Damaged rental car windscreen

[JOEPRO]

Hi all,

Still in USA and returning our rental car tomorrow. Budget. A Toyota Rav 4.

We were driving on a highway yesterday and a stone hit the windscreen and put a bad chip in it. And a crack. The crack has since spread pretty good across the screen.

I did take out an additional rental car insurance policy in UK before we left so this "should" be covered as windscreen damage was included. I have emailed my rental insurer to let them know anyway.

Anyone any experience of this? I guess tomorrow when we drop the car back they will charge a fee for a new windscreen onto my credit card yeah? They didn't push extra insurance when picking the car up which was strange but as I said I had already taken out "full coverage' from icarhireinsurance myself. It was a single trip 2 week USA policy for £105 or so. I did take photos of my computer screen before I bought this extra insurance which shows screen coverage included as follows so I should be good I hope. (I took out the policy in the UK before we left for USA)



Damage

 

[bricol]

Fingers crossed.

You've been unlucky - I've covered many many thousands of miles in the USA and been okay - got into rentals that were already damaged before and refused to take them though. We're now instructed to refuse all insurance - work policy covers it all - which probably means disaster on my next trip

 

[gaz1]

ive had it in the uk when hiring a vehicle

they didnt write the screen damage on the damage sheet when inspecting the vehicle

but i read them to make sure before i signed the document i noticed the screen damage hadnt been wrote upon the damage sheet so i did infront of them and asked them to sign the damage form to say i had noticed the damage

on returning the vehicle i was met by a loverly youve damaged the windscreen comment i had my copy with me

they didnt like my comment that id taken the vehicle with a damaged screen and therefore had written upon the damage sheet of the damage
the person who tried to blame got asked to check the damage on hire sheet

it was interesting to see them squirm when they read the sheet out

my advicee is always check that sheet and check yourself around that vehicle and if not there write on the sheet yourself

 

[brightspark]

if i get a hire vehicle they go round and point out the allready defects and mark it on there picture of vehicle then i inspect and point out any they missed including chips on windscreen they conveniently missed i always get insurance out for body damage and windscreen cover as laminate screens are thin and prone to chipping

 

[bricol]

Might have used full coverage rentals in the past to do daft things . . .

These days with some many rental points etc in the US, I can simply walk into their lot, pick the car I want, get in, drive to the exit, get scanned and drive away. If work book it for me, while I'm on the board for a specific vehicle, I can still ignore it and drive away in anything else.

Which is why I spent a load of money importing a Dodge . . . they let me drive one around in the sunshine in Texas for 6 mths or more a few years ago - I decided I needed one in the UK . . . tip-toing around in the rain in the UK isn't quite so much fun though.

 

[JOEPRO]

ive had it in the uk when hiring a vehicle

they didnt write the screen damage on the damage sheet when inspecting the vehicle

but i read them to make sure before i signed the document i noticed the screen damage hadnt been wrote upon the damage sheet so i did infront of them and asked them to sign the damage form to say i had noticed the damage

on returning the vehicle i was met by a loverly youve damaged the windscreen comment i had my copy with me

they didnt like my comment that id taken the vehicle with a damaged screen and therefore had written upon the damage sheet of the damage
the person who tried to blame got asked to check the damage on hire sheet

it was interesting to see them squirm when they read the sheet out

my advicee is always check that sheet and check yourself around that vehicle and if not there write on the sheet yourself

if i get a hire vehicle they go round and point out the allready defects and mark it on there picture of vehicle then i inspect and point out any they missed including chips on windscreen they conveniently missed i always get insurance out for body damage and windscreen cover as laminate screens are thin and prone to chipping

Yes this is all good advice. I have had issues like that before not my fault so I take a video all around the car before leaving to record the condition of the windscreen etc.

Here though there was no damage noted or on the car. And I am aware that it definitely happened when we were driving it, so I won't deny that.

I guess I'll find out tomorrow but I imagine the charge will be quite high and I'll pay it first then lodge a claim to recoup.

