PlusCar comes up regularly in the same “cheap local car hire” conversations as Cicar and Autoreisen, and on paper it makes similar promises — full insurance, no excess, competitive prices, no deposit for most bookings. The difference, once you actually read through a meaningful volume of reviews rather than just the headline star rating, is that PlusCar’s reputation is genuinely mixed in a way the other two local operators’ generally aren’t. That’s not a reason to write it off automatically, but it is a reason to go in with clearer eyes than “another cheap local firm, should be fine.”
Before You Book
- PlusCar advertises no deposit, but multiple recent reviewers describe being asked for around €300 specifically because they were paying with a debit card rather than a credit card — worth confirming directly which applies to your booking before you fly.
- The negative reviews follow a recognisable pattern: unexplained charges appearing on the card after the car’s already been returned, deposit refunds taking 10 or more days and requiring persistent follow-up, and in a few cases, accusations that a third-party agent issued the contract rather than PlusCar directly.
- The positive reviews are just as consistent in their own pattern: fast pickup (sometimes met right at the airport), clean cars, child seats fitted on request, and same-day deposit returns for renters who paid with a credit card.
- A credit card, rather than a debit card, appears to meaningfully reduce the risk of both a surprise deposit and a slow, contested refund — worth treating as a genuine risk-reduction step rather than just a preference.
- If you do book and something goes wrong, documenting everything (photos at both pickup and return, every email, the exact contract you signed and who issued it) is worth doing more thoroughly than you might with a company that has a cleaner track record.
Is PlusCar actually no-deposit, or does that depend on your card?
It genuinely depends, and this is one of the more concrete, checkable facts to nail down before you commit. Several reviews describe booking under the impression that no deposit would be required — sometimes based on marketing copy or a confirmation email that said exactly that — only to be told at the desk that a roughly €300 deposit applies specifically because they didn’t have a credit card. One renter’s account describes this outright: paying with a debit card and only then discovering the deposit requirement, despite email confirmation stating none was needed. This isn’t necessarily dishonest on PlusCar’s part — plenty of companies structure their no-deposit offer around credit-card payment specifically — but it’s clearly not communicated consistently enough, which is exactly the kind of gap that turns into a stressful surprise at the counter after a long flight.
What’s the pattern in the negative reviews specifically?
Three recurring themes stand out once you read past the star ratings. First, unexplained post-return charges — renters describing a charge (in one case around €800) appearing on their card after the vehicle had already been handed back, with limited or no explanation offered and difficulty getting a response afterward. Second, slow and contested deposit releases — accounts of waiting ten or more days and needing to actively chase the company, rather than the release happening automatically and promptly the way it’s described for Cicar and Autoreisen. Third, and most serious, a handful of reviews describe dealing with what they characterise as a third-party agent rather than PlusCar directly — a contract issued in a different name, followed by that party denying responsibility when a dispute arose. This last pattern is worth taking seriously, since it points less at “PlusCar is a bad company” and more at “verify exactly who you’re contracting with before you sign anything.”
What’s the pattern in the positive reviews?
Equally consistent, and worth weighing fairly alongside the negative accounts rather than dismissing. Renters who had a good experience describe fast, efficient pickup — sometimes literally being met at the airport by a rep — clean, well-maintained cars, child seats fitted properly and without extra hassle, and deposit refunds processed the same day the car was returned. Notably, several of these positive accounts specifically mention paying by credit card, which lines up with the pattern in the less positive reviews of debit-card payments correlating with more friction. It’s a genuinely split picture rather than a company that’s uniformly bad with a few lucky exceptions — a large share of renters do have exactly the smooth, cheap experience the marketing promises.
| Pattern | What renters report |
|---|---|
| Paid by credit card | Faster pickup, same-day deposit release, fewer complaints |
| Paid by debit card | More likely to be asked for a ~€300 deposit, slower/contested refunds |
| Dealt directly with PlusCar | Generally smooth, consistent with the positive review pattern |
| Contract issued by a third-party agent | Source of the most serious complaints (unexplained charges, denied responsibility) |
Why do some renters describe “shady agents” — is PlusCar itself the problem?
