I’m hoping the power of the stw can help me here.

I rented a zipcar at the weekend, used it for an hour, drove it back to the space, left it. Apparently the next renter reported damage to it, so I’m on the hook for $500. The kicker is that I didn’t do the damage (it was to the front bumper, and I parked it nose in, so there’s no chance of anyone scraping past it, either), but as it was peeing it down with rain, I didn’t check it before driving it, so can’t prove that it wasn’t me.

In short, wtf do I do? I obviously don’t want to be taken for $500 of damage I didn’t do, but can’t prove it.

(and yes, I get that next time I should check it for damage thoroughly…)

Can they prove you damaged it?

If you signed it out without checking it i would think you are bolloxed, sorry.

I got stung at Geneva airport because the fuel gauge was faulty and not showing full even when it was overbrimming, i noticed it wasn’t full on the way out but didnt say\do anything, not a leg to stand on.

woody – technically no, but following the letter of the rules, they can claim that it obviously happened some time between when I started my rental (and didn’t report any damage) and when the next person reported damage (which would be about the start of their rental). It’s possible the next people drove it into something as they pulled it out of the parking space, then claimed it was already there, but again, difficult to prove.

Tragically – how were you on the hook for that? Did they claim the tank wasn’t full?!

My question would be, how do the rental firm know it wasnt the next person who did the damage? Or did they report it before they used the car?

The leson is always pay for etra insurance to cover the excewss – various companies do this on the net.

I’d suggest that using their customers (who’d be liable for any damage) as the sole assessors is not an appropriate system and is highly open to abuse – which, of course is what’s happened here 😉

Tragically – how were you on the hook for that? Did they claim the tank wasn’t full?!

That’s exactly it, was running late, filled it up just over the border in French side and noticed the gauge wasn’t showing full, pulled into the car return, Swiss gimp pulls me on the fuel, I told him it was full, asks to see a reciept, then shrugs his shoulders and points to the french address and walks away, I then got a charge on my cc about 2 weeks later for about 30 euros, not massive but still annoying, I put it down to experience and vowed to not sign for a car until I have had a good look at EVERYTHING.

I’d suggest that using their customers (who’d be liable for any damage) as the sole assessors is not an appropriate system and is highly open to abuse

Well the theory is sound – it’s in your interests to check the car before you drive away, so the system should work. It could do with highlighting though, apparently 🙂

Well the theory is sound – it’s in your interests to check the car before you drive away, so the system should work. It could do with highlighting though, apparently

so I get it straight after you, pile it into a lamp-post as I’m pulling away and quickly go back & say there’s prior damage ? 😉

I think you have to check it before you leave the car park no?

If it helps. I once hired a car at Geneva and some french farmer crashed into it when it was in a supermarket carpark. We had a bit of an argument about paying for the damage (he claimed to speak no english and my French isn’t good enough to debate the finer points of insurance claims. He eventually just got back in his car and drove off. When I finally found a copper he just kept shrugging his shoulders and saying these things ‘appen.

Anyway, I figured if I got stung for it I’d simply present the guys number plate to the hire company and tell them to take it up with him (I figured no chance really, him versus me in France).

I parked up the car at Geneva and the guy started walking round it. He looked at the massive hole in the bumper that the farmer had put there, made a note on his sheet and carried on walking round.

Not a thing was said about it! No follow ups, no extra charges, nothing.

the way it works is u should have had someone check over the car when it was handed to u and also when it was returned each car should be checked at the start and end of its rental contract by a member of staff to note down any old/new damadge…
BUT some companys if they no a car has marks they will find a reson not to check it while you are there so they can get the car touched up and charge you for it when you have gone

i used to work for a car hire firm and this came up regularly so we had to do the checks rain,shine,night or day

by the looks of it sir u have been stung and as there is no proof it wasent there when u left it i dont no if u have much to go on u may be able to pull the staff not checking it as it should be signed on teh checkout papers as checked when returned.

the car should have been valleted before it was leased to the next rental so it may of been them.

