carrental.com
What is Carrental.com
The site you are probably referring to is Carrental.com — a web-based car rental aggregator / booking platform. Their stated service: allow users to search for and reserve rental cars, often with discounts or deals applied to the base rate. (carrental.com)
They claim to offer a variety of vehicles and let users make online reservations — in principle simplifying the process of getting a rental car. (carrental.com)
What the public says — widespread complaints & trust issues
Despite the convenience promise, there are serious recurring complaints about Carrental.com. On review-sites like Trustpilot and others:
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Carrental.com has a very low rating (e.g. TrustScore of ~1.5/5 based on dozens of reviews) — many users report being charged without receiving a car. (Trustpilot)
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Complaints include unexpected, non-refundable charges, hidden fees, difficulty or refusal to refund when bookings are canceled or when the rental provider fails to deliver a car. (Trustpilot)
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Some customers report booking through Carrental.com, paying in advance, then arriving at the rental counter only to be told no car is available — in that case, no refund was issued. (Trustpilot)
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Others said Carrental.com acted more like a middle-man or “broker of brokers,” meaning their control over actual rental providers seems limited — making accountability and resolution harder if things go wrong. (resellerratings.com)
In short: many reviewers use words like “scam,” “fraud,” or “cheaters,” complaining about lack of transparency, hidden fees, and poor or nonexistent customer support. (SiteJabber)
Corporate info & public standing
Carrental.com is registered as “Carrental.com, Inc.” Their headquarters is listed as in the United States. (Better Business Bureau)
The business is not accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB), and BBB records show that the company has received a nontrivial number of complaints in recent years. (Better Business Bureau)
Though not all complaints are identical, the patterns (payment without car, failure to refund, misleading terms) seem consistent.
What to watch out for — red flags
If you consider using Carrental.com, these factors should raise concern or at least prompt extra caution:
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Pre-payment requirements + non-refundable policies: many reports indicate that once paid, even if you cancel shortly after, refunds may not be honored.
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Hidden or unexpected fees: some users see big price jumps at pickup time due to fees, deposits, currency conversions, or surcharges that were not clearly disclosed.
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Third-party / broker-only nature: as a middleman rather than the actual car rental provider, Carrental.com often lacks direct control over the car, which complicates disputes or refunds.
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Poor customer service & resolution record: multiple reviews say they were unable to get support or refund when something went wrong.
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Reputation across review platforms is poor: low ratings, many negative reviews, frequent mentions of “scam,” “fraud,” etc.
Why problems happen (and industry context)
Car-rental booking websites — especially third-party brokers — have inherent structural problems:
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They interface with multiple rental providers across countries/regions. This means quality and policies vary widely.
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When you book through a broker, payment often goes first to the broker; the broker must pass payment to the actual supplier. If that hand-off fails, the broker may claim no control.
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Cancellation and refund policies tend to be restrictive, especially in low-cost deals. Unless clearly stated, customers may assume flexibility that doesn’t exist.
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Hidden costs (deposit, insurance surcharges, currency conversion) may only become apparent at the rental desk — or not at all until charges appear on credit card.
The broader car-rental industry has similar pitfalls. Renting a vehicle temporarily always involves risk — misunderstandings about deposit, insurance obligations, fuel policies, return time etc. (Wikipedia)
Third-party intermediaries amplify those risks because you’re one step removed from the supplier.
Key takeaways
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Carrental.com exists as a car-rental booking website / aggregator that lets you reserve vehicles online.
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The platform draws heavy criticism: many users report not getting a car after payment, hidden fees, and trouble getting refunds or support.
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Corporate records show Carrental.com is not accredited by BBB and has a history of consumer complaints.
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Using Carrental.com carries significant risk; some people have lost money or had bad experiences.
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If you choose to use the service, read the fine print carefully, double-check payment terms, deposits, cancellation/refund policy, and consider booking directly with a rental provider instead.
FAQ
Q: Is Carrental.com a legitimate company or a scam?
A: Carrental.com is a real company. But many customer reports describe serious issues: payment without delivery, refusal to refund, hidden fees. Because of that, many people consider using them to be risky.
Q: Are complaints recent or old?
A: There are many complaints from 2024 and 2025 — so the negative feedback is recent. (Trustpilot)
Q: Can I ever trust Carrental.com if I book carefully?
A: Even with care, there’s no guarantee — the risk stems from their broker-only model and inconsistent relationships with actual rental providers. If you do use them, treat bookings as non-refundable, confirm with the rental provider directly, and document everything.
Q: Are there safer alternatives?
A: Yes — booking directly via well-known global rental companies or using more trusted platforms tends to offer more reliability and clarity.
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