alkoof camper van Ricardo

This is an IMPORTANT WARNING for anyone considering renting a van from Ricardo. It is a must-read before making a decision.

My girlfriend and I rented a van from Ricardo for 11 days in September, and at first things seemed fine, but we soon discovered issues with the rental. The TV in the van was one of the main reasons we chose it, but we were unable to find the remote on our first night. We asked the employee about it, but he said he forgot to check where the remote is before giving us the van, and added that the remote should be in the van. We found it a week later, stuck between pipes within the van's mechanical storage area.

On the second night of our rental, we were unable to use hot water for our shower, despite it working the night before. We informed the employee, who apologized and sent us videos on how to fix the issue, but the problem was never resolved. We were forced to use water we boiled on the stove and shower with a pot for 9 nights, and only had one night of hot water as we had paid for.

Unfortunately the issues we experienced during our rental trip were not limited to the lack of hot water and the non-usable TV. The water hose provided to fill the van's tank was defective, worn out and blocked which caused embarrassment for us in every caravan park we visited and we had to borrow hoses from other people. The adapter provided also did not fit with any of the faucets in the different parks, we had to buy a new one. Additionally, we were not informed on how to empty the van's dirty water, which caused a terrible smell in the van for the first few days. Overall, we were constantly dealing with problems with the van and had to stay in contact with the garage's employee on a daily basis.

On the last night of the rental, I contacted Ricardo to discuss compensation for the various issues we encountered during our trip. Ricardo was unresponsive and dismissive of our complaints, offering a mere 100 euros in compensation for the non-functioning water heater, missing air conditioning, hidden TV remote, and other issues. We had paid 1,474 euros for the rental and were only offered compensation for a fraction of the issues we experienced. Ricardo argued that if the van was truly lacking, we would have returned it early, which is an unrealistic expectation given the lack of alternative options available on short notice and far away from the garage. We saw that the conversation was going nowhere, so we decided to turn to Yescapa. The next day, we returned the van and received a document signed by the employee stating that the van was returned in perfect condition and that the full amount of warranty would be returned.

We informed Yescapa's team about the poor service and treatment we received from Ricardo. However, when faced with the possibility of having to pay compensations, Ricardo falsely claimed that we had used gasoline instead of diesel and damaged the car. We were able to disprove his claims with the help of a car mechanic, who confirmed that using gasoline for a diesel engine would have immediately destroy it and prevent it from starting. In the meantime, we filled gas 5 times and drove over 1,670km. We also pointed out that none of our complaints during the rental period had been related to the engine or driving experience. He also falsely claimed that using the wrong fuel was the reason we did not have hot water, but we were able to prove that the boiler had stopped working before we even fueled the car for the first time. Yescapa assured us that they would investigate the matter and keep us informed.

However, a few days later, I discovered that Ricardo had charged me an additional 1,186 euros on my credit card without my permission or informing me or Yescapa's team. This charge was made after they had signed a document stating that the van was returned in perfect condition and that they would not use the warranty money. The warranty was the only reason they had my credit card details. It seems that when they knew they lost the case, they charged me without informing us, thinking it would go unnoticed.

To summarize, we rented a van with several issues including a non-working water heater, a hidden TV remote, a non-functioning water hose and inadequate instructions from the staff. We were unable to return the van due to a lack of alternatives and limited time and money for the trip. We informed the employee about these issues in real-time. When we spoke to the owner, he dismissed our complaints disrespectfully. When we turned to Yescapa, the owner falsely claimed that we had used the wrong fuel and damaged the car, despite signing a document stating that the van was returned in perfect condition, and despite our disproving his claims. He also charged me 1,186 euros illegally without my permission or informing me or Yescapa while the investigation was still ongoing. I strongly advise others to avoid renting this van or any other vehicle from Ricardo or OM Free.

Renting from them is just NOT WORTH IT.   

********** OWNER'S ANWSER **********

"IMPORTANT WARNING I do not recommend renting with this tenant. In more than 300 rentals that I made, where I hosted more than 1000 people in motorhomes, with the good recommendations that can be seen here, I had the misfortune to come across this renter. He used the wrong fuel and we have this acknowledgment in writing, even having the nerve to claim that we were the ones who told him to do so and after refuting this information, he claimed that "we could have changed the fuel tank to gasoline". This on a vehicle that cost 70,000 euros in 2021, 2 years old, therefore running the risk of seriously damaging the engine. Inadmissible! We have invoices for all the work carried out by Fiat to clean the engine, replace filters and replenish fuel, and that was the amount he was presented with for payment. Not a cent more, having saved him the work of repairing the boiler, after using it with the wrong fuel, for example. He did not assume his responsibility and, when returning, he even had the nerve to ask for refunds because the boiler did not work (it works with fuel). Unbelievable! Of all the exposure made, he did not remember to inform that he used the green toll road, with charges greater than €50.00, he did not empty the toilet, having simulated that he was going to do it in the sanitary facilities where the check-out was done, to avoid paying the penalty foreseen by Yescapa, having deliberately replaced the empty toilet, in a joking tone. To be avoided by future owners.  Also be alert to other owners! A rental experience to regret!"

Aluguer correu muito bem, foram muito prestáveis durante todo o processo e a caravana vem com tudo o que é necessário: Cadeiar, pratos e talheres, lençois e toalhas.

Expérience incroyable!!! Nous avons loué le van de Ricardo pour une semaine de road trip au Portugal et le recommandons les yeux fermés. Ricardo a été super disponible, arrangeant et d'une grande gentillesse. Le van est parfait avec tout le nécessaire déjà fourni. Que du positif! Encore un grand merci pour ce fabuleux voyage et nous referons incontestablement appel à Ricardo pour un futur voyage au Portugal.