This is the hardest thread to untangle from public reviews alone, and it’s worth being honest about that rather than pretending the picture is clearer than it is. Some of the most serious complaints describe a booking or contract process that didn’t clearly involve PlusCar’s own branded office — language like “they use shady agents, issue contracts in their name, then deny all responsibility” suggests at least some renters ended up dealing with an intermediary rather than PlusCar directly, whether through a third-party booking site, a local reseller, or a franchise-style arrangement that isn’t obvious at the point of booking. The practical lesson isn’t to assume every PlusCar booking involves this risk — most reviews don’t describe it — but to actively confirm, before you fly, that you’re booking directly through PlusCar’s own official channel and that the pickup location and contract will carry PlusCar’s own name, not an unfamiliar third party.
How can you reduce your own risk if you still want to book with them?
A handful of concrete steps make a real difference based on the patterns in the reviews. Paying with a credit card rather than a debit card appears to correlate strongly with a smoother experience on both the deposit and the refund side. Booking directly through PlusCar’s own official website rather than a third-party aggregator, and confirming the pickup location and company name on your voucher matches PlusCar’s actual branded offices, addresses the “shady agent” risk directly. Photographing the car thoroughly at pickup — every panel, the wheels, the interior — the same habit worth building into any pre-rental inspection regardless of which company you’re using, gives you something concrete to point to if an unexplained charge does show up later. And keeping every piece of correspondence, rather than assuming a phone call will be enough if a dispute arises, matters more here than it might with a company that has a cleaner track record on responsiveness.
What should you do if your deposit isn’t released on time?
Follow up promptly and in writing rather than waiting and hoping, since several of the negative reviews specifically describe needing “intense pressure” and persistent effort to get a resolution — passive waiting appears to be exactly what lets these situations drag on. If PlusCar’s own customer service isn’t responsive, the same approach worth using with any car hire dispute in Spain applies here: request the hoja de reclamaciones if you’re still on the island, or raise a formal dispute with your card issuer citing your photographed pickup/return evidence if you’re already home. A credit card gives you a stronger chargeback position than a debit card in this scenario too, which is one more reason the payment method matters here more than it might elsewhere.
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Is PlusCar cheaper than Cicar or Autoreisen, and is that worth the added risk?
Often genuinely cheaper on headline price, based on how consistently it comes up in “who’s the absolute lowest price” comparisons — but the fair way to think about that gap is as the cost of a meaningfully higher variance in outcome, not free money. Cicar and Autoreisen both show a much tighter, more consistently positive review pattern, with the kind of “no deposit drama” reputation that PlusCar’s reviews simply don’t support in the same way. If your absolute priority is the lowest possible price and you’re comfortable actively managing the risk-reduction steps above — credit card, direct booking, thorough documentation — PlusCar’s savings can be worth it. If predictability matters more than shaving off a few euros a day, the more consistent track record of the other two local operators is the safer default.
FAQ
Is PlusCar a legitimate car hire company in Tenerife? Yes — it’s a genuine, established local operator, though its review pattern is more mixed than Cicar’s or Autoreisen’s, with a meaningful minority describing serious problems around deposits and post-return charges.
Does PlusCar really require no deposit for a Tenerife rental? Often, yes, but several reviews describe being asked for around €300 specifically when paying by debit card rather than credit card — confirm this directly for your specific booking rather than assuming.
Why do some PlusCar reviews mention “shady agents”? A subset of complaints describe contracts issued by what renters believed was a third party rather than PlusCar directly — booking through PlusCar’s own official channel and confirming the pickup office’s branding is the best way to avoid this.
How long does PlusCar take to release a deposit in Tenerife? Reports vary significantly — same-day for many credit-card renters, but ten or more days with active follow-up required in some of the more negative accounts.
Is it safer to pay PlusCar with a credit card instead of a debit card? Based on the pattern across reviews, yes — credit card payment correlates with faster pickup, no surprise deposit, and quicker refunds, and gives you a stronger chargeback option if a dispute does arise.
Is PlusCar cheaper than Cicar or Autoreisen in Tenerife? Often, yes, on headline price — but it comes with a less consistent track record, so the savings are worth weighing against the added risk rather than assumed to be a straightforward upgrade.
What should I do if PlusCar charges my card after I’ve already returned the car? Contact them in writing immediately citing your pickup/return photos, and if unresolved, raise a formal dispute with your card issuer — a credit card gives you meaningfully stronger recourse here than a debit card.
