Rental company AI damage scanners: should you still take your own photos?

Understand what the company says its system does

In April 2025, Hertz announced a partnership with UVeye for automated inspections in its US operations, starting at Atlanta. Its announcement described imaging of bodywork, glass, tyres and the undercarriage for vehicle assessment and maintenance. That announcement does not establish which system is operating at your particular branch today.

SIXT's UK guidance describes Car Gates at selected branches, with cameras, sensors and lighting capturing vehicle condition. It says potential damage receives a final assessment by trained staff and that comparison with pickup images depends on the pickup branch also having a Car Gate. Ask about the process for your actual booking.

A highlighted mark in a scanner image is not, by itself, an explanation of a charge. Ask the company what it believes changed, how it assessed the damage and which terms apply.

Keep your own view of the handover

Your photos give you a record you can inspect immediately, before leaving the collection location. You can add a close view of a mark, record an area obscured by dirt and ask staff to update the condition report while the vehicle is in front of you.

Note when and where you took your photos, such as in the collection bay before driving away or in the return bay before handing over the keys. Keep the branch instructions too. You may not automatically receive every scanner image, and the system may not record the interior or every detail you want to check.

PickupLens helps organise your own record on your phone. Each mark you include in a report links to its original photos, making it easier to find a particular wheel or bumper corner later.

Take photos that answer a specific question

Record the registration and recognisable views around the car at collection. Add closer photos of existing marks, retaining surrounding features to establish their position. Check wheels, low bumper corners, mirrors and glass rather than relying on one standing-height image of each side.

At return, photograph the same areas before handing over the keys. Light, distance, reflections, rain and dirt can change how a surface looks. Keep wider views that show those conditions, and be careful about comparing close-ups taken from very different angles.

Do not stop in an operating scanner lane to take photographs. Follow the branch's instructions and make your walkaround from a permitted, safe parking position. If the vehicle cannot be inspected adequately, raise the issue with staff and record the limitation.

Ask for the evidence behind a flagged mark

If a claim arrives, identify the exact surface and location. Ask for clear images from the relevant collection and return inspections and an explanation of how the company assessed the difference. Request the applicable damage policy and calculation for any proposed charge.

Compare the claim with your originals, including wider views that locate a detail on the car. If a collection photo already shows the mark, explain that with a specific reference. If a photo does not show the area clearly enough, say so rather than claiming it proves there was no damage.

• Do the registration, booking and inspection dates match your rental?
• Can you identify the same surface in both sets of images?
• Is the mark visible in your collection record?
• Has the company explained its assessment and any human review?
• Which policy and calculation support the amount being requested?

Check AI suggestions against the original photos

The same care applies to PickupLens. An AI suggestion points out a possible mark for you to check; it cannot establish when the mark appeared or who caused it. Compare the suggestion with the original photo and the car itself where possible. If you cannot tell what a mark is, say so in your description.

PickupLens preserves originals separately from annotated previews and includes an optional return scan with the paid collection scan. That helps you present the relevant observations while retaining the complete files for inspection, whether the rental company uses a paper diagram, a handheld camera or an automated scanner.