SIXT Portugal Reviews 

I would like to make a serious complaint about the sixt car rental in faro airport. We paid €1200 to hire a car and paid for the car and all insurance up front. When we went to collect the car we were told we needed to provide a credit card in the named drivers name. No where did it say this was required before we booked as my husband doesn't have a credit card so we would 100% not have proceeded if this was pointed out to us before booking. It was pointed out to us that it was in the terms and conditions but of course this was in small print once we had booked. We were NEVER advised on this before we booked. I was able to offer numerous credit cards but that was not acceptable as it was not in the main drivers name. They also couldn't advise what the credit card was for. So we were then told the only option was to cancel the reservation and rebook in the name of the credit cardholder and add a second driver. We proceeded with this only to be told the price was now €3000 as opposed to the €1200 paid. Please note no email advise us of this rule. In the what to bring section it never said bring a credit card in the drivers name ever. It's so small in the terms and conditions I doubt anyone sees it which is true given the amount of people that were hit with this issue when we tired to the collect that car. Be warned it is an absolute scam by Sixt. We have never have to produce a credit card in the drivers name in any other country we used Sixt. Any credit card would do. Its clearly a scam and I ill try my best to warn anyone I know about Sixt in the future.

Really really aweful. Booked the car and appointed somebody else as primary driver. Upon arrival the primary driver needs a credit card in his name. Everything was prepaid - so you expect to just pick it up and have no more formalities. Primary driver didn’t have a credit card. Boom - reservation cancelled and 200 euros for another, smaller, car… unreal. Never again

We were hit with a fraudulent misfueling charge that they only backed down from once we provided a duplicate copy of the fuel we bought provided to us by the gas station. It took us a month of communication to SIXT Portugal and the corporate office in Ft. Lauderdale and filing with the Portugal consumer complaint office to get this dropped!!

Shocking customer care and after care service.
No reply to emails or answering of phone calls.
Quick to take a large security deposit and then it’s been more than 30 days without security deposit return. Car return and return voucher all received on day of return. No damages to the car reported. Unacceptable customer service

I rented from the Airport in Porto. Brought the car back and was later charged damages for some scratches under the bumper. You could not see the scratches unless you were on your knees and looked up from the ground. I am not sure if they were there when I picked the car up. They charged over 600 Euros to fix these scratches and I never received any backup on the charges or whether the scratches were really repaired. They were also very slow to tell me this. It took about one month before they notified me. Seems that this is the way they make there money.

In Madeira Sixt car rental is a ripoff, I booked a car 9 months before my trip and payed for the rental, got to the airport to pick up the car, they refused to give me the car saying I did have the North American licence which did not meet the international agreement there for I lost about $600.00 dollars and have a hustle to get the rest of my money refund back. I strongly recommend not getting a car from Sixt Car Rental, They are not honest upfront with clients and rip you off . Save yourself a big hassle and your money.

Had booked a car in advance, unfortunately the Credit Card I had ordered did not arrive in time, however I could add it to my digital wallet through my bank app right away. Since on the website it does not mention that it needs to be physical, I thought it would be fine. Was I wrong... I get told no, cannot do it without a physical Credit Card. No alternatives nothing, although I had a physical debit card, even offered safety deposit. Nothing. Was told to try other rental companies, and lo and behold the very next one, Guerin, where I explained the situation, accepted my card. All went well, they got their money, me the car, all good.
Sixt? Never again, leaving a family stranded with a baby and telling them to go somewhere else is beyond ridiculous.

Very bad and unreliable company! I had to wait for 32 days to get invoice for the rental car damage to submit it to car insurance company!!! The time frame to submit invoice to insurance company to be reimbursed for car damage is 28 days!!!

Absolutely shocking got the conformation it said need one credit card got to Portugal
The staff said you need 2 so on are conformation it said 1
Apparently the staff read the back of shampoo bottles as I said I only read the one on the phone , so now stuck at the airport with 2 kids no car and no cash for a taxi
Absolute joke of a company

Hidden charges which were not highlighted at the time the car was being rented. It was only later when the was returned and I was back home then a charge was levied against my card for extra charges which had not been previously explained to me. Total rip-off and customer service not in the least bit helpful. These extra charges were NOT related to any damage, just to be clear. Avoid this company!!

