Foreign car rental - damages

dub

RMS Regular
Messages
6,087
Drives
Aero Wagon
Fun one this. Tale as old as time. Recently back from Nice with the family. Car rented as usual, things were rushed, during handover we weren't shown round the car, is this something I should insist on in the future?

For the record, I took out a separate excess policy in case something like this happens. Email received stating damage, however I have photos/vid where you can see the damage before we picked up, it just wasn't noted on the forms I signed. Would you fight that, or, because we have the policy, take the big boy pill and pay/get reimbursed?
 

cupraricky

RMS Regular
Messages
1,559
Location
N.Ireland
Fun one this. Tale as old as time. Recently back from Nice with the family. Car rented as usual, things were rushed, during handover we weren't shown round the car, is this something I should insist on in the future?

For the record, I took out a separate excess policy in case something like this happens. Email received stating damage, however I have photos/vid where you can see the damage before we picked up, it just wasn't noted on the forms I signed. Would you fight that, or, because we have the policy, take the big boy pill and pay/get reimbursed?
Fight it if you've proof, then worst case use the excess policy to cover your hole
 
  • Like
Reactions: dub

NI_Volvo_Nut

RMS Regular
Messages
4,846
Location
Ballynahinch
Drives
Volvo's!
I'd fight it from the point of view someone is trying to cover their ass cause it was missed on the last hardback!
 
  • Like
Reactions: dub

stevieturbo

RMS Regular
Messages
21,096
Location
Antrim
Drives
Old Ford
Fun one this. Tale as old as time. Recently back from Nice with the family. Car rented as usual, things were rushed, during handover we weren't shown round the car, is this something I should insist on in the future?

For the record, I took out a separate excess policy in case something like this happens. Email received stating damage, however I have photos/vid where you can see the damage before we picked up, it just wasn't noted on the forms I signed. Would you fight that, or, because we have the policy, take the big boy pill and pay/get reimbursed?

Surely if you have the excess policy, you pay nothing ?

And it's always good sense to do a video walk around of the car prior to taking it ( and also when you return it ) and ideally if there is a member of staff present. Although I know they often aren't about.

Sometimes it makes you want to take the no excess policy, and wreck it lol
 
  • Like
Reactions: dub

Bryan

RMS Regular
Messages
10,022
Location
Tandragee
I had this issue with car hire over on the mainland for work one time. I didn't check the car over before leaving and when I got back they fined me for kerbing the wheels. I know for a fact that I didn't kerb the wheels but they charged me about £100. I had to pay it and had no choice. I always check cars over now and have had to go back in to get them to add even the slightest damage on.
 

dub

RMS Regular
OP
dub
Messages
6,087
Drives
Aero Wagon
Surely if you have the excess policy, you pay nothing ?

And it's always good sense to do a video walk around of the car prior to taking it ( and also when you return it ) and ideally if there is a member of staff present. Although I know they often aren't about.

Sometimes it makes you want to take the no excess policy, and wreck it lol

The excess policy is a separate one, think it was about £25. They're stating nearly €400 in repairs (cnts), I've done a video walk around before pickup & return. It's whether the hassle is worth it lol.

Very good point lol, small outlay, treat the car like a heap!
 

gpaevo

RMS Regular
Messages
9,375
Location
North Down Riviera
Drives
Audi B9.5
Had this twice and on both occasions I'd done a full walk round video on collection including zooming in on stone chips etc.

Was a complete handling each time even though I'd evidence (language barriers etc didn't help).

Used my excess policy in the end to claim back all the costs.

The c units have your credit card so take the cost of damage then you've to fight and get it back.

Spoke to work colleague who used to work for Enterprise, he said it's a complete racket and that's how they make their money. Punters pay for repairs which never actually get repaired.
 

Coog

Admin
Messages
47,514
Drives
GTI
Chargeback on the credit card and let them deal with it. Submit your evidence to them.

I’d fight it out of principle even if there was not going to be any cost.

Also, do you have to notify your own insurance if you’ve made an excess claim? Or is that just for a bigger claim?

Remember a mate finding out at renewal one year that the hire company had put a claim in for damages to the underside of the vehicle. His insurance was a mess for ages after that.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dub

KaraokeMidget

RMS Regular
Messages
1,056
Location
Ards
Drives
Mx5
Had the same in Portugal in February, when I collected the car in was in poor condition but I got it at a great price from a rental firm I had used before so I took lots of pics and a walk round video. When I returned it they accused me of putting a dent in the passengers door. I argued it was already there and offered to show them proof from my phone. He just got every more loud and animated. I asked him how much to repair and he said 800 euro. I pointed out all the dents and scrapes all over the car and asked him why they had not been repaired if everyone had paid for the damage, it should be like a new car !!! I accused him of pocketing the money to get richer off poor tourists and asked him to call the police as I refused to pay. He said okay, 100 euro !! I still refused to pay but we were on the verge of missing our flight s so my wife said to pay him, I offered 50 euro cash and he took it and drove us to the terminal in a right mood. ****ing rip off merchant and I reported him to Expedia who we booked through.
 

ace275

RMS Regular
Messages
4,964
Location
Belfast
Drives
Legacy SpecB
SO many scamming b**tard companies out there. Goldcar fraudulently sold me excess insurance I neither needed or asked for in Tenerife South Airport. Total cost of my hire was meant to be around £80 and ended up at over £300 by the time they applied all these charges that at the time they assured me were deposits I would received back, but on returning claimed it was extra insurance, which I already had via a 3rd party. Forged my signature on documents I had not signed too, and refused to issue me any documents in English and said their systems were down so it was Spanish only

Absolute fraudsters. Holidays Autos were the broker and were no use at all in resolving it
 

