How to Complain About a Car Rental Company in Dubai

There is a sensible order to a car rental complaint, and each rung builds on the paperwork from the one before, so work up the ladder rather than jumping to the top.

1. 1Write to the company. Say what went wrong and exactly what you want, quote its own terms back, set a deadline and keep copies of everything you send.
2. 2Ask your bank. If money was taken as a card charge, ask for a chargeback; a hold that has not been captured can simply be released. Card schemes allow a limited window, so act early.
3. 3Take it to Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). A Dubai-licensed rental company answers to DET: file a Dubai Consumer complaint or call 600 54 5555.

Complaining about a deposit? Our deposit-back tool builds the letter and the escalation ladder for you.

• Deposit-back tool

A complaint is only as strong as the records behind it. Keep every receipt, message and photo, and pull together the following before you write.

• Your contract and booking confirmation. The company's own terms are what you will quote back to it.
• Every receipt and payment confirmation, plus the card statement lines for anything charged or held.
• Photos and video of the car, and any form you signed at pickup or return.
• Every message, whether email, text or chat, and a short note of each phone call: the date, who you spoke to and what was said.
• One clear sentence on what you want, written down before you start.

Save everything in one folder, in date order, as you go. A tidy file makes the complaint quicker to write and easier for anyone else to follow.

Start with the company itself, and put it in writing. An email or other written message gives you a dated record that you can reuse if you have to go further.

Contract terms vary by company, so your own contract is the document that counts, not a general rule from a website (this one included). For real per-company fee data, see our fee transparency report.

Keep the message calm, short and specific. A good one covers five things:

• What happened: the dates, the amounts and the order of events.
• What you want, exactly: for example a stated amount refunded, a charge removed or a deposit returned.
• What their own terms say: quote the relevant clause from your contract or booking terms back to them.
• By when: a clear deadline for a written reply, with the date written out. If you paid by card, do not set it far ahead, because card schemes allow only a limited window.
• What you attach: copies of your photos, receipts and earlier messages.

If you also speak to the company by phone, follow up in writing straight away so that what was said or agreed is on the record.

• Fee transparency report

If the money was taken as a card charge, you can ask your bank for a chargeback, which is a request to reverse a payment you dispute. Tell the bank what the charge was for and why you dispute it, and give it your records, including your written complaint to the company.

A hold is different. A pre-authorisation hold reserves money on your card without taking it, and it only becomes a charge when the company captures it. A hold that has not been captured can simply be released, so ask your bank about a release rather than a chargeback. If you are not sure which you have, ask the bank.

Timing matters. Card schemes allow only a limited window, so do not let the company's deadline drift: if you paid by card and time is passing, contact your bank early. A chargeback is a request, not a guarantee, and nobody can promise the result.

This step is for card payments. If you did not pay by card, go straight on to Dubai Consumer and DET.

Ask your bank how long you have to dispute a charge. The window can change, so we do not quote a number here.

A rental company licensed in Dubai answers to Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). When the company, and your bank where you paid by card, have not settled it, this is the next rung: file a Dubai Consumer complaint, or call 600 54 5555.

The UAE government's consumer-protection page explains the steps, so read it before you file. Numbers, forms and processes can change, so treat the number here as correct at the time of writing and check the official page for the current details.

This route is for a company licensed in Dubai. If you are not sure where yours is licensed, ask it in writing before you file.

Have the file you built in the earlier steps ready when you complain: your contract, receipts, photos and messages, your written complaint to the company, and any reply (or a note that none came by your deadline).

None of these steps guarantees a result, and timelines vary. This is general information, not legal advice.

A deposit dispute follows the same route. Write to the company first. If the deposit was taken as a card charge, ask your bank for a chargeback; if it is only a hold that has not been captured, ask the bank to release it. Our guide to car rental deposits in Dubai explains how deposits work.

You do not have to write the letter from scratch. Our deposit-back tool builds the letter and the escalation ladder for you.

Disputes about a refused refund, or about damage, cleaning and smoking charges, have their own guides: cancellation and refund rules and damage, cleaning and smoking charges.

• Car Rental Deposit in Dubai
• Deposit-back tool
• Car Rental Cancellation and Refund in Dubai
• Damage, Cleaning and Smoking Charges in Dubai