Subsequent charges
What are subsequent charges?
Several complaints concerning car rental are related to subsequent charges. Many consumers will be surprised to notice that the car company will retrospectively charge the credit card account for extra charges. These types of fees are usually the repair cost of a car that the rental company considers to have been incurred because of damage caused by the renter. It is therefore a good idea to check the credit card balance regularly after the rental period.
How do I avoid subsequent charges?
Check vehicle before starting to use it
To avoid subsequent charges, it is very important to check the car with the agency representative before it is taken into use. Even the smallest scratches should be recorded on the vehicle deficiency form, and a copy of the form should be requested. When returning a car, it is advisable to ensure that the company records in the report that the vehicle has been returned undamaged.
The vehicle must never be returned outside the car rental company’s opening hours, and at least not be left in an unsupervised, non-fenced location. A good precaution is to take photos of the vehicle when receiving and returning it.
Be vigilant about no-driving areas
Subsequent charges may also involve administrative costs incurred by the car company as a result of fines to the consumer. In Italy, in particular, the cities’ no-driving areas, located in the centres of large cities and in historically important areas, cause consequences. Italian ZTL (Zona a traffico limitato) signs easily go unnoticed by the driver.
Since surveillance is carried out by automatic cameras, many people will only notice their mistake after the car company has charged their credit card account for administrative costs incurred by the person who wrote the fine for requesting the driver’s contact details from the company. If the agency has invoiced several administrative fees, for example in connection with fines received during the same day, it is advisable to ask the agency to make the invoice more reasonable. It should also be noted that in some member states, such as Germany and Italy, the charging of such administrative costs has been considered illegal or unfair.