CarRental8 Reviews 

16,244
TrustScore 3 out of 5

2.8

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Looking at 133 reviews, most reviewers were somewhat happy with their experience overall. However, many people encountered significant problems with the booking process, often finding reserved cars unavailable or that crucial details like cancellation policies were unclear. Customers frequently faced unexpected additional charges, including mandatory insurance fees and large deposits, which were not transparently communicated during the initial booking. This led to widespread dissatisfaction with the overall service and perceived inflexibility, with many feeling misled about the true cost. Furthermore, numerous consumers reported difficulties obtaining refunds, with some describing the process as a nightmare and facing outright refusals despite service failures.

What people talk about most

Booking process

Reviewers highlight negative aspects of the booking process, with many customers reporting that despite... See more

Price

Customers consistently note negative experiences with price, often reporting that initial low prices are... See more

Payment

Customers had negative experiences with payment, frequently encountering issues such as hidden charges,... See more

Service

Consumers find service to be negative, with many reporting disappointing experiences and a lack of provided... See more

Refund

Clients share negative opinions on refund, with many reviewers reporting significant difficulties in... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

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

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

The first time I used Car Rental 8 to reserve a car in California, I was happy with the rate and experience. However, I will not be using this service again due to a reservation made in Atlanta,... See more

Company replied

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

Hopeless customer service… I have emailed three times with questions for my booking this coming Thursday (2nd of July) and I’ve still not received any response. There is only an email address and... See more

Company replied

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

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... See more

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

2.8

Average

TrustScore 3 out of 5

16K reviews

5-star
4-star
3-star
2-star
1-star

Asks customers to review

This company invites their customers to review, whether positive or negative

Replied to 96% of negative reviews

Typically replies within 1 week

How this company uses Trustpilot

See how their reviews and ratings are sourced, scored, and moderated.

2.8

All reviews

(16,244)

135 reviews in the last 12 months

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Companies on Trustpilot aren't allowed to offer incentives or pay to hide reviews. Reviews are the opinions of individual users and not of Trustpilot. Read more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great Rental Experience

Had a great experience booking through Rental Car 8. Their price was well under other competitors. Their customer service was great too. They worked with me to sort out an issue. I would book with them again. If you’re wondering like I had been originally, they are a legit and honest company.

28 June 2025
Rated 3 out of 5 stars

CarRental8.com is cheap but you may not actually get a car!

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 Avis refused the hire for reasons they would not specify. I have no points on my license and have been driving for 30 years without incident. I went straight to the nearest alternative car hire company, EuropeCar, and was able to rent a car for the duration needed. I have contacted CarRental8.com many times to get my money back (£308) and after 5 days they replied and processed a refund. However, my advice is: go straight to the car hire companies to cut out the middle man.

18 July 2025
Unprompted review
CarRental8 logo

Reply from CarRental8

Thank you for the follow-up and we are happy that we were able to cancel your booking as a courtesy.  The suppliers all have different criteria and we include their terms & conditions in the T&C's during the booking process and in the final confirmation.  The supplier was not able to tell us what the issue was at the counter, however, we were able to cancel the booking for you without a penalty.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Car rental offered at $50

Car Rental 8 offered at $50. No further payment required at pick up. Upon arrival, rental cost ~$200 due to the rental car company they suggested. Shortly after creating the rental, I read reviews on the company they suggested that I rented from. I inquired immediately asking that I change my reservation (not ask for a refund but change my reservation) as I wasn't comfortable with the company they provided. They got back to me 2 days into my rental. The company they suggested was terrible, Car Rental 8's customer service is terrible. DO NOT USE THIS SERVICE.

14 July 2025
Unprompted review
CarRental8 logo

Reply from CarRental8

Thank you for the feedback and we sincerely apologize for the delay in response.  Our agents are working hard to get back to our valued customers as quickly as possible and we are sorry for the delay.  If you would be kind enough to provide us with your booking number, we would be happy to research this further for you and look into the charges from the supplier.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

SCAM company.

Made the mistake of using Carrental8 to book a car with Alamo. I returned the car early and Alamo, as always, said I would be refunded for the unused days. After many emails and calls, Carrental8 refused to refund my money despite receipts from Alamo and emails from Alamo requesting refund for unused days. This company is a SCAM.

19 June 2025
Unprompted review
CarRental8 logo

Reply from CarRental8

Thank you for the feedback.  Our cancellation and refund policies are listed in the Terms & Conditions.  The policy of no refund for early return is not meant to be difficult, but rather a condition from the supplier.  We did reach out to the supplier ron your behalf to request the refund, however, they responded that early return credit only applies for death in family or illness.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Bait-and-switch scammers!

