REVEALED: The car hire firms which British holidaymakers should watch out for this summer, say consumer experts

British holidaymakers have been warned to watch out for certain car hire companies this summer.

Spanish firm Goldcar, which operates widely in countries such as Spain, Portugal, France and the US, came last in a customer satisfaction survey by consumer group Which?

The company was awarded just two stars out of a possible five for value for money, car description matching reality, record given of damage to car, and customer service.

A fifth of respondents who used Goldcar said they had issues with the condition of the car, while a quarter reported being charged extra either when they picked up or returned the car.

Which? said its previous investigations found cases of the business engaging in 'pressure selling tactics' to encourage customers to buy extra insurance at the desk.

One respondent told Which?: 'The lady at the desk was adamant that I needed to take out extra insurance, I was in a hurry so I conceded', while another said: 'We were given the strong impression there was no other option.'

A separate Which? analysis of car hire insurance policies found Goldcar's to be among both the most expensive and poorly-rated of any it checked.

American-owned Dollar was the second worst-rated company in the report, which surveyed over 2,000 members of the public, followed by Record Go, Budget, and Sixt.

Canary Islands company AutoReisen came top in the rankings, with respondents calling it 'consistently excellent'. The firm was awarded five star ratings for communication, clarity of extra charges, ease of opting out of extra charges, clarity of final hire cost, clarity of fuel policy, age, condition and mileage of the car, and value for money.

At a reported average price of just £21 per day, AutoReisen was the cheapest firm in the survey - showing that excellent service doesn't have to come with a hefty price tag.

Which? travel editor Rory Boland, said: 'Booking car hire should be straightforward, but all too often it feels like the wild west, with travellers lamenting fraught experiences, poor customer service and spurious fees.

'Goldcar in particular is best avoided, with customers repeatedly reporting serious issues from pressure selling to poor customer service.

'To ensure you have the best possible experience this summer, make sure you book with a reputable firm.'

A spokesperson for Goldcar, which is owned by Europcar Mobility Group, said: 'Goldcar is of course disappointed about the results of the Which? report.

'The company takes customer care very seriously with a code of ethics for counter sales and a guide of good sales practices, both of which are reviewed annually based on customer feedback.

'We offer very attractive prices, making travel affordable while giving our customers the freedom to choose additional options including premium insurance cover for a seamless process should damage occur during their rental.'

The spokesperson added: 'We are committed to investigating any incidents where a customer believes they have received a service that does not match expectations for a low-cost brand and continue to invest in staff training and best practices.'