DOSYA KANITITR

How to avoid car rental damage disputes

A damage bill after you return a rental car is the worst holiday surprise. A few minutes of photos at pick-up can settle the argument before it starts.

At pick-up

  1. Take wide shots from all four corners and both sides.
  2. Get close-ups of wheels, under the bumpers, windscreen and roof, where small scratches hide.
  3. Photograph the interior, the odometer and the fuel gauge.
  4. Photograph the check-out form and number plate if there is one.

Turn them into proof

Before leaving the car park, add the photos to the Handover pack on the File Proof page and write the plate and location in the note. Photos stay on your phone; within a few hours the record is anchored in the Bitcoin blockchain.

At return

Take the same photos again at return and make a second pack. If a damage claim arrives later, send both packs and their proof files to the rental company.

This is not a notarisation; a court or company weighs it as evidence. For real damage, also have it written on the check-out form and signed by the agent.

5 common mistakes

  1. Sending the photo on WhatsApp as a “photo”. The app compresses it, so the copy received no longer matches. Send it as a “document/file”.
  2. Editing the original. Cropping, filters or re-saving create a new file. Leave the original untouched.
  3. Waiting to prove it. A proof carries the date you take it. Prove the photo on the day you shoot it.
  4. Keeping the .ots in one place only. Lose the phone and you lose the date. Email it to yourself or put it in the cloud.
  5. Not telling the other side. Sending the proof that day also records that they were informed.

A message you can send

“Hello, attached are the photos I took at today's handover and their dated proof files. Anyone can check that these files existed in this exact form today at gepara.com/dosya-kaniti.html or at opentimestamps.org.”

The next day: one check

Bitcoin confirmation arrives within a few hours. The next day, drop the file and the .ots on the Check tab; for important matters keep a screenshot of the result. More: How it works · FAQ.

Get a free proof Choose your photos; files never leave your phone, only their fingerprints are anchored in the Bitcoin blockchain.

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