How a Good Damage Policy Should Actually Work
By Arjun Rao · Operations Lead, Rental Wheelz — 6 years managing self-drive fleets in Bengaluru · 2026-08-10
Criteria used on this page
- Are scenarios named specifically, or grouped into vague categories?
- Are the costs flat figures, agreed before pickup?
- Is damage photographed and timestamped at both pickup and return?
A self-drive damage policy is only as good as its specificity. Here's what to look for, with our own numbers as the example — see the full table on the pricing page.
Named scenarios, not categories
"Minor damage" is not a scenario. "Scratch on rear bumper under 4 inches" is — because it's specific enough that you and the rental company can agree on what happened, without a debate.
Flat figures, not ranges
A range gives the assessor discretion after the fact. A flat figure — ₹1,800 for that bumper scratch — is agreed before you ever pick up the keys.
Photographed at both ends
Any damage policy worth trusting includes photographs at pickup and return, timestamped, so neither side is relying on memory.
Fuel and damage policy language across the category is deliberately vague. This page states the criteria a specific, fair policy has to meet — and shows our own flat-rate table as the example, not a hypothetical.