Car rental - Accident waiver did not cover issue

Based on resolver’s experience to date, damage claims are rarely covered by the insurance policy sold to you by the rental company itself, as common claims are for damage to tyres, wheels and undercarriage, none of which are usually covered. For future reference, it is always a good idea to take out extra excess insurance from an independent company as you can then fill in a form with them in the case of a claim and let them do all the work.

If you don’t have this and you feel that you are being overcharged or wrongly charged for spurious damage to a hire care, resolver recommends that you challenge the company, presenting photographic evidence (if you have wisely collected some) and ask for evidence of any repairs that were carried out. If the rental company are reluctant, you can also try claiming from your credit card company under the Consumer Credit Act 1974. If you need assistance with this matter, resolver recommends that you contact one of the bodies that deal with car rental disputes. If you booked your car direct with a hire company, the European Car Rental Conciliation Service (ECRCS) provides a free service to deal with Europe-wide disputes.

There is also the European Consumer Centres Network which will investigate any breaches of European contract law free of charge. For UK rentals, the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) provides free assistance with complaints about companies which adhere to its own code of conduct. resolver recommends that you submit your concern in writing to any of these organisations (see their websites for contact details) and resolver can assist you in submitting, recording and reminding you when and who to escalate to. It can be extremely frustrating when the accident waiver does not cover an issue. resolver can help you resolve this issue quickly, free of charge and without the hassle. We can also help you with the next step of writing your complaint. Click on the link below to create your email. You should know

Car rental companies have to give clear terms and conditions, transparent pricing info, and a full explanation of their liability and waiver cover. In fact, all charges should be made clear to you upfront.

You should always take a full inventory and get the car hire company to sign off on everything – even if the company tells you it isn’t necessary.

If you decide to take out extra cover, it’s best to make sure that the cover is in the same name as the lead driver. This could avoid a number of potential pitfalls in the future.

Car hire companies should invoice you for any charges incurred. In some cases, they may debit money directly from your account – they should make efforts to notify you beforehand.

If you do have to dispute a charge, you should always try to do it within 14 days.

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