National Car hire - accused of being involved in an "accident"

tuggles

Hi all

First time poster, but long time user of the great advice on this forum.

Received a letter through the post this morning from the "legal team" at National car hire accusing me of being involved in an accident and to complete the attached paperwork.......

Came as quite a surprise i can tell you.

I picked the car up from East Midlands Airport a few weeks ago and paid the Excess waiver (cost around £20 from memory) and purchased a toddler seat also.

The girl on the main desk handed me the keys and informed me that there was no need to check the car as i had purchased the excess waiver. Fair enough, i thought (just been traveling with my elderly in-laws and 2 year old for the last 12 hours.......).

Picked the car up from the main carpark, spent 20 minutes cleaning the filthy toddler seat they provided and drove home to Wigan.

Next day i returned the car to Liverpool airport, handed my keys back into the porticabin and was told that everything was ok to depart.

Now two weeks later i have received the letter stating i was involved in an accident that had caused a 75-150mm dent in the rear door.

There was no accident and there was no damaged caused by me. The car was collected, driven to my house, parked and taken straight back to the depot the next day.

I feel like an idiot for not going over the car with a tooth comb, but honesty i believed the girl on the front desk who informed me that there was no need .

Now i am worried that they might try and charge me for damage (some loophole in my excess waiver or the like). Or even worse that my own no claims bonus (12 years) will be affected.

Before i pick the phone up or email the Legal department i wanted to get some advice, if anyone has any?

Thanks in advance

cootuk

When you handed the car back, did they complete any inspection report on the car there and then?

T&C
"Please note: Minor damages to the vehicle such as scratches or dents will be charged for by the station at time of check-in - such cases will incur a Damage Admin fee of £27.00 on top of the deductible amount (the admin fee may be higher for more serious damages)."

There's also a note that for out of hours dropoff you remain liable until they inspect the next morning.

ElkyElky

Obviously you deny all knowledge of it and mention that they failed to do the inspection before or after - and since they failed, the damage may have been caused when the car wasn't in your care.

Go over the terms and conditions of the damage waiver with a fine tooth comb to make sure they can't sting you.

tuggles

Thanks both

No one completed an inspection on the car, both when collecting or dropping off.

There was no signing of any damage form before or after my time with the car (as is normal when hiring)

@cootuk- may i ask where you found the t&c's online?

ElkyElky

Correct me if I'm wrong but the inspection report is their only evidence of damage or lack of. If they didn't conduct an inspection then how can they possibly think it was you who caused the damage.

Write back to them denying you have any knowledge of it and ask what evidence they have that you caused the damage. If they can't prove you did it then you have no case to answer. Obviously you mention that no inspection took place and so you aren't liable.

macman

Their own 'inspection' report must have a time on it-ask them for a copy. Also ask for photographic evidence of the damage.

neilmcl

Given that you didn't look over it yourself how do you know the damage didn't happen whilst the car was in your care?

GabbaGabbaHey

Not much help after the event, I realise, but I NEVER collect or return a hire car these days without taking at least 5 photos (front, back, both sides and odometer) of it. With a camera built in to just about every phone these days, it only takes a few seconds.

I also do the same on the (very rare) occasions that I park my car anywhere that I have to hand over the keys.

londonTiger

car hire companies are sharks, you can never trust them. Also there are many exceptions from damage waivers, tyres and roofs are.

I rememeber reading on one of the review sits like reviewcenter/trustpilot that a car hire company had a garage in central london. They had to drive through very narrow underground parking ramps to drop it off and on the way they scratch the roof on something in the ramp.

They had to pay for damages despite having damage waiver as roof was not covered.

I would not be surprised if one of the conditions of having damage free waiver is that you must report all damages, and if you do not then damage waiver becomes voided.

redcard

neilmcl wrote: »

Given that you didn't look over it yourself how do you know the damage didn't happen whilst the car was in your care?

It's up to the car hire company to show he caused it, not for him to show he didn't cause it.

tuggles

Thanks for the advice everyone.

Just about to Email them now. Contemplated phoning but wanted to ensure everything was recorded in writing.

in addition

The car only made two journey. Once from the airport to my home and from my home to Liverpool airport.

At NO point during either journey did i come into contact with any object that could have caused ANY damage to the car.

It was also parked on my driveway in between journeys. Again no damage could have occurred as i was parking the car.

14 years no claims and no accidents prove (to a certain extent) that i am a careful driver.

i am 100% confident that no damage came to that car whilst in my custody.

100%

thanks again, i will keep you updated.