Charged ￡500 for two scuff marks on Mallorca hire car. HOLIDAY GURU

We have been visiting Mallorca for more than 20 years and always 雇う a car, using さまざまな companies depending on what’s 利用できる. However, last October we had an appalling experience.?

We had 雇うd a car with 承認する Mobility at Palma de Mallorca airport. When we returned it, a member of staff went 一連の会議、交渉／完成する using a たいまつ looking for ‘損失’. She 設立する two tiny scuff 示すs on a hubcap. She then asked if we had photographs of these from when we collected the car.

We said ‘no’, which was unsurprising as we would have had to get on our 手渡すs and 膝s with a たいまつ to see what she had 設立する.?

She 敏速に said we would be 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金d for the 示すs ? and, once we got home, we received notification it would cost ￡496. This seemed extortionate, so we queried the 量 with 承認する Mobility. Their 返答 was that we had taken the car without pointing out the 損失, so it was 負かす／撃墜する to us.

We 受託する that by the letter of the 法律 this is the 事例／患者, but we 疑問 whether this ‘損失’ even occurred during our 雇う period, though we realise we can do nothing to 証明する it. Surely such a high cost is wrong? We asked 承認する Mobility for their matrix of 修理見積（る）s, which they sent to us, but we have no 証拠 this 修理 work was 完全にするd. We feel we have been 大いに overcharged. Can you help?

Pat and Anthony Smyth, Baldock, Hertfordshire

It is 高度に recommended to take out car 雇う超過保険 whenever 雇うing a car

The Mail's Holiday Guru 示す Palmer replies. This sounds dreadful ? and it seems you are far from alone 苦しむing such 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金s. 調査するs of 賃貸しの car 顧客s routinely 明らかにする／漏らす不満 over ‘dodgy 損失’. Which? Travel recently 設立する more than 40 per cent of 回答者／被告s said they had been 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金d for pre-存在するing scratches and dents.

Fortunately, after 令状ing to us, and after many months and emails, you have now been refunded. It took time, but 承認する Mobility has finally 認める that the hubcap 損失 was already there and the 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金 ‘erroneous’.

In your 事例／患者, the company has 結局 put its 手渡すs up and 認める its staff had, somehow, made a mistake and, even, apologised.

It’s a rare thing, however, for 雇う car 会社／堅いs to 支援する負かす／撃墜する ? and your 事例／患者最高潮の場面s the need always to be extra careful when renting 乗り物s. The 重要な to 避けるing ‘誤解s’, によれば the RAC, is to factor in plenty of time for a 徹底的な check of the 乗り物 during the 選ぶ-up.

This may seem tedious at the beginning of a 売春婦 liday, but the RAC recommends taking pictures all the way 一連の会議、交渉／完成する, 焦点（を合わせる）ing on ‘wear and 涙／ほころび and imperfections’. 支払う／賃金の近くに attention to wheels/hubcaps: photos of all four are a good idea. Also take pictures of any blemishes inside the car.

All this should be done in the presence of a 賃貸しの car 従業員, who should 示す負かす／撃墜する any 損失 on a diagram sheet. When 完全にする, take a picture of this sheet, or request a copy ? and also take a snap of the car in its entirety 含むing its number plate and the number of the lot in which its parked. Both the number plate/lot number in the same 発射 is ideal. This whole 過程 should not take more than ten to 15 minutes.

You will then be in 所有／入手 of all you need should an 問題／発行する arise on return. During the 減少（する）-off, Which? Travel advises asking for the 乗り物 to be 検査／視察するd in your presence. You should then take a photograph of the 調印するd 損失報告（する）／憶測.

In the ありそうもない event of later 存在告発（する），告訴（する）／料金d for 損失, Which? Travel recommends you request 証拠 of 損失 and how 修理 costs were calculated. Of course, if you have pictures showing there was no 損失 the 雇う car company will have nothing to go on.

Finally, it is 高度に recommended to take out car 雇う超過保険 whenever 雇うing a car ? this will 保護する you against an (a)自動的な／(n)自動拳銃義務／負債 for 超過, often of up to around ￡2,500, whether or not you were to 非難する for 損失 to the 乗り物.

However, never do this at the car 雇う desk. It has been 概算の that 賃貸しの company 保険 costs as much as ￡205 more per week than 調書をとる／予約するing 独立して before you go. Which? Travel 示唆するs trying chewinsurance.com, questor-保険.co.uk and rentalcover.com ? which （機の）カム out best in a price comparison. 年次の政策s are 利用できる if you 雇う cars 定期的に.