Similar to many of the 1 star reviews I have been completely left in the dark by the non-existent customer service from Car Rental 8.

Initially my booking went ahead without issue but I then received a follow-up email saying that they have modified my booking as requested. The thing was that I didn't request any changes to my booking! Looking closely at the new booking I realised that Car Rental 8 had removed the 'Free Tank of Fuel' included with my original booking and reserved me a car with a different rental company! Total bait-and-switch! I guess they hope their customers don't notice. Or they don't care.

As with many others Car Rental 8 now won't reply to emails. There are lots of alternative car rental brokers out there - going forward I will certainly be steering clear of Car Rental 8 and choosing another company to give my business to!

EDIT July 29 2025 - I see that Car Rental 8 have responded to my review. It's a shame that they still haven't bothered to reply to my email that I sent them nearly two weeks ago regarding this very issue. Their response all seems a bit performative - they'll reply publicly but won't actually do anything to deal with the original issue that caused the problem in the first place!

17 July 2025
Unprompted review
CarRental8 logo

Reply from CarRental8

Thank you for providing your booking number and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused to you.  We have been able to investigate what transpired and our reservations manager will be contacting you this morning to make things right.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

TERRIBLE COMPANY

Absolutely shocking experience we arrived at Newquay airport to collect our rental car and was told were weren't able to take the car as the name was slightly wrong on our booking, as in first name was my partners and last name was mine we called customer services at the rental office which was in America to be told they cant change it and we would not get a refund so we left with no car and no money back. We were offered another car at treble the cost , We found out a few days later via Hertz they most definitely could of just changed the name.

DO NOT BOOK THROUGH THIS COMPANY THEY ARE COMPLETELY UNETHICAL
They have responded saying they will be in touch regarding a courtesy refund, I’ve heard nothing from them so clearly just a comment for trust pilot 🤬

3 July 2025
Unprompted review
CarRental8 logo

Reply from CarRental8

Thank you for the follow-up.  Your booking has been approved for a refund as a courtesy to you.  We appreciate your patience with us while we investigated this with the supplier.  One of our agents will reach out to you directly with the details.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Extremely poor customer service – no response at all

I booked through Carrental8 and had an issue with my reservation. I sent an email and also filled out the contact form on their website – no response whatsoever. Days have passed and not a single reply.

If something goes wrong with your booking, do not expect any help from their customer service. There is no way to reach a real person, and you're left completely in the dark. This is unacceptable for a company handling travel logistics.

I do not recommend using Carrental8. Better to book directly with the rental companies or use a more reputable platform. Avoid the stress and the silence.

13 July 2025
Unprompted review
CarRental8 logo

Reply from CarRental8

Thank you for reaching out and we are very sorry to hear that you had trouble with your rental.  One of our managers will reach out to you to address your concerns.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Car rental in San Francisco

Booked a car in San Francisco. Much cheaper than other online portals and they being the middleman, final booking was with Hertz. They provided Hertz booking reference number that I was able to use right after my booking with CarRental8. The rental experience on arrival at SFO was very seamless just like i booked directly with Hertz.

10 July 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Total SCAM

I paid upfront fully (prepayment) of £211 for 4 days (with extra protect costs included), but when I was at the counter, they said they don't accept debit cards, and that the credit card I had must have my full name displayed. In the UK, we do not have credit/debit cards that display our full names, just the first initial and last name. However, I had my passport, my international drivers licence and other forms of identification, yet they refused and brought up another "plan" where I essentially had to pay double insurance, one for myself and one for their company, even when my prepayment cost covered the insurance already. And then with THIS "plan" they said they could accept my credit card when earlier they refused to. Please AVOID this company, it's a total scam to rinse you of your money!

11 July 2025
Unprompted review
CarRental8 logo

Reply from CarRental8

Thank you for reching out and we are very sorry to hear about the trouble you experienced with your car rental.  If you would be kind enough provide us with your booking number, we will be happy to research this further and sort out any issues.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

They completed messed up our booking!!

They completed messed up our booking!!! I booked a minivan or similar Ibut when we got to the rental office, they said we had to pay £350 as it had been categorised incorrectly by carrental8
DO NOT USE!!

10 July 2025
Unprompted review
CarRental8 logo

Reply from CarRental8

Thank you for reaching out.  We are investigating your concerns and will reach out to you directly to sort out any issues.  Thank you for choosing carrental8.com.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I was charged full amount twice !