A serious disaster!!! I am a professional Motorsport photographer covering the World rally Championship for the FIA and I went to Rally Portugal beginning of May 2026 to cover the event as an accreditated photographer. I have received last week an e-mail from Sixt Customer Service accusing me saying that: "the vehicule was used on a circuit associated with a Rally event". “The Lessee also undertakes not to use the vehicle or allow its use for the purpose of carrying out or preparing for sporting events, regardless of their nature, under penalty of paying the Lessor the amount of €3,500.00 (three thousand five hundred euros), without prejudice to the other obligations arising from this contract, namely the provisions of points 5 and 7. In accordance with the provisions set out in the above-mentioned contractual terms, we hereby inform you that a penalty in the amount of €3,500.00 (three thousand five hundred euros) will be charged."
So, I have been charged the amount of 3500€!!
I didn't receive any picture proving that I did something wrong, nor official document from the police or whatsoever. And most important fact is that I AM NOT A RALLY DRIVER and I have never used the car to recce or participate in the event like drivers. I am just a photographer who uses the car prior and during the event to take my photos. I have also to clarify that everybody is allowed to drive on tarmac road and gravel roads, these roads I used were all the time OPEN TO PUBLIC, farmers, inhabitants and so.
I have already sent 2 e-mails to Sixt Customer Service and Financial Department to firmly dispute this decision, with an official document from the WRC Promoter/Fia and my accreditation Letter. I HAVE NO ANSWER YET!!!
Sixt took the right to withdraw money from my account without giving me any particular reason. I will take a lawyer if this doesn't get solved. All my colleagues and the people working on the rallies (a lot!) have been informed of this and already agreed to boycott Sixt for ever as a support to me.
I hope to have a reply soon and this will get solved before I take a lawyer.

Extremely poor service, particularly when it comes to making retrospective damage claims and collecting payment without us having caused any damage. They seem to do this far too often.
Outrageous mafia-style practices. Don’t go there – we repeat, do not enter into any rental agreement with them.

Reaction below is basic and lead to completely nothing . Sixt Portugal is 100% scam . Don’t do any business with them.

Zeer slechte service met name schade achteraf claimen en innen zonder dat we enige schade hebben veroorzaakt. Ze schijnen dit veel vaker te doen.
Schandalige mafiapraktijken. Ga niet, wij herhalen ga niet met hen enige huurovereenkomst aan.

SCAM Alert!
Do not use Sixt in Portugal, and in particular, the Portimão location in the Algarve.
They billed me for €267 in damages/repairs when there was no damage. The pictures they sent me was of dried water at the wheel.
Many other customers have experienced the same thing from this location and reported on Google Maps.

I was first surprised that the £4300 block on my credit card mysteriously wouldn’t got through. Then the only way to rent a car was to pay an additional £54 euro insurance package after already paying nearly£30 more for insurance through SIXT. This took my total weeks car rental to approximately £180. I was surprised to be billed £322 which I apparently agreed to according to their records which was more than double the original £138 cost of renting the car for the week. Upon raising this I have had no reply. SIXT Uk were kind enough to allow me to see an invoice which was never sent but then disappeared saying it’s all down to the Portugal branch. They have obviously just refused to answer any emails. Apparently they can just pluck a number from the air and charge it. Honestly the worst experience hiring a car I’ve ever had. Never ever use these people. You will pay through the nose

WARNING: Do NOT trust what Sixt Portugal (airport) staff tell you at the counter!!!

We were persuaded to prepay a full tank of fuel after the airport agent REPEATEDLY assured us that unused fuel would be refunded. We asked MULTIPLE times to confirm.

We drove only about 100 km and returned the car with almost a full tank. When we requested the promised refund, Sixt told us by email that prepaid fuel is never reimbursed.

So either their staff are trained to give false information, or Sixt simply doesn’t care when customers are misled. Either way, we paid for fuel we never used because we relied on what their employee told us.

Extremely dishonest experience. We will NEVER use Sixt again!

Avoid Sixt at all cost if you expect accountability when something goes wrong.

My experience with Sixt has been defined by poor communication, lack of transparency, and complete disregard for legitimate customer concerns.

Sixt claims that an email was sent to me on 4 September 2025 regarding a failed payment for toll charges. I never received this email. After checking my inbox, spam folder, and archived emails, there is no record of it.

The problem is not the toll charges themselves. I have never disputed that tolls incurred during my rental should be paid. The problem is that Sixt used an alleged email notification as justification for a process that ultimately resulted in additional fees, yet they have been unable or unwilling to provide any evidence that the email was actually sent and delivered.

