Indie Campers Reviews 

0 STAR – DO NOT USE INDIE CAMPERS

We have been stranded in Italy for 3 days and counting after the campervan automatically locked our keys inside. We accept responsibility for locked keys (even thought it slammed on us and auto locked) , but we contacted Indie Campers immediately for assistance.

Despite paying around €500 for premium coverage, we were told they couldn’t find a locksmith in Central Italy and that we would have to pay to break a window or get the spare key however all costs are on us…

The spare key was in PORTUGAL!!!. We paid for priority postage and were promised via WhatsApp that it would arrive Tuesday, with tracking provided. Tuesday came and we discovered the key had not even been sent.

We are tourists from the other side of the world, stranded in Italy with our clothes and luggage locked inside the van, and have had to pay for a hotel.

The campervan remains unusable and the loss is continuing beyond three days.

We accept responsibility for locking the keys inside, but the lack of support and unacceptable delay afterwards is not our responsibility.

Terrible service, zero urgency and zero support when we needed it most. DO NOT USE.

I had the Motorhome only for 1 day, and I looked after it with no issues whatsoever. We handed the vehicle back, and on check-out they said it's all clear and nothing was wrong with it, nothing signed. All good to go. Then we had revieved our deposit back and then another charge was taken out from our account for damages, they have failed for 7 days to tell us what it was and only as I am trying to get some info they told me a damaged blinker. This was absolutly unaceptable and these charges are fabricated. Please be careful and make sure you recored everything when hiring from this company

Seven day motorhome hire from Heathrow, 24 to 31 August 2026. The van itself drove fine. The living side of it did not.

The awning was broken at handover and no winding stick was supplied. I filmed the handover. The fridge did not work for the first three days. The water pump failed for the last three days, so no sink, no shower, no toilet flush. The hob ignition was faulty, the rear blind was broken and one of the extra seats was wet when I collected it. Collection was an hour late.

At drop off their own staff offered £60 and said openly it was not enough but he had no authority to offer more. Support then offered £50.15 which is a bad joke. Two weeks of chasing on chat, mostly bot replies and "we have escalated this".

Separate point: at checkout I was charged a £229.98 "preparation fee" and a £197.39 "insurance and service fee" on top of the £832 rental. I did not see those in the headline price when booking. Check the final screen carefully before you pay.

I have hired campervans three times before through JustGo without a single problem. This was my first time with Indie Campers and would not use them again.

Extremely stressful and horrible experience still currently trying to get compensation from indie with no response currently.
request: 2750622
Our van got broken into and we had all our belongings stolen. After presenting back to the depot we were told the van could not be fixed immediately but the spare part had been ordered and would arrive that week(it was wednesday). We stated we would leave the van at the depot for them to repair when it arrives but they refused to take the keys or the van, we were unable to take it as it couldn't be driven with the window broken and flying off the side, not to mention insecure. so we parked the at the depot and were told to await an update when we could come back.
over the following 10 days we were told many conflicting horrible things(contact me for screen shots these will be posted to facebook and google)
- the part had been ordered was coming but had not arrived
- advised to tape the window and continue our trip anyway
- advised to fix it ourselves
- 6 days in told the van could not be repaired, no part ordered, no approximate date of repair could be up to 2 weeks
IMAGINE spending years saving for a trip coming from australia spending all the money on a rental van only to not be able to drive or sleep in it as it is unsafe and the rental company not performing its legal responsibility to fix or replace the van within a suitable timeline. It was our fault for being too trusting and thinking this company cared for its clients. we lost 10 days awaiting a repair that never happened, we asked numerous times for a refund or termination of the contract in writing that was consistently ignored. NEVER hire from this company. when we eventually turned up in person the online system offered us a replacement van through WhatsApp communication but only if we left and came back the next day to pick it up. the next day the employees had NO knowledge of this NONE!! we have it all in writing from indie they just lie, multiple times they have said they will organise compensation but nothing yet, hundreds of calls, messages, emails and nothing. This is not even going into any of the other minor issues we had or the numerous other people we saw having issues.

Here’s my story so far - Perth Australia June/July 2026.

