Centauro Rent a Car Reviews 84

One of the best cars rental companies in Greece, however, you have to be very careful when you get your car, record by video and photos every scratch, even one mm, as they will be very prepared and aggressive to screw you when you will return it by taking your security deposit. Furthermore , if you didn't book the car directly through their website, you will get the worst condition car .
The lady she cheated me out today was not professional at all and very rude.
Anyway, and to be fair, it's a general attitude in Greece for car rental companies

Centauro Faro,Rude personnel at desk trying to sell insurance saying I would loose full €1200 deposit if there was a scratch on the car,Charged €185 for tiny scratch on Hub cap that was already there,No photo because it was to dark on collection,When I pointed this out to the Rep he said THIS IS HOW WE MAKE MONEY. Absolute disgrace,Will never use them again

We were advised that a representative from Centauro would be waiting outside the building at arrivals. We waited 90 minutes, called five times, sent text messages and also emails, all ignored. In the searing heat we decided to walk to the pick-up office. The taxis wanted 18 euros for a two minute drive. Once we arrived we waited over an hour just to get to the front desk. When I advised that we had waited so long to be picked up the agent simply shrugged her shoulders and muttered something in Greek. I asked three separate members of staff if they could assist and each one replied their shift was over. Seems the prepared stock answer. When we got to an agent she took a call immediately and was on the phone for around five minutes. Later on in the booking process she took another phone call and I asked if she could focus on our pick-up.
Once complete we were advised about damage to the front and rear bumper so we could ignore that. I videoed all around the car. However, when we dropped off the car they highlighted damage to the rear bumper, which was already there. Unfortunately, if was the underside of the bumper, which I did not catch on video but I know I did not damage this car in anyway. The bumper was already severely damaged and I was advised to ignore it. They charged me 300 euros and I felt completely scammed. I am convinced they have charged many people the same. The bumper was an absolute mess when I picked the car and they charged for a tiny scratch you could only faintly see when you zoomed right in.
On the way back to the airport the driver sat in the mini-bus while we loaded our luggage and pulled down the rear door. He was on his phone the whole time, with only one hand on the steering wheel and shouting aggressively. When we arrived at the airport, he offered no assistance and continued his phone call.
This company is a scam and their service must be the worst I have ever encountered. Please, please, please, avoid these scammers. You will save yourself time, money and stress. They are absolutely atrocious!!!

We had booked a car with Centauro in Olbia, Sardinia — a VW Tiguan for a week in October at around 100 euros, which seemed like an amazing deal.
When we arrived at the airport late at night, we were told the car “hadn’t turned up due to problems.” No replacement car, no alternatives, no help at all — just a suggestion to “try another rental company.”
We were left completely stranded and had to book elsewhere at five times the price. Absolutely unacceptable service.

Using the rent a car service quite often for business trips, I have experienced the worst rent a car service in my life at the Centauro Thessaloniki airport on October 7-12, 2025.
First, the personnel doesn’t show you the car when you check in and never say you where are the problem spots so you should discover it yourself if you are quite observative, of course.
The contract has never been given to us. We were told that it will be sent by email as soon as we checked in but they never did it. We got it by email only when we brought the car back - the time and date we have got it from Centauro is proven by their email date and time.
While examining the car at the check out, the employee asked us if we took pictures of the car at the check in and since we took the photos only for the problem zones, we were surprised to find out that they detect slight lines at the plastic cover for the mirror. Nothing have been noticed at the check in by us and no damage we would observe even now to our criteria
( I have the clear pictures), but the Centauro personnel insisted that we should pay 190 Euro.
I asked the lady who made us check in and demanded on paying 190 euro for the «damage» to tell us her name but she refused.
We even don’t know whom we were talking to, why we were treated this way and we never got the answer why they didn’t send us the contract with notices.
Now we have the answer - to be charged money and been cheated for the ghost «damage».
The only true experience we have really got from the Centauro team at the Thessaloniki airport - stay far away!

