A while back, I wrote a post about 8 photos you should always take every time you fly. It garnered some excellent feedback from our readers about things they take photos of, not only when they fly but also other aspects of travel.
I came across the post a couple of days ago, and it dawned on me that there are lots of photos you should have on your phone when you travel, just in case. Like when you rent a car, you should have pictures of:
Your driver’s license
If your wallet is stolen or lost, you’re still going to want to have a copy of your driver’s license, in case an officer of the law stops you at some point during your car rental (by the way, here’s info about what happens if you get a ticket in another state and another country).
Your passport
This one is only suggested if you’re renting a car in another country. Better to have an electronic copy of it, just in case, if something happens to yours and you’re stopped before you can get a new one.
Your insurance cards
If you’re using your personal auto insurance for the rental, have a copy of the insurance card on your phone. Again, if something happens to your wallet, you’ll still have proof of insurance (as well as the phone number of your insurance company, in case you need it).
The same goes if you’ll be providing your own company for towing, such as AAA- have a copy of the card on your phone.
Your credit card
Another one of those “What if something happens to your wallet” situations. But it’s also important if you’re using that credit card for your rental car insurance.
Make sure to have copies from the front and back – the back’s where the phone numbers are 😉
The car
With the advent of smartphones, many people already take pictures of every dent, scratch, etc. that may be on their rental car when they receive it, so they’re not blamed for it later.
However, you may also want to take a picture of:
- The whole car (if you rent cars often, you may or may not remember that your current rental is a white Toyota Corolla)
- The license plate (just to help you differentiate YOUR rented white Toyota Corolla from the 75,000 other white Toyota Corollas in the outlet mall parking lot)
- The VIN (having that – and the license plate number – will also make it easier if your car was stolen)
- Where you parked in the outlet mall (although some apps offer that anyway, via GPS, albeit not necessarily with a photo)
Feature Photo: pxfuel
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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
3 comments
Some may take a photo of the fuel gauge if not full when getting the car and when returning the car along with the gas receipt next to the fuel gauge
Photos of all this on your phone is OK but you need to make sure they are backed up the cloud somehow so you can access those if you lose your phone as well. I would also suggest using a timestamp camera app for the rental car photos to show proof of condition, miles, fuel, etc. at arrival and pickup. It only takes a minute.
I’ve taken pictures of damage and fuel levels and have refuted companies attempts to charge me on two occasions. Definitely do this!