Overcharged by a Rental Car Company in Australia? How to Dispute It

Charged by a rental car company after you handed the car back — a cleaning fee when you
returned it clean, damage you did not cause, a surprise fuel bill, or a toll or “loss of use” fee you were
never told about? You do not have to just wear it. You can make the company justify the charge with evidence
or refund it, back it with a credit-card chargeback, and escalate to fair trading or a small claims tribunal
if they ignore you.

The charges people get hit with

The same handful of post-hire charges come up again and again, often appearing on the card days or weeks
after the car is returned:

• Cleaning fees for a car that was returned clean, or only lightly used.
• Damage charges for scratches or dents the driver did not cause, or that were already
  there and noted at pick-up.
• Fuel charges when the tank was refilled, or a “refuelling service fee” at a marked-up rate.
• Toll and “admin” fees that are far larger than the toll itself.
• “Loss of use” charges billed while a car is supposedly repaired, with no proof of the loss.

What the law says

Hiring a car is the supply of a service in trade or commerce, so the Australian Consumer Law
applies. Charging you for cleaning, damage or fuel that was not required or not your fault can be misleading or
deceptive conduct (section 18) or a false or misleading representation (section 29). A charge of this kind should
reflect the company’s actual, itemised loss — not an arbitrary round number — and a term buried in the rental
agreement cannot strip away your rights under the Australian Consumer Law (section 64). In short: the company has
to be able to back the charge up with evidence.

What to do

1. Ask for an itemised breakdown. Make the company show exactly what the charge is for and how
   it was worked out. Many unfair charges are never itemised at all.
2. Gather your evidence. Your photos or video at drop-off, the signed condition report from
   pick-up, and any fuel receipt are the strongest proof. Take them at the counter every time from now on.
3. Send a formal dispute letter. Put the company to proof in writing: justify the charge with
   evidence, or reverse and refund it by a clear deadline (14 days is reasonable). A letter on the record also
   supports every step below.
4. Request a chargeback. Your card issuer can reverse a disputed or unsubstantiated charge.
   Chargebacks have time limits, so do not wait too long.
5. Complain to fair trading and the ACCC. Your state or territory consumer protection body and
   the ACCC take reports about misleading charges.
6. Make a small claims application. If they still refuse, your state or territory’s small claims
   court or tribunal can order the money back, usually for a modest filing fee and without a lawyer.

Does it matter which company it was?

No. The Australian Consumer Law applies to every car hire company operating here, so the same approach works
whether you hired from Hertz, Avis, Budget, Thrifty, Europcar, SIXT, East Coast Car Rentals, Enterprise,
Alamo, National or Redspot, a campervan hire like Apollo, Britz or Jucy, or any other
rental company. What matters is the evidence and getting your dispute on the record.

Do it yourself, or have the letter drafted

You can write the dispute letter yourself for free — set out the hire, the charge, why it is wrong, the evidence
you hold, and a deadline to justify or refund it. If you would rather have a correct, firm letter done for you,
Claim Done drafts a formal rental car charge dispute for a flat $29 from a few questions, cites the
Australian Consumer Law, and sets out your chargeback and escalation options. Claim Done reviews it, you approve it,
and it is sent for you. Start your
rental car charge dispute.

Frequently asked questions