Hire car 'damage' claim

[dontlookdown]

So, back from hols to find that Budget rent a car in Montpellier think I have caused 652 Euros worth of damage to the car we hired last week. A common story I know, and maybe I have just been lucky not to have been targetted before now.

The claim is total cobblers, the two v small scratches they refer to were there when the car was picked up - I noticed them a snapped a couple of pics, but they are so fine they don't actually show up on the pics unfortunately. Should probably have checked that at the time

Also unfortunately, the desk guy 'cocked up' when we collected the car and gave me the 'wrong' keys - so the contract I have is for another car, hence marked damage does not match. I queried this at the time and the guy typed a bit and said I'd get a new contract emailed to match the keys he had given me. Guess what? I never did. Funny that.

Finally, when we returned the car the pick up guy looked it over and verbally confirmed that there was no damage and that we were good to go. Only later when it was too late for me to return and argue the toss did someone decide that two near invisible blemishes on the rear bumper were worth 650 Euros...

It all feels like a bit of a set up - I have excess insurance so presumably could just claim on that and move on. But I feel inclined to push back on Budget a bit first, if this isn't actual fraud it is certainly a try on and they shouldn't just be allowed to get away with it. But as above I have no photographic proof.

Any advice?

[Crudeoink]

I wonder how much these firms make with the 'damage' charges they dish out. Respraying a bumper will cost the same regardless of if it has 5 or 10 scratches yet they will get away with charging 10 different customers for damage to the same bumper .....

[dontlookdown]

Crudeoink said:

I wonder how much these firms make with the 'damage' charges they dish out. Respraying a bumper will cost the same regardless of if it has 5 or 10 scratches yet they will get away with charging 10 different customers for damage to the same bumper .....

Totally. And it will never be repaired anyway, it's just an additional source of revenue for the hire co's.

Ironically, I had a summer job working for a car hire biz many years ago when at Uni. Cosmetic damage was NEVER repaired, only anything that made the car unsafe or illegal.

If a car was v badly scratched up, we would note it on the system and head office sent a transporter to take it off to a trade auction.

In those simpler times, we were scrupulously honest with customers, and always made them aware of pre existing damage to avoid issues later.

[Trevor555]

Hired a van from Enterprise and heard nothing afterwards.

But then they just took money from my credit card two months later without any explaination.

To be fair the manager sorted it when I went in, and said he'd no idea why they'd taken a payment. (maybe the powerfully built director stare worked) ok, ok, I'm only 5' 5", and old lol

This, and what's happened to the OP, will make me wary of hiring ever again.

[Muzzer79]

dontlookdown said:

So, back from hols to find that Budget rent a car in Montpellier think I have caused 652 Euros worth of damage to the car we hired last week. A common story I know, and maybe I have just been lucky not to have been targetted before now.

The claim is total cobblers, the two v small scratches they refer to were there when the car was picked up - I noticed them a snapped a couple of pics, but they are so fine they don't actually show up on the pics unfortunately. Should probably have checked that at the time

Also unfortunately, the desk guy 'cocked up' when we collected the car and gave me the 'wrong' keys - so the contract I have is for another car, hence marked damage does not match. I queried this at the time and the guy typed a bit and said I'd get a new contract emailed to match the keys he had given me. Guess what? I never did. Funny that.

Finally, when we returned the car the pick up guy looked it over and verbally confirmed that there was no damage and that we were good to go. Only later when it was too late for me to return and argue the toss did someone decide that two near invisible blemishes on the rear bumper were worth 650 Euros...

It all feels like a bit of a set up - I have excess insurance so presumably could just claim on that and move on. But I feel inclined to push back on Budget a bit first, if this isn't actual fraud it is certainly a try on and they shouldn't just be allowed to get away with it. But as above I have no photographic proof.

Any advice?

I had a similar scenario in Spain a few years back with Sixt, whilst on business

They were adamant I'd damaged the car (I hadn't)

I asked them to show me the check in sheet signed by me to acknowledge that there was damage to the car when I returned it. Of course they couldn't because I signed nothing when I returned it.

They sent me a check in sheet signed by their operative, around 20 minutes after I actually returned the car.

I pointed out that anything couldn't have happened to it during those 20 minutes - he could have wrapped it around a lamppost. But, again, they refused to listen.

I stubbornly refused to pay anything and it was eventually dropped. I'm not sure if that was because it was a corporate account or if they just couldn't be bothered to pursue it.

I always take a video of the car now - every panel, windscreen and wheels - on collection and return, regardless of their process. It's saved me more than once.....

[Peterpetrole]

I've had numerous of these scam attempts, including missing petrol charge (untrue), damaged tyre (untrue), even a chosen upgrade to automatic (untrue, they clearly forged my signature).

