I was recently speaking with my friend who came back from a holiday to
Spain. Of course before he went, I recommended what I thought to be a
quality car hire agency. Unfortunately, "The Car Hire Expert" made a
small mistake. My friend was treated to a very pleasant experience for
the entire trip until he returned to the airport to drop off the car
hire. The employee of the the car hire company (I will not name names)
told my friend that he would need to pay 100 euros for some small damage
to the bumper. Upon further inspection, my friend agreed that there was
some damage but he was adamant that he was not the culprit. The problem
is that there was nothing he could do and he ended up paying 80 euros
after haggling the price down a little bit. The fact that he could
negotiate a lower price for the damage is the first sign of a scam, but
that is another story all together. If indeed, my friend did not cause
the damage, what can he do in this situation? There is seemingly no way
out.
Ah, but on the contrary my car hire friends, there is
something he could have done. It is what I like to call the "pre-hire
inspection." What is it? It is exactly what is sounds like. An
inspection of the vehicle before you drive out of the parking lot. It is
simple and will save you (could have saved my friend) a lot of money.
The task is simple! Just take about 5 minutes before you drive the car
to look it over for any signs of damage. Check inside and out and if you
find a defect, say some damage to the bumper, you need to alert the car
hire company BEFORE you leave the parking lot. This way you will not
have to pay for the damage caused by another driver. Furthermore, some
of the dishonest car hire companies may diliberatly leave part of the
car damaged and charge every drive for the repair. Do not fall victim to
this scam. Easily protect yourself with the pre-hire inspection. You
should also make sure the gas tank is full before you drive away. If
they require the tank to be full upon return, you MUST require the tank
is full at departure. Save money and stress with the pre-hire
inspection.
I also agree that you should know the actual condition of your hired car, If you see any major dents, scratches or other problems, bring them to the dealer's attention to see if he can do anything about it. Car rental providers should check the hired vehicle's condition with you when you collect but if they don't, insist. Ensure any minor damage to the car's interior or exterior, including chip marks or damaged paintwork, are noted down prior to you taking the vehicle. These pre-car hire inspection facts are save your time and money.
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