I always get collision damage waiver. I pranged a rental car in France (long long loooong story) – the (young French) guy was very dismsisive. He said “oh that’s nothing, I’ve written off three rental cars” 😯

Anyway I got a huge amount taken off my card two weeks later. The issue wasn’t the prang though, it was the mileage. In my haste I’d forgotten to check if it was limited miles or not.

the way it works is u should have had someone check over the car when it was handed to u and also when it was returned each car should be checked at the start and end of its rental contract by a member of staff to note down any old/new damadge..

I think it’s one of those hourly quick-rental city car things isn’t it? Don’t think they do all those checks with a staff member etc.

then they have no proof it was or wasent you its a he says she says matter ask for details of the higher power and write them with a stern shitty letter also see if u can get a copy of the contract details see if it says anything about damadge reports.

The leson is always pay for etra insurance to cover the excewss – various companies do this on the net.

Nah, that’s the best way of getting bent over for extras you don’t need. Just check it against the listed defects and highlight it beforehand, simple.

To close out the story, they emailed back to tell me that the damage is minor and the case has been closed. Close shave, methinks.

RESULT!

coffeeking – Member

“The leson is always pay for etra insurance to cover the excewss – various companies do this on the net. “

Nah, that’s the best way of getting bent over for extras you don’t need. Just check it against the listed defects and highlight it beforehand, simple.

I once hit a cone on the motorwqay – as near to an unavoidable accident as you can get – £300 damage to the car covered with collision damage waiver

I have also been the victim of a hit and run accident in the cdar -= drunk drove into me when I was stationary in a queue and then drove off – thousands of dameage.

In both cases without the extra insureance I would have had to pay the £500 excess the company usually charges

Result indeed.

then they have no proof it was or wasent you

No, but by driving it away you certify it was ok when you took it. Probably.

I got a rental (brand new) from a well know company they were arseholes when I picked it up…..wrong car blah blah blah

Ragged it on a random piece of steel sticking out of some grass…..got a mate to sort the door for a ton and drove around in the rain abit and then returned it.

Same arsehole checked it back in. He wasn’t about to stand in the wet and do a proper job so signed it back in as unmarked, how I chuckled.

They rang me sometime after and asked if I knew anything about damage to the car – ‘sorry not me and I have the inspection slip to prove it – good day’ 😳

you can buy annual insurance so that you wont get stung with this

I’ve just been caught with a van I hired last weekend – hire co rang to say big dent in the side when they got it back. I went up and looked after work and there is a large, deep angry dent all along the lower sill. I am absolutely baffled as it’s that bad it would have made an almighty bang, and I never left the van while we had it and not aware of any impact etc.

Still, I didn’t pick the damage up on the initial walk round (had a good look so don’t believe it was there) and it’s there now. All I can think is it may have happened when parked on the road overnight after I took it back, although I doubt it as it’s a big, sliding impact. And it’s a £750 excess (there was no option to reduce it), so I think I’m totally snookered. Just baffled how it happened.

Hire co has gone to a garage they know for a quote, nasty feeling it’s going to come back at £751, so I’ll have to arrange for another couple of quotes. All to pick up a £50 coal bunker!

ononeorange – there are various companies on the net that provide collision damage waiver insurance for a few quid a day

Thanks TJ. Didn’t think of it (so rarely need a van) but lesson learnt! Also expected hire co to do it, frankly.

Cheers

ononeoraneg – call me suspicious but are you sure it is the same van ??

(Sorry for stating the obvious but I trust rental car companies about 1mm especially after the “it’s definitely definitely a petrol engine ma’am, stake my life on it” incident, when it was a diesel, which luckily I figured out due to having eyes ears and a right foot)

Advise checking all the paperwork.

Yeah pretty sure Hels – very small company (run out of someone’s shed!) they only have a couple of vans. Good point though I will dig out the paperwork and check again.