The mysterious charge that appears on your credit card after you return the rental car for missing fuel is annoying and virtually impossible to dispute and have reversed. It’s your word against the car rental companies. We outline the issue with examples in this article - After Rental Fuel Charges - A Common Complaint.

Fear not though. There is a way to protect yourself.

Follow the 4 steps outlined below and rest easy in the knowledge that you have an iron clad paper trail that a car rental company can't argue with. At the bottom is a simple infographic outlining each of the steps. Save it to your phone or tablet to use as a reference next time you rent a car.

Have you ever returned your rental car and then a week or two later found a mysterious charge on your credit card from the car rental company? This is one of the most common complaints, the charges that appear after the customer returned the car and everything seemed fine.

Post rental charges can be for a number of things including:

Damage caused to the car during the rental period. Toll road usage charges. Extraordinary cleaning. Late return. Missing fuel.

Missing fuel is by far the most common charge (closely followed by damage charges) and one that is appearing more and more often. Most companies offer options when you pick up the car to pre pay for a full tank of fuel allowing you to return it empty without having to worry about filling up just before you drop off the car. In countries like Spain and Portugal some companies actually enforce this as their standard policy, often charging the full tank at a much higher price than you would pay at a petrol station, a way for them to offer low up front prices but then make up the difference when you pick up the car.

Renting or hiring a car is a readily available choice in South Africa. Most major car rental companies have branches at the main airports and in the cities. South Africa boasts a well maintained road infrastructure unlike many African countries, so traveling by rental car allows for increased flexibility and freedom particularly considering the vast distances between some destinations.

South African Rules of the Road

Driving: South Africans drive on the left hand side of the road and pass on the right.