Wicked Campers Australia Review

My experience with Wicked Campers Cairns was extremely disappointing. The pickup location was in disrepair, more akin to a run-down beach shack than a professional rental facility. I received—a 2010 Toyota Corolla—was dirty, with trash and stray hairs inside. The turnover time for cars was just 30 minutes, which likely contributed to the poor condition. The staff’s professionalism was lacking, and I struggled to reach the depot by phone.

While I had good communication from the Perth office, the Cairns staff member was unhelpful and aggressive, trying to charge me an extra $200 despite prior confirmation that after-hours drop-off would be free. I ended up paying an extra $100, which was unjustified given the poor service and vehicle condition.
I’m requesting a refund of the $100 charged incorrectly. I hope this review helps others avoid similar issues with Wicked Campers Cairns.

Saved me with an awesome van and even better service
I always try and go with WICKED!!

I travel a lot and usually don't listen a lot to reviews sine I want to build my own opinion and give everyone a chance, but well... This time I was wrong.
If you do decide to rent a car from them, please, read the reviews from their other locations around the world as well...

We rented one of their camper vans in 2022, Vancouver BC.

Pro:
- Very kind person who handed out the vehicle. We also got a park pass and bear spray, which was nice.
- The mattresses in the car is totally fine
- The graffiti on the car is fun
- Any beddings you might leave in the car, we got told is being donate to homeless shelters, which we appreciate

Con:
The info that we had to have 1/4 tank of fuel all the time, nobody told us, we noticed this when seeing a small text below the gas meter. Because of this, we had to stop (and plan) our gas stops more frequently, which was a real hazard when we were pretty much in the middle of nowhere with a wild fire going on around us and no phone service.

We were not able to drive the speed limit on the roads, the car started to shake and was extremely unstable if we went over 100 km/h

The car does not roll well on the road, we even had to step on the gas when going down hill at some points, and then step on the gas even more and try to get some extra speed to go uphill. (Which added a lot to the already very expensive the fuel consumption)

Tires feel and look like they were not inflated

We fueled the car same amount multiple times but the gas gauge was different every time, it's hard to plan when this doesn't work and we had to keep in mind to never go below ¼ tank.

The gears didn’t work at some points, which is extremely scary and unsafe when going down a very steep hill. Especially when they tell you NOT to use the breaks too often, since they might break down then.

Driving in the dark was not an option. The lights were awful and we could barely see anything.

The steering wasn’t responsive, there was a massive play when you turn. It was a bit loose, so we had to be very careful when turning and making u-turns was not an option.

The engine light turned on after only a few hours using the car, which felt very unsure. We did call the company and got told it was "probably the sensor, but keep driving, and call again if it gets worse". This is not safe and just a stress itself the rest of the trip.

The belt fan is also worn out, so the car sounded like a cricket.

The suspensions are totally worn out, so we had to crawl over any bump or hole in the ground, or the car might have broken down.

Not environmentally friendly or cheap to drive, at all. We spent A LOT only on gas on our total trip with this car. Keep this in mind. This is not a cheap way to travel.
It would've been cheaper for us to rent a regular car and book hotels along the way.

The 12 volt outlet (cigarette outlet) did not work, we could not charge our phones and had no electricity what so ever. There was an USB port in the CD player, which wasn't event strong enough to charge a phone, it only kept it at the battery level we first had when plugging it in

50% of the lights in the car did not work. So doing dishes, making food or anything else when it got dark was not an option if we did’t have a flash light. And the only flash light we had was the one on our phone, which we couldn’t use, since we couldn’t charge it. (yes, we should've bought a better flash light)

The car had no AC, so when it was hot outside, we had to have the windows rolled down and became deaf when trucks passed us, and honked (which they did all the time, since we couldn’t drive the speed limit)

There was no heat what so ever to be turned on when the car was not on, so the nights got freezing. We bought beddings for more that 100 dollars, and still shivered like crazy.

Since the car is so slow, a distance that might have taken about 2 hours took almost 3,5 hours. We had no time at any of the destinations we planned to visit during the trip, since we had to drive to make it back in time. (Ball bearings must be replaced)

The water tap did not work.

