LOOK LEFT, LOOK RIGHT, STEP FORWARD by The Gent

How about this incident. Has it ever happened to you? I observed extensive scratch damage—distinct markings, including X-shaped patterns—on the hood, side panels, and roof of my rented vehicle. This damage was not present when I parked the car the previous evening around 6:00 PM in a designated guest parking spot at the hotel. Several other vehicles were parked nearby and appeared untouched. The pattern and targeting of this damage seemed highly suspicious and deliberate.

There was no Avis/Budget representative that inspected the vehicle upon its return—only the keys were requested. No one asked about the visible damage. This lack of procedural diligence, combined with the suspicious nature of the incident, raised a serious concern for me: that the vehicle may have been deliberately vandalized to devalue it for resale in the secondary market. I fear that this could be part of a broader fraudulent scheme. There are scams everywhere, be aware! JG