Tire damage
 

Hello,

I rented a car with Avis in Belgium (type G - Volvo V60 D2) with an own risk of 1300 EUR (excl. VAT). During the last day of the rental I hit a curb and the tire was damaged. There was no spare tire in the car, so the car was towed away. At that time the fuel was around 3/4rd full. This happened a week ago and I got the invoice today.

I now got the final invoice, stating 619.05 EUR excl. VAT for "combined charges", which I assume is related to the damages. I wrote to Avis Belgium customer service to explain and detail the charges.

I know that renters should not pay VAT on repairs done to rental cars in Belguim (a friend successfully argued this before court), so this will save at least part of the cost. Nevertheless, I think 620 EUR for a tire, tow charges and a bit of fuel is excessive. I'm not denying my fault nor am I refusign to pay... I just want to pay a fair price for the repairs.

Are there any other things I can do?

Thanks!

Was the alloy wheel damaged by the impact? Those things can be painfully expensive to repair.

No... As far as I could see, only the tire itself was damaged...

Did you take pictures? That would help argue any claims if you think you're being overcharged.

Personally, I would argue there should have been a spare tire in the car...

Good luck with that one ssafro1. Virtually every car sold in Europe these days doesn't have a spare.

Interesting, well nevermind then.