We paid up front 6 months prior, paid top $$ for the premium insurance option. Upon pick up no one at the depot. We could only contact a call centre where they held us to ransom until we paid them some bull 💩 deposit of $4000, which they said was just a hold. It wasn’t, it was taken straight away. Only then did they tell us where the keys were. There were so many issues- first aid kit was empty- had three bandaids. We found this out because our daughter was bitten by a snake and we needed to bind her legs with non existent bandages. We had to rip up our clothes. There was no linen, toilet stunk. Thank god the vehicle worked ok and it didn’t ruin our trip. But now 2 months later we are still asking for our deposit back. we are out of pocket $4000. They are thieves, avoid at all costs

After 1 month, I am still waiting to be refunded for my guarantee a fter a month and your colleague annonce a further delay of 15 days..This is not serious! FURTHER DELAY IS NOT ACCEPTABLE

 
Where do I start with this review? from poor customer service, pushy sales techniques, extortionate deposit, added extras, vehicle not ready for collection on time, dirty vehicle, broken items, dirty & smelly fridge, vehicles exterior covered in marks, scrapes & bumps... the list is endless!

Having paid an additional £160.00 for an early pick up, the vehicle should have been ready for us at 10.00am. We arrived at the pick up point at 10.10am & the vehicle was not ready & still being hosed down in a dirty yard whilst also being wiped down internally with a dirty, filthy mop. Once the supposedly cleaning process was all finished we dealt with the handover. This was not done in an office or a safe, dry area, this was done in a puddled ridden area where the van had been hosed down.
We then had to walk through large puddles of dirty water whilst carrying our bags & suitcases to get into the van... walking through puddles wet our footwear & suitcases which added additional dirt & wetness to an already dirty van.
The van was filthy from top to bottom. The floor was dirty & covered in sand, the dashboard, front & door compartments were dirty & sandy, the cutlery box was dirty & sandy... it even had a dead fly in it, the cutlery was dirty & all loose in the box, the bedding was soiled & stained it was as if oil had been used on it. We didn't know the state of the bedding until we tried to make the bed...We did not use the bedding supplied & slept on our beach towels the first night & then went out the next day & bought our own bedding at our own expense (There was an additional charge of £82.00 for an essential travel kit which included cutlery & bedding)
There was a parking ticket on the dashboard dated 13/08/2026 clearly the van had not been cleaned as our trip did not started until 29/08/2026 if the van had been cleaned surely this would have been removed. The fridge was disgusting & absolutely reeked. We had to buy products to clean & sanitize the fridge before putting anything in it.

During our handover the staff member attempted to charge us £70.00 for a gas canister on the basis that we had not pre-ordered one. We were flabbergasted & in shock over this as a gas canister is a necessity plus we do not remember being informed at the time of booking that it was an added extra. Given that gas powers the heating, hot water & cooker we considered this an essential amenity that should be provided as standard & not an optional extra sprung on customers at the point of collection. We decided to decline to pay the £70.00 & we picked up a full gas canister from our first campsite at a reduced price of £34.99 which is half the price of what Indie Campers were trying to charge us.

We were also required to pay a deposit of £1,700 for damages which seemed an extortionate deposit... given the state of the vehicle on collection. The vehicle was full of marks, dents, scrapes & bumps. We felt that our hands were tied & paid the extortionate deposit as we wanted to get on with our planned trip.
We took plenty of photos of the damaged van beforehand as evidence that the damage was there before we took the vehicle out.

They also supplied us with a cracked & damaged outside table. Even the fold up chairs were worn & damaged (This again was an added cost)

We spent far too much of our valuable time doing things that should have been covered by Indie Campers.
Please think very carefully before using this company as they may seem the cheaper option but with all the hidden/added extras you possibly end up paying more.

When we got back from our trip we put in a complaint & sent photographic evidence regarding the state of the van, the dirty sheets, the dirty cutlery & box, our time wasted, the expenses we endured.
We have not been reimbursed for anything & Indie Campers support & understanding has been a disgrace. Below is their reply to our complaint.

Thank you for your patience while we completed a thorough review of your case.
 