I have pushed back, argued, sued, whatever it takes, all of them, and won all of them in the end. These were all different hire companies as well.

It is simply a part of their business model as others have said, and you should NOT let them get way with it.

I always make a big play of doing a lengthy video / pics both before and after hire, that's all you can do really.

[vikingaero]

I always do a slow walk around video, especially if a member of staff is present, to record everything, and let them be in no doubt about who is the BO55, and as a powerfully built PH company director that I will not tolerate their nonsense. NO NONSENSE! you hear me?!

[SchillingTwo]

I always video and photograph the car when I pick it up.

I was stung for €700 for a slight black fingerprint in the headlining by Europcar this year. I’d not caused it, but also had not thought to photograph every square inch of the headlining, so couldn’t prove it.

[Tam_Mullen]

Crudeoink said:

I wonder how much these firms make with the 'damage' charges they dish out. Respraying a bumper will cost the same regardless of if it has 5 or 10 scratches yet they will get away with charging 10 different customers for damage to the same bumper .....

I hired a car in Norway on a work trip, they said I damaged it when I didnt but my appeal was unsuccessful.

I/my work was fined for the repair of the damage and loss of earnings for 2 days while the car was being repaired, can't remember what it came to but it was well into the hundreds.

I went back on business 12wks later, picked up a hire car and parked next to it was the car I had previously, long story short it still had the same damage on the rear bumper.

I know its theirs to fix when they want/can but it didn't sit right with me and I can only imagine others paid for the same damage!

[SchillingTwo]

Crudeoink said:

I wonder how much these firms make with the 'damage' charges they dish out. Respraying a bumper will cost the same regardless of if it has 5 or 10 scratches yet they will get away with charging 10 different customers for damage to the same bumper .....

They don’t even repair them in many cases, hence the need to check when picking them up in case there are extra scratches in among the ones listed.

[CMTMB]

I've noticed from reading reviews the hire companies often charge people for "damage" to the underside of the front bumper. An area people are unlikely to look at or photograph when they pick the car up.

[vikingaero]

Tam_Mullen said:

I went back on business 12wks later, picked up a hire car and parked next to it was the car I had previously, long story short it still had the same damage on the rear bumper.

I know its theirs to fix when they want/can but it didn't sit right with me and I can only imagine others paid for the same damage!

Their argument will be that they can chose to repair it, or they accept the lower value that the car will be worth because of the damage that you caused.

[SchillingTwo]

vikingaero said:

Their argument will be that they can chose to repair it, or they accept the lower value that the car will be worth because of the damage that you caused.

An argument that doesn’t really work when charging each customer £500 for a respirator on an already damaged bumper and 300 to cover two days lost rental.

Edited by SchillingTwo on Monday 28th September 11:19

[The Rotrex Kid]

vikingaero said:

Tam_Mullen said:

I went back on business 12wks later, picked up a hire car and parked next to it was the car I had previously, long story short it still had the same damage on the rear bumper.

I know its theirs to fix when they want/can but it didn't sit right with me and I can only imagine others paid for the same damage!

Their argument will be that they can chose to repair it, or they accept the lower value that the car will be worth because of the damage that you caused.

That's the way it works

I always pay for any extra insurances to bring excess down to zero if possible. Best money you can spend when hiring a car abroad..

[Puggit]

Contact them and tell them you have photo/video proof of the car at the point of handing it back and you'll be going legal if they peruse you further. You have nothing to lose by pushing back.

[Tam_Mullen]

vikingaero said:

Their argument will be that they can chose to repair it, or they accept the lower value that the car will be worth because of the damage that you caused.

The damage they said I caused because I definitely didn't

I get that its their prerogative, I did say that in my comment, but the loss of earnings argument would be null and void if they don't then get the damage fixed?

A claim for damages is fair enough (affecting the future value) but a claim for loss of earnings when they won't/don't get it fixed seems cheeky!

[catso]

CMTMB said:

I've noticed from reading reviews the hire companies often charge people for "damage" to the underside of the front bumper. An area people are unlikely to look at or photograph when they pick the car up.

I did exactly that to a hire car in the USA, turned across the main strip/road to enter a shopping centre car park, the road had these drainage channels at the edge of the road by the kerb so the road drops away quite steeply on both sides to then raise up again to the car park area, meaning there is quite a sharp dip. I had to cross fairly quickly due to traffic and the front bumper/spoiler thingy grounded out in the dip, was quite badly scuffed/scraped to be fair.

It was very easily done though, in fact you'd need to be very careful to avoid it in that instance so I imagine it is something they're looking for and indeed they were on it immediately, cheerfully telling me about the damage and then looked glum when they saw I had the full damage waiver insurance so couldn't charge me.