We rented a car from Centauro at Lisbon Airport, and unfortunately, our experience was extremely disappointing from the start.
When we arrived to pick up the car, the customer service representative was quite rude. It seemed our arrival coinciding with their opening time was an inconvenience to her — she appeared more interested in going for breakfast with her colleagues than assisting us. That morning, we were unexpectedly charged an additional €209. She explained that €100 was a fuel deposit (to be refunded if we returned the car with a full tank) and €109 was for the Via Verde toll system, which would also be refunded once the car was returned.
I asked why the fuel deposit would only be refunded 10 days after returning the car, and her explanation — that they needed time to verify the fuel level and calculate any potential charges — didn’t make sense. Via Verde charges are automatically tracked and settled immediately, so it was strange that that refund couldn’t be processed just as quickly.
She handed us a key, told us where the car was parked, and left with the other employees for breakfast. However, when we got to the parking spot, we realized she had given us the wrong car key. We spent nearly half an hour trying to figure it out, but there was no one in the office to help us. Staff didn’t return until much later. If the office opens at 7:00 a.m., employees should be available to assist customers at that time — not just clock in and leave.
When we returned the car, we were met with more rudeness. The man inspecting the car was incredibly impolite and unprofessional. Although we had filled the tank before returning the vehicle, he only refunded €88.51. I asked why, since the full €100 fuel deposit should have been returned, but instead of explaining, he mocked me for mistakenly saying “dollars” instead of “euros.” He refused to give a proper explanation, continued making fun of me, and offered no clarification. As I was in a rush to catch my flight, I had no choice but to leave.
Later, I checked my account and realized that the €88.51 refund wasn’t for the fuel deposit at all — it was the Via Verde refund minus the toll charges we incurred. Two weeks have now passed since we returned the car, and the €100 fuel deposit still hasn’t been refunded. I recently saw an additional €13.20 charge on my account for tolls from the last day, which hadn’t appeared earlier. It now seems that Centauro intends to deduct that amount from the fuel deposit, meaning I should be refunded €86.80.
I’ve written to the company multiple times and only received automated responses stating the refund will be processed within 10–12 days. It’s now been over two weeks, and nothing has been returned. I’ve also called several times and left voicemails, but no one answers or calls back.
Their customer service has been not only unprofessional and rude but completely unreliable. At this point, I am still owed €86.80, and their failure to respond makes me seriously question their business practices. I cannot recommend Centauro to anyone after this experience.