After carefully reviewing the information provided, including the booking details, check-in records, and the photographs taken during the vehicle handover, we would like to share the outcome of our investigation.
 
Firstly, we have confirmed that no charge was applied to your booking for a gas bottle. While we understand you were offered the option to purchase one during collection, our records confirm that this was not added to your booking or charged by Indie Campers.
 
Regarding the condition of the campervan, we reviewed the check-in photographs and inspection records completed prior to your departure. Based on these records, the vehicle was cleaned and prepared before handover, and no cleanliness concerns are evident in the documented check-in photos. We also confirmed that the check-in process lasted approximately 15–20 minutes, which is within our standard handover procedure.
 

My experience with Indie Campers was extremely disappointing.

During my rental I discovered that the windshield wiper blades were so worn that visibility during rain was severely compromised. After I reported the issue, Indie Campers' support team repeatedly advised me not to drive in rainy conditions due to safety concerns. At the same time, they were unable to provide any immediate solution.

After visiting numerous auto parts stores without success, I eventually had to locate and purchase original Volkswagen replacement wiper blades myself, at my own expense, despite the fact that the vehicle should have been delivered in safe operating condition from the outset. Indie Campers explicitly authorized the purchase and confirmed that the cost would be reimbursed once I submitted the invoice.

The issue caused several days of disruption to my holiday, forced changes to my travel plans, and resulted in considerable time and inconvenience spent trying to solve a problem that should never have existed.

Following the review of my case, Indie Campers approved:

€74.29 reimbursement for the replacement wiper blades;
€250 compensation for the disruption and inconvenience suffered.

Both amounts were confirmed as approved and later stated to be "issued" by their own customer support team.

However, despite multiple follow-ups and despite the payment deadlines communicated by Indie Campers having long expired, I have still not received any payment. I have even provided my credit card statement showing that no refund has been credited to my account, yet the company continues to provide generic responses without any proof that the payments were actually processed.

What concerns me most is not only the original vehicle maintenance issue, but also the company's inability to honor reimbursement commitments that it has already formally approved.

Based on my experience, I cannot recommend Indie Campers. When a customer reports a safety-related defect, spends personal funds to remedy it following the company's instructions, and then waits weeks for payments that were supposedly approved, something is clearly wrong in the process.

I sincerely hope this review encourages Indie Campers to resolve the matter promptly and improve both its vehicle maintenance standards and customer support procedures.

Downgraded a week before pickup, no alternative offered, no refund — and their own terms say what they owe me

★☆☆☆☆

I booked a 7-seat, 6-sleeper RV for a 10-day trip in the US. One week before pickup I received an email from Indie Campers telling me the vehicle I had booked and paid for was not available. I was assigned a smaller Conquest with 4 adult and 2 child sleeping places. No alternative was offered. Not a reschedule, not a cancellation, not a refund of the price difference — nothing. I was simply informed.

That matters, because Indie Campers' own Rental Agreement spells out what they have to do in exactly this situation: offer a lower-category vehicle with a refund of the price difference, or rebook the original category, or cancel with a full refund. I received none of the three. They wrote their own rulebook and then ignored it.

The practical consequences of a downgrade like this are not abstract. We had packed for the vehicle we booked. In the smaller one there was no comparable storage, so luggage and bicycles travelled on the bed and in the aisle for ten days. With the reduced sleeping capacity, part of our group had to sleep in a tent outside the vehicle. We bought additional equipment at our own expense.

The pickup itself: three hours of waiting. The first replacement vehicle was damaged and had a defective generator. The second one was handed over unclean.

Then came the part that really tells you who you are dealing with. Calls and emails during and after the rental went unanswered. Completely. They charged the full amount of USD 4,213.66 to my card and put two collection agencies on me — and both of those agencies told me they could not get a reply out of Indie Campers either. When your own debt collectors cannot reach you, the problem is not the customer.

To this day I have not received the refund of the price difference that their own terms provide for. For the record: this was my second rental with them. The first year had its own problems. I gave them a second chance. That was the mistake.

If you book here, understand what you are actually buying: a vehicle category, not a vehicle, with no meaningful recourse if they cannot deliver it — and a company that is only reachable when it wants money from you.

