Your deposit is returned in full when the car comes back in the condition you took it in, and on the agreed terms. The whole question, then, is being able to show what that condition was. It takes a few minutes at pick-up, then as many on return, and the method comes down to a handful of steps.
Why does pick-up matter as much as the return?
The return rule is simple. The deposit is returned in full if the car comes back in its initial condition, with no damage, without going over the mileage allowance and at the agreed time. Any damage that is found can lead to part or all of the deposit being withheld, depending on the agency's terms.
The word that matters is ‘initial’. On return, the car is compared with what it was at pick-up. A scratch that was there before your rental, but that nobody recorded, becomes hard to tell apart from one made during it. So the pick-up condition report is not a formality to rush through so you can get on the road faster: it is your point of comparison for the return.
Take that time even if you are tired, even if the agent is in a hurry, even if the car looks new.
What should you photograph when you collect the vehicle?
Take your own photos, even if the agency takes its own. Do it before you drive off, in daylight if possible, with the car parked so that you can walk all the way round it. Always follow the same order: you will use it again on return.
- the bodywork, one side at a time: the front, the rear, the left side, the right side, then a view of each corner;
- the bumpers and the bottom of the doors, where parking scrapes show;
- the four wheel rims, one by one, as a scrape against a kerb easily goes unnoticed;
- the windscreen, up close, to spot chips and cracks, as well as the mirrors and the headlights;
- the interior: seats, dashboard, roof lining and boot;
- the odometer and the fuel gauge, in the same photo if possible.
For each defect that is already there, take two photos: one close up, then a wider one that shows where it is on the car. A close-up of a scratch, on its own, does not say which side it is on. A short video, filmed as you walk around the vehicle, is a good complement to the photos.
Then compare with the contract or the condition report form the agency shows you. Every defect you have spotted must be on it. If one is missing, ask for it to be added before you leave, not once you are on the road.
What does KiraCars keep from this condition report?
The condition report photos, at pick-up and at return, are timestamped and kept by KiraCars. So they depend neither on the agent's memory nor on yours. Together with the contract and the messages kept, they are what serves as the basis if a disagreement arises.
Your own photos are still useful as a complement. Keep them until your deposit has been returned, and do not delete them to free up space on your phone. The KiraCars guarantee sets out what KiraCars checks and what it keeps.
How should you prepare to return the vehicle?
Preparing the return starts at pick-up. Before leaving the agency, ask it two things and write down its answers:
- the planned mileage, if there is a limit: getting the full deposit back depends on not going over it;
- its fuel policy, and the level expected on return.
On the day of the return:
- bring the car back at the agreed time, which is one of the conditions for getting the full deposit back. If you know you will be late, tell the agency before that time, not after;
- take the same photos again, in the same order as at pick-up, preferably with an agency representative present;
- photograph the odometer and the gauge one last time as you hand back the keys;
- remember to check that you are not leaving anything in the glovebox or the boot.
If the agency finds nothing, ask it to confirm that to you. If it finds damage, ask to look at it together, on the car, and to be told in writing the amount withheld and the reason.
How is your deposit returned to you?
The deposit is set by the agency, its amount is shown, and it never passes through KiraCars. Depending on the agency, it takes one of these two forms:
- a pre-authorisation on your bank card, made on the agency's card terminal, released on return if there is no claim. Ask your bank how and when this release will show on your account;
- a cash deposit, in dinars, handed back to you in person on return. Count it again on the spot.
In the event of a claim, the excess comes into play: the share of the damage that you still have to pay, even when the vehicle is insured. Its amount is shown on the vehicle's page, and it is deducted from the deposit in the event of an accident. Read it before accepting an offer, just as you read the price. The KiraCars deposit policy sets out these rules in detail.
What should you do if you disagree with the agency?
Do not try to settle it on the spot. Stick to the facts, ask for the amount withheld and the reason in writing, and photograph the disputed area.
Then report the disagreement from your booking, in your customer area, or write to contact@kiracars.com. KiraCars then steps in as a mediator, based on the condition report photos, the contract and the messages kept. This is where the work done at pick-up pays off: a defect spotted, photographed and noted on the contract before you left has left a dated record.
For your report to be useful, include:
- the date and place of the return;
- the disputed damage and the amount withheld;
- why you believe it was already there, or that it does not exist, with the photos that show it.
Planning a trip? Request a quote from the car rental in Djerba page or the car rental in Hammamet page. Each offer states the deposit and the agency's terms: compare them before accepting, then apply this method on the day of pick-up.