Rental & platform terms

Listings describe a vehicle class ("Renault Clio or similar"), not one specific car. The operator provides a vehicle of the listed class, transmission, and fuel type.

Your booking is confirmed when the operator accepts it, not when you pay. At payment we place a hold on your card for the online amount and charge it only once the operator has confirmed; you receive an answer within 48 hours either way. If the operator cannot provide the car, the hold is released in full and nothing is charged. The confirmation email introduces your operator — company name and direct contact — and is your reference for pickup coordination. Listings marked “Instant confirmation” are the exception: the operator has accepted those bookings in advance in writing, so the booking is confirmed and the online amount charged at payment. If the car is no longer free when you pay, the booking follows the normal route above and the amount stays on hold.

By booking you confirm the lead driver meets the requirements shown on the listing: minimum age, driving licence held for the stated minimum period, and any young-driver conditions. These are shown before you pay.

The price is calculated from the driver's age and the other details you enter. If they turn out to be different at pickup, the operator may charge the fee that applies to the real details, for example a young-driver fee. You are responsible for entering them correctly.

Communications. We and your operator contact you about the booking by e-mail, by phone and through the messengers you tick in the booking form: confirmation, pick-up details, changes and problems. After the rental we may ask you once how it went. We send no marketing messages.

Every price includes the baseline cover listed on the car, taxes, and unlimited kilometres. What you see on the listing is what the rental costs.

• Pay now: the prepayment shown at checkout is authorised online through our payment provider, Stripe. It is held, not charged, until the operator confirms the booking. On a listing marked “Instant confirmation” it is charged at payment, because the operator accepted the booking in advance.
• Pay at pickup: the remaining balance is paid directly to the operator when you collect the car. Accepted payment methods at pickup are shown on the listing.
• Deposit: where the listing shows a deposit, the operator places a refundable hold on the lead driver's card at pickup and releases it after the car is returned as agreed. The deposit is never charged unless the rental agreement allows it (e.g. damage not covered by your protection level).

Promo and partner codes reduce the online payment only, never the operator's balance, and unless stated otherwise apply to your first booking.

• 48 hours or more before pickup: free cancellation — the online payment is refunded in full.
• Less than 48 hours before pickup, or no-show: the online payment is not refundable. The unpaid balance is never charged.
• If the operator cancels or cannot provide a vehicle of the booked class, you receive a full refund of the online payment. We may help you find an alternative, but do not guarantee one.

To cancel, reply to your confirmation email or write to hello@drovy.co with your booking number. Refunds go back to the original payment method, typically within 5–10 business days.

Because car rental is a dated service, the 14-day right of withdrawal that applies to many online purchases does not apply to bookings (EU Consumer Rights Directive, Article 16(l)). The cancellation terms above are the ones that govern your booking.

The lead driver presents:

• A valid driving licence, held for at least the period stated on the listing (an International Driving Permit alongside it where your licence is not in the Latin alphabet).
• A passport or national ID.
• A payment card in the lead driver's name if the listing shows a deposit.

The operator verifies these at handover. If the requirements shown on the listing are not met, the operator may refuse the vehicle and the booking is treated as a no-show — if something looks tight (licence age, card type), contact us before pickup and we will help.

Baseline cover is included with every car. At booking you choose a protection level; its price, deposit, and excess are fixed at that moment and shown side by side before you pay. What each level covers and excludes is listed on the car page and repeated on your confirmation; those lists are the operator's terms for your rental. See how insurance works for the complete picture.

No protection covers gross negligence, driving under the influence, unpaved/off-road driving, prohibited use (racing, towing), or drivers not approved by the operator. Fuel, tolls, and traffic fines are the renter's responsibility.

Operators on Drovy are independent businesses. We meet and vet every operator before listing them, but the vehicle, its condition, and the performance of the rental agreement are the operator's responsibility. Drovy's liability in connection with a booking is limited to the amounts you paid to Drovy for that booking.

Nothing in these terms limits liability that cannot be limited by law, or your mandatory consumer rights in your country of residence.

Neither Drovy nor the operator is responsible for a failure or delay caused by events beyond reasonable control — including severe weather, natural events, fire, flood, strikes, transport or airport disruption, flight cancellations, power or network outages, or government action. Where such an event stops the operator from providing the car, you get the online payment back in full. Where it stops you from travelling, such as a cancelled flight, the cancellation terms above apply, and you can ask your operator directly about new dates. This does not affect your mandatory consumer rights.

Something not right — before, during, or after the rental? Write to hello@drovy.co and we will raise it with the operator. If a dispute cannot be resolved informally, these terms are governed by Portuguese law, without prejudice to mandatory consumer protections where you live.

We may update these terms as the service evolves. The version published at the time you book is the one that applies to your booking.