Rental Car Damage: Your Rights and Advice

Questioner

Good day, On Saturday, February 15, I rented a small van from a car rental company in Utrecht to transport a refrigerator. When returning the car, we first walked around the car, during which my girlfriend, I and an employee of the rental company noted any damage and this was noted. At 7:00 PM that same evening I returned the car to the rental company's lot. Closing time on Saturdays is 4:30pm, so the key could be deposited in a safe deposit box. The day's ride went smoothly and so know that the car is safe and sound on the premises. I intended to settle the deposit on Monday, since I had already returned the car. Sunday morning at 9:57 I called the company, which is only open by appointment that day, to inquire about the further processing and to indicate that I wanted to come by the next morning. At 10:01 I was called back by an anonymous number - the car rental company. This time a different person on the line who told me that a 'new dent was found in the right front door'. This had been found when the car was returned to renters on Sunday morning. I was told that I could either come and have a look that same day or the morning after. However, because it was not clear at what time the car would be back on Sunday, I said I would come by the morning after. Monday morning I was at the rental company's premises before opening time 9:00 to look for the car. However, I did not find it on the premises. Afterwards I was told that the car had been urgently given to another rental company that morning (a construction company that leases multiple cars from the rental company had a car with a smashed window and urgently needed another car). The only thing I was presented with now were the forms of delivery on Saturday (to me) and on Sunday (to another tenant). In these there is a new cross on the right front door of the van. However, I know for sure that I did not cause this, could not have caused it, and am therefore in no way responsible for this. My girlfriend told me that the employee had already noticed the damage and should have noted it. I signed the form myself and paid particular attention to the most obvious damage, large scratches and stars in the window. So I couldn't remember whether the dent had been noted. However, this was the case with the form that followed me. The landlord understandably indicated that he could and would not act until I had seen the damage. They made excuses for it by saying that it was 'really just a small dent', something that could perhaps be remedied with 'a quick fix of 80 euros'. The deposit is 300 euros of which the rental amount will be around 40 euros (10 rent and 126 km at 25 cents). A tripling of that amount is not something I would like to do for such an unclear reason. So my question now is, what are my rights? I take no responsibility for the (new) dent found. I did not cause it. Furthermore, I cannot be told what happened to the car during the night (the site is open all night so that renters can return cars), because there is no camera surveillance on the site. In addition, according to my friend (who checked for other damage when the car was delivered), the damage was already present. So my biggest problem is that I am left with a form signed by me on which no damage is marked on the right front door, and a day later I receive a call with a different story. Let me thank you in advance for your time and effort. Yours sincerely, JB

Lawyer

Day, just to be clear: is there a form available from day 1 (saturday) without a dent checked, and another form (issue form) from day 2 sunday with a dent? If so, I think a letter from a lawyer or an email might help turn the case more in your favor.