Car Rental Scams Abroad: How to Spot Them

How it worksA small mark is easy to miss at handover, often because the light hides it. If it is not on the form, it can be charged to you later. On Tenerife, a barely visible scratch on a headlight lens led to a bill of 711 euros. A large part of that sum was taken directly. The renter disputed causing the damage. In this case, the burden of proof lies with the rental company. No proof was provided. Minor paint damage is sometimes billed as the replacement of a whole part. Because a rental company does not have to repair paint scratches, the same damage can in theory be charged to more than one renter.

WhereAt pickup and at return. A bill of this kind is documented on Tenerife. Drop-off outside opening hours, or through a key box, is especially difficult. The report is then written without you, and damage until the station opens can be charged to you.

How to protect yourself

• Check the car in daylight or with a torch, including tyres, wheels, glass, the underside and the interior.
• Have every existing mark written on the handover form. Photograph the car, the fuel gauge and the mileage.
• Return the car during opening hours at the agreed station, with a member of staff. Ask for a signed return form and a copy.
• If a bill arrives later, complain in writing. Ask for evidence and the calculation, such as a repair invoice.

How it worksYou do not only pay for fuel at a pump. With full to empty, you pay for a full tank in advance, and fuel you do not use is not refunded. With full to full, you refill the car yourself. If it is not full at return, you pay for the top-up, and some companies charge excessive fees for that. A fuel flat fee is sometimes charged even when you did return the car full. If the company bills you for the fuel you used, service fees and a high fuel price can be added. Fuel should be prepaid only when the terms you agreed before hire said so clearly.

WhereIn the rental terms, when you book and again when you return the car.

How to protect yourself

• Choose full to full. You pay for the fuel you use, rather than a fuel package from the rental company.
• Photograph the gauge at pickup and at return, and keep the receipt for the last fill-up.
• Use the correct fuel, close to the return station, shortly before you hand the car back.
• Before you sign, ask what happens if the tank is not full. A company that will not explain the fuel rule before booking is a warning sign.

How it worksAt the desk you are pushed to buy more cover, often in a hurry and in a language you do not read easily. Some companies say your existing cover is not enough, or they refuse to release the car without more insurance. A charge is described as a deposit you will get back after return. It is actually the price of an extra policy. Comprehensive cover, CDW or LDW does not mean that tyres, glass, the underside and the roof are included. Even when the excess is brought down to zero, glass, the chassis and the tyres are often still left out.

WhereAt the pickup desk, including when you already bought cover with the booking.

How to protect yourself

• Before the trip, check what the booking already includes, and what an existing policy or the credit card already covers. Only drivers named on the contract are insured.
• Decline extra policies when the booked cover is enough, and ask for the car on the reserved terms.
• If the desk keeps pushing, contact the local management and the company you booked through. Record that you did not agree.
• If you had to buy a second policy before they would release the car, ask in writing for that money back. Do not sign anything you do not understand.

How it worksA block on the card is a normal security hold. To cover damage, a sum is blocked on the main driver’s card, often for the whole rental. If the limit is too low, or you do not have a real credit card, some companies refuse the car or require extra insurance. Many cards that come with a current account are debit cards. They are not always accepted. A standard bank debit card is usually refused. Without the PIN, the block often does not go through.

WhereAt pickup, on a card in the main driver’s name.

How to protect yourself

• Before you book, check which card the company accepts for the deposit, and that the limit and the PIN are enough. Depending on the company, the blocked sum is between 250 euros and 3000 euros.
• Keep the rest of the trip in mind. The hold reduces what you can spend.
• Check whether the charge is a deposit or the price of extra cover. The company should not keep the deposit without a clear reason and a breakdown.
• At return, ask for confirmation that the card slip or the deposit is released. Take copies of every paper you signed.

How it worksAn online booking is usually only a reservation. The rental contract is formed when you sign at the desk, and it does not have to match the reservation. Extras such as a child seat or another driver can be added on the spot, and they can cost more there. In the EU, an airport fee, a surcharge for drivers under 25, or a fee for returning the car somewhere else should already be in the price when you book. A one-way fee is still often missing from the reservation, and it can be high when you cross a border. A mileage cap can mean you later pay for every extra kilometre. If the contract bars certain roads, a drive off paved roads can be treated as a breach. What counts as a special clean after sand or heavy dirt is often not clearly defined.

WhereAt the desk, before you sign, and in the terms on route, age and return location.

How to protect yourself

• Compare every line with the reservation. If something does not match, do not sign, and contact the rental company’s head office.
• Book extras you need, such as a seat, another driver and unlimited mileage, before the trip when you can.
• Check the one-way fee, the countries you may enter and whether ferries are allowed before you plan the route. Driving abroad when the contract does not allow it can bring a contractual penalty. Some companies locate the car.
• If the car is very dirty, wash it before return. On sandy tracks, read the terms on special cleaning.

How it worksThe rental period is tied to the agreed time. Return the car even one hour late and companies often charge another full day. An early return can lead to extra charges too. If you never collect the car, the reservation lapses. The prepaid rent is often kept, including after a delayed or cancelled flight. Under German law the rent must not be kept when the car was never handed over. Many brokers are based abroad, and that rule is not applied everywhere. In the EU, an online reservation does not come with a statutory 14 day right to cancel. In the terms, not collecting the car is often called a no show.

WhereAt the station if you arrive later than agreed, and at return if you miss the time window.

How to protect yourself

• Read the cancellation terms before you book. Tell the station as soon as a delay is likely. A call does not guarantee that the fee is waived.
• Plan the return so you are back within the agreed time, and during opening hours if you can.
• Tell the company before an early return. Otherwise that can change the price too.
• Keep the booking confirmation and the payment receipt. If the prepaid rent is kept and you never received the car, ask your bank about a chargeback.