 

[frank horton]

there was a small rental comp in the Uk that always tried that trick...
everyone got charged for a damaged windscreen......BUT they never changed it....
extra way of screwing the client...
If I need to rent a car I put into google ...rent a car but NO credit card.....not missed a beat in 10 years....
sure they have a few dings and are 4 years old'ish but who gives a stuff.......
thats if I'm paying....

 

[Keithmac]

Worth taking a picture of front / back and sides before you take the car. The photo will have the date embedded into it.

 

[johnik]

there was a small rental comp in the Uk that always tried that trick...
everyone got charged for a damaged windscreen......BUT they never changed it....
extra way of screwing the client...
If I need to rent a car I put into google ...rent a car but NO credit card.....not missed a beat in 10 years....
sure they have a few dings and are 4 years old'ish but who gives a stuff.......
thats if I'm paying....

happened to me when our co used to rent trucks, we got stung for a screen, couple of months later we had the same truck with the same damaged screen, tried to charge us, boss mumbled something about fraud and court, we had free rental out of them

 

[Robotstar5]

if i get a hire vehicle they go round and point out the allready defects and mark it on there picture of vehicle then i inspect and point out any they missed including chips on windscreen they conveniently missed i always get insurance out for body damage and windscreen cover as laminate screens are thin and prone to chipping

I picked up a hire car at the airport and the guy walked round noting any damage, but having spent many years in car body building I started pointing out what he'd missed, in the end he gave me the sheet to mark up then signed it when I'd finished

 

[daleyd]

I had a hire car in Poland - I picked it up in an absolute torrent of rain, was fully insured so wasn’t too bothered about doing a proper inspection I was more bothered about getting in the dry.

When I returned it a couple of weeks later (in blazing sunshine) the guy with the clipboard starts noting down about the tiny scratch on the rear bumper from about 50 yards away…. He starts wittering on about €200 euro excess, and he’ll need my credit card. I let him carry on for a while before I reminded him that it was insured and it wasn’t really my problem.

Obviously a well used scam though, there’s no way he would have even seen that scratch from the distance he did.

 

[Morrisman]

ive had it in the uk when hiring a vehicle

they didnt write the screen damage on the damage sheet when inspecting the vehicle

but i read them to make sure before i signed the document i noticed the screen damage hadnt been wrote upon the damage sheet so i did infront of them and asked them to sign the damage form to say i had noticed the damage

on returning the vehicle i was met by a loverly youve damaged the windscreen comment i had my copy with me

they didnt like my comment that id taken the vehicle with a damaged screen and therefore had written upon the damage sheet of the damage
the person who tried to blame got asked to check the damage on hire sheet

it was interesting to see them squirm when they read the sheet out

my advicee is always check that sheet and check yourself around that vehicle and if not there write on the sheet yourself

I returned a hire car to Heathrow quite a few years ago. The girl gave it a check over, signed the papers, she took the car away, and I waited for a bus to the airport.
A few minutes later someone comes back and tells me the supervisor had noticed damage to one of the tyres, and I must have done it and had to pay.

I should have refused, I should have argued the toss, I should have demanded to see the damage, and pointed out that I had already been cleared and signed off, but I was eager to get on a plane and get back to the flesh pots of the far east, so I rolled over and signed the sheet. Coward.

 

[bricol]

I think the only issue I have had recently was Avis in SEATAC charging an exorbitant amount of money for fuel . . . when I had filled it at the same place I always do just up the road . . . one free rental later . . .

Although I have to admit to not complaining when they haven't charged for fueling a car when I have dumped it and run with next to no fuel

In the Europe and USA we use AVIS due to a corporate deal - not had a bad experience in the last 20 yrs.

In the UK, due to a national corporate deal, we have to use Enterprise. The franchise we have to use has supplied dirty cars, cars with bald tyres, cars with snapped keys in the ignition, then tried charging us for the key and extraction, cars of a class or two smaller than requested (and billed for) - ever tried getting four blokes, tool boxes, PPE, spare parts in a flippin' Corsa when you specifically asked something big enough? , not actually delivered a car when they were supposed to, supplied three cars one after the other as they broke down, left cars in our car park for us to use the day after with the oil warning light and messages all lit up . . .

