Karpadu Terms and Conditions

Part A — Your Booking with Karpadu

Part A covers the booking you make on this website: what we do, what you pay us, and how to change or cancel it. Part B covers the rental itself, which happens at the station with an independent rental provider. Part C covers the legal terms that apply to both.

A1. Who We Are

Karpadu is a booking platform — a broker between you and independent local car rental companies, each referred to here as a rental provider. We do not own a fleet and we have no desk or office of our own at any pick-up station. Every vehicle is supplied, handed over and taken back by a rental provider, at that provider's own rental desk, by that provider's own staff and under that provider's own rules. We serve customers worldwide and arrange rentals in a growing number of countries, so some of the rules below depend on where you book from and where you rent.

A2. The Two Contracts

A booking through Karpadu creates two separate contracts, and it matters which one you are dealing with:

• With us: these Terms govern the booking service. When we send your confirmation email with your Booking Voucher, you enter a contract with Karpadu for arranging the reservation.
• With the rental provider: the rental agreement you sign at the rental desk governs the rental itself — the vehicle, the insurance, the deposit and everything that happens during the rental period.
• Your Booking Voucher is proof of your reservation. It is not the rental agreement, and it does not replace the document you sign at the desk.
• Where the two disagree about the rental itself, the rental agreement you signed at the desk applies. We show each provider's main rental conditions during booking so you can read them before you pay.

A3. Who Can Book

By using this website you confirm that:

• You are 18 or over, or a legal entity, and are booking on your own behalf or with the authority to book for the driver.
• The minimum age to drive, and any young driver surcharge, is set by each rental provider and is stated on your Booking Voucher. It is not always the same as the minimum age to book.
• All information you give us is accurate — names, age, contact details, driving licence and flight number. A wrong name or an ineligible age can cost you the vehicle at the desk, with no refund.
• Karpadu may modify, suspend or discontinue any part of the website at any time.

A4. How to Book

To complete a booking you:

• Choose your pick-up and drop-off station, dates and times.
• Choose a vehicle and an insurance plan from the available options.
• Enter the main driver's details accurately, including a valid driving licence.
• Accept these Terms, the Privacy Policy and the Booking Policy.
• Pay. Your reservation is confirmed only when you receive the confirmation email containing your Booking Voucher — not when the payment leaves your account.

A5. What Your Payment Covers

Your booking involves two separate amounts, and both are shown before you pay:

• The amount you pay Karpadu online. This secures the reservation and covers the vehicle and the insurance plan you selected. We add no booking fee and no card fee on top of the price you see.
• The amount payable at the rental desk, if any. This is paid to the rental provider in the local currency of the pick-up station. Karpadu is not responsible for differences caused by exchange rates or your bank's conversion fees.
• Security deposits, extras bought at the desk, fuel, tolls and traffic fines are always paid to the rental provider, never to Karpadu.
• Rentals are priced in 24-hour periods from the pick-up time, not by calendar day. A 25-hour rental therefore costs the same as a 48-hour one.

A6. Changes, Cancellations and Refunds

The following applies to every booking made through Karpadu, whatever a rental provider's own terms say:

• Cancelled at least 48 hours before pick-up: full refund of everything you paid us.
• Cancelled less than 48 hours before pick-up: no refund.
• No Show: no refund. See section B7 for exactly what counts as a No Show.
• Denied the vehicle because the information you gave was false, inaccurate or incomplete — including age, identity or licence validity: no refund.
• Cancel with us, not with the rental provider. A cancellation requested only at the station or from the provider is not a cancellation of your Karpadu booking, and this refund policy will not apply to it.
• Refunds go back to the original payment method within 14 days of us accepting the cancellation.
• To change a booking, contact Karpadu rather than the provider. Changes depend on availability and may change the price.
• The 48-hour policy above applies worldwide, wherever you book from and wherever you rent. Where EU consumer law applies to your booking, note that the 14-day right of withdrawal for distance contracts does not cover vehicle rental for a specific date and period (Article 16(l), Directive 2011/83/EU) — our 48-hour free cancellation applies instead, and is more generous than the law requires.