The kitchen supplies were not cleaned. When I washed everything again before using it, the water literally became brown.

The arm rest was broken and not even usable, the back rest couldn’t be adjusted whatsoever.

The dash light was broken, couldn’t see anything when we first tried driving after the sun went down.

Left side Mirror couldn’t be adjusted at all, the right one only slightly.

The speakers were broken


We pointed out all this to wicked after we returned the car and got or deposit back, (since we've read reviews afterwards about customers who lost their entire deposit even though Wicked said nothing was wrong with the car when returning). They ghosted us.


We were still lucky though that the car didn't break down after all, in the middle of nowhere, and we got our deposit back. But I would not recommend anyone to rent from them. Unless you want to take some fun pictures for a day.

Most horrific experience ever !

Made 2 bookings for 2 different time at the London Location.

Received a confirmation email mentioning a different location. Been overcharged for the daily rate so I called the customer's service which explained that the website was not updated and the location had been changed. Price of the daily cover was a mistake and will be refunded.

Fair enough, location was annoying but could deal with it. Next morning, I received again a new email mentioning a 3d location. I called and they explained that they did a mistake but the location is a different one. Which is far away from London ! Location I can't make to so I ask to cancel all bookings (worth £600) which the person agreed to but warned me that this had to be decided by the head office in AUS. Fair enough, for the next 3 weeks, no reply, no email, no answer on the online chat, no answer on the phone, all leading back to the head office which send me an email that they were looking into it.

Since then Radio silence, lost the money, officially taking them to court now if the BVRLA can't resolve the issue before.

BE MINDFULL AND CAREFULL WITH THEM!! Worse communication and customer's service ever !

Please do not ever consider renting a van with Wicked Camper Vans. I had 2 breakdowns during my rental period of 2 weeks and it has been 3 months now and I haven’t gotten any money back! First the battery was broken on the first day (!!) of our rental period and we got it replaced. 2 days later the van stopped on the highway and the dynamo had to be replaced in a garage in France, which took a week to finish because they didn’t have the part in stock. I spent over €1000 on repair and towing costs and another €800 for a replacement vehicle. I saved all tickets and discussed all options upfront with the office in the UK. Liam from the UK office promised that the payments I made up front would be covered, but I guess I was naive to believe this. 3 months later they still haven’t seriously looked into repaying any of the costs we made because they send us on the road with a BROKEN VAN from DAY ONE! Basically, they gave us a broken van and we arranged and paid to get it fixed. We feel very naive. This is the WORST service I ever received from a company. And I am not even talking about the van being very dirty (there were molded dishes in the van) and the side mirrors were broken.

We had a great trip, and the car was in good condition and returned and signed off all fine. One problem though.. this all happened more than 2 months ago and they just won't give us back our $3000 bond money. There's no-one to contact and they don't reply to any email.

They are a very very dodgy company that have probably loaned or invested our money and lost it.

Please DO NOT even consider using this dishonest, scamming company. I don't know how they are allowed to operate!

Please, don't do it, worst company ever, it's a fraud.

They cancel our trip, they promise that they will refound our money, 3 months ago. But they still have our 1000$

Before renting a vehicle with Wicked Camper, you need to read this.
Unfortunately, we cannot put zero stars, so i have to put one. Renting a vehicle with this company was the biggest mistake I made during my stay in Australia. Ok, that's cheap, ok, the staff is nice, ok, the vans are funny. But, for god's sake, please don't make the same mistake we did. I'm going to explain the reasons why in more detail, so read all the way to the end.
First of all, it seems that some of these vans are not allowed in some australian States and the company DIDN'T TELL US THIS. How do i know it then? A policeman in Queensland told us.
Moreover, the vehicle was disgusting, outside and inside, when we got it. We found beer cans, garbages, the dishes were disgusting and some stuff broken.

