Thrifty Car Rental

They rent a car with a very competitive value but after they try sold out the insurance with a high price more than double price. This is their business. My car was not so clean even with Covid label mentioned that car was cleaned.

Be Careful! You rent a car for a week, for a low price. When you arrive, they want to book € 3100,- as a deposit from your credit card. If you cannot do it. They sell you an insurance package for double the amount of the rental price. It is Betraying.

Time to give a positive review where it's due. Collected car at 9pm at night. Walking distance to car rental buildings so this was great. Note well, Hertz is the actual provider for Thrifty at Faro airport. Booked a Mercedes Vito and was given a three year old one which appeared to do the job. Was offered a newer automatic one but another EUR100 to pay - declined their offer. Paid for tolls and fuel-tank upfront (with fuel surchage to be refunded after). Noticed that the assistant had pictures on computer of pre-existing bodywork damage to van. Credit card blocked with the usual amounts as per rental agreement. Collection system on the whole was excellent with minimal fuss and paperwork to take. In and out within fifteen minutes, I'd say. Following morning, noticed the extent of the minor bodywork damage to the van in various places. Was worried that I may have to explain upon return but hoped their pictures would be comprehensive on that front. Upon returning the vehicle, the assistant checked the van over, checked fuel levels and confirmed everything ok. No explanation for pre-existing bodywork damaged required. Phew. Just checked my credit card statement and can confirmed I have NOT been screwed over with follow-on charges either. So in conclusion, Thrifty are close to airport, they have a good range of vehicles, the staff are friendly, they were efficient and I DIDN'T get shafted with subsequent charges. As a frequent traveller to Faro in need of car/van hire, they will be my first port of call. Unless they start putting up their prices of course.... Happy to recommend. ps. Just knocking off the one star as I felt that in terms of customer relations, you should always offer the best stock you have available (at nil cost to them). You'd always want a customer to feel like they've got a great deal, in order for them to want to return to you in future. Maybe Hertz/Thrifty could fine-tune that aspect of customer services.

Thrifty and Hertz seem to be the same thing here. They blocked 1.500 € from my credit card for 3 days AFTER I returned the car (that I rented for only 2 days). Thus, for 5 days I was unable to used my credit card and my vacation got limited to whatever I had in mu pocket. That was wrongful and unnecessary.

I booked a Thrifty car on the broker website Holiday Autos and then found out this was actually a Hertz car from the Hertz office at the airport. I had to wait one hour-and-a-half to get served at the pick up. The car had no boot luggage cover so it was unsafe to leave anything in the car. I wanted to add a zero excess full insurance policy and they don't offer any insurance policy with an excess under 75 euros. Very bad experience of car hire. I don't recommend.