A rental car damage claim in a language you cannot read: how do you understand it and reply?

The email from the rental company in Spain, Italy or Greece arrives weeks after your holiday. You can see an amount and a date, but little else. A claim in a language you cannot read still has deadlines, so translate it first and reply in writing in a language you can both use. This article explains how to understand the claim, which language to reply in, and what the law says about contracts in a foreign language.

Why the paperwork is often in the local language

ECC France explains in its car rental brochure that the contract you sign at the desk is usually drawn up in the language of the country you visit. It warns that this local contract may be used in a dispute instead of your booking confirmation, so you should keep a copy. It also notes that there is no obligation within the EU to issue a contract in the language of the foreign consumer.

The industry's own code is a little more helpful. Leaseurope's guidelines for its car rental members say terms and conditions should be available before booking in the language of the country where the rental takes place and in English. Where a booking website targets another country, material terms should also be in that country's language. These guidelines apply to members, and not every local company follows them.

Does a contract you could not read still count?

Usually, yes. Signing a contract generally means you accept it, even in a language you do not speak. But consumer law gives you some protection. Under the EU Unfair Contract Terms Directive, written terms offered to consumers have to be drafted in plain, intelligible language, and where there is doubt about the meaning of a term, the interpretation most favourable to the consumer prevails. A term you could not reasonably understand, and that works against you, can be challenged. Our article on unfair terms in car rental contracts explains how that works.

1Translate the whole claim

Use a translation tool on the full text, not just the first paragraph. Our form translator is built for rental car documents and damage reports. If the claim is a scan or photo, a phone camera translation app works too. Keep the original next to your translation.

2Find the four key points

Look for:

• the amount and what it is for: repair, admin fee, loss of use, or a fine;
• the deadline: a date by which you should pay, reply or dispute;
• the evidence: photos, a report, an invoice or a price list;
• the next step: what the company will do if you do not respond, such as charging your card or passing it to a collector.

Deadlines can be short. Europcar Belgium's damage policy, for example, says you should contest damage found after the return within 14 days of the documents being sent. Put any deadline you find in the deadline calculator.

3Reply in writing, in a language you can both use

You are free to reply in English. International rental companies use it every day, and the European Car Rental Conciliation Service accepts complaints in English, according to ECC-Net. If you know the local language well enough, a short reply in both languages can help.

Keep your sentences short and plain. That makes your reply easy to translate on the other side and avoids misunderstandings. Our letter templates give you clear wording, and how to dispute a damage claim shows what to include.

4Ask for an English version if you need it

If an important document is unclear, ask the company for a version in English, or for an explanation of each line. A company that wants to be paid has an interest in being understood. If it refuses, note that in your file. It can matter later if you go to an ECC or a court.

Getting help with the language

You do not need to handle the language barrier alone:

• Your home European Consumer Centre works in your language and contacts the ECC in the company's country, which deals with the company in its own language.
• The European Car Rental Conciliation Service accepts complaints in English for participating companies.
• For a court case abroad, the European Small Claims Procedure uses standard forms, which helps with the language.

How to phrase it

Dear [company],

I received your letter of [date] about rental agreement [number]. As I do not read [language], I am replying in English. I understand that you charge [amount] for [what]. I dispute this charge. Please send me an English version of the claim, the damage report, dated photos and the repair invoice or estimate. Please do not charge my card while this is being reviewed.

Kind regards,
[name]