So sad that renting a car in Spain has become an experience of extortion. I have rented cars with satisfaction all over the world, but only in Spain the car rental companies act like organized crime. This is the second time I rent a car in Spain and being cheated. If the last time in Malaga seven years ago they “only” reaped me off for 100 Euros, faking a damage that never happened, this time in Alicante airport the Centauro agent acted like an outright Mafioso.
It always has to do with the insurance. My travel insurance includes coverage of damage to rental cars, so I always select only the basic, mandatory insurance package from the car rental company. That car rental agents try to sell me unnecessary insurance is a normal thing; but this time the agent at the Centauro desk in Alicante airport was directly threatening. He would block a deposit of 1,400 Euros on my credit card (which is OK and normal), but told me that unless I buy an additional insurance for 189 Euros – I will not get my deposit back. In a slick, polite and a-matter-of-fact manner he said that unless I buy the additional insurance, they will find a tiny scratch of a few centimeters on the car after I return it, and they will hold back my entire deposit of 1,400 Euros. I asked “All of it?” and he said “Yes!” Then I asked if I could check the car for damages before I take it, and if there was enough light at their car garage, so I could see and inspect the car. He said – “I don’t know if there is light – you should have brought a flashlight with you.” Then I asked if there will be people from Centauro to check the car when I return it, so they could confirm that the car was in the same condition that I took it; to this he replied: “Maybe there will be people, maybe not. I cannot promise you that they will have time to check your car and confirm that it is without damage.”
Long story short: unless I paid him 189 Euros (which was much more than the actual rental fee), he would block 1,400 Euros on my credit card, as a deposit which I will never see again. I was there with a family, and we came to enjoy, not to fight. Of course I ended up paying him that extortion money.
When upon returning the car (without a scratch!) I was met by an angry and impatient agent, I was neither surprised nor upset. By that time, my expectations from any car rental office in Spain was zero. What a shame, because Spain and its people are so lovely.

At Heraklion Airport there was no sign of our pick up by Centauro Cars who have said ”Once you have collected your luggage, come out of the arrivals hall, exit the building and a Centauro staff member will be waiting to escort you to the shuttle bus.”. Not true. After several phone calls we are sent to the nearby road looking out for a bright yellow mini bus which takes us 5 minutes down the road to the office.

We queue an hour; two stressed staff are trying to manage a hopeless system, two or three phones between them, an accident by a customer and a queue of increasingly fractious people waiting in line. Our rep is actually shaking when we get to the counter. Have to write out driver's details on a scrap of paper; car, a Peugeot, is grubby and has a dent in passenger door. We take a lot of photos of the car.

The staff were working really hard but the systems and processes are clearly non existent.

21 day hire to travel italy, very poor quality of car. we arrived to pickup our moden SUV and was told it was not available due to mechanical problems and only had different group car,smaller and older car. we could take this car or cancel our order and go somewhere else! not a choice as we had bookings for hotels and tours to do. the car we received had nearly 100,000km and was last serviced at 60,000km , no water in windscreen washer tank, warning light brake fluid very low, we add 1 litres of oil, cruise control didn't work, tyres nearly un road worthy.
No way to contact Centauro to complain as their app or website doesn't offer you chance to speak to anyone.

Don't use they miss-sell you insurance despite having full coverage already claiming it's a deposit payment. Will be raising to the DGSFP if no response

Rented a car from Murcia Centauro. Booked in advance on website. Excellent service and hassle free. Caught the shuttle bus just outside the terminal building. No waiting at all to collect the car. All staff friendly and polite. Easy return process. No pressuring sales. Would definitely use again and recommend to others. Much better than an experience we had using a different well known car rental previously.

Booked a car rental months before arrival and pre-paid for everything. Upon collection, I was told to bring a credit card which I had but the venue stated they only took visa credit and no other payment methods which I had (Amex, Visa Debit or MasterCard). The staff were rude and told me to go to another car rental place instead. Do not book if you want a good experience in Athens.

