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Letters: Essential checks before renting a car in France and abroad

Connexion reader says to ensure vehicle and documents match to avoid legal issues and extra charges 

A row of cars at a car rental company
Rental cars are often subject to hidden fees

To the Editor,

I have just read your article on tips to avoid extra charges when renting a car in France

My tip would be to check not only the condition of the vehicle but also to check that the number plate corresponds to the registration number in the documentation. 

This should be checked in whichever country you hire a vehicle. It could be very difficult to provide an acceptable explanation if stopped by the police for any reason. 

The first time we had this problem was in the US - the company concerned didn't seem to understand that we were not prepared to drive the vehicle they had given us if the paperwork was wrong even if the key fit. 

Read more: Letters: French vehicle hire is a minefield

A couple of years later we had the same problem in the UK - on that occasion we were given a different vehicle because not only did the documentation have a different registration number to that on the car but also I had checked the lights and discovered that one of the brake lights didn't work. 

We were also charged in the UK for not returning the car with a full tank of petrol despite it having more petrol in the tank than when they had given us the vehicle. On both occasions we had booked with well-known international companies. 

Name withheld, by email