Get your car-rental
deposit back
A firm letter, the right people to send it to, and how to escalate.
A Dubai rental company is holding your deposit, or took money off it you do not agree with. Fill in what happened and this builds the message to send and the steps to take if they ignore you.
Stays in your browser. Your name, the amount and the dates are used to build the message on this page and are never sent to TripReview or anyone else.
Tell us what happened
Only the company and the situation are needed; the rest sharpens the letter.
Pick a listed company and we can quote its own published deposit policy.
If they ignore you, escalate in this order
Each step is a real channel. None guarantees a refund, and this is information, not legal advice.
1. Send the demand in writing
Send the letter above by email and WhatsApp, and keep the reply. A written demand with a deadline is what every later step will ask you for.
2. Dispute the charge with your bank
If the deposit was taken as a card charge, ask your bank to raise a chargeback. If it was only a pre-authorisation hold that has not been captured, ask the bank to release it. Card schemes give a limited window, so do this early.
3. Dubai consumer protection
A Dubai-licensed rental company answers to Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism. File a consumer complaint through its Dubai Consumer service or call 600 54 5555. The UAE government's consumer-protection page explains the steps.
u.ae4. If it is outright fraud
If the company has vanished or never held a licence, report the fraud to Dubai Police — through the Dubai Police app or their cybercrime service — and call 901, or 999 if it is urgent. Then tell us, so other travellers are warned.
dubaipolice.gov.aeOutside Dubai
If the company is licensed in another emirate, complain to that emirate's economic department, or use the federal consumer-protection service for any emirate.
u.aeNext time: make a hold impossible to justify
Photograph and video the car at pick-up AND return
Every panel, the wheels, the interior, with the time visible. This is what defeats a fabricated-damage charge.
Note the fuel level and the odometer
A photo of the dashboard at both ends settles any fuel or mileage charge.
Get the return acknowledged
A signed or messaged confirmation that the car came back in order, before you leave.
Pay by card, never cash
A card payment can be disputed with your bank. A cash deposit cannot.
This tool builds a letter in your own words and points you to official channels. It is information, not legal advice, and TripReview does not act for you or guarantee any outcome.
Questions about getting a deposit back
Can you make the company pay me back?
No. This gives you a firm letter and the real channels to escalate through. TripReview takes no commission and does not act for either side.
Is the letter in English or Russian?
English. UAE rental companies operate in English, so an English letter is the one that lands. The rest of this page is in your language.
They are holding a card pre-authorisation, not a charge. Is that different?
Yes. A hold has not taken your money yet — ask the company to release it and your bank to drop it. A charge that has gone through can be disputed as a chargeback.
The company is not in your directory. Can I still use this?
Yes. Type the name and the letter still works. You only lose the line that quotes the company's own published deposit terms, which we only have for listed companies.