Has anyone had difficulty with car rental agencies at the Frankfurt airport? We just returned from Germany where we rented a car from the Frankfurt airport. Upon returning it we were told we had to pay 80 euros for scratches that were not there when we rented or returned the car but happened to be there when we asked for a receipt. An aquaintance of mine had the same experience at the same airport.
Posted by
Auburn, Alabama
1064 posts
I have returned a car there without incident, but that is not really relevant to your situation. I don't think it was a scam or they would have charged 800 euros, instead of 80. That might cover a hubcap but not a paint job, so the company must plan to buff the scratches out -- or leave them for the next customer, which you seem to think happened. If your cc company provided insurance, you might challenge this through them; considering the cost of attorney's fees, either the cc company or the rental company may decide it is not worth fighting over a claim that small.
Posted by
Park Ridge, IL
524 posts
It is probably a good idea whereever you are renting a car to check any possible damage, scratches or window cracks, etc before you leave the agency. Point them out to the attendant and draw and have them sign it as suggested. Or take a picture with your cell phone. Just make sure it is date stamped. Makes it easy to dispute on the spot when you return it.
Posted by
Indianapolis
4 posts
We had this happen 2 years ago at the Munich train station. We called the rental company (can't remember, but maybe Hertz?) after we got back to the States and surprisingly were refunded for the 'damage'. It's worth a try.
Posted by
Lake Forest, CA, USA
1633 posts
We rented a car for four weeks several years ago. Before we returned it to the Frankfurt airport, we removed all trash but did not vacuum it. We also did not have it washed. After our return to the States, we received a letter from the agency informing us we owed 100 euros because they had to have the car detailed. They did not charge our credit card and we refused to pay them. We have never had an incident like this happen to us before, or after, this rental. I sincerely believe they were not happy that we put so many kilometers on this car and wanted more money for it.
Posted by
OP
Burnaby
2 posts
Thank you to those of you who replied. I appreciate your suggestions. I usually take photos of the rental car (of course, I didn't do so this time) and point out deficiencies to be noted on the providers slips (which we did) prior to leaving the lot, however, after this experience I will definitely be even more diligent. It sounds like we should count ourselves lucky to have only paid 80 euros especially since we did put quite a few kilometers on the car. Is there a rental company you find is better to rent from when travelling in Europe?