Terry Boyle rented a car from Budget in Edinburgh, and when he got home, he found an unpleasant surprise from his car rental company: a $422 repair bill.
Did Boyle scratch up the Passat he’d driven around Scotland? He denies it, insisting a Budget representative had done a pre-rental check, found the scratches, and noted them. (The photo above is not his car.)
On March 6, 2008, we returned the undamaged (by us) vehicle to the airport terminal at 7 a.m. The slot the vehicle was to be left in was occupied. The rental was left in the next parking slot.
No one from Budget was at the kiosk. We went to the Budget counter. The agent was occupied on the telephone. After waiting for some time, we had to leave to catch our flight back to the United States.
While still on the telephone, the agent indicated we did not need anything else and waived us on. We have not receive a final bill explaining the charges.
In retrospect, Boyle probably should have waited for a sign-off and a final bill from Budget. The best time to resolve any problem is while you’re still at the car rental location — not after you’re home.
I asked Budget to review the case. Here’s what it had to say:
During a full post-rental inspection at the location, it became apparent that Mr. Boyle had returned his vehicle with scratches to the drivers side front and rear doors that were not evident during the pre-rental inspection. As per his signed customer rental agreement, Mr. Boyle was therefore liable for the cost of the repair.
The total charge of US $1,374 to Mr. Boyle’s credit card included the cost of the actual rental as well as the necessary repairs (GBP £274.47 – approx. US $422.)
We have thoroughly examined Mr. Boyle’s case but found our decision to charge him to be entirely correct.
On return of any rental vehicle, we highly recommended that all customers allow enough time to be present for a post-rental vehicle inspection by a Budget representative. This ensures that any issues can be immediately highlighted whilst the customer is present.
So Budget is not budging. What are Boyle’s options?
1. Pay up. He can pay the credit card bill and Budget wins.
2. File an insurance claim. Boyle can file a claim with his auto insurance or credit card, but chances are, he’ll still have to pay $422. These claims are typically just under the deductible to avoid getting an insurance company involved.
3. Initiate a credit card dispute. If Budget’s documentation is inadequate, his credit card company might side with him and reverse the charges. But it’s a long shot, for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that the rental happened in Europe. Banks often frown on long-distance disputes.
My opinion? I don’t like any of these choices. A car rental repair bill that comes just shy of the typical insurance deductible is highly suspect, and if I had the resources, I would hire an attorney in the U.K. and get to the bottom of this. But it would almost certainly cost more than the bill.
✓ Get the latest travel news, tips and commentary from Elliott’s E-Mail, the subversive newsletter from industry gadfly Christopher Elliott. You’ll travel like a pro. Sign up here. It’s free.
Sign up for my 
{ 26 comments… read them below or add one }
I was looking to rent a car in the UK this year but i read alot of horror stories about perple being charged for reapirs after the fact to a decided not to
I do not understand. So banks frown on long distance disputes. First, I don’t know what that means. And second, I’m not sure I care. Yoo have three lousy choices, pict the least objectionable one, which in my mind is to dispute the bill.
Had a similar issue with Europcar several years ago in Glasgow. They claimed that we had damaged the passenger door and that we would have to pay for the repairs as well as the rental time for the period the car was off-line. The “damage” was a two inch long MARK (not even a scratch) on the very bottom of the door. Bear in mind that this was a new Mercedes sedan (under 1000 miles on it). My biggest fear was that due to the minute “damage,” they were going to just charge me something and then not deal with it since it could only be seen with great effort and didn’t hinder performance or image. I told them I would only pay them if they sent me a copy of the repair bill. Never heard from them! Bottom line advice, take pictures of all the angles of the car and follow Budget’s advice in this column – have someone inspect it while you are there!
@Carver, under the Fair Credit Billing Act, credit card companies don’t have to accept disputes that are more than 100 miles of your current billing address. They sometimes do, but are not required to.
I rented a car fron Enterprise in Dublin last year. During the rental we scraped a pole, which left a small scrape on the front bumper. We admitted what happened when we returned the car, and were assured it would be a small fix. Well, I ended up being charged $1,300 for repairs. It turns out they replaced the entire front bumper, instead of just painting it (which was all it needed). I contacted Enterprise and told them they I believed they had done more repairs than were actually necessary and tried to get the charges lowered, but they would not work with me at all. I also filed a credit card dispute, but my bank refused to back me. I ended up just having to pay it.
