Car Rental Credit Card Charges

Its every vacationer's nightmare: unexpected charges appear on your credit card after you return home from a seemingly perfect holiday.  It can happen to anyone traveling anywhere, but what if the charges are perfectly legal?  Car rental companies require a credit card to hire a car for a reason, and some drivers find this out the hard way.

The Charges

Car rentals that aren't returned in perfect condition and require repairs can be a just cause to charge your credit card.  This is all perfectly legal if you have no documentation to dispute the damage or offenses.  These charges can range from 5 euro to over 450 euro, depending on the nature of the offense.  Car rental companies can charge your credit card for a range of things including the cost of refueling (even when you return it full) to pre-existing damage to the vehicle.

Rent Smarter

Begin by giving the car hire a good once over before you accept the rental.  Make sure everything  is well noted before you leave the lot and become responsible for what happens to the car.  If there are notable flaws with your car rental and you aren't in a position to request another, then request a copy of the documentation noting the flaws.

Return Smarter

If at all possible return your car hire vehicle to a real person, during office hours.  Have them check over the car rental with you and sign off on its condition and amount of fuel.  Keep a copy of this as documentation should any charges appear to your credit card.  If you absolutely can not return your car rental to a real person take several photos of the exterior and interior as proof of the condition of the car hire when you left it.  

Its also smart to be familiar with the car rental policies to avoid any unexpected charges.