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Holidaymakers renting out cars this summer could face steep fines following the launch of AI-powered car scanners across the UK and Europe, it has been warned.

Car rental firms have been accused of punishing drivers through a new fleet of robotic scanners that are picking up tiny scuffs and marks.

The scanners, which capture and analyse thousands of images of a car as it is returned, are now being used at Heathrow Airport by the rental company Sixt.

Uveye, a tech company which already supplies AI car scanners to Hertz in the US, is also expanding its operations across the UK and Europe.

Car rental firms say the scanners make their businesses more efficient and prevent bottlenecks and traffic at their lots.

However, they have already triggered a barrage of complaints from drivers who claim they have been forced to pay vast fines owing to minor scuffs.

Others have also argued that they have been billed erroneously for damage already on their cars at the time of rental.

One motorist told US car publication The Drive that he was charged $440 (£330) after returning a car to a Hertz rental lot in Atlanta because of an inch-long scuff on the driver’s side rear wheel.
Kelly Rogers, another driver, told The New York Times that she was charged $195 for a mark so small it “could have been a shadow”.

A Hertz spokesman said the digital inspections were “introducing much-needed precision, objectivity and transparency to the process”, claiming that it had scanned more than 500,000 rentals with 97pc showing no billable damage.

Hertz said it does not currently use digital scanners in the UK.

Meanwhile, Sixt has been accused of targeting drivers with erroneous charges for scuffs and marks that were already on vehicles when they were rented.

The company said: “We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience to the customer. This experience does not reflect our high service standards.

“In the rare event a discrepancy occurs, our team is committed to reviewing it thoroughly and resolving it promptly – as was done here in response to the customer’s feedback.”

‘Purely evil’
The technology has sparked intense controversy on social media, with one Reddit user branding it a “purely evil way of boosting profits by charging for wear and tear”.

Sixt uses AI scanners made by the tech company ProovStation at its Heathrow airport base.

Gabriel Tissandier, the chief executive of ProovStation, said in a LinkedIn post that the technology was “redefining transparency and trust in the car rental process”.

The company says its CarStation scanner “meticulously scans every millimetre of a passing car to identify any damages or alterations, with 100pc accuracy and precision”.

However, one person commenting on Mr Tissandier’s LinkedIn post flagged an issue: “I used it recently and thought it was very slick, however, it didn’t pick up the damage I took photos of that wasn’t logged whilst driving out. Luckily, I’d logged the damage before driving away.”

A spokesman for the British Vehicle Rental & Leasing Association (BVRLA) said: “The use of car damage scanners has grown in the US, with some applications starting to filter through to the UK.

“Their usage can help to streamline the vehicle rental handover process and provide the consumer with immediate feedback on the return condition, highlighting any potential charges as soon as possible.”

Martyn James, a consumer rights expert, added: “It’s quite easy to be blinded by the science. You get this kind of vision that the cars are being put through this thing with 360-degree lasers on all sides – but it’s a bit more low-tech than that.

“It’s worthwhile pointing out that just because a company says that you did something, it doesn’t mean that you did. The obligation is on it to prove that that is the case.

“You could also argue that any policies about scuffs or minor damage, damage to the treads of tyres and things along those lines should be brought to your attention when you sign up to the contract.