Travel Deal of the Day (August 7, 2007)

If you are renting a car, you should consider ways to protect yourself against an accusation that you damaged the car during the rental. Two simple steps can save you tremendous aggravation and will document the condition of the car before and after the rental.

The Deal:
When returning a rental car, most people assume that they do not have to worry about being charged for any damage to a rental car once a rental car is "checked in" and the car rental attendant (who may or may not inspect the car) does not complain about any damage to a rental car. This is not true – a rental car company reserves the right to inspect the car for damage long after you have returned the car. To protect against being charged for damage that occurred before you rented the car or damage that occurs after you returned the car, you should complete the following two tasks when renting a car:

Step One (When Picking Up Car Rental): Inspect the car thoroughly and notate any damage. Some car rental companies will have a form for car rental damage that they will require you sign before renting. Other companies will have no mandated procedure for inspecting damage before a car rental. Regardless, make sure any damage is noted and that you have written proof before you leave the car rental lot of any pre-existing damage on a rental car. (Most companies have a form which can be used to notate damage before a car rental. For companies without a standard form, have the car rental company notate damage on the car rental contract.)

Step Two (When Dropping Off Car Rental): Take pictures of the car. Use a digital camera (even the camera on your cell phone, if applicable) to document the good condition of the car. Remember, a car rental company reserves the right to inspect the car at a later time (which may occur after one or more people have rented that car) – so this is your opportunity to document the condition of the car at the time you returned the car.