Car Rental Returns - A complete guide

There are several things you need to consider when booking a car rental, like the daily cost, price of comprehensive cover, selected add-ons (such as booster seats and GPS devices) and the type of vehicle you require for your trip (something small and economical, a more spacious SUV, etc.). It's also very important to consider where you will be collecting your car rental (ie will a shuttle bus service be available?) and where you will need to drop it off at the end of your rental period.

If you're in a rush to catch your flight back home, dropping off your car rental at the supplier's collection point can sometimes be a cause of additional stress if you're not properly informed and organised. For that reason we've put together the following set of instructions to help you return your car as rapidly as possible, with good preparation being the key to a seamless drop-off process.

Things to do before dropping off your car rental

Plan your journey

The first thing to do is meticulously plan the route you are going to take in order to ensure that you have plenty of time available should anything unforeseen happen along the way, such as a traffic jam (common during the morning and evening rush-hours), your car rental breaks down, stormy weather, etc. Vehicle suppliers often charge customers a fee for dropping their car off late which is why it's very important to know the exact time your vehicle is expected back at the provider's collection point.

Online resources like Google Maps provide plenty of help for travellers planning their route although delays caused by roadworks, accidents, etc. can seriously hinder your progress unexpectedly. If you're not sure about the best way to reach your car rental drop-off point, it's always a good idea to phone the supplier and ask for instructions so that they can help you (their number will be on the form you sign at the time of pick-up). Make sure you get all the information you need regarding the drop-off point when you arrive to collect the vehicle because some are more difficult to find than others, for instance airports and large central train stations usually have a dedicated area (look out for signs like Car Hire Return or something similar), while downtown locations often use a nearby car park or underground garage.

Find a nearby petrol station to fill up the tank

Besides asking for information about the drop-off point when you collect your vehicle, it's also a good idea to ask the local car rental staff where the nearest petrol station is located, which can save you a lot of time if you are rushing to catch your flight home. The majority of car rental contracts include full-to-full, a policy that means that if the fuel tank is full when you collect the vehicle at the start of your trip, then it's your responsibility to refill it completely before dropping it off at the end of the rental period. Google Maps and other online resources should help you locate the nearest petrol station to the drop-off point but the best thing to do is ask the car rental employees at the desk when you arrive to pick up your car.

To avoid any discussions with the supplier at the end of the rental period, it's always a good idea to ask the petrol station for a receipt when you fill up the tank in case you need proof that it was full when you drop the vehicle off. Please note that you can opt for other fuel policies like full-to-empty which means that you won't have to return the car with a full tank, thus saving you the worry of finding a petrol station at the end of your trip. It's easy to find out which fuel policy applies to your rental, just consult the Terms and Conditions of your booking voucher, a copy of which you'll find either in the e-mail sent to you when the booking was confirmed or in your My Booking section on the Auto Europe website.

Make sure the car is clean and tidy

Another important thing to take into consideration is the car's cleanliness, which some suppliers are now expecting when customers return their vehicle at the end of the rental period. Although the car rental company won't expect the car to be thoroughly cleaned prior to being dropped off, a very dirty vehicle might be subject to a cleaning charge which will be charged to the driver's credit card.

Certain aspects will be taken into account by the car rental company when the vehicle is returned, such as the local weather, location and duration of the rental period. For instance, a little bit of sand on the floor will usually be tolerated at a beach destination but if the car is dropped off in a filthy condition then a cleaning fee will often be charged in order to cover the costs of thoroughly cleaning the vehicle before the next rental. To avoid any nasty surprises on your credit card bill, it's always a sensible idea to hoover up any sand, dust or crumbs from the seats and wipe any fingerprints or smudges off the windows with a cloth. Please also bear in mind that all hire cars are now non-smoking so if you or a fellow passenger insists on smoking inside the vehicle, then be prepared to pay an additional cleaning fee in order to remove the smell of tobacco, which is one of the most difficult odours to eliminate because it becomes ingrained in the upholstery. Today's travellers are much more sensitive to the smell of tobacco and no matter how hard you try to remove it with air fresheners, there's a chance that the next customer might refuse the car, thus causing the supplier even greater expense and inconvenience.

Take photos

As an extra precaution, please try to take as many photographs of the car as possible, either with your camera or phone, especially if the vehicle has any dents or scratches that could be blamed on the driver at the end of the rental period. The quality of the cameras on smartphones has improved a lot in recent years, so it's much quicker and easier to take photos or make a short video of the car before leaving the pick-up point than it used to be. Photographic evidence of this type is very useful in solving disputes once the car has been returned. Try to concentrate on the bumpers, wheels, chassis and the car's interior, as well as the fuel gauge and mileage counter on the dashboard. These photos can be particularly useful if the car is dropped off outside the office hours when there are no car rental staff around to sign the handover papers. Having these photos in your possession will certainly help if the rental company tries to charge you for damage you didn't do.

Collect all your belongings

Besides leaving the car nice and clean, it's worth taking one last look at the vehicle before handing back the keys to check that there are no forgotten items anywhere in the car. Driving to the airport to catch a flight is always a bit stressful, especially for the driver, and the need to drop-off the car rental first adds even more anxiety to an already difficult situation. As well as making sure that you check the vehicle for damage and take photos of any dents and scratches that you can see, it's also very important to make sure you haven't left any of your belongings inside the car. Be sure to check under the seats because itens such as smartphones often fall out of pockets whilst driving and look inside the glove compartment where all the car documents are usually stored. Additionally, it's always a good idea to take another look inside the boot in case something belonging to you or a passenger is still in there.

The drop-off process

Inspect the vehicle with a supplier's representative

Handing over the car keys is only part of the process of dropping off your vehicle at the end of the rental period. Staff from the local provider will normally want to inspect the car for any damage that might have occurred during your trip, such as chips on the windscreen or scratches on the wheel rims, etc. If they claim to have found new damage and you are absolutely sure you didn't cause it, then the best thing to do is to ask the car rental company's staff to have a look at the original damage report signed at the time of pick-up which should whether or not the damage had already been noted. Furthermore, it's important to look at all the photographs taken when the vehicle was collected, either with your camera or smartphone, because that is one of the best ways to solve such disagreements. Naturally, if it was you who caused the damage then it's best to own up and pay any repair costs imposed by the supplier, which in turn will be charged to your credit card. Alternatively, the car hire company may send you an invoice to pay at a later date, although it is more likely that the money will be deducted from the initial deposit held on your credit card.

After the vehicle has been fully inspected, you will then be handed the necessary documentation (commonly known as the 'check-in form') which is required to confirm that your rental period has officially come to an end. Once the car rental provider has checked that there's no new damage and everything is in order, your security deposit will be released or returned back to your credit card, although the time it takes may vary according to which bank or credit system you use.

Drop-off without a supplier's representative (key drop-box option)

If you have asked the local car hire provider for permission to drop off your vehicle outside normal office hours (after midnight, for example), then you will need to drop the keys in the supplier's drop-box which will prominently located close to the company's reception desk or office. If no such box exists, please check the office door for more details about how the drop-box service operates or look for a telephone number to call. The best way to find out where to drop the car keys at the end of your rental period is to ask the staff when you arrive to collect your vehicle. It's important to get this information because the return process might take some time and could cause you additional stress if you are in a rush to catch your flight.

Frequently asked questions about car hire returns

The following section covers some of the most frequently asked questions asked by our customers regarding the vehicle return process at the end of their rental period. If you any more queries or require some assistance with your reservation, then do noy hesitate to contact a member of our team either by telephone or e-mail.