Your rental car was damaged—what should you do?

Getting into an accident with your own car is bad enough, but if it happens with a rental car, you’ll break out in a cold sweat. There’s no need for that, because all cars you rent through us come standard with collision coverage and liability insurance. And if you have a rental car with our Worry-Free label, you’re completely risk-free. Of course, you’d prefer a carefree vacation without any mishaps, but if something does go wrong, here’s what you need to do.

First of all, there’s a difference between damage caused by a collision or hitting a bollard and damage that you suddenly notice without knowing who’s responsible for it. The latter category includes dents in the bumper caused by someone else’s careless parking or damage caused by a driver in the parking space next to you who swung their door open a little too far.

Always call the local car rental company

If you notice damage or cause it yourself (for example, if you didn’t see that bollard), contact the local rental company immediately. They’ll tell you what steps, if any, you need to take next. For minor damage, the rental company may simply make a note of it, but sometimes a local provider will want to see a police report, even for minor damage. The rental company’s phone number is listed on the voucher we emailed you after your reservation. Tip: Save that phone number to your cell phone right away when you pick up the rental car. That way, you won’t have to search for it when you need to call.

Take photos of the damage. Digital cameras always record the date and time a photo was taken, and sometimes the exact location as well. For the latter, you may need to grant permission in the settings. In the case of photos of damage to the rental car, this is highly recommended.

What to do in the event of an accident with the rental car?

You were so engrossed in enjoying the scenery during your road trip in a rental car that you took your eyes off the road for a moment, and suddenly: boom. Oops, where did that other car come from all of a sudden? Just like in an accident with your own car: stay calm. What’s done is done; there’s nothing you can do about it now, and the priority is handling the situation correctly.

In the event of a collision, it’s best to call the police first before contacting the local rental company, because they’ll ask for the report number. In some countries, a police report is even mandatory, whether it’s a collision with another vehicle or a single-vehicle accident. If that’s the case (including in Croatia and Curaçao), it will be stated in the rental terms and conditions, which you should always read through before finalizing your rental car reservation.

Fill out the accident report form together with the other party and make sure you both sign it and keep a copy. Never sign a document with vague descriptions or in a language you don’t understand, because before you know it, you’ll be admitting fault for the accident—and determining liability is solely a matter for the insurance company. Always take photos of the scene and the damage, but make sure you don’t put yourself or others in danger while doing so. If there are witnesses, write down their contact information.

You’ll also need to fill out a damage report with the rental company. This usually contains the same information as the accident report form. Make sure you get a signed copy of this as well.

How does the deductible work for a rental car?

Sometimes the security deposit is lower than the deductible. If, in that case, the damage exceeds the security deposit, you’ll have to pay the difference—but always up to the amount of the deductible at most. Annoying, of course, but we have the solution for you—read on!

Pay nothing? Rent a car with the Worry-Free label!

And when do you pay absolutely nothing? When you rent a car from us with the Worry-Free label! Wait, we need to clarify that a bit: you’ll often still have to pay the deductible upfront—meaning the rental company will still deduct it from your security deposit. But we’ll reimburse you for that amount. So, in the end, you pay nothing. Most Worry-Free rental cars also come with additional insurance covering damage to the roof, undercarriage, windows, or tires. The deductible for that insurance is also covered. So when you rent a car with the Worry-Free label, you can drive around completely worry-free.

Getting your rental car deductible refunded is simple

If you’ve caused damage to your rental car and have followed the steps above, you can easily file a claim with us for the deductible you paid. We’ll need a few things from you, such as copies of the rental agreement, the rental company’s damage report, a police report, and proof that the costs were deducted from your security deposit. Once we have all of that, we’ll refund the deductible you paid as soon as possible.

So with a Worry-Free rental car, do you get your entire security deposit back?

No, not always. That’s because the security deposit covers more than just the insurance deductible. The deductible applies to costs covered by damage and theft insurance. You’ll never have to pay those yourself if you choose a rental car with the Worry-Free label, which includes comprehensive coverage.

However, if you return the rental car with insufficient fuel, the rental company will charge you for that. Also, if you happen to receive a traffic ticket, the rental company will charge an administrative fee, which it will deduct from your security deposit. Of course, we do not cover these types of costs for you.