'Same With UHaul': Woman Turns In Her Rental Car On Time. Then She Gets A $100 Added Charge The Next Day Anyway

"Never trust a rental car company."

Woman Says Never Pick Up Or Drop Off Your Rental Car Without Doing This. Then She Shares How It Saved Her $100

Photo by: leannacoy & Ivan Kazlouskij

Stacy Fernandez

By: Stacy Fernandez

Apr 18, at 2:00pm ET

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With rental car companies, the moment things go sideways the burden of proof is on you. Most people hand over the keys, walk away, and assume everything is fine.

But that assumption can cost you. Here’s why you should always document everything that’s right and wrong with your rental.

In a video with around 96,000 views, content creator Leanna Coy (@leannacoy) has a tip for anyone who has ever rented a car.

"Friendly reminder: when you're picking up your rental car, no matter what, take a video of the rental car," she says in her TikTok. "When you're dropping the rental car back off, take that same video."

Coy explains that she'd just finished a national parks trip and was returning her car at a small airport. There was no designated rental car return lot and no staff at the counter when she arrived at 11:39 am (well before her noon return deadline). She found a key drop box, asked a nearby employee from a different counter whether she should use it, and says they told her yes.

The next day, she got her receipt. She claims she’d been charged about $100 for a late return.

"I called the rental car people, the number goes to like their headquarters, not even the people at this airport," she says. "They're like, 'Oh yeah, it's because you used the drop box. They're not gonna see it till the next morning.' And I'm like, but that's not my problem because there was nobody there and they told me to put the keys in there."

What saved her was a screenshot of her dashboard showing the time she returned the car, a bank statement showing when she filled up with gas, her flight itinerary, and proof she'd already boarded and left Colorado at the time they claimed she still had the car.

"I just got my money back," she says.

"Never trust a rental car company. Happy to say this worked out, though, so I no longer have beef with this one," she adds in the caption.

What Should You Document When Renting A Car?

According to travel expert Rick Steves, unexpected charges on your credit card statement are far easier to dispute when you have solid documentation on hand, and that process starts the moment you pick up the car, not when you're returning it.

At pickup, photograph every scratch, ding, and scuff before you drive off the lot. Make sure anything not already noted on the rental agreement gets added. At drop-off, especially unstaffed after-hours return points, again document the car's condition. Save your final gas receipt as proof you filled the tank, and don't toss it until you've seen your credit card statement. Ask for a copy of the final condition report and keep it.

Karpadu rounds out the full return checklist:

Refuel before drop-off to avoid the company's inflated refueling charges
Remove all personal belongings like chargers, sunglasses, documents under seats
Do a walkaround and photograph the car's condition before handing back the keys
Check the odometer if your rental had a mileage limit
Return on time since most companies only allow a 30-minute grace period before charging a full extra day
Always ask for a final receipt or confirmation document before you leave

Commenters Offer More Best Practices For Rentals

In comments, people expounded upon Coy’s advice.

One person urged people to use this advice elsewhere. “I do this for Airbnbs and other rentals as well,” they wrote.

“Another step further if using the drop box again is to take a video of you dropping the keys on the drop box so that also has the time in which you gave back the car fully,” a person said.

What do you think?

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Comments

“Receipt said my car had a full tank, it was only 1/4. Called them and told them. They said they will put on my account. They didn’t, but I took a picture and they did refund me,” another wrote.

Motor1 reached out to Coy for comment via email and TikTok direct message. We'll be sure to update this if she responds.

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