scammers

August 1, 2025
Unprompted review
CarRental8 logo

Reply from CarRental8

Thank you for the follow up.  We have reached out to Gold Car again with an escalation requesting a billing waiver under these circumstances.  Once we hear back from them, we will reach out to you directly.  We understand this is frustrating for you and we are hopeful for a positive outcome.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Fast, Easy, Cheap

I waited till last minute to book directly with a rental company like I typically do, however prices jumped to ridiculous amounts.

I stumbled across Carrental8 and was hesitant due to the appearance of the website, and the low prices offered for rentals. Reviews seemed hit or miss so I decided to book.

A budget confirmation was emailed immediately after payment confirmation. The reservation number was retrievable on their app and website.

The pick-up and drop-off was fast and efficient. No difference at all compared to booking directly with the rental company.

I’d give a solid 5/5.

September 18, 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Quick to give assurances after poor service, and then follows up with more poor service.

Having raised some issues during a recent trip to Italy, was given assurances the matter would be investigated.

A long time later there’s still no update, resolution, or other, just silence.

Have a case number open for what it’s worth.

As requested, case number is 24082226.

September 21, 2025
Unprompted review
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Reply from CarRental8

We are escalating the case again to the supplier along with documents validating the coverage you had to cover the deductible.  We are hopeful to have a favorable response from the supplier and will reach out to you when we hear back.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

If I could give no stars I would

If I could give no stars I would. On arrival, the company required a credit card on file but would not accept the same credit card used to pay for the rental itself. When a non- lead passenger offered a credit card, that was not acceptable. Instead, the only solution was to pay the additional insurance of €200. The car itself was in poor condition- dents, scratches and stains all over. The fuel tank was only 1/3 full (despite the policy being to accept and deliver the car with 1/2 tank). No one was at desk to return keys - despite kiosk opening at 8am. We had to call customer office to instruct their staff to open the kiosk which they eventually did (at 8.20) which impacted our return flight.

September 21, 2025
Unprompted review
CarRental8 logo

Reply from CarRental8

Thank you for reaching out and we are very sorry to hear about the issues you experience with your pickup and the condition of the rental vehicle.  We strive for a problem free rental from beginning to end, and the supplier's credit card requirements are listed in the T&C's during the booking process and in the confirmation.  We are escalating your complaint to the supplier and will reach out to you directly.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

Beware their cancellation policy

Beware their cancellation policy: even if you cancel several days ahead of time they still charge you $75 or 10% (whichever is higher) cancellation fee.
This seems pretty unsual, I never had to pay cancellation fee for car rental and yet they make no effort letting you know that you will be charged right at reservation time with a hefty cancellation fee attached. I'm sure it's tugged somewhere in the policy small letters.
Edit: adjusted rating as they refunded the cancellation fee as a courtesy after I posted this review

September 13, 2025
Unprompted review
CarRental8 logo

Reply from CarRental8

Thank you for reaching out with regard to our cancellation policy.  The policy is not meant to be difficult but rather to cover the costs associated with the bookings and cancel fees with the suppliers.  As a courtesy to you, we have refunded the fee which you will see in the next few days.  Again, we value your business and aim to please our customers.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

So far not good

So far not good.

Booking number: 610632892

Booked a very cheap looking deal online. Went to go pick up and Avant told me I had booked it for the following week by accident.
They then advised me to modify my booking via carrentals website as they had a car for me. Went onto Carrental8 websites and it couldn't find my booking, when I had the email and booking number. I then tried to call them but to no avail. I then emailed them and am yet to get a response and that was 48 hours ago. I have since emailed them to cancel my booking as I went straight through Avant.

Of course, no response.

From what I can see, if everything goes smoothly its fine, albeit not the cost you initally think. As soon as something goes wrong, they are impossible to get hold of and unlikely to refund even if they offer no service and get plenty of time.

I made the booking on Friday and still don't even have a confirmation email!!

Better off avoiding and going straight through the main companies.

September 14, 2025
Unprompted review
CarRental8 logo

Reply from CarRental8

Thank you for reaching out and we are sorry this rental did not work out for you due to booking the wrong rental dates.  We understand things happen and your booking was cancelled with a full refund.  We apoligize for the delay in getting back to you - our agents are working hard to respond to our valued customers as quickly as possible!

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Refused to refund

I paid for a car that the rental agency didn't have and refused to do the refund of my money. I had to file a chargeback for them to answer my emails. DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT book with them there is no costumer support.

August 5, 2025
Unprompted review
CarRental8 logo

Reply from CarRental8

Thank you for reaching out and we are sorry that this rental did not work out for you.  The suppliers do guarantee the vehicle and we are escalating your complaint with their management team.  In the meantime, we have issued a full refund to you and sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Absolutely scam

Absolutely scam, car was not there, charged double and 0 response from customer service, company is USA based so I will be following with legal action.

September 5, 2025
Unprompted review
CarRental8 logo

Reply from CarRental8

Hello Aaron:  Thank you for reaching out and we are disappointed to hear that the supplier did not have your rental vehicle available.  This is unacceptable and we are escalating this to their management team.  We will reach out to you directly to address your concerns.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Took money and not rented car

ref: 828356312
I must express my serious concern regarding the companies involved my booking car rental 8 and green motion. it was clear that Green Motion is not upholding its responsibility with respect to the payment and reservation
The car was not rented to us as agreed. Instead, green motion attempted to rent the car directly to me outside of the confirmed booking. The green motion trying to take hefty deposit of £1550 and it was not clear when I booked the car. In general, car companies in the Uk charged£ 200 - 750 max as deposit. The green motion told they are not going to charge any money where they did not released the car as per rental agreement. Initially communication, car rental 8 agreed for refund and now telling not going to refund. It is a robbery .It is totally unfair and misleading practice by both parties involved, as the service paid for was not delivered. I never rent the car from both green motion and car rental 8. I am looking into matter persuade to consumer court.

August 26, 2025
Unprompted review
CarRental8 logo

Reply from CarRental8

Thank you for reaching out and we are sorry to hear about the issues you experienced with the supplier.  We have escalated your experience & concerns with the supplier and they have agreed to waive the billing as a courtesy to you expressing their apologies.  We have issued a full refund to you today accordingly.  Again, please accept our sincere apologies for the troubles you experienced.

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