A7. Prices, Ranking and How We Are Paid

Search results are ordered by total price, cheapest first. No rental provider pays us for placement, and no result is promoted above another in exchange for money. The filters and sort options you choose — zero deposit, no credit card, car size, transmission — are the only things that change what you see and in what order. Karpadu is paid a commission that is already included in the price displayed; you never pay more because of it.

Part B — Your Rental at the Station

Part B covers what happens from the moment you arrive at the rental desk. At that point you are dealing with the rental provider, under the agreement you sign there. The rules below are the ones that most often cost customers money, so they are stated plainly.

B1. What to Bring to the Desk

The main driver must present all of the following in person at pick-up, as original physical documents. Photographs, scans, photocopies and documents held in a phone or a digital wallet are not accepted, and a provider may refuse the rental if the physical document is not there:

• Your Booking Voucher.
• A valid physical driving licence in the main driver's name. Most providers require it to have been held for at least one year — your Booking Voucher states the requirement for your booking.
• A physical passport or national ID card.
• An International Driving Permit alongside the licence, where the country you are renting in requires one for a licence issued elsewhere. Greece requires it for every licence issued outside the EU/EEA, and many other countries do the same. This is law, not a provider preference, and without it the provider cannot hand over the vehicle.
• A physical payment card in the main driver's name. Which card depends on the offer you chose, and your Booking Voucher states it: offers that require a security deposit need a credit card with sufficient funds, while offers marked No Credit Card Required and Premium Insurance bookings accept a standard debit card.
• A physical card is required even on a zero-deposit booking. At many stations, Athens among them, the provider must see a debit or credit card in the main driver's name as security and identification before handing over a vehicle. On these bookings nothing is charged to it and no amount is blocked on it — the card is shown, not used.

B2. The Vehicle You Get ('Or Similar')

You book a vehicle category, not a specific car:

• Vehicle images on our website are illustrations of the category. You are booking a class such as Economy, Compact or SUV — never a guaranteed make, model or colour.
• If your class is unavailable at pick-up, the provider will normally give you a higher class at no extra cost.
• If only a lower class is available, you may accept it — and Karpadu will refund the price difference to your original payment method — or decline it.

B3. Deposits and Payment at the Desk

Whether a deposit is taken, and how, depends entirely on the insurance plan you chose. The exact amount is shown during booking and on your Booking Voucher:

• Basic Insurance: a security deposit is blocked on a credit card in the main driver's name. A credit card is strictly required.
• Full Insurance: a security deposit is blocked at the desk. Where the excess is zero, the deposit covers only fuel and keys.
• Premium Insurance: no deposit is blocked and no credit card is required. A standard debit card is enough — but a physical card in the main driver's name must still be presented at many stations, including Athens, as security and identification. Nothing is charged to it and nothing is blocked on it.
• The deposit is taken and released by the rental provider, not by Karpadu. It is released after the vehicle is returned without damage; how quickly the money reappears depends on the provider and on your bank.
• If you cannot present the payment method your chosen offer requires, the provider may refuse the vehicle and no refund is due.

B4. Insurance, Excess and Exclusions

Karpadu does not issue, underwrite or sell insurance of its own. Every plan you see on this website — Basic, Full and Premium — is the rental provider's own insurance product, offered through our platform. Every booking includes at least Basic Insurance, which covers mandatory third-party liability and collision damage with an excess (also called the deductible or franchise); Full and Premium reduce or remove that excess:

• The rental provider's own policy wording is the single source of truth for what is and is not covered. We describe each plan as accurately as we can, but where our description and the provider's policy differ, the provider's policy is what applies. You are shown the plan's main conditions during booking and the full wording at the desk.
• Glass, tyres, mirrors and the vehicle's undercarriage are excluded from ALL three plans — Basic, Full and Premium. Damage to these parts is always payable by the renter.
• All cover is void if you break the law: driving under the influence, off-road driving, intentional damage, or a serious traffic violation such as running a red light. You are then liable for the full cost.
• The provider may offer you an upgrade or extra cover at the desk. Taking it is entirely your choice — your booked plan is valid as it stands, and nobody can require you to upgrade in order to collect the vehicle. If you do accept, it is a separate contract between you and the provider in your own name, and Karpadu cannot refund it, even if it turns out you did not need it.
• Karpadu is not liable for charges the provider applies for damage, theft or cleaning, or for how the provider handles a claim under its own policy.

