Budget - Orio Al Serio Airport Information, Car Rental Instructions & Policies

I was shocked to see that I was charged for a dent on the car's door that was not there upon return. I used Budget before but never thought I have to take pictures / video of the car after I park just so I have proof that I returned it in the same condition it was when picked up. This is the last time I will book a car from Budget.

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Very good.

At the car rental counter, they require you to sign the contract first and then collect the car (the contract roughly marks some pre-existing scratches on the car). Once you sign the contract, it implies that you acknowledge the car only has these scratches at the time of collection. Essentially, the car inspection process is moved earlier in the timeline. While this process itself is not necessarily problematic, the issue arises when the actual car has far more scratches than those indicated in the contract. To make things worse, you’ll find out later that even if you present all the photos of scratches taken during pickup, the rental company is unlikely to accept your claim. Their reasoning? The scratches aren’t noted on the inspection form attached to the rental contract, and you already signed it, which means the company will default to the contract. If you refuse to sign the contract initially, you won’t even get the car keys—effectively trapping you in a cycle. Allow me to compare this experience with prior rental experiences. In domestic rentals, the norm is to inspect the car first, note all scratches, and take photos before signing the contract, preventing disputes over scratches. In Australia and Norway, they also follow the sign-before-inspect process, but either they don’t mark any pre-existing scratches on the contract and rely on photos taken at pickup, or they don't use pre-existing scratches to trap you. Long story short: welcome to Italy! Predictably, after returning the car, the rental company filed a claim for over €300 for those unrecorded 'old scratches.' Fortunately, I had full insurance, but the way they treated us left a bitter taste. My advice to anyone renting a car: avoid this company if possible. If you must use them, make sure to purchase full insurance; otherwise, it's entirely up to luck.