We booked a van, we were almost given an RV. No ore warning, then we were told there's one with a broken fridge, portable only - and 150€ off our booking (as none of the replacement cars were automatic, what we booked). We said yes, OK. Then another car comes in, girl keeps disappearing, then says that will be ours. Ok I say, as by now a 1000 mosquito bites are on me.
At the end we got a van, not cleaned (if you know they have a 160€ preparation fee, you can only wonder what was "prepared". Also, cleaning kit had 1 garbage bag. For 9 days. No paper towel. A bunk bed we had to insist to be removed as totally unecessary. On drop off we mentioned the 150€. At the end, the website advised I will get 100€, I was like..whatever.. and by the end I got 89.11€ (not sure about why this wxact amount i think they used paypal and it charged me.. what a bunch of pennyeffers). All in all, won't be using Indie again. Too big company, says "friendly staff", well, defo not friendly when we were there. Milan MXP

Absolutely stay away from this company. I rented a VW California camper from the Stuttgart branch. The camper was dirty on the outside and the interior was covered in stains. Campers wasn’t older than 2 years old and just wasn’t looked after.

Regardless I took the camper and started to drive toward Austria. Within 4hrs of driving a warning for too much oil in the engine popped up and told me to visit a VW workshop. I contacted the customer service and they were useless. They wouldn’t provide me with a replacement (even though they had plenty in Munich available) told me I had to sort it out which I ended doing by taking to Zell am see VW service centre. The issue with this is ended up losing 2.5 days worth of my holiday because of this issue. I asked for compensation which hasn’t been given as well as my deposit of €500. Even though I gave the camper back in a better condition than I was given it in.

I strongly recommend check other places to rent from instead of these cowboys.

Shocking quality. Shocking support. Our van was not prepared prior to our arrival. There were 20 people waiting and only two staff. The camper was filthy dirty and was missing equipment we ordered. The ladders for the two beds were broken. The other ladder was the wrong one and too short. The skylight window only had two of 5 catches present resulting in a torrent of water wetting our stuff including a computer. The cooker stove did not work and had been dangerously jury rigged to keep the flame going. This rarely worked and again no support to get it resolved. We had to buy a little gas cooker to use. The van had an oil issue that bot WhatsApp responses repeatedly promised immediate roadside support. If you are not sure I would avoid using them. The after sales is even worse. I have made countless formal complains requesting I get paid for expenses I incurred due to their incompetence. All you will ever get is bot responses that never deliver anything. Probably the worst holiday ever thanks to their rubbish service and poorly maintained vehicles. Three months now and still my formal complaint is being sidelined and ignored.

**🇫🇷**
⚠️ Attention aux punaises de lit lors d'une location de van

Après une semaine de location d'un van chez Indie Campers, nous avons constaté quelques jours après notre retour des piqûres, puis retrouvé une punaise de lit dans notre logement. C'était malheureusement le début d'une infestation.

Pendant le séjour, nous avions utilisé notre propre couette et nos propres coussins. Impossible bien sûr de prouver l'origine de la contamination, d'autant que le loueur a refusé de nous envoyer la preuve qu'ils avaient fait traiter le van en question. Cette expérience nous incite à recommander une inspection très minutieuse du véhicule avant d'y installer ses affaires.

🔦 Avec une lampe torche, inspectez notamment :
• les coutures, plis et dessous du matelas
• les étiquettes et angles du matelas
• le sommier et ses fentes
• les banquettes, dessous des coussins et coutures
• les recoins sombres autour des couchages

Cherchez les punaises elles-mêmes, mais aussi les petits points noirs (déjections) et les traces de sang.

Une seule punaise peut suffire à entraîner une infestation au domicile — dans notre cas, les conséquences ont été longues, coûteuses et particulièrement stressantes.

Quelques minutes d'inspection avant de s'installer peuvent vous éviter bien des problèmes.

**🇬🇧**
⚠️ Beware of bed bugs when renting a campervan

After a one-week rental with Indie Campers, we noticed bites a few days after returning home, then found a bed bug in our apartment. It was unfortunately the start of an infestation.

