Paying for pre-existing scratches

I'm not a big complainer, but sometimes I get pushed around too much, and there is no other recourse other than to go public.

This is the 2nd time I’m paying for someone else’s scratch on the rental vehicle. I’m not doing bul**** into it again.

I know you don’t inspect the vehicles carefully before handing over to the next customer. The reason I know this, is the Polo I rented, had a dent on the door. I notified the Avis representative, and they marked it on the rental sheet.

Alas, I did not bend over to look lower down, under the door same door that had the dent/scratch. I would would only have seen the other scratch if looking from a lower angle. And since I had spotted the dent further up, checking down under the door was not on my radar.

I can guaranteed the scratch wasn’t from me. I was parked next to a curb in Cape Town. The scratch was under the door panel, would have been impossible to get to because the curb was shielding it.

Last time my rental from Avis cost me R6483.68 for a scratch I did not do. And the scratch was covered by the dirt on the vehicle, which was only exposed when I washed it. This was during the water restrictions in Cape Town, and Avis didn’t wash there vehicles back then. I was outside the water restrictions area, so kindly washed the car which then exposed the scratch.

I’m not prepared to pay for someone else's scratches. Next time, I’m going to video record the entire vehicle. It should be something that Avis does, and not make clients responsible.

Since Avis are not on HelloPeter, I'm hoping the Avis customers take note. Video or Photograph the whole vehicle, they don't check carefully, which means you will pay for scratches and dents you did not do.