Checking Your Hire Car For Damage Before Leaving Heathrow

Once you have been allocated your car on arrival at Heathrow airport, it is always a good idea to give the car a good inspection and start checking your hire car for damage. You should always do this before you take receipt of the car, simply because the car rental company at Heathrow airport will have already inspected it, making sure they have a documented list of all the dents, scratches and any other damage the vehicle may have prior to you driving it.

Most car hire companies will provide you with a copy of this document and you will be able to check the car yourself and see if the pre-existing damage they have listed on their form corresponds with the existing damage on the car prior to you hiring it. The damage you should look for are: Dents, scratches, paint chips, marks on the interior, windscreen damage such as cracks, oil and water leaks under car and tyres. If you find any dents, scratches, marks or stains on the vehicle that are not listed on the car hire companies document, inform them immediately before you drive away, this will ensure they know that the damage was already there prior to you driving it.

Why Should You Bother Checking Your Hire Car For Damage

Checking Your Hire Car For DamageBasically, when you return the car back to Heathrow airport, the car hire company that you hired the car from will carry out another check on the vehicle. They will check the car for any additional damage it may have attained whilst you were in possession of it and whilst driving it.

How Will They Know If There Is Any Additional Damage

Remember that the car hire company will already have checked the car prior to you taking receipt of it and they have a copy of the document that lists all the pre-existing damage that was on the vehicle before you hired it. They then use this document to carry out another check on the car and if they find any additional damage that needs attention, you may be charged.

It may also be worth taking out your own personal car hire excess insurance.

This is why it is always advisable to check the car before you drive it and inform the hire company of any pre-existing damage on the car they may have missed. Five minutes spent checking your hire car for damage before you leave the airport, can save you a lot of time, hassle and money in the future.