And due to the corporate deal, we can't use anyone else.

 

[Pilgrim22]

The rental company will take payment for the damage from the Card you paid the deposit with. then its up to you to claim from Icarhireinsurance. ive had a policy with them for many years but never needed to claim so id be interested to hear how you get on. i wish you good luck

About 8 years ago I had a hire car in the UK from GreenMotion for about 4 weeks. when I returned it they found a stone chip above the rear wheelarch, it was smaller than my fingernail and i said it was normal wear and tear for a 4 week hire, but they took £613.80.
Thats when i started using IcarhireInsurance.com

Avoid Greenmotion at all cost!

 

[lchris21]

I picked up a hire car at the airport and the guy walked round noting any damage, but having spent many years in car body building I started pointing out what he'd missed, in the end he gave me the sheet to mark up then signed it when I'd finished

Im the same...not a bodywork expert, but can take me 20mins to sign the sheet. The look of disgust as every minor thing goes on the sheet ...then theres the picture taking, and full video. Never been caught once although a few have tried. It makes me laugh when you see other hire's just scribbling acceptance forms, loading cases and off they go in a few mins. 20mins well spent in my opinion. One car I refused to take as it had so many scratches and dents on it, it needed a full respray
They have you over a barrel, tired passengers, nervous about driving abroad, strange country, keen to get out of airport.....easy pickings.

 

[brightspark]

when i took my newish van in for a service and recall they gave me a hire car and wet round with the clipboard ticking defects off before i took it i said to the lass now do my van she was surprised i said theres no marks or scratches on it and i want it backl the same it must p,iss them rite off

 

[Brummie]

I hired a car in the UK from Enterprise and had car hire insurance. I got a stone chip which cracked the windscreen. I got it repaired during my period of hire using Enterprise recommended repairers. The insurance would not pay out until they had an invoice from Enterprise.. It was six weeks before they gave me an invoice, which included two days loss of hire becuase it had to be repaired. I pointed out if was returned repaired so there was no loss of hire to them and they apologised and got me new invoice another two week later which was over £200 cheaper, so expect to be charged for loss of hire whilst the vehicle is been repaired as well as the windscreen cost. That said car hire insurance were quick to reimbursed me once they had the invoice.

 

[JOEPRO]

I returned the car a few mins ago. Chicago O hare airport is a very busy place so it was a drive up, leave keys get out scenario.

So we got our stuff and a guy walked over to take it on in. I said to him about the chipped windscreen but either he did not hear me or knows an inspection is coming so he didn't respond just asked to confirm my email and away we went.

Sometimes when returning a rental car there is an opportunity to dicuss damage but not this time.

I'm quite sure there will be an email and card charge coming so will see.

 

[Morris]

The first thing I did to our rental car upon leaving San Francisco airport was to gouge one of the wheels on a kerb. Then after about two weeks I noticed that one of the rear quarters had a crease in it that looked like a heavy pole had fell on it. I expected the worse when I returned it but nothing was said. Never heard a thing. That was Hertz.

 

[angellonewolf]

years ago had a hire car when some one crashed in to my car and was in for repair for 5 days

bloke bought the car round said sign here i said what about any damage he said allready checked it and see her pointed to the paper with a few marks

it was on a winter night pitch black i said well i cant see it can i so either write on the paper not able to be cheaked or you can redliver it tommorw in the day light he signed it not cheaked as dark

they collected the car started pointing out this and that and thats going to cost i pointed out what was on the paper when it was delivered he sulked jumped in the car and went and they still sent me a bill for damage i rung them told them what for said i still had the paper copy and if they lost theres i would provide a copy for them and be happy to see them in court


the stupid thing was i looked after the car hardly used it it was parked on the drive most of the time