I was charged NZD800 at Queenstown airport for a "damage" that did not exist
Mar 27, 2015, 7:02 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 57
I was charged NZD800 at Queenstown airport for a "damage" that did not exist
I rented a car at AVIS Queenstown airport, NZ, in March for one week. On the day of return I parked the car at the carpark and dropped the key in the drop box because no attendant was on duty early in the morning. I am sure that there was no damage on the car when I returned, as I checked the car carefully. Around 10 days later, I received a letter from AVIS claiming that there were damages at the rear bumper, and my credit card was charge NZD800.
Is there anything that I can do? There is really no way for me to prove that there was no such damage. Is it a way for car rental company to make extra money because the customer has signed the agreement, and after they flew home, it is really up to the car rental company to make whatever claim they would like to.
In the future, if we return car when there is no attendant of the company, is it a good idea to take photos of the car?
Thanks for any comments!
Is there anything that I can do? There is really no way for me to prove that there was no such damage. Is it a way for car rental company to make extra money because the customer has signed the agreement, and after they flew home, it is really up to the car rental company to make whatever claim they would like to.
In the future, if we return car when there is no attendant of the company, is it a good idea to take photos of the car?
Thanks for any comments!
Mar 27, 2015, 8:10 am
#2
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: AMS
Programs: A number, but no status no more
Posts: 3,049
Hi Flaps,
Unfortunately, this has happened to renters before you.
First of all, yes, lesson learned, if you do drop off a car at an unattended station, take pictures, not only of the exterior, but also of the interior and of the odometer and gas gauge.
Second, I would ask the rental company for proof of the damages, the repair bill and a detailed invoice for the NZD 800. They are probably including time during which they could not rent out the car.
You may want to involve your credit card company as well to dispute the charges. They can advice you on how to best deal with this, and can help you get the information from the car company.
Good luck with this, and I hope you get a good resolution.
GenevaFlyer
I rented a car at AVIS Queenstown airport, NZ, in March for one week. On the day of return I parked the car at the carpark and dropped the key in the drop box because no attendant was on duty early in the morning. I am sure that there was no damage on the car when I returned, as I checked the car carefully. Around 10 days later, I received a letter from AVIS claiming that there were damages at the rear bumper, and my credit card was charge NZD800.
Is there anything that I can do? There is really no way for me to prove that there was no such damage. Is it a way for car rental company to make extra money because the customer has signed the agreement, and after they flew home, it is really up to the car rental company to make whatever claim they would like to.
In the future, if we return car when there is no attendant of the company, is it a good idea to take photos of the car?
Thanks for any comments!
Is there anything that I can do? There is really no way for me to prove that there was no such damage. Is it a way for car rental company to make extra money because the customer has signed the agreement, and after they flew home, it is really up to the car rental company to make whatever claim they would like to.
In the future, if we return car when there is no attendant of the company, is it a good idea to take photos of the car?
Thanks for any comments!
First of all, yes, lesson learned, if you do drop off a car at an unattended station, take pictures, not only of the exterior, but also of the interior and of the odometer and gas gauge.
Second, I would ask the rental company for proof of the damages, the repair bill and a detailed invoice for the NZD 800. They are probably including time during which they could not rent out the car.
You may want to involve your credit card company as well to dispute the charges. They can advice you on how to best deal with this, and can help you get the information from the car company.
Good luck with this, and I hope you get a good resolution.
GenevaFlyer
Mar 27, 2015, 9:13 am
#3
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GenevaFlyer has offered sound advice. But the issue is not whether the bumper was undamaged when the OP dropped it in the carpark; it is whether the bumper was undamaged when Avis checked the car in after the location opened for the day. If the bumper was hit by another driver in the carpark before Avis opened and checked the car in, the OP is responsible to Avis for the damage. That is always a risk one takes when returning a car outside of a location's operating hours.
Taking pictures would not necessarily have helped in this situation: Avis only cares about the car's condition at check-in, not when the OP parked it.
GenevaFlyer has offered sound advice. But the issue is not whether the bumper was undamaged when the OP dropped it in the carpark; it is whether the bumper was undamaged when Avis checked the car in after the location opened for the day. If the bumper was hit by another driver in the carpark before Avis opened and checked the car in, the OP is responsible to Avis for the damage. That is always a risk one takes when returning a car outside of a location's operating hours.
Taking pictures would not necessarily have helped in this situation: Avis only cares about the car's condition at check-in, not when the OP parked it.
Mar 29, 2015, 9:04 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 57
Yes a hard lesson learned indeed.
Thanks for all the valuable suggestions. I will call the credit card company and have them involved. Do you think will it be helpful if I file the case to the NZ Consumer Council? Any Kiwi here?
Thanks for all the valuable suggestions. I will call the credit card company and have them involved. Do you think will it be helpful if I file the case to the NZ Consumer Council? Any Kiwi here?