subject: Your Safest Bet: Return Rentals During Open Hours [print this page] 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.
When you drop off and leave a returned vehicle, you can't always be sure it will stay in the same condition when the doors open the next day, unless you arrange for someone to physically see the returned car and approve of the condition before you continue your travels. Even with the many security cameras in use by rental companies, it only makes sense to have someone look it over if it can be arranged, just to be on the safe side.
This would be the ideal situation when you return a vehicle rental. The mileage and fuel levels can be confirmed. The over all condition of the car can be checked off as satisfactory for returning. You will have a closing receipt in your hand when you leave the property with a final total and a refund of your deposit in your pocket as proof there was no problem when the vehicle was returned.
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.