B5. Optional Extras and Additional Drivers

Extras such as an additional driver, child seats, a navigation system, snow chains or a Ferry Boarding Permission can be added during booking:

• All extras are charged once for the full rental period, except the Ferry Boarding Permission, which is charged per crossing. A return trip to an island counts as two crossings and is charged twice.
• An additional driver must be present at the desk with their own licence and ID, and must meet the same age and licence requirements as the main driver.
• Anyone driving the vehicle who is not named on the rental agreement is uninsured. All cover is void, and the driver and the renter are liable for the full cost of any damage.

B6. Unexpected Charges at the Desk

Before you pay anything you were not expecting, call us. If the rental provider asks for a fee, a deposit, an insurance or a price that differs from your Booking Voucher, contact Karpadu at [email protected] or on the number on your Voucher while you are still at the desk:

• Our team will speak to the station and clarify the charge on the spot. This is by far the most likely route to a good outcome, because we can reach the provider while you are standing in front of them.
• Before signing, check that any optional insurance or waiver line on the agreement reads declined or 0.00 if you did not ask for it. What you sign for, you have agreed to buy.
• Once you have signed and paid, the charge is a contract between you and the provider. You can still raise it with us afterwards under section C3, but a charge you signed for is much harder for anyone to reverse.
• If the provider refuses you the vehicle for any reason, call us from the counter before you leave the station.

B7. Arriving Late, Station Hours and Flight Delays

This is the one section that covers late arrival. If you are running behind, this is what applies:

• Your vehicle is held for one (1) hour after the pick-up time on your Booking Voucher, within the station's opening hours. After that hour the rental provider may cancel the reservation and give the vehicle to another customer.
• If it does, the booking is recorded as a No Show: you lose the vehicle and no refund is due from Karpadu or from the provider.
• If you are running late, call the station directly — its phone number is on your Booking Voucher. The station staff are the people who hand you the car, so telling them first saves time and avoids any misunderstanding. Tell Karpadu as well if you cannot reach the station. Either way it is a request, not a guarantee: some providers will hold the vehicle longer, others will not, and none of them is obliged to.
• A flight number lets the provider track a delayed flight and is strongly recommended on every airport booking. It does not extend the one-hour hold and it is not a promise that the car will wait.
• Stations have fixed opening hours, and most close between 21:00 and 22:00 local station time. Any pick-up that takes place after the station has closed is charged an out-of-hours service fee — typically around €40, set by the provider — paid at the desk and separate from your Karpadu total.
• This applies whatever caused the delay. A delayed or cancelled flight is the airline's responsibility, not the provider's, and any compensation for it must be claimed from the airline.
• If you booked a time that is already outside the station's hours, the out-of-hours fee for it is included in the price you paid. If you booked a time inside the station's hours but arrive after closing — because you were late, whatever the reason — the provider is entitled to charge the out-of-hours fee at the desk, because it was not part of the price you paid. The same applies if you move your pick-up to a later, out-of-hours time after booking.
• At some stations, including Athens Airport, pick-up is by shuttle bus between the terminal and the provider's nearby parking. The shuttle serves several customers on a rotating schedule, so some waiting is normal and is not grounds for a complaint or refund.

B8. Using the Vehicle

During the rental period you are bound by the agreement you signed at the desk and by the following:

• Unlimited mileage: every rental booked through Karpadu includes it, on every insurance plan. No distance limit applies and no per-kilometre charge can be added at drop-off.
• Paved roads only: vehicles may be driven on asphalt roads only. Driving on unpaved, dirt or off-road surfaces breaches the agreement and immediately voids ALL insurance, including Full and Premium. You are then 100% liable for damage, towing and undercarriage repairs.
• Fuel: follow the provider's fuel policy, normally full-to-full. Refuelling charges and an admin fee apply if the vehicle comes back otherwise.
• Ferries: taking the vehicle on a ferry requires a Ferry Boarding Permission, bought in advance. Boarding without one breaches the agreement and voids your insurance for the whole rental.
• Crossing a border: taking the vehicle out of the country of pick-up requires the provider's written permission in advance, is not available on every vehicle, and may carry a cross-border fee. Driving abroad without that permission voids all cover.
• Tolls and traffic fines: these are yours. The provider passes on the fine plus its own administration fee, and may charge the card on file months after the rental has ended.

