“DO NOT HIRE FROM INTERRENT, GOLDCAR OR EUROPCAR — THEY ARE ALL THE SAME COMPANY.” That line, or something close to it, shows up on enough UK travel forums that it’s worth untangling properly rather than just nodding along. The claim isn’t wrong exactly, but it’s not quite right either, and the difference matters if you’re trying to decide whether a bad Goldcar review should scare you off booking InterRent, or the other way round.
Goldcar and InterRent are both owned by Europcar Mobility Group, which acquired Goldcar in 2017-2018 and now runs it alongside InterRent as two separate brands within the same low-cost/mid-tier business unit. They are not the same legal entity you’re signing a contract with, but they do share a parent company, and in some markets — including reports from Canary Islands renters — the two have operated out of the same desk with overlapping staff and processes.
Where the brands actually sit
Europcar Mobility Group runs a deliberate three-tier structure: Europcar itself as the premium brand, InterRent as the mid-tier option, and Goldcar as the low-cost brand carrying most of the aggressive-upsell reputation. InterRent was specifically repositioned as the more customer-friendly option, distinct from Goldcar’s harder-sell image, even though the same parent group develops and prices both.
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| Brand | Tier | Typical reputation |
|---|---|---|
| Europcar | Premium | Full-service international brand |
| InterRent | Mid-tier | Positioned as friendlier than Goldcar, same corporate parent |
| Goldcar | Low-cost | Cheapest headline price, well-documented aggressive counter upsell |
Why the “same scam” complaint keeps coming up
Traveler reports describe InterRent operating out of a desk previously (or simultaneously) branded Goldcar, with staff and practices that don’t obviously differ between the two names. One well-documented forum thread specifically describes InterRent taking over a Goldcar counter, with the reviewer noting hope that “Europcar/InterRent’s involvement with Goldcar will lift Goldcar’s standards” — suggesting the merge was noticeable enough to comment on, not a rumor. That’s a reasonable basis for the “same company” shorthand, even if it overstates the legal reality slightly.
What this means if you’re deciding which to book
A bad experience with Goldcar doesn’t automatically predict what InterRent will be like — but given shared ownership and, in some locations, shared desk operations, it’s not unrelated evidence either. If you’ve read our Goldcar guide or InterRent guide and are weighing one against the other specifically because of the brand name, the honest answer is that the underlying operation is close enough that the same precautions apply to both: decline add-on insurance you’ve already covered independently, photograph the car thoroughly before driving off, and read the contract in full at the desk rather than signing on trust.
Frequently asked questions
Is InterRent cheaper or more expensive than Goldcar in Tenerife? Pricing varies by date and availability rather than following a fixed rule, though InterRent’s mid-tier positioning sometimes shows slightly higher headline prices than Goldcar’s rock-bottom quotes.
If I book Goldcar, could I actually be handed to InterRent staff, or vice versa? It’s been reported in some locations, though not something you can predict or control at booking time — your contract will name the entity you actually booked with regardless of which desk or staff handle the handover.
Does the shared ownership affect insurance or complaint handling? Not directly — your contract, insurance terms and complaint process are with the specific brand you booked, not with Europcar Mobility Group as a whole, so keep any dispute correspondence tied to the actual company name on your booking.
