Charged six days of rental for a car already returned
Dawn flight, office closed, no key drop-box. You leave the car in the airport car park, you tell the branch in writing, and a week later €759 leaves your card for six days of "rental" of a vehicle that never moved. This is not an accident. It is an arrangement. We are gathering the cases.
A documented case, step by step
What happened to a Belgian customer at Faro Airport in July 2026. Every step is backed by a document: contracts, time-stamped photos, parking ticket, emails, UPS tracking, bank statements.
Peugeot 3008 hired from Centauro, Faro Airport, until 30 July 12:00. €344.72 prepaid, including full "Smart Cover" insurance and a €100 fuel deposit. Return flight number (departure 06:20) given at booking.
Centauro office closed (opens at 8). No key drop-box, no out-of-hours procedure ever communicated. Car parked in airport car park P4, photographed from all sides, time-stamped parking ticket kept.
Email to the branch with exact location, photos, and a request for instructions regarding the key.
Branch manager replies: "we need the car key sent to us as soon as possible" and gives a postal address. Key shipped the same day by tracked UPS. No mention of any additional charges.
Without warning, €759.33 is charged to the card. The contract has been "extended" unilaterally to 5 August: €432 rental, €192.60 insurance, €65.45 fuel… for a locked car in a car park whose location Centauro had known for six days.
Formal complaint, official complaint in the Livro de Reclamações (no. ROR00000000045690316, forwarded to the transport regulator AMT), complaint to the European Consumer Centre, bank dispute, legal protection insurer instructed. The manager replies that the charges are due… because the car remained in the car park. Her breakdown matches neither her own invoice nor the amount actually charged.
The numbers, in black and white
| Item | Paid | Legitimately due |
|---|---|---|
| Rental 25–30/07 (5 days) | €140.00 | €140.00 |
| Smart Cover insurance 25–30/07 | €104.72 | €104.72 |
| Fuel deposit | €100.00 | €65.45 |
| Washing | €26.18 | €26.18 |
| "Rental" 30/07 to 05/08, car parked and locked | €432.00 | €0 |
| "Insurance" 30/07 to 05/08, car parked | €192.60 | €0 |
| Fuel charged again (on top of the retained deposit) | €65.45 | €0 |
| Unexplained items | €43.10 | €0 |
| Total | €1,104.05 | €336.35 |
| Overcharge claimed | €767.70 | |
Three questions, thirty seconds, and the trap closes on no one
This dispute does not come from a contract read too fast. It comes from three checks nobody thinks of making at the moment of paying.
Does my return flight leave before the office opens?
The Centauro office at Faro is not open 24/7. If your flight departs early, you'll have to return the car before opening. Check the return branch's hours before paying.
Is there a key drop-box or an out-of-hours procedure?
Ask in writing (email or chat) and keep the answer. If it's "no" or vague, choose another company: almost every competitor at the airport offers one.
Already there? Document everything.
Time-stamped photos of the car (4 sides + interior), fuel gauge, mileage, parking ticket. Email the branch the same day with the location. Every photo is worth gold later.
Six levers to get your money back
The complete route, tested on a real case. Five independent levers, and you only need one to give way. English letter templates are on the templates page (page in French, letters in English).
Formal complaint to Centauro
Email to the branch + customer service, dated facts, exact amount claimed, 14-day deadline. This is the prerequisite for every other procedure.
Livro de Reclamações (Portugal)
Portugal's official complaints register. Free, online, in English. Centauro is legally required to reply within 15 working days and the complaint is automatically forwarded to the regulator (AMT). Centauro's VAT no.: 513831843.
European Consumer Centre
Free, in your country (UK residents: UK ECC). The ECC contacts its Portuguese counterpart, which deals directly with the company. Very effective on car-hire disputes.
Bank chargeback
Reason: service not provided / additional charges not agreed. Your bank may refuse at first. Insist in writing and demand a reasoned written refusal to escalate to the banking ombudsman.
Legal protection insurance
Very often included in your car or household policy without you knowing. One call to your broker: the insurer instructs a lawyer at its own expense. The heaviest weapon.
Join the group action
The more of us with similar, documented cases, the more seriously the Portuguese regulator, the ECC and the press take it. One case gets negotiated; a hundred get settled. Testify
Join the group action
Were you charged by Centauro after returning the vehicle, or was your deposit not refunded? Describe your situation. Your data is used only to build the collective file (regulator AMT, ECC, lawyer) and to keep you informed. Nothing is published without your consent.
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Next step, without waiting: send your formal complaint to the rental company. The bank dispute deadline is the one that expires first.