During the trip, we used our own duvet and pillows. Of course, it's impossible to prove the exact origin of the contamination — especially since the rental company refused to send us proof that the van in question had been treated. This experience leads us to strongly recommend a thorough inspection of the vehicle before settling in.

🔦 With a flashlight, check in particular:
• the seams, folds, and underside of the mattress
• the mattress tags and corners
• the bed base and its slats/gaps
• the benches, underneath cushions, and seams
• dark corners around the sleeping areas

Look for the bugs themselves, but also small black dots (droppings) and blood stains.

A single bug can be enough to trigger an infestation at home — in our case, the consequences were long, costly, and particularly stressful.

A few minutes of inspection before settling in can save you a lot of trouble.

Well, my experience begins with a camper van supposedly upgraded to a better category. On the first day, after five hours of driving, we stopped to look at the map and the camper van stopped working. A completely dead battery meant we had to contact Indicamper since we were in a paid parking lot... the solution came at 1 a.m. with a gentleman who made contact with his contact cables.Today I received a payment for that parking lot, which Indicamper was responsible for, and I have it in the WhatsApp conversation with them. I've sent photos, videos, and information about the camper's conversations and info, but they haven't responded... but that's not all. In the following days, the camper's steering wheel started malfunctioning, and the controls wouldn't light up. Wonderful 7-day vacation, as you can see!
P.S. I can prove absolutely everything. I have extensive accounts of all the incidents I had with them.

Rented a Jeep on Sep 13, 2026 — registration had expired in July 2026, unknown to us. We drove through multiple states in a vehicle that was not road legal, which also raises serious safety concerns (registration renewal ties to safety/emissions checks) and could affect insurance coverage in an accident.
Local branch couldn't resolve it and referred us to an AI WhatsApp agent, which also couldn't help. No swap, no resolution.
Booking code: Z0GNQ3. Be aware this can happen, and support may not be able to help if it does.

Four-hour pickup, broken van, undisclosed charges, and no one answers the phone. Rented a Comfort Standard Select, Lisbon to Porto, August 2026. This was my fifth motorhome rental (Germany, France, USA-- other companies) and by far the worst.

Pickup took four hours. Booked for 5 PM, drove out at 9 PM. Nobody acknowledged us for the first 90 minutes, in the August heat. The QR check-in system was so confusing we ended up explaining it to other customers. The staff member didn't know the vehicle — told us the bed didn't lock (it did), there was no ladder (it was in the boot), and there was no awning pole (we found it the next day). He didn't know how to get CarPlay working, and we had to wait even longer for someone else to come show us where the hidden connection cable was. It still didn't work. We had to purchase a data USB cable. He then pressured us repeatedly to mark "satisfied" on the form. We signed because we were exhausted, not because the van was acceptable.

Hidden cost. No gas bottle included, never mentioned at booking. Offered at the counter at 9 PM for ~€78 with the line "do you want to be able to cook?"

The van. No air conditioning, no screen door, window latches and screens broken, most shades cracked or falling off, freezer door broken, dirty fridge and stove, and the previous renters' dirty bedding still in a bag in the boot. Diesel tank a quarter full at handover.

Drop-off. We returned a day early — forfeiting a paid night — because we'd watched how slow their returns were and couldn't risk our flight. The person at the Porto depot said, "I don't have time to check you in, just leave it." No inspection, no confirmation email, no notice when the deposit was released. We left an iPad in the van, called that evening and the next day from our hotel nearby: no answer. Sent a Lost Device alert. Never heard a word. Had to pay a $140 deductible to replace it.

Expensive, dirty, poorly run, and unreachable when it mattered. Rent from someone else. We picked up a van from RoadSurfers the following week and the experience was like night and day-- what a massive difference!! So much better.

