Renting a car in Romania seems straightforward at first glance. You search online, find a low price, pay and you are ready to go. But in practice, many holidays or business trips have started badly because of avoidable mistakes when booking a rental car. Here are the 5 most common ones we see repeatedly.
1. You rent from a private individual or through social media
On classified ad websites and social media you will find dozens of car rental offers from private individuals, often at prices lower than those of agencies. It seems like a good deal, but in reality it is not.
Romanian law requires anyone who rents out a car to provide invoicing documents and proof of payment. When you pay online through Romanian Car Hire, these documents are generated automatically and sent by email, ready to be presented to the authorities at any time. Private individuals, however, cannot issue such documents. To get around the law, many owners instruct their clients to declare that the car is borrowed from a friend, which constitutes a false statement punishable under the Criminal Code. It is the client, not the owner, who faces the legal consequences.
Beyond the legal aspect, the practical risks are just as serious. A private individual has very few cars and rents them all out. If the car breaks down, they have no replacement to offer you, and your holiday or trip is ruined.
At Romanian Car Hire we frequently receive calls, almost every night during busy periods, from desperate clients who booked in advance from a private individual, arrived at the airport and found no car waiting for them. Worse, the owner was no longer answering the phone. In reality, the same vehicle had been promised to several clients, with the highest bidder winning and the others receiving no notification whatsoever.
2. You choose a company that is too small without checking the fleet
Companies with fewer than 20 cars in their fleet have a structural problem: they have no way to help you if something goes wrong. An accident, a puncture, a car in for service, and suddenly they have no vehicles available for you. With a small fleet and relatively high running costs, they have no choice but to rent out every single car for as long as possible, which puts clients at risk whenever one breaks down, as inevitably happens.
Over the years we have taken on dozens of clients abandoned by small companies, some in the middle of the night at the airport, luggage in hand, because a car had broken down. A serious company has a large enough fleet and clear procedures for such situations. At Romanian Car Hire, for example, 10% of our fleet is kept in reserve for emergencies, and since implementing this policy we have had no cases of a client being left without a car due to mechanical failure.
3. You do not read what is included in the price
Many clients do not read what is included in the price, or assume that only what is displayed matters. For example, the fact that the deposit or guarantee amount is hidden is one of the biggest warning signs that you could end up paying a lot more at the end.
The displayed price may look low, but what does it include? Always ask:
- Is full comprehensive insurance (CASCO) included, or only third-party liability (RCA)?
- Is there an excess in the event of an accident, and if so, how much?
- What is the maximum damage coverage limit in the event of an accident?
- Is the RoVigneta (road tax) included?
- Are there airport fees, delivery charges or other costs added at the end that were not included in the price shown online?
A rental that appears 20 EUR cheaper can end up 80 EUR more expensive once you add all the undisclosed charges. What is more, many clients have found themselves forced to pay significant sums after an accident, having purchased additional insurance from large companies, only to discover that the cover was capped at 3,000 EUR. When the repair bill came to 8,000 EUR, they ended up paying 5,000 EUR out of pocket, chased by debt collectors. All of this happens because clients do not ask enough questions, and most of the time they do not even know what to ask, since they do not expect this kind of strategy from large, well-known companies.
4. You do not inspect the car at pick-up
Before you drive away, inspect the car together with the agent and note in the handover document every scratch, dent or visible defect, as well as the fuel level. Photograph everything.
Without this inspection, you risk being held responsible at return for damage you did not cause. If the pick-up takes place at night, ask the agent to position the car under a street light so that your photographs clearly show the condition of the vehicle.
At Romanian Car Hire, to avoid such situations, things are very simple: minor scratches do not concern us. The client’s maximum liability is the value of the deposit, and all our cars are covered by full CASCO insurance. The deposit essentially covers the excess, and for many economy models the deposit is zero, meaning we absorb the excess ourselves in the event of a claim.
So remember: at Romanian Car Hire, if a part is not broken, visibly bent, cracked, deformed, or if scratches are no larger than 5 cm, we are simply not interested in pursuing them. If one of our agents raises an issue at the time of return, please show them this article and this paragraph.
5. You do not know what to do in the event of an accident
Many clients sign documents at the scene of an accident without contacting the agency first. This is one of the most costly mistakes you can make.
Whatever happens on the road, the first thing you must do is call the number in the contract. The agent will tell you exactly what steps to take, what to sign and what not to sign. You should also be prepared to describe the circumstances of the incident as clearly as possible, so that fault can be assessed accurately, particularly if the matter is not reported to the police.
As good practice, always after a road incident, before moving the vehicles from the position in which the accident occurred, take video footage and photographs, including of the driver of the other vehicle involved. This can be very helpful in establishing each party’s degree of fault at a later stage.
Conclusion
Most problems when renting a car in Romania can be avoided by following one simple rule: work with a reputable agency that has a large fleet and 24/7 availability.
Romanian Car Hire operates at airports in Iași, Bacău, Suceava, Bucharest Otopeni, Cluj, Craiova, Brașov, Chișinău and Târgu Mureș. If you are at the airport and have been left without a car through no fault of your own, call us on +40 741 644 169 and we will do everything we can to help you.
Do not forget to check the other articles available at the bottom of this page to make sure you have no problems when renting a car in Romania.