Lastly, and THIS IS THE MORE IMPORTANT, when we brought back our van at the Brisbane office, they tried to fuck us and to make us pay extra fees. They tried to make us pay by any way they could. First, they said that the van was disgusting and that we had to pay, even if it was in the same state that when we got it.
It didn’t work, sot they tried something else. In the main contract, it is written that some areas are prohibited (among which Fraser island, the desert, etc), but according to this main contract, Magnetic island is not prohibited. But, they also give you a booklet with the characteristics of the van, etc, and in this booklet, it’s written in small print that ALL THE ISLANDS are prohibited. This is very dishonnest to put this prohibition in the fucking booklet that nobody read, when the main contract suggests than Magnetic island is not prohibited. We went on Magnetic island with the van, because we thought this island was allowed, and someone took a photo of our van and sent it to Wicked Camper. That’s why they asked us to pay a fine, but we were not agree, so they tried something else.
They said that we went on an island, so they were sure the engine was full of sand and broken and that we would probably have to pay. What the fuck was this argument ? Guys, were you really thinking that we drove on the sand ? I didn’t trust them at all so i went with them to the garage to watch inside the engine. And guess what ? No sand, of course. So, once again, they tried something else.
They said that the photo on Magnetic island was taken in a private road (even if it wasn’t, it was a road leading to a beach and we saw a lot of tourists in this road and in this beach) and that we needed to, guess what, pay a fine.
The afternoon at the company agency was very long and the staff at the Brisbane office was very unpleasant and dishonest. At the end of the day, we paid two fines : a $70 fine and a $500 fine. But we guess they understood that we were going to the police, so they called us back in the day and they sent us back our $500. So we just paid §70.

This is the worst company i’ve ever seen. They are unpleasant, incompetent, dishonest, and thieves. They know that the persons who are renting the vans are mostly backpackers, that’s why they try to fuck us. If you read this and you are a backpacker (and even if you’re not), don’t rent a van with Wicked Camper. Don’t make this mistake. Rent with an other company, even if that’s more expensive. And if you read this and you are a Wicked Camper staff member, just know that you guys are full of shit.

1) We didn't got the car we ordered.
2) The tent was leaking allover. So we had to live in small cabins on the camping sites. We also bought a tarpaulin but could not use it because it was windy. (Everything paid by ourself.)
3) No customer support on the road except sales people from India.
4) When we handed over the car and over complaints the employees could not do anything. Send an email they said.
5) Haven't heard from Wicked Campers now in 3,5 months.

So if you want a great experience in New Zealand then don't order from Wicked Campers.

/Torben Holt

The Nissan Navara Camper Van was great, the price ok but the stuff quite rude.

The worst: we Payed a bond of 5.000 AUD an did not get it back. It is more then 6 weeks ago when we returned the car withou complainings.

Now i need to entrust a lawyer in Australia......

Do not even think about renting cars or Vans with Wicked Campers

We rented a rooftop campervan when it rains, it rains at much in the rooftop tent as outsite.
We complain about that, and the owner in Alice Springs want to hit us with an iron stick, he has this stick behind the reception.
We went to the police in Alice Springs to talk about the accident.
Never rent at WICKED CAMPERS.

Hired an all wheel drive car for a trip and it broke down first day. Replacement car not available u til 3 days later but still hasn't arrived. There is no accountability from different departments. Roadside assistance csnt tell us when one will arrive. Have lost 3 days work and had to hire another car in the meantime. One dept doesn't speak to the other. Terrible experience. If I could give them zero rating I would.

DON‘T EVER HIRE A CAR WITH THIS THIEVES!!!
It began when they only gave us 4 chairs, unless we were 5 people. Additonally the kitchen was very poor equiped, we had to spend 100$ just to buy kitchenstuff and a chair. The tents weren‘t clean and it smelled like somebody put a dead kangaroo inside. Car was running good, can‘t say that the car (4WD Nissan Navara) was bad.

