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The essentials in three lines

  • A dated photo beats a discussion : it settles the question before it is even asked.
  • Twelve shots are enough: the four corners, the four wheels, the windscreen, the odometer, the fuel gauge, the interior.
  • Take exactly the same ones on the return, in the same place if you can.

The typical dispute over a hire car almost never concerns an accident. It concerns a scratch that nobody can say was there before. Five minutes of photos when the keys are handed over are enough to close the subject for good, and that holds whichever agency you use.

The twelve photos that matter

Take them in daylight if you can, with a phone that timestamps the shots automatically. The order does not matter, consistency does.

  1. The four corners of the vehicle, two metres away, at an angle.
  2. The four wheels, rims included: that is where most scuffs end up.
  3. The whole windscreen, head on, for chips.
  4. The odometer, engine running, and the fuel gauge in the same shot.
  5. The interior: front seats, back seats, boot open.

Photograph the signed contract as well. It is the document that will count, and a photo on your phone is easier to find again than a sheet folded away in a suitcase.

What to point out straight away

A scratch, a chip, a marked hubcap: tell the person handing you the vehicle, there and then. It is not a complaint, it is a shared observation, and it takes ten seconds. With us, we walk round the car together: the condition, the fuel level, everything is noted by both of us.

If you collect the car at night or in the rain, say so too. A condition report made in poor conditions should be completed in the morning, not disputed three weeks later.

On the return, take the same ones again

At the start On return
Four corners Four corners, same framing
Four wheels Four wheels
Odometer and gauge Odometer and gauge — the level must match
Interior and boot Interior and boot, clean
Signed contract Return document if there is one

Keep these photos until the end of your stay, and a month longer. They are almost never needed. The day they are, they settle everything in a minute.

And if the agency does not do a condition report?

Do it anyway, on your own, before driving off. Send the photos to the agency on WhatsApp straight afterwards, with a short message: « Here is the condition of the vehicle at handover, at such and such a time. » A timestamped message sent to the agency itself is the simplest proof there is, and it costs nothing.

Frequently asked questions

Should you film rather than photograph?

A slow video around the vehicle works too, provided you stop on each wheel and on the windscreen. Photos remain easier to find again and to send.

Do photos carry any weight in a dispute?

They have no automatic legal force, but they make the difference in a discussion: a timestamped photo sent to the agency on the day of handover is hard to argue with.

At Carsalis, who does the condition report?

We do it together, at delivery: the walk round the vehicle, the condition observed and the fuel level, noted by both of us.

What should I do if I notice a scratch during the rental?

Tell us on WhatsApp the same day, with a photo. Damage reported early is dealt with calmly; damage discovered on the return is argued over badly.

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A question about your rental in Agadir? Write to us on WhatsApp at +212 648 291 116, or use our booking request. We usually reply within the minute, and we tell you straight whether the car is free or not.

Sources

Written by the Carsalis team, in Agadir. We have been hiring out cars from our office at 4 Bis rue Moulay Driss since 2008. What you are reading here comes from our own rental conditions and from what our customers ask us every week on WhatsApp.

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