We got to the depot in Lisbon and the place was a mess. People waiting for hours on end to get their van. When they finally handed us our van, the van look like is had been thorugh hell. It was highly damaged everywhere. We just took it because we were just glad we could get on unlike all the other people there. The agent on site told us they had registered all the damage beforehand.
We finished our trip and handed the van in the exact same condition it was handed to us. During the check out inspection the agent on site told us that on the van's file the check in pictures were from a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT VAN. HE CONFIRMED THIS TO US. A few days later we get charged for damages to the van in the sum of almost 400 euros and they send us the file where the check in and check out pictures are for 2 different vans. After contacting them all we get is automated responses. These people are FRAUDSTERS and all they do is try to scam people out of their money. This is causing us immense stress, worst experience ever, please, for your own sake, stay away from these people.

I rarely leave reviews like this, but after more than two months of emails with Indie Campers, I think other customers should know how my case was handled.

After returning the campervan, the employee at the depot inspected it and told me everything was fine. Shortly afterwards, Indie Campers charged me €288.04 for two alleged damages.

One charge was €137.69 for a missing/broken upper marker light. The remarkable part is that the damage was already visible in Indie Campers' own check-in photographs taken before I received the vehicle. I also had a video from the day I collected the van showing the same thing.

Despite this, I spent weeks going back and forth with customer service. Eventually, one of their representatives reviewed the evidence and explicitly confirmed in writing that the light was pre-existing. Only after many emails and escalation did Indie Campers finally approve the refund.

The second charge is €150.35 for a grey-water valve lever.

The valve mechanism was already loose during my trip. I actually had to buy a cheap wrench at a supermarket so that I could operate it. More importantly, I personally raised the issue with the employee when returning the campervan, and I was told everything was fine.

Indie Campers later sent me a check-in photograph showing that the lever was physically present before departure. However, in my view, a photograph showing that a lever exists does not demonstrate that it was securely attached or functioning correctly — which is exactly what I have been disputing.

I have repeatedly asked them to show evidence that the mechanism was inspected and functioning correctly before handover, and to properly explain how a relatively small missing lever results in a €150.35 charge.

Their response has largely been to quote sections of their terms and their internal “damage tree”. I was even told that because I did not identify the defect during the initial validation, the vehicle was effectively considered to have been delivered in operational condition.

What makes the experience especially disappointing is the customer service.

I dealt with numerous different support representatives over several months, repeatedly explained the same facts, supplied photographs, video and payment evidence, and received contradictory answers. At one point they were still defending the marker-light charge even though another Indie Campers representative had already confirmed that the damage existed before my rental.

In my personal experience, the handling of this dispute has been disgraceful.

I enjoyed the actual campervan trip and originally expected to use Indie Campers again. The way the company handled the damage claims afterwards completely changed my opinion.

My advice to anyone renting from them is simple: take detailed photos and videos of absolutely everything — including underneath the vehicle and small mechanical components — before leaving the depot, and keep every piece of evidence.

⚠️ A heads-up for anyone thinking of renting from @indie_campers
Back in March we rented a motorhome in Dublin. It arrived with the bathroom door lock already fixed with a window latch, the kitchen drawer handle already broken and screwed back on, the wing mirror held with tape, and a gas O-ring leak that left us without heating for half the trip. All documented in photos and video the same day. Indie Campers acknowledged it in writing and closed the case with €139 in compensation.
Four months later, with no warning, they charged us €375.46 claiming "damage" — the exact same items that were already broken when we picked up the vehicle. We now have 4 open tickets (#2200346, #2147736, #2664527, #2711355) and contradictory replies: one agent says the charge "stands," the next says it's "still under investigation," less than 24 hours apart.
Their own website says damage charges are communicated within 30 days of the rental ending. It's been 4 months.
We're not the only ones: there are dozens of identical complaints on OCU, Trustpilot and BBB — charges for pre-existing damage, months later, with no clear explanation. The pattern is real and it's documented.
@indie_campers you have 5 business days to fix this before this goes to consumer authorities (OCU, the European Consumer Centre, the EU's ODR platform, and ASAE in Portugal).
#IndieCampers #CampervanRental #BuyerBeware #ConsumerRights #RealReview

Customer Service is shocking, no help and provide no options. Refund of 5% is only option available despite holiday being in 5 weeks. Interested in different car as the 'ADVENTURE" 4WD fridge has to be plugged in at all times to stay cold... I have asked for alternative vans happy to pay extra to only be told "Can't help you, sorry".