We rent a car from Athens Airport. One lady was waiting at the arrivals to collect all the people who booked a rental with centauro; she started shouting at a couple assuming they did something wrong with the booking. The man, with some difficulties with the English, was trying to explain his side of the story with a reservation on his hand.
We walked outside the airport, to get to the meeting point where a driver was waiting for us (the rental park of Centuro is not at the airport, but around 20 minutes outside in the middle of no where);the driver was expecting to "store" 13 people into a 8 seats van. He literally imposed to me to sit on the knee of my husband (no way). 2 Spanish girls accepted to sit on the van boot with the luggage; 20 minutes after trying to convince as many people as possible to jump and squeeze into the van, a man with a baby and a pregnant lady arrived, they were with centauro rental as well. The driver then started to shout at us saying that someone should have left his seat in the van to give priority to a pregnant lady...
After 40 minutes we arrived at the main site, the employee tried to make an additional assurance (we already had one with a third party assurance company) for another 250 euro..
I think it is the most unprofessional and rude place where I've even rented a car in my life...

I was late to collect my car because my flight was delayed and as a result there was no car and no refund. I was just told “The money is gone”. Go to a reputable car hire in future.

They are a SCAM company, they have a system to trick customers and charge them for anything they want.
At pick-up, they said they will put a "pre-authorization" for gas (!) on my CC and will remove it when you return it full. They lied, It was not a pre-authorization, it was a charge.
They told me the car has several cosmetic issues, and refused to do a car inspection with me, told me to go pick up the car from the parking spot and do my own (hoping I will miss some of the damaged).
When I returned with the tank full, they refused to give me the full refund for the "gas pre-authorization". They first tried to blame me for two exterior damages, but I had a video that proved they were pre-existing. Then they found a small stain on the back seat that looked it was there for months (I rented the car for 2 days and it was only me and my wife, noone sat in the back). They refused to return the gas pre-charge and told me they will keep it for the stain.
I did not accept, and they REFUSED TO GIVE ME A FINAL BILL, and also refused to give me their business card, or the name of the manager. They told me to leave.

This is their business model, to pre-charge you and then keep your money. Stay away.

Horible experience, stay away from them. Problems with credit, debit cards, no way you can switch drivers, or a payment method if you made reservation. Staff is very rude, no wi fi connection. At the end, they told me if you don't like it go somewhere else, which I did, and that was the best decision.

WARNING – Systematic Scam! This is no accident – it’s a scheme!

I don’t even know where to begin – what happened to us here was an absolute DISGRACE and borders on FRAUD!

We had booked the car in advance for €394, including all insurances, young driver surcharge, and all fees. Everything was clearly laid out and confirmed. Then, when we arrived at the counter, they suddenly tried to charge us over €750 – by simply adding all the insurances that were already included again on top. Seriously?! It became immediately obvious that this wasn’t a “misunderstanding” – they were clearly trying to pressure us into signing and paying quickly, hoping we wouldn’t question the details.

The employee didn’t care at all what the system showed – she just wanted us to “confirm and pay right now.” Luckily, we had a native speaker in our group who followed the conversation closely – otherwise, we probably would have fallen for it. When she realized we wouldn’t be fooled, it got even more brazen: “Then book it again if you think your price is right.”
So that’s exactly what we did – and guess what: The original price was absolutely correct and still available online.

And the best part? At the desk right next to us, they were pulling the exact same stunt on other customers. Again with paper, pen, and made-up numbers – trying to get people to sign quickly without realizing what was happening. This is not an isolated incident. This is a calculated tactic. A systematic rip-off – on autopilot.

So:

🔸 Check every number
🔸 Don’t let them upsell you
🔸 Don’t sign anything without reviewing it carefully
🔸 Bring all documents (screenshots, booking confirmations, T&Cs) printed out

If they start saying, “You still need this insurance…”, know that you’re about to be scammed.

The service was awful – rude, arrogant, and completely hostile to customers.
The only positive thing? The car itself was in excellent condition – nearly new and technically perfect. But what good is that if the first thing they try is to cheat you out of hundreds of euros?

Bottom line:

➡️ Never again!
➡️ Shameless company with a built-in scam system!
➡️ Warning to everyone: Watch closely and don’t agree to any “extras” you already paid for!

Horrible. Stay away from that company. They are scammers from the beginning to the end!!! When we got there they told us we have to pay 300€ upfront for insurance or €1,100 after. They also wanted to charge €100 for a second driver! They are not anywhere near the airport. They are in Markopoulo area and if you decide not to rent from them you are stuck in the middle of nowhere. Their bus took almost an hour to show up to the airport. When they say airport Athens location they are just misrepresenting the truth. Stay away from them!

