Your Safest Bet: Return Rentals During Open Hours

Car rental offices all have different hours and many offer you the option to drop your keys in a box and leave the car on the lot. If you are dealing with a company that you have dealt with in the past this is probably a good and convenient option for you, however, if you are dealing with a small local company or one in a different region of the world you may just want to arrange to return your vehicle when the office is actually open. In some cases this may require you dropping off the vehicle early and arranging another mode of transportation to catch a flight but this is by far the safest way to return your vehicle.

Dropping off a vehicle to an unattended lot you can not be sure if something will happen to that vehicle after you leave it. While you may have returned your vehicle in good condition it is important to make sure that someone from the car rental company sees the vehicle when it is returned. Many car rental lots do have security cameras but it is important to make sure that someone checks in your vehicle when at all possible.

Having someone to physically check the rental in, will validate the mileage numbers and over all condition of the vehicle and all the fuel levels are satisfactory. This will close out the rental agreement, give you a final total amount to be paid and return any deposits due you. This close out receipt will contain all the information you will need to clarify any problems the next day, should there be any problems. This is just another way of protecting yourself.

Leaving the vehicle after hours is not the ideal situation or environment, but there are some measures you can take to protect your self against false claims. Always have a camera handy to take pictures of the returned vehicle on the lot. Preserve the odometer mileage, tires, fuel gages, oil and coolant levels, the inside and exterior of the vehicle as well as time and date of the return. To get better coverage, video tape all these things. Most cell phones have built in video cameras just for this situation and your protection.

While there are mostly very reputable and honest car rental companies everywhere; there is always that one company that gives the good guys a bad name. If you just use some common sense and get in a habit of having a camera close by for just such occasions, it will give you peace of mind with acceptable proof, no matter what any statement might claim and want compensatory damages or demand additional charges and fees for the rental that you returned.

By: Jason C Hall

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