Ouch. That’s a good reason to carry your cell phone or a digital camera. When you turn the car in, park it in the lot, whatever, get a copy of that day’s newspaper and put it on the hood, and take pictures or shoot video of the entire vehicle — and save the images on your computer when you get home. If there’s a duspute, at least you’ve got something that shows the actual condition of the vehicle when you turned it in. I’m paranoid. I’ve done that the last several times I’ve rented.
Oh great. I am about to rent a car from Budget.
Would it be advisable to (a.) choose a different agency (b.) contact my insurance company beforehand and inquire as to exactly what my current insurance covers, or (c.) pay through the nose for whatever supplimental insurance that Budget wants to soak me for?
What doth say you, Chris?
Tell “Carver” to learn how to spell. He/she should be embarrased by the note he/she posted. Give us all a break, lazy.
I had this problem with car that had a tiny (bb) hole in the windshield, picked the car up at a small city lot at night, the agent “graciously”upgraded me, the lot was dark and the hole under the windshield wiper. The car spent most of the rental time in my daughter’s garage. When I returned the car, the agent waved me inside the airport to the counter where I was told I had to pay for this damage. I asked to speak with their supervisor, got the name of their corporate attorney, wrote a strong letter when I got home, offering to take this to small claims…They backed down…and did not charge me. Now, I take a photo of all sides of the car,with my cell phone, when I pick it up and when I return it..I make it a very obvious show that I am doing this…So far no more problems. I don’t delete these until I get the bill..It also seems that they are less aggressive when you book with priceline or other prepaid.
@static, I wouldn’t rent away from Budget, though I might be cautious about that location. Yes, do check with your insurance. That’s always a good idea.
Chris, that picture is misleading. Only after reading the article do we find that the picture is not of the car involved. My initial thought was, $422 for that much damage? He’s lucky! Then I thought, Maybe he had to pay $422 in spite of having purchased supplemental insurance. But no, the picture is just to support the use of the word “broadside” in the title.
I agree with the advice to photograph all sides of the car. I’d also get close-ups of existing damage beforehand, as well as any damage you might do. That might have helped liz.
That’s why I always take before and after photos of any vehicle I rent and keep them on file for several months afterward. I make sure the rental agent sees me taking the photos too.
I’m not sure how anyone else’s insurance works, but if I’m driving any other car but my own, my deductible is $0 if I cause damage. It’s all covered under liability rather than collision and comp. $422 is still something my insurance could cover.
“Chicky” has the right idea. When I returned my car at Gatwick a couple of weeks back, I took the car to the BP station to fill it with gas. While there – and on a beautiful sunny morning – I got out my trusty JVC Digital movie camera and spent over three minutes going over the entire car, bumper-to-bumper, close-ups, etc. of all sides, front, rear, wheels, etc. Even took a shot of the speedometer reading (which was about a mile short of what it was when we turned it in. When we returned it to the rental company, an employee checked it in by going over it entirely to check for any small dents, scrapes, etc. (which were none). He gave us a clear slip and we went inside, paid for the car and returned to the States. don’t know if we will receive a “surprise” in the mail, etc., but at least I’m as prepared as possible. BTW, the film (now a .WMV file) is in color and covers every inch of the car. We even had it washed about five days before we turned it in, and that was evident.
I always take before and after pictures. Nowadays, they are renting out more and more cars with existing damage.
The most annoying thing to me is when they mark a car as being in “perfect” condition and it has dents, scratches, etc. on it. I have to waste time getting the documentation changed.
Note to “ignat:” Stop throwing stones. Ironically, you should be embarrassed!
@Carrie
Thanks.
@ignat: LOL. Criticizing someone for a typo then making your own spelling error in said criticism is simply divine justice.
Here’s what I do: I rent with my American Express card which provides first dollar coverage for collision (when you decline offered collision coverage) in most countries (check before you go) and offers much better service than Visa or Master Card. I also travel with a tube of rubbing compound to rub out small scratches, and finally taking before and after pictures is a great idea! I have had some minor accidents and this has worked out.