I got scammed 2x by these thieves—first, when I picked up the car, they charged 40 euro, claiming I arrived after hours. In reality, I was on time at the shuttle pick up, but waited almost 30 minutes for the shuttle to arrive which caused a late arrival (of two minutes) at the office a few kilometers away. Four other customers were arguing the same experience. The second theft occurred while returning the car. The thief claimed (within seconds) he found TINY scratches on the front of the car. I showed him the video I took that clearly showed the scratches, so he dropped it and then found some even tinier scratches (the car had similar scratches on every panel) on the back of the car. My grainy, night-time video on this poorly-lit side of the car was less conclusive, so he charged me $290 for microscopic scratches I’m sure I didn’t cause. Don’t use this company, they will scam you.

Hi, I am gathering cases of people they feel they have been scammed by Centauro in Greece (with a special focus at Heraklion Crete). There have been multiple people having very similar experiences, suspiciously similar...(especially with car damages - under the front bumber). If you feel you have a similar case and you would like to join us please contact me or reply here. Please be minded that if you don't buy their very expensive insurance, they will find a way to charge you, EVEN if you have a third party insurance!!!! I was charged for a damage I am 1000% sure I didn't do. I even have myself on a video the day of the pick up saying that their practices are weirdly sketchy and I am sure they will find a way to charge us at the drop off...and that is exactly what happened three days after. Pantelis, discovered the damaged within seconds....although it was underneath the car...We asked them to provide evidence that the damage was not there on our day of the pick up, and they said that this was our responsibility...to look UNDERNEATH the car and check for damages...and given we didn't do it...they have the right to assume this was us we did this...(ALTHOUGH WE BARELY DROVE IT...AND IT WAS FOR 3 DAYS PARKED ON AN ASFALT PARKING...WE DID NOT GO TO ANY PLACE THAT A DAMAGE LIKE THAT COULD HAPPEN LET ALONE THAT A DAMAGE IN THAT EXTEND WOULD BE UNDERSTOOD/HEARD/FELT/KNOWN BY US WHILE HAPPENING...WE WERE EXTREMELY CAREFUL WITH THEIR CAR GIVEN THEIR VERY OBVIOUSLY SKETCHY BEHAVIOR...STYLIANI EVEN SAID TO US THAT IF WE DO NOT BUY THEIR INSURANCEON THE TOP OF THE THIRD PARTY FULL COVERAGEWE HAD ALREADY PURCHASED THAT WE SHOULD BE READY TO PAY AT LEAST 350 ON THE DROP OFF!! I HAVE ME RECORDED ON A VIDEO THE DAY OF THE PICK UP PREDICTING WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN WE GET THEIR CAR BACK..). These are practices that should not be tolerated. I am from Crete and this is not the experience the visitor of my island I want to have, so I am covering the cost of the lawer, if you feel you have a similar case please contact me on social media. I am very easy to find. We already have cases almost identical with Styliani, Pantelis, and other employees of the branch. Lawer has been contacted, and we are planning to file a lawsuit against the branch in Crete. (While we were there -within 5 minutes- another identical case with ours...happened. A colleague of mine a week earlier, had an identical case as well....and reading the reviews here...I am amazed on how many people had the exact same "damage" and practice experienced. If you don't by their very overpriced insurance, they find a damage in your car within seconds...and then they are beyond rude in their behavior...and when I demanded proof the damage was not there on the day of pick up...and tried to warn others for their scam, Pantelis (who gave me a fake surname when asked him...and his colleagues would not know it as well...cover him up like a mafia), was screaming at me (after I was forced to pay). So, please...if you have a similar case, join us! This scam needs to be investigated at least...

They even gave me the wrong car, number plate not matching the contract. Tank not full and damage way in excess of the report. They tried to charge me for the missing fuel, lucky I had photos to show but as I only noticed 5 miles down the road they claimed this was not proof. I argued, they backed down. All very charming - just not straight forward to deal with. I got a cheap deal through easyJet, I’d rather have paid a bit more elsewhere. Avoid