Don't Get
Taken
For a Ride.

It started like any other holiday. I landed in Malaga, picked up my pre-booked compact from a well-known international company, did a quick walk-around with the agent — who waved me off with a smile — and drove away without a second thought.

I returned the vehicle six days later, in the same condition I'd received it, to a near-empty car park at 6am. No agent was present. I left the keys in the drop-box as instructed and caught my flight home.

That's what appeared on my credit card statement 22 days later. The email cited "significant undercarriage damage". There were no photos in the initial rental agreement, no photos sent with the charge, and no response to my first two emails.

After six weeks of back-and-forth — armed with my own timestamped walk-around video, a formal Section 75 claim, and a complaint to the Spanish consumer authority FACUA — I recovered every cent. But most people don't know they can fight back.

That experience is why this site exists. Whether you're preparing for a trip or already dealing with a fraudulent charge, the information and tools here are for you.