Avis Munich Airport Charged Me €392 for Pre-Existing Damage

I rented a vehicle from the Avis office at Munich Airport from June 27 through July 7, 2026. When I picked up the vehicle, it already had a small scratch. For this reason, we took detailed photos and videos of the entire vehicle at the time of pickup. When we returned the car, no Avis employee was present to inspect it with us. We were simply instructed to leave the key and told where to park the vehicle.

Shortly after returning the car, I received a message from my bank notifying me that approximately €392 had been charged to my credit card. We immediately went to the Avis office at Munich Airport and asked about the charge. An employee claimed that the fee was imposed because of small dents in the rear bumper. We explained that the bumper had not been damaged and that our pickup and return photos and videos clearly proved this. However, the employee said there was nothing they could do and refused to inspect the vehicle with us.

When we later reviewed the damage report and invoice sent by Avis, we discovered that there was no mention of bumper damage, contrary to what the employee had told us. The documents showed that the damage charge was issued solely for the small scratch that was already present when we picked up the vehicle. The return was completed without an employee conducting an inspection, and we received conflicting and misleading information in the verbal explanation and written documentation.

In addition, I was extremely uncomfortable with the behavior of the employee who handled the Avis rental process when we picked up the vehicle. While my daughter was photographing the car, the employee became unnecessarily aggressive and said that we were not allowed to take photos of them. We explained that the photos were only of the vehicle, and the employee could clearly see from the phone’s photo gallery that no pictures of them had been taken. Despite this, the employee did not apologize for the disrespectful and inappropriate behavior. I do not believe this conduct or the overall handling of the rental reflects the professional service standards expected from Avis.

I believe the approximately €392 charge for a small scratch that our records prove existed at pickup is unfair and unsupported. I am requesting an immediate refund of the amount charged to my credit card and a complete review of my case that properly considers my photographic and video evidence.