13 Tips about You skill to Prevent From Being Scammed by a Rental Car Company

C ompanies appear to be doing anything they can to extract increasingly more money out of you these days – and they might even be willing to sacrifice your belief in them to increase their revenues…

…but while companies may engage in practices where could be considered borderline fraud but may be perfectly legal, you will find employees and franchisees who may cross that critical line and commit outright fraud – and this can be true with rental car facilities, as I first reported in the following paragraphs on November 28, 2012 and again in this article on February 21, 2020.

It is always possible that an employee of the car rental company could commit a genuine error in favor of the organization – but regardless of whether the act of charging you more was erroneous or blatantly purposely, it is best to protect yourself from having to pay more income from your pocket than necessary or required.

A poll was posted at The Road Warriorette, where this was asked: Do you inspect your car rental?

After reading it, I thought it might be a good idea to impart to you my advice of 13 tips about what you can do to prevent from falling for another scam with a rental car company whenever you rent a vehicle – a few of which are reiterations of advice I have imparted within the aforementioned articles – regardless of your choice of car rental company:

1: Do You Need to Purchase Insurance?

You might already be insured by either your automobile insurance plan or with a advantage of the charge card you utilize to rent the car. First, check with the organization which issued your credit card to ensure that rental car insurance is included in your contracted benefits before you decide whether or not to purchase insurance from the credit card company; and discover whether or not that insurance is primary or secondary.

If for whatever reason a rental car company claims that you're responsible for harm to the car, it is better to have them challenge the credit card company than your insurance company, which could possibly lift up your vehicle insurance premiums consequently – even if the damage was not your fault.

Depending on where you rent your car, certain kinds of insurance might be incorporated with the cost of the rental; so check that carefully too.

2: Ensure That You Are Covered

If you do end up buying insurance in the rental car company, read the small print and exclusions of the policy carefully, as you may not be covered for several items after all contrary should happen. For example, damage to a tire will most likely not be covered under collision insurance.

3: Check the Policies from the Facility That You Rent

Carefully check the policies of the car rental company – for example when returning an automobile after hours, for instance – as different car rental companies have different policies. Sometimes different locations of the same car rental company might have different policies too.

4: Inspect the Vehicle

Walk round the car and inspect both interior and exterior thoroughly. Including bumpers, grilles, tires, seats, floor mats, the carpeting under the floor mats, the glove compartment, lenses for that lights, trunk – everywhere on, in and even underneath the vehicle.

5: Check the Vehicle for just about any Damage – Regardless of how Minor

If you see a small scrape, rub it together with your finger or cloth to make sure it's dirt and not a scratch. If the scrape is indeed a scratch, record it either by recording the location of the scrape on the vehicle, or have a photograph or video of it – or, preferably, do both.

6: Report Any Potential Anomalies that you Might be Charged

Report any anomalies you find to the car rental attendant before you leave the ability, and ensure the attendant records it in your contract, in addition to initials the findings.

7: Get Official Acknowledgement of Your Findings

If the attendant refuses unconditionally to officially record and acknowledge the damage – which has never happened to me – either report it to the supervisor from the attendant or patronize another rental car company. Regardless – anything you do – do not leave the facility using the car, because once you do, after you are accountable for the “repairs.” It will be your word from the word from the representatives from the rental car company when the time for confrontation comes.

8: Avoid Cleaning Fees

If the car is deemed a no-smoking vehicle, ensure that there is no tobacco odor or ashes in the ash tray – you could be faced with a cleaning fee. Search for stains or any other potential damage.

9: Thoroughly Test the Equipment of the Vehicle

Before taking out of the automobile parking space, test the equipment. Ensure that the lights, turn signals, radio, windshield wipers and fluid, and other electronics operate properly. This is for your safety along with your defense against being a potential victim of fraud.

10: Obey All Traffic Laws

While the automobile is the responsibility, be certain to obey all traffic laws. This might seem like obvious advice; but if you are driving down a highway which electronically records your speed without you knowing – and it is designed with hidden cameras that will photograph your vehicle in the midst of it exceeding the speed limit – you could very well be surprised having a fine plus charges and costs upon your go back home. The same caution ought to be exercised anytime you get to a traffic light where cameras might be installed as well. If you don't have some irrefutable evidence on the contrary, fighting the fine and contesting the costs and costs can be nothing more than futile.

11: Report Damage when Possible

Try to fit in places in which the possibility of the car getting “dinged” by a careless fellow motorist could be mitigated or eliminated. If you find damage caused by someone else and you are certain as to who is the perpetrator, record the license plate from the vehicle in question and call the police to file any sort of accident report. Take insurance information from the person or people who caused the harm, if possible.

12: Stand Your Ground and don't Waiver

Do not allow yourself to be coerced into being a victim. If you think maybe you're falling for another scam by the car rental company, record everything you are able to regarding your experience to either contact the corporate office of the car rental company, law enforcement, a consumer advocate organization – or perhaps the media, if necessary. You may also dispute the costs together with your credit card company – which leads to the ultimate word of advice…

13: Routinely Check Your Charge card Statement

Always look at your credit card statement for at least a month after the conclusion from the car rental to ensure that no real surprise charges have been added.