Vi använder nödvändiga kakor för att webbplatsen ska fungera bra för dig. Vi vill använda kakor för att förbättra webbplatsen med hjälp av statistik. Samtycker du till detta?
Have you received a payment demand for the rental car after returning it? Or does the rental company want you to compensate for damages that have occurred to the car? Read what applies if you have problems with the rental car.
Translated page: This text has been translated from Swedish. The text and appearance of the page may look different from the original page.
Keep this in mind
The rental is governed by the agreement between you and the rental company. It is important that you read the agreement carefully. There is no law that regulates what must be included in a car rental agreement.
The rental company cannot demand compensation from you if you can show that you have been careful with the car. If you can prove that damage is due to an accident or vandalism, you can avoid liability.
If there is something wrong with the car, you have the right to complain.
Examples of issues could be:
You get access to the car later than agreed.
The condition of the car is worse than you should expect.
Promised equipment is missing.
The car breaks down during the rental period.
Contact the rental company and demand that the issue be fixed. If the issue cannot be fixed, you may be entitled to a price reduction. If you cannot use the car, a cancellation of all or part of the rental period may be relevant. In the event of a cancellation, you should receive a refund for the time you could not use the car.
Preferably complain in writing, via email is fine. Keep a copy.
If you have not been careful with the car, you are liable to pay for any damages to the rental car when you return it
When you rent a car within Europe, three basic types of coverage are often included:
Damage protection
Theft protection
Third-party protection (if you injure someone or damage something with your rental car).
The deductible you have to pay can vary.
Deductible Reduction and Deductible Elimination
A deductible reduction is a coverage that reduces how much you have to pay if you damage the car. It is often included when you rent a car in Sweden.
A deductible elimination means you do not have to pay the deductible. However, it is an expensive add-on, especially if you rent the car for a longer period since you often pay a daily fee.
Supplementary Insurance
Many credit cards include supplementary insurance up to a certain amount if the vehicle is damaged or stolen. Therefore, check what coverage you already have so you do not pay twice. You can also check if your home insurance or car insurance covers rental car damages.
The car hire company may not demand compensation from you if you can show that you were careful with the car. This was established in a judgment by the Patent and Market Court of Appeal in 2019.
The judgment means that the car hire company may not use a contractual term that unilaterally places the liability with you as the person hiring the car if it is damaged or stolen. For example, if you can show that the damage was due to an accident or vandalism, you can accordingly avoid liability.
A common conflict that can arise between you and the car hire operator concerns what counts as normal wear and tear and what damage you can be held accountable for.
Examples of what is usually considered normal wear and tear:
The car hire company has a responsibility to inspect the car when it is returned and you can ask for a receipt that the condition is the same as when you collected it. Problems most often arise when you have returned the care outside the car hire company’s opening hours and cannot prove when the damages arose.
Demand that the car hire company prove that you caused the damage
Demand evidence that the damage did not arise after the return, such as photographs and records, and any receipts for their cost to repair the damage.
If you do not agree with the payment demand, you can dispute it (protest against it).
If the car hire company charges money to your card
A car hire company does not have the right to charge money to your card or deduct from a possible deposit for alleged damage without you being given the opportunity to dispute the claims. If this happens anyway, you can file complaint with the car hire company and demand to see evidence of the alleged damage.
Your bank can in some cases be of assistance if you make a so called chargeback request. This is a way for you to get money back if you paid by card. Contact your bank to ask if it is possible to file a chargeback request.
The car rental company may have the right to demand extra money from you afterwards if it is stated in the rental terms. Some examples of things they can charge extra for are:
car not returned with a full tank
dirty car
unpaid fines
unpaid road and toll fees.
If you have driven too fast with the car, the fine is first sent to the car rental company, which in turn sends it to you. This also applies to road fees, parking fees, and toll fees.
There are different ways to proceed with the matter to get an assessment if you and the rental car company do not agree. Where you should turn depends on whether the company is in Sweden or another country.
Company in another EU country
If the rental car company is in another EU country, you may have the opportunity to resolve your dispute through the alternative dispute resolution body ECRCS (European Car Rental Conciliation Service). It is free of charge. Examples of companies that have committed to follow ECRCS decisions are:
Avis
Alamo
Budget Rent a Car
Europcar
Hertz
National Car Rental
Sixt
Firefly
Enterprise rent-a-car.
ECRCS website
National Board for Consumer Disputes (ARN)
Is the rental car company based in Sweden? Or can ECRCS not handle the matter? Then you can turn to the National Board for Consumer Disputes (ARN). ARN assesses your case and then recommends how your dispute should be resolved. It costs 150 SEK to file a complaint with ARN.
The content is presented in collaboration with ECC Sweden, which is part of the ECC network and the Swedish Consumer Agency's information service. ECC Sweden is part-financed by the European Union.
The content of this website represents the views of the author only and it is his/her sole responsibility; it cannot be considered to reflect the views of the European Commission and/or the European Innovation Council and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Executive Agency (EISMEA) or any other body of the European Union. The European Commission and the Agency do not accept any responsibility for use that may be made of the information it contains.
This website is part of an EU quality Network
Your Europe is an EU website that will help you do things in other European countries - without hassle or unnecessary bureaucracy. Information on Your Europe is provided by the relevant departments of the European Commission and complemented by content provided by the authorities in every country it covers.
