Our promise
Our fair damage promise
Last updated
Surprise damage bills after you have handed the car back are the thing renters fear most. Here is how we make sure that never happens with us: we film the car with you at both ends, you leave with a written receipt, and the most you can pay is written down before you drive.
Book online in 3 minutes. Confirmed instantly. No credit card required for checkout. Pay in advance to streamline your travel or pay the balance when you see the car.
Photos of your car before you meet it
Before you meet it, we send you photos or a video of the actual car you will drive.
Filmed together at handover
When we hand over the car, we walk round it with you: outside, inside, engine and boot, fuel level and mileage. Our driver films a walk-round video and records any marks already on the car in your booking record. We ask you to film your own video too, and you can upload it to your booking, so we both hold the same record.
Filmed together again at return
When you hand the car back, we do the same check, together, and film it again. We compare the two videos side by side. A mark that was on the handover video is never charged to you.
A written return receipt
Before our driver leaves, you get a written return receipt: the date and time, the fuel level, the mileage, and either "no new damage" or a list of anything new, with the video to show it.
No surprise bills later
If anything happens to the car during your hire, tell us immediately so we can resolve it together. Damage claims are generally closed out before or at the return inspection, so there are no surprise charges or bills after you have gone home.
The Excess Fee for Damage, in plain words
The Excess Fee for Damage is the most you pay if the car is damaged or stolen while you have it. It is 10% of the car's agreed value, the value written into your rental agreement before you drive. It is included in every self-drive rental at no extra cost.
- A scrape that costs KES 50,000 ($385 USD / £291 GBP / €344 EUR) to repair: you pay KES 50,000 ($385 USD / £291 GBP / €344 EUR), the real repair cost, never more.
- A serious accident that costs far more than the limit: you pay the Excess Fee for Damage and we cover the rest.
The limit does not apply if the damage comes from breaking the rules you agree to, for example driving off tarmac without our approval (except game drives in our Land Cruiser Safari), a driver who is not on the agreement, or driving after drinking. Fines, tolls and fuel are always yours to pay. Every car's Excess Fee for Damage is listed on our prices page, and the full wording is in our rental terms.
Your security deposit
You see the exact security deposit for your car in your quote before you book, and again on your booking page. It is fully refundable and due with your remaining balance by handover. It is not an extra charge: it is returned when the car is returned. Your security deposit is refunded immediately after the return handover inspection. It comes back the same way you paid it: by M-Pesa to the number it came from, to the bank account you paid from, back to your card, or in cash. We check the car together and film it, just as we did at handover, and you get a written return receipt. If nothing is owed, you get it all back.
Only these can be taken off:
- fuel below the level you received, at the pump price
- traffic and speed camera fines, parking and tolls, at cost
- a late return, after the 1-hour grace period
- new damage shown on the handover and return videos, up to your Excess Fee for Damage
Anything taken off is on a written list, with the video or a receipt to show it, and there are no admin or processing fees.
With a chauffeur
With one of our chauffeurs driving there is no security deposit and no Excess Fee for Damage. You only pay for damage you or your passengers cause, for example to the inside of the car. See our chauffeur standards.
Always a person to talk to
If you disagree with anything, call or WhatsApp us. You will always talk to our team, never a machine.
Questions
What is the Excess Fee for Damage?
The most you pay if the car is damaged or stolen during your hire: 10% of the car's agreed value, written into your rental agreement before you drive. If the repair costs less, you pay only the repair cost.
Could I get a damage bill after I go home?
Tell us immediately if anything happens to the car, so we can resolve it together. Damage claims are generally closed out before or at the return inspection, so there are no surprise charges or bills later.
How do I know I will not be charged for old damage?
We film the car with you at handover and again at return. Any mark on the handover video is never charged to you, and you leave with a written return receipt.
When do I get my security deposit back?
You see the exact security deposit for your car in your quote before you book, and again on your booking page. It is fully refundable and due with your remaining balance by handover. It is not an extra charge: it is returned when the car is returned. Your security deposit is refunded immediately after the return handover inspection. It comes back the same way you paid it: by M-Pesa to the number it came from, to the bank account you paid from, back to your card, or in cash. We check the car together and film it, just as we did at handover, and you get a written return receipt. If nothing is owed, you get it all back.
Only these can be taken off:
- fuel below the level you received, at the pump price
- traffic and speed camera fines, parking and tolls, at cost
- a late return, after the 1-hour grace period
- new damage shown on the handover and return videos, up to your Excess Fee for Damage
Anything taken off is on a written list, with the video or a receipt to show it, and there are no admin or processing fees.
Do I pay for damage if a chauffeur drives?
Not for damage from driving. With our chauffeur there is no security deposit and no Excess Fee for Damage. You only pay for damage you or your passengers cause.
Ready when you are
Choose your car and dates.
Book online in 3 minutes. Confirmed instantly. No credit card required for checkout. Pay in advance to streamline your travel or pay the balance when you see the car.