Travel Deal of the Day (January 14, 2008)

Are you taking the correct precautions when you pickup and return a rental car? If your pick-up and return of the car does not involve a damage report and a digital camera, you may be setting yourself up for a problem at some point. If a car rental company mailed you a letter three months after your rental claiming you had damaged a car, how would you prove that you had not damaged the car? Here are some simple rules for your next car rental to protect yourself from this problem:

During Pick-Up: Ask the rental car counter for a damage report to fill out before leaving the car rental lot. These forms allow you to document all damage (scratches, dents, paint chips, windshield cracks…) on the car. (If you pickup a car after sundown, drive the car over to a section of the car rental lot where there are spotlights/lighting systems so that you can see the damage on the car.) You must fill out the form and get a rental car representative to sign the form before you leave the car rental lot. This step is vital so that you can prove that the car had damage prior to picking up the car.

During Drop-Off: Take pictures of the car from every angle. You must document the condition of the car at the time you drop off the car. When damage occurs to a rental car, a rental car company may not be able to pinpoint exactly when the damage occurred, so you must be able to prove that at the time you returned the car, there was no damage.

Taking these two easy steps can alleviate much of the hassle associated with the issues that may arise after renting a car.