I repeatedly requested proof, including delivery confirmation, transmission logs, or any documentation showing that the notification was sent to the correct address. Despite multiple requests, no evidence was provided.

What followed was even worse. Instead of properly investigating the issue, Sixt responded with generic explanations and repeatedly shifted responsibility elsewhere. Key questions were ignored. My request for escalation to a supervisor was not properly addressed. My formal complaint was met with delays and silence.

For a company of this size, the level of customer service has been shockingly poor. When customers challenge charges or ask for evidence, they deserve more than copy-and-paste responses and weeks of waiting for answers.

The most concerning aspect of this experience is the apparent expectation that customers should simply accept Sixt’s claims without supporting documentation. If a company cannot demonstrate that an important notification was actually sent, it should not expect customers to bear the consequences.

This has been one of the most disappointing complaint-handling experiences I have encountered. I would not rent from Sixt again and would strongly encourage others to find other companies. I really hope my review helped in choosing a car rental company!

Rented a vehicle at Faro Airport in May 2026. At the counter, we explicitly informed the agent that I did not require additional insurance, as we was already fully covered. Despite this, a Smart+ Protection package (160 EUR + VAT, total 197 EUR) was added to the contract. The package consisted of Super Top Cover LDW, Tire & Glass, and Interior Protection — risks already fully covered by my Zurich policy from Booking.com. The rental agreement itself confirms that "Loss Damage Waiver with an excess of 0 EUR" was already included via the Booking.com reservation, meaning the Super Top Cover at the counter was duplicative coverage that was visible in Sixt's own system at the time of sale.
The vehicle was returned in identical condition (confirmed by Sixt's Return Summary). The 197 EUR charge appeared on the credit card after the rental had ended and after we had returned home — making it impossible to dispute during the rental period, as Sixt later argued. We filed a formal complaint but Sixt refused twice, citing the signed contract and stating they could not "reproduce what happened at the branch." They did not address the explicit refusal of additional insurance at the counter.

So: be very careful. If you arrive at Sixt Faro with pre-purchased third-party insurance, be explicit, decline clearly, and verify what is added to the contract before signing. Case reference available on request.

Extra charges I did not want or need were added to my rental. These charges were obfuscated by their member of staff and confused with mandatory toll road charges that they said would be refunded. I have contacted customer services and their response is most unsatisfactory. If considering renting a car in Faro AVOID Sixt.

AVOID THIS COMPANY OF SCAMMERS AND LIARS. They will mislead and lie to you at any opportunity to get more money out of you, where they can.

We booked a car for a family trip and the only extra we required was a car seat. Upon returning home, I was surprised to find charges of over £200. I made contact to find out why. We categorically said we did not want any protection, as we had cover elsewhere. Yet they have charged us for roadside protection. This is something we did not ask for whatsoever. They have taken it upon themselves to add this.

On top of that, the staff member has completely lied to our faces to upsell. We were offered a refill charge with them, which we initially refused as we knew we wouldn't use much fuel. The staff member pushed this, telling us that they have access to a pre conflict fuel rate. And that they would refill the car using that cheaper rate, therefore it will be cheaper returning the car with them with the tank not full, rather than filling it at a fuel station. Their return form clearly states the car was 5/8 full, yet they have charged us over 100 euros to refill the car. Another member of our party paid 20 odd euros to refill at a fuel station. This has clearly been misold to us and been given a complete lie to scam more money out of us.

I have since tried to resolved this with their customer service. I got the initial reply telling me what the charges were for, then got completely ignored when I replied disputing this. I have sent multiple follow up emails, to which I did get a reply telling me they couldn't find my reservation details. This is after already giving this info and dealing with somebody on this matter. I have since provided my details yet again, to which I have been ignored, again.

I paid £137 to book a 4 day car renal which included full insurance Faro Airport, Portugal. They initially kept over £640 on hold on my credit card deposit. When I was collecting the car they persuaded me to buy extra insurance to keep deposit lower. I found out later I already had full when I bought package and I had already paid £31 for full protection. They also wanted to refuse the hire because I had Monzo mastercard credit card for being an online bank. They said due to policy they will need 2 credit cards for future. I bought my holiday package through lastminute.com costing total £2100. I returned the car, I was told it was fine and I can go, full tank no damage etc. One day later I see they kept £234.51 pence on my hold balance credit card. NEVER again with Sixt. The WORST car rental EVER 🤬 AVOID!! You dont need the extra headache and expense afterwards.