Call the number on the agreement first
Rental agreements carry a breakdown or assistance number, and using it is normally a condition of cover. Arranging your own recovery can leave you paying for it.
Have the registration, your location and the rental agreement number ready — it is the first thing they will ask for.
What assistance usually covers
Mechanical failure
Covered. Recovery and either repair or a replacement vehicle are the supplier's responsibility.
Flat battery or tyre
Usually covered, though some suppliers charge a call-out for a puncture, treating it as tyre damage rather than failure.
Lost keys, misfuelling, lockouts
Rarely covered. These are treated as driver error and charged, sometimes substantially.
Running out of fuel
Not covered. Delivery is charged as a call-out.
Replacement vehicles
Whether you get a replacement depends on the distance from a depot and the remaining rental days. Close to a city, a swap is usually straightforward; in a remote area it may take a day or more.
Ask what the supplier will provide before agreeing to wait, and get any commitment in writing.
Keep the record
Note the time of the call, the reference given and what you were told. If the breakdown costs you days of the rental, that record is the basis for a partial refund.
Do not authorise repairs yourself unless the supplier instructs it in writing — unauthorised