But what was worse than the smelling tent was the service: On our trip, somebody hit&run us, we made a police report and as normal, they won‘t catch the culprit. Anyway, we thought wouldn‘t be a problem, especially because it was 1000% not our fault. When we wanted to give it back in Darwin, the guy told us that hit&run isn‘t in the insurance (that we extra paid), so we had to pay f#*king 600$ for a new back bumper (was just a little bit deformed). So they charged us 600$ on the receipt by writing „damage fee“. We never saw and will probably never see a detailed receipt what the damage would really costs...
And the worst was that worker named „Peter“. He yelled at us that it‘s not his problem, we should have read the hire agreement. He was maximum unfriendly and really incompetent and his behaviour was like a child. He said he’s going the call the boss, but the only thing he did was drinking a coffee for 10 minutes in the back of the office. Then we asked him about his name to have a reference if we call the manager (more below), first he didn‘t want to give it, then he wrote something down that nobody on earth could read. Just a shame this person. I wish he gets fired.

Also the customer service in general is shockingly bad. We tried to contact them, but the only phone number you get is the one from the roadside assistant, thanks for nothing... Email they won‘t response. You can write the „manager“ but you will get a automatic response.

I rented now the second time, first time was nice, that‘s why we booked another time. But never ever again. I think the companys mentality is to steal peoples cash. Just read the other reviews, we were lucky to pay „only“ 600$.

I can give only one advice: JUST DON‘T rent at this unprofessional, cash-grabbing thieves. Please just don‘t.

Well we have been waiting in the queue for over an hour- not enough staff on anni customer care. Some people in the front of the loooong queue have been here for 2 hours. No shade or shelter - just standing out in the blazing sun!!!! No one to talk to or any contact from overworked staff to tell us how much longer. Disgraceful conditions of vehicles- filthy in and out - they come in and go out it seems without any cleaning. Some reek of tobacco. My partner has been busy checking them out!!! Absolutely disgusting- highway robbery. Not much integrity or customer care here. One couple tried to cancel when they saw the state of the vehicles and they are are going to get charged 500 dollars. OUCH!!!

I hired a 4WD to explore the west coast of Australia! Due to a lot of former travels i can compare the quality of hired 4WD cars. Among other issues with the company my main issue is that the company give us a 4WD with just a 30 L tank which is ridiculous regarding the distances in WA. I called them several times, but they had nothing other to do than argue with me about this topic. It was exhausting, because they didn't even refund the spare fuel tank i bought, which they promised finally to do so. Other than that, there was almost no equipment in the car, which is essential when you go off the road!

When picking up the van, they hit us with a $600 surprise extra charge, after booking confirmation and everything. So they left us with 2 options: forfeit our several hundred dollar deposit and find another company to rent a van, or pay the extra $600 to rent theirs at an exorbitant price. The van itself wasn't great either, a bit shabby and uncomfortable and a ridiculous gas guzzler compared to similar sized vans. We were promised camping chairs and a table upon booking, yet upon pickup they were "unavailable" so we didn't get any, even though we were promised them. Staff were rude and unhelpful when we voiced our complaints. AVOID THIS COMPANY, THEY WILL RIP YOU OFF.

Don't do business with wicked campers. They are not a serious business. I rented a car for ten days and was told there was a fee for a special track. As I was unsure wether I would take the track or not I asked what I should do. Their response was pay upfront and if you don't take the track we will refund you.

When I got back without having taken the track they told me the refund would take ten days. It's been 2 months and several emails but still no reply. The first two emails I got a reply "we'll get back to you soon". After the third email they haven't even bothered answering me.

Very dishonest and poor customer service. They wouldn't take cash because once an employee took the money and flew to Thailand. I mean come on!

They gave us a van which would not break. When we returned it after 10 minutes, they refused to change it.
We then drove 1 hour before parking the van an finding out that they had forgotten to give us the key to close it (yes, it needed a separate key for that)
So we returned to the Sydney depot, where they gave us the key a said they would compensate us. But they never did.

Do not go with this company! Charge for out of hours return, read the fine print carefully as the liability reduction is pointless and there are so many hidden charges. Shit service, crap vehicles

The van we were issued was not roadworthy and literally fell apart as we were travelling along a 100km highway. We then had to organize emergency assistance, a mechanic, and stay at a run down motel in the middle of nowhere for three days whilst we got the van fixed. After many emails back and forth they offered no compensation for the motel stay and issued no apology for endangering our lives on the road. DO NOT HIRE FROM WICKED CAMPERS. A truly awful company that does not care about its customers