Ghisallo

RMS Regular
Messages
5,581
Location
Castle Anthrax
When picking up a car I photograph the wheels and tyres very thoroughly, as well as everything else. That saved my bacon with the fine people at Europcar at Belfast City Airport who once tried to blame me on a knick to a tyre (the rim protector part) adjacent an existing kerb mark. Luckily my photo picked it up as I hadn’t noticed it when looking.
 

gpaevo

RMS Regular
Messages
9,375
Location
North Down Riviera
Drives
Audi B9.5
That’s not their decision to make. When asked by insurance if you’ve had any claims regardless of fault over the past 5 years what do they suggest you say? No?
Absolutely. After the first time Thrifty tried to screw me I did mention to insurance at renewal. They said they didn't need to know which is in line with hire insurance small print.
 

mrloaf

RMS Regular
Messages
3,090
Drives
Swedes
When picking up a car I photograph the wheels and tyres very thoroughly, as well as everything else. That saved my bacon with the fine people at Europcar at Belfast City Airport who once tried to blame me on a knick to a tyre (the rim protector part) adjacent an existing kerb mark. Luckily my photo picked it up as I hadn’t noticed it when looking.

Same, When i travel (usually for holidays these days thankfully) and need to hire a car, i sometimes have more pics of the hire car (each wheel and panel from every conceivable angle) than i do of the travel destination 😂
 

AMG

RMS Regular
Messages
7,428
Location
Kilkeel
Drives
Anything
National tried to do me the last time I got a hire car for work. Had the hard sell on a £30 upgraded car which I was clear I didn't want or need, and ended up with it anyway, so that was me annoyed from the get go. Was already running late, so just jumped in and went without checking the car.

Got to my destination and noticed a big scuff on the front bumper, which definitely wasn't my fault, checked the documents and no sign of damage recorded. It was only a scuff, not through paint, so I found a motor factors on my way back, bought a bottle of G3, and buffed it out.

On returning the car, same guy went to check it, and headed for the corner which was damaged first, stood looking at it for a while, and then called over a supervisor. 2 of them stood scratching their heads, while I tried not to laugh or carry the heads of them.
 

Coog

Admin
Messages
47,514
Drives
GTI
Absolutely. After the first time Thrifty tried to screw me I did mention to insurance at renewal. They said they didn't need to know which is in line with hire insurance small print.

I know of one example where a claim for damage on a hire car affected the main policy, so that’s a strange one!
 

Ghisallo

RMS Regular
Messages
5,581
Location
Castle Anthrax
National tried to do me the last time I got a hire car for work. Had the hard sell on a £30 upgraded car which I was clear I didn't want or need, and ended up with it anyway, so that was me annoyed from the get go. Was already running late, so just jumped in and went without checking the car.

Got to my destination and noticed a big scuff on the front bumper, which definitely wasn't my fault, checked the documents and no sign of damage recorded. It was only a scuff, not through paint, so I found a motor factors on my way back, bought a bottle of G3, and buffed it out.

On returning the car, same guy went to check it, and headed for the corner which was damaged first, stood looking at it for a while, and then called over a supervisor. 2 of them stood scratching their heads, while I tried not to laugh or carry the heads of them.

Brilliant!

Their behaviour is like my incident with the cut tyre at Belfast City Airport above. The cut wasn’t recorded on the inspection sheet when I took the car, but as soon as I pulled into the parking bay the guy was straight out and over at checking that specific wheel before I was even out of the car.
 

CharlySkunkWeed

RMS Regular
Messages
8,750
Location
Bangor
I went to do a walk round a car @Mel dad hired for us on holidays and there wasn't a bit on it that wasn't ****ed. There was actually drawings and writing scratched into the paint. I just said to them, I take it you know that this is ****ed so don't be blaming any of it on us.
 

gpaevo

RMS Regular
Messages
9,375
Location
North Down Riviera
Drives
Audi B9.5
I know of one example where a claim for damage on a hire car affected the main policy, so that’s a strange one!
Sounds to me like the insurer just taking to opportunity to increase a premium. If it was argued I dare say it would be redacted.
 

saxo_man

RMS Regular
Messages
15,841
We are just back from a holiday in France, renting a hire car from Nice airport. The girl on collection pointed out all the issues and took photos on her iPad there and then which I signed. On return a fella went over the car and I had my credit card refunded the €250 that was taken on day 1. Thankfully a very straightforward transaction.
37AA2CA6-BBE2-4EF8-9582-D70FA3916B0C.jpeg

(We had a battered 5008 not the lovely X7 parked behind us).
 

Coog

Admin
Messages
47,514
Drives
GTI
Sounds to me like the insurer just taking to opportunity to increase a premium. If it was argued I dare say it would be redacted.

It was and it wasn’t. This was in England which might make a difference.
 

Ian A

RMS Regular
Messages
5,749
Location
Ballyclare
Drives
VW Golf GTI
National tried to do me the last time I got a hire car for work. Had the hard sell on a £30 upgraded car which I was clear I didn't want or need, and ended up with it anyway, so that was me annoyed from the get go. Was already running late, so just jumped in and went without checking the car.

Got to my destination and noticed a big scuff on the front bumper, which definitely wasn't my fault, checked the documents and no sign of damage recorded. It was only a scuff, not through paint, so I found a motor factors on my way back, bought a bottle of G3, and buffed it out.

On returning the car, same guy went to check it, and headed for the corner which was damaged first, stood looking at it for a while, and then called over a supervisor. 2 of them stood scratching their heads, while I tried not to laugh or carry the heads of them.

That is brilliant. Not sure I could've held the laughs back.
 
Top