Car rental firms to implement new photo-technology…

It’s one of the age old problems in life, you manage to pick up a rental car at the airport and in the mad rush to get going you miss the dent on the bumper, or the scratch down the side, and a week later when you hand the keys back to the depot you get spanked with a charge for a crime that you didn’t commit. After the stress of the airport, arguing kids running amok and with a long weary drive ahead of you it’s understandable to miss a few scratches here and there, but it can end up costing you a bomb.

This week in an effort to avoid unnecessary rental charges, Hertz have announced that they are implementing a new system of photography to inspect and keep track of marks on vehicles. The new system is being designed and tested in a secret rental location in the states. Hertz hopes that the scheme will improve customer relations, remove uncertainties between depots and customers, as well as making significant financial reductions. Hertz currently pays over £102m per year on damage payments and the company hopes that this photographic system will cut millions from their annual bills.

At present whenever you arrive at the car hire depot to pick up your car, you and a representative walk around noting any damage and then sign off on it. Any damage that occurs afterwards is then billable to the borrower. The new system will remove the need of this and will hopeful remove the amount of controversy that can be incurred in disputes between lender and borrower.