Movis Car Rental Malta

We booked our car through Movis Car Rental via the broker Car Jet, but our actual car rental was outsourced to Smart Car Rentals.

The collection of the car took more than an hour after we arrived as we had to wait for the Smart Car representative to rip off another customer before dealing with us.

We were given the keys along with a couple of sheets of paper listing a number of scratches and dents along with a number of accompanying photos, there was a considerable chunk out of the side of the driver’s door which was not listed, on asking the representative to mark this on the sheet and initial it in acceptance of its existence, he point blank refused (Red flag number 1) telling us to take photos, we took lots.

On seeing the other (in the process of being ripped off customer) complaining about the tyre, we checked the spare to discover a huge chunk out of the side wall which was exposing the wires (MOT failure in the UK due to potential to blowout) we told them we would not accept the car until the tyre had been replaced with a new one, (Red flag number 2) the tyre was swapped out with one from another car, so some other unsuspecting customer probably drove off with that.

The inside of the car was old, tired and the dash was covered in a milky white cleaning product, the gear stick had no display to know where reverse was, not helpful on a rental car (Red flag number 3).

The drive on the car was appalling, the tracking was off and the balancing was terrible, steering wheel wobbling at 40kph, but the shocking situation this company put us in was discovered only on the 4th day.

For three days I was driving saying how polluted Malta was as there was a constant smell/feel of pollution in the car, on day three I noticed a considerable amount of oil on the drive way of the accommodation we were staying at as we’d parked in a slightly different position. (Red flag number 4) In the morning of day four, I looked under the front of the car to see a whole lot of oil on the floor, on opening the bonnet, the entire engine and other internal parts were completely covered in oil, my partner pointed out the engine oil filler cap was missing. (MASSIVE red flag number 5)

We called Smart Car Rentals who (after multiple times of not answering) told us to whatsapp photos to the number I’d called on, half an hour later with no response, I called multiple time again to be told they hadn’t received my photos, this was due to the clown I spoke to initially hadn’t given me the correct details, on sending the photos to the correct number I called the number and was advised because I didn’t have their insurance (we took out full independent comprehensive insurance ourselves) we had to pay €100 for a mechanic to come out. (Even more MASSIVE red flag number 6).

After a very vocal verbal showdown between me and the second clown who was trying to make out it was my financial responsibility their mechanic had failed to replace the engine oil filler cap and me threatening to get in the car and drive it back to the airport at their risk, they agreed to send a mechanic to resolve the issue.

After waiting over an hour for the mechanic and his translator to arrive (they couldn’t find the location using the google location code we used to successfully get there from the UK) they finally arrived, the mechanic confessed to failing to do his job, only after opening the car door and smashing it into the garage wall. (Red flag number 7)

The translator was unable to translate everything the mechanic said because the mechanic spoke Maltese but the translator didn’t?? (Red flag number 8)

By the time this was resolved it was nearly midday and this situation ruined our plans for an early start to Gozo so we had to rearrange our entire schedule for another day.

Fortunately, other than driving like a dog, we had no further issues with the car. On returning it, after inspection, we were told there was nothing to pay but was asked to sign a document which stated a number of items were an issue and needed repair, we refused to sign until the representative had confirmed verbally his name and there were no further charges which I recorded. (Red flag number 9).

After kicking off at the staff in the office they dare not attempt to sham us, turns out they weren’t as stupid as we initially thought as they released the deposit two days later.

I would absolutely not recommend this company, I genuinely believe they are renting out old cars which are unsafe in an attempt to get you to pay for recovery, repairs etc. No one offered an apology until I pointed out the fact that they hadn't said they were sorry for the situation they had put us in. Our car was 8 years old and I’ve never experienced anything like it.

I recently had an absolutely dreadful experience with Movis Car Rental at Malta Airport, operated by Smart Car Rentals. Let me save you the trouble and warn you to avoid this company at all costs.

Upon arriving at their office, I was immediately put off by the chaos. Other clients were outside, angrily arguing with the rental agent, which was a major red flag. When it was finally our turn, we encountered very arrogant personnel who took my license and a deposit of €1500, processing it as a sale instead of a block.

The nightmare continued when we were shown the car. It was not the vehicle we had booked. Instead, we were given a beat-up old banger with damaged panels, a filthy interior, and slick, unsafe tires. I am pretty sure this car was not road-legal. We requested a different vehicle, but the alternative they offered was even worse.

Reluctantly, we took the initial vehicle but made sure to take detailed videos and pictures of every panel. As expected, the vehicle broke down a few hours later. After waiting for 2 hours, they finally arrived and tried to charge my card €1200, claiming I had broken the clutch! This was outrageous. After a heated 30-minute argument that led nowhere, we decided to leave this piece of scrap and not further ruin our holiday.

Now, we're dealing with two charges against our card - €1500, which was supposed to be only blocked, and €1200, which they charged for "Gearbox Damage." This company should not be allowed to operate. Please, do yourself a favour and stay far away from Movis Car Rental and Smart Car Rentals at Malta Airport. I cannot believe how these types of companies are even allowed to operate from the airport.

I am now in contact with local authorites and European Council to resolve this issue.