Well i was charged full amount prepayment(minus insurance) for 8 days of rental then once at Budget counter, i was again charged for the 8 days ! I tried many ways both with Car Rental 8 AND Budget to get a due refund without success. These two companies are just juggling with their customers and are blaming each other for the problem. Conclusion: i paid twice the regular asked amount. AVOID

29 June 2025
Unprompted review
CarRental8 logo

Reply from CarRental8

Thank you for reaching out and we apologize for the delay in responding to you.  We are investigating the charges on your rental agreement and will get back to you directly.  It seems that there were some options purchased at the rental counter including coverage and fuel, however, we are sending this off to the supplier for a clear explanation and to ensure that the prepaid voucher was applied.  In the meantime, thank you for your patience while we investigate the charges.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Car rental insurance

I purchased car rental insurance through Car Rental 8, to only find out the car insurance i purchased doesn't roll over to the actual car rental. I pd extra for this. i emailed the the company have gotten no response.I will not ever rent from then again. I will tell people do not go to them.

3 July 2025
Unprompted review
CarRental8 logo

Reply from CarRental8

Our records show that you purchased our No Risk Warranty covers damages to tires, glass, undercarriage,etc. up to $1000.00 USD.. We will reach out to you directly to address your concerns.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Car Rental 8 are lowlife filth

These parasites are the lowest grubs in the market.
I recently came back from a holiday in the US where I booked a car for 13 days then came to picknup my car & pay was told that they don't accept debit cards even after I confirmed with them that they did & even though I was a day early on my booking wouldn't give me a refund of any kind - They stole $1700 off me & I had to go elsewhere to find a car at huge expense these parasites are no better than paedophiles & just about ruined my trip.
I urge everyone to be very careful & use another rental company,They are lower than dogshit.

3 June 2025
Unprompted review
CarRental8 logo

Reply from CarRental8

Hello Konstantine.  We are disturbed to read your review and are very sorry that you were not able to pick up your rental.  We strive for a clear and transparent rental process from beginning to end, and the supplier's terms & conditions are included during the booking process prior to check out as well as in the final confirmation.  The credit / debit card requirements are included in the T&C's.  If you would provide us with your booking number, we would be happy to reach out and investigate this further.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

Good customer service.

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 to 3 stars because I wish it hadn’t happened to begin with but they did correct the mistake quite promptly once they recognized the mistake.

*original review:
I wouldn't recommend using them. I always like saving some money on a car rental but it backfired this time. They gave an "estimated" amount that the car rental would be, but it’s not confirmed with the rental company (Hertz in my case). So we arrived at the Hertz counter and the actual amount was a 130 USD more expensive than what CarRental8 had guessed. Would have been better and cheaper to book through Hertz directly

My reservation number was 983606342

20 June 2025
Unprompted review
CarRental8 logo

Reply from CarRental8

Thank you for the update and again, we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused and appreciate that you gave us the chance to make it right!

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Doesn’t look like they cancel booking and refund

Have canceled our booking due to needing a bigger vehicle and haven’t had any confirmation of the cancellation, so doesn’t look like I’m getting a refund as I have emailed and when I called they answered and as I started talking about this they hung up and can’t get hold of anyone now!

1 July 2025
Unprompted review
CarRental8 logo

Reply from CarRental8

Thank you for reaching out.  We are investigating your booking and cancellation request and will reach out to you directly.  We are sorry you had trouble getting through.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

DON'T USE FRAUD

DON'T USE. I HAVE REPORTED FOR FRAUD TO MY BANK.

They took my money. I have contacted them several times. No reply. The day I booked I called the hire company they confirmed the car was not available and should have never been sold. ALSO hidden charges. They sold a product that was never available. I have contacted them from the day I booked and heard nothing. They have been reported for fraud. Carrental8 give me my money back

26 June 2025
Unprompted review
CarRental8 logo

Reply from CarRental8

Thank you for reaching out and we are very sorry for the delay in responding to you.  Unfortunately, we are in a backlog and our agents are working hard to respond to our valued customers as quickly as possible.  We sincerely apologize that the supplier did not have your vehicle available.  This is unacceptable and has been escalated to their management team.  We have issued a full refund to you and will reach out to you directly.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Absolute nightmare experience

Do not use this company. I hired a car in Naples through this company and the car was unavailable when I arrived. I had to book and pay for a new car in full and was told to email them using my documentation to prove what happened and get a refund. They didn’t reply for over a week. You can’t phone them. Now they have replied they are making it extremely difficult to get a refund saying they don’t refund on the day of the car hire even though there was no car to hire.

12 June 2025
Unprompted review
CarRental8 logo

Reply from CarRental8

Thank you for reaching out with regard to your car rental experience. We are investigating this further and will reach out to you directly. We have escalated your complaint with the supplier and will respond as soon as we hear back.

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