When I rent a car, I am methodical. Often times, agents will tell you minor damages are not a problem. It has to be over a certain diameter (2 inches?) for them to notice. I say that’s wonderful, but please document it. I’d rather cover myself and be overtly thorough, than find a nice hefty bill later on. Also, never take the agent’s word on damage. It is YOUR JOB to inspect the car along with him / her. Friendly advice, you are your own best advocate. Tell them to NOTE anything you see, big or small. If they say it doesn’t matter, elaborate that it does to you. Then, should you return the car and they find fault, you have a detail listing of everything on it.
As per companies charging for repairs, I like that idea of asking for the bill after they have been done. I have rented many cars with problems. Rental companies often run their vehicles to the ground. They let damage stay. I say one should refuse to pay unless they tender proof that said damage was fixed. Good suggestions all.
Justin
Bill K has the right idea. I use a Diners card for all car rentals. It includes primary coverage from the first dollar while most credit cards only cover what your personal insurance does not. The annual cost of the card is cheap insurance for both actual problems and peace of mind.
From previous posts in this column I think we’re all on notice that the rental people are out for every dollar they can scrounge and devil take the customers.
BTW – the nastiest car rental people I’ve ever dealt with have been in the UK.
Rented from Hertz in Zurich a few years ago. Returned car to Kloten Airport a few weeks later. The receptionist walked the car over without comments and issued me the bill from his portable computer. A week later got my Visa card debited by an additional just under the deductible amount. I inquired by e-mail and was told that they had had to buy special products to clean the baby seat that came with the car and was returned in deplorable conditions. There was never a baby seat in that car but they would not budge when I wrote them so. When I finally requested proof that I had signed for that inexistant baby seat they backed down and refunded most of the undue bill without any sort of apology. Still billed me SFR 200 because the car was “very dirty” (it wasn’t). My billing address is in Thailand. They must have decided that I would not understand the “baby seat” charge and let it slip by with the many other charges accumulated during a foreign trip.
My take is that the rental companies are not crooks but some of their franchisees are! I now rent happily from Europcar.
Be careful and validate that your AmEx or Diners provides the coverage you are expecting. They might not cover your rental outside your home country and the same with your personal car insurance.
THIS particular racket is going on in U.S. also. Rented a vehicle from ALAMO in Orlando, Sept ‘08. Upon checkout I was told by Alamo lot attendent that they no longer put the pre-inspection form in the car. I took pictures of the vehicle before leaving lot. Upon return of car, sure enough they found a 1inch “scratch” in the rear bumper. Tried to dispute it with manager on duty, to no avail. Three weeks later I got a repair bill from ALAMO for over $800.00, they stated they had to replace the entire bumper. I went round/round with claims adjuster. It was only AFTER I told / sent him the pre-rental digital pictures, showing the damage existed at rental, that they rescinded the claim. Lesson learned, take digital pictures before leaving lot, and make sure they show any scratches/dings you feel warrant it. I don’t believe this ruse is only being run by ALAMO.
This is a scam. I always take photographs of every panel on a rental car the day I return it. One time one of the companies contacted me about so-called damage. I wrote back asking the name of their lawyers so I could put mine in touch, and mentioning that I had plenty of photographic evidence. I never heard another thing.
This is a scam. I had the same issue with National Car Rental at the Orlando Airport location in March 2009. All was fine when returning the rental, rental folks walked around the car and issued receipt with no damage noted. Six weeks later, I received a letter and invoice from National indicating that their records indicate a vehicle previously rented “may have been damaged” by me. After letters to their headquarters, the BBB, state insurance commissioner, etc., I received a reply from National that they consider the matter “closed”. I have rented 3 times since March and did not use National and took photos of any scratches. Thanks Chris for your suggestions on this when I emailed you a couple months ago.
It’s been about a year or so since I’ve rented a car (last vacation was with my parents in Hawaii and they paid for the rental car…I paid for their hotel room!)
and have never had an ounce of issues with Avis.
I found that with most rental car companies, if you join their executive club (most of them are free to join) or some other similar club, you get far better treatment than if you just walk off the street with an Orbitz printout in your hand.
you have a camera? take a photo of the car when you pick it up – both sides, then when you drop it off. Keep them for 6 months. Then delete them.
Rocket science saves the day.