B9. Returning the Vehicle

Return the vehicle to the agreed station at the agreed time:

• Returning late incurs charges set by the provider, which can be a full extra day.
• Returning early does not reduce the price, and unused days are not refunded by Karpadu or by the provider.
• A one-way rental — dropping off at a different station from the pick-up — is possible on many bookings and may carry a one-way fee. Where it applies, the fee is shown before you pay.
• Returning after closing time may be possible via a key drop box at some stations and may carry an after-hours return fee. Check your Booking Voucher before you plan a late return.

Part C — Legal

Part C sets out liability, complaints and the law that applies. Nothing here takes away rights you have as a consumer.

C1. Limitation of Liability

Karpadu is responsible for arranging your booking correctly with the rental provider. We are not responsible for:

• Service issues, cancellations or fleet shortages caused by a rental provider.
• Damage, loss or accidents occurring during the rental period.
• Charges applied by a provider, such as late return, fuel, tolls or traffic fines.
• Indirect or consequential losses arising from a booking — missed ferries, hotel nights or onward travel.
• Disruption caused by events outside our control, such as natural disasters, strikes or pandemics.

C2. Your Responsibility to Us

You are responsible for costs and claims we incur because of:

• Fraudulent information you gave when booking.
• Your use of the vehicle in breach of the law or of the rental agreement.
• A claim brought against us by a third party arising from either of the above.

C3. Complaints and Dispute Resolution

If something goes wrong during the rental, raise it with the rental provider at the time — and tell us as well, while you are still at the station if you can. We can only help with a situation we know about. Afterwards, contact our support team at [email protected]:

• Please raise complaints within 90 days of the last day of your rental. The station still has its records, which makes the matter far quicker to resolve. Later complaints are still accepted and your statutory rights are unaffected.
• We will acknowledge your complaint and tell you what we can and cannot do about it. Where the charge is the provider's, we will put your case to them, but we cannot compel a provider to refund.
• If we ask you for information and hear nothing for 30 days, we will close the case and tell you we have done so. You can reopen it.
• If we cannot resolve it between us, consumers in Greece may approach the Hellenic Consumer Ombudsman (Συνήγορος του Καταναλωτή), consumers elsewhere in the EU may approach the alternative dispute resolution body in their own country, and customers anywhere else may use whatever consumer body or legal route their own country provides. Wherever you are, our support team handles your complaint the same way.

C4. Changes to These Terms

We may change these Terms for future bookings. The version you accepted when you completed your booking is the version that governs that booking, and we will not change it afterwards. Changes take effect when published on this page, with the Last Updated date revised. If the website is temporarily unavailable because of technical work, Karpadu is not liable for resulting missed bookings or losses.

C5. Privacy and Cookies

To fulfil your booking we pass the driver's name, contact details, age, licence details and flight number to the rental provider — without this the provider cannot prepare the vehicle. Our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy explain how we collect, store and use your data, and form part of these Terms.

C6. Intellectual Property

All content on the Karpadu website — text, graphics, logos and software — is owned by or licensed to Karpadu. Unauthorised use or reproduction is prohibited.

C7. Governing Law

Karpadu accepts bookings from customers worldwide. These Terms are governed by Greek law, and the courts of Greece have jurisdiction. If you are a consumer, this does not deprive you of the protection of the mandatory consumer rules of your own country of residence, and where the law of your country gives you the right to bring proceedings in your own courts, that right is unaffected. The rental itself is additionally subject to the law of the country where you rent, which is the law that governs the agreement you sign at the rental desk.