Can a car hire company charge for a stone chip to the bonnet??

[Dickorydockwhatthe]

My friend hired a car from Vospers and because there is a stone chip damage to the bonnet they are wanting to charge her £380!!! It seems completely excessive for the damage but there is not alot in the terms and conditions. Any advice??

My husband hired a van and another motorist dented the wing mirror. The hire company took £650 out of our account to pay for the damage. I named and shamed on social media for about 24 hours until they caved and refunded £580. Still think we paid over the odds for the repair.

Did you take out the insurance? Did you check for anY marks when you picked it up?

Im not sure I will ask my friend as she hired the car.

Most hire places have it in their T&Cs that you should check for damage at the start of the rental, and they should provide a list/diagram of pre-existing damage. I always take photos of any chips/dents I find. And it is more than likely that the T&Cs your friend signed included that the hire company can charge for damage. Some don't charge for chips or scratches smaller than a certain size, some don't charge for larger damage provided you notify them straight away, but it's all dependent on what your friend signed.

Some car hire firms are scammers..not sure which but googling should help.

If your friend hires a vehicle again tell them to get top up insurance from Money Maxim.

I’m sure this is more of a racket than it used to be. We used to regularly hire cars 30 years ago and I never remember being worried about being liable for general wear and tear chips and scrapes. I hear so much now though about about exorbitant charges for the minutest chip that I would never hire a car these days. Would be useful to know though if it’s just a few companies that are the culprits.

When you hire a car they tend to be pretty clear on what happens if you damage it. They use it to a) make sure you understand if you scratch it you pay and b) encourage you to take out their expensive insurance.

That sounds about what I'd have expected to pay based on people I know who have had minor bodywork done

I’m almost certain this type of information would have been in the t&c’s. I thought it was a very well know fact that car hire companies charge excessive amounts for any damage, not matter how minor.