Returning Rental Car to Enterprise Dirty...

David333

I hired a car from Enterprise over the Christmas period and need to take it back tomorrow. I've just been doing normal driving, but that has included some country roads, so there's quite a lot of mud on the wheel arches, alloy wheels, and bonnet. And as is normal in this weather there is some dirt from shoes on the carpets inside. Does anybody know whether it needs to be cleaned before returning it? I did think that the mud might hide any possible damage marks, but it was clean when I received it and I feel bad returning it a mess.

The terms and conditions do state that it should be returned in a 'reasonable condition'...

Any advice?

gilbert_and_sullivan

Normal road dirt and average use inside OK, if its really bad they may well charge extra, could you not give the thing 2 minutes blast off with a jetwash and sponge some of the mud out of the footwell.

I've seen some left like a rubbish tip before now, food cartons strewn everywhere, spilt drinks, dust and muck throughout where they've done tip runs with the things with building rubbish, corporate customers might get away with it but i'm sure the single time renter doesn't get let off quite so quickly.

David333

Hiding potential chips was my main motivation! Pretty sure there's been no damage, but with a rental car there's always the fear that a stone has been flicked up and they will bill me for millions. I'll get the bucket and soapy water out tomorrow and do a five minute job on the outside of the car.

force_ten

if you take it back and they consider the condition of the car unacceptable they will charge a valet fee

I always feel the same as you when returning a hire car and hate taking them back dirty, if you can swing by a jet wash on the way back to the hire company and a couple of quid will take the worst of the dirt off it or stop at a hand wash place and pay them a fiver to wash it for you

I have been known to wash a hire car and i also washed a white courtesy car that i had from the garage 18 months ago, I do not like driving a dirty car even if i dont own it

arcon5

If it's that bad then give it a spray and then take it round again to get some slight dirt on it - but not a mess. That way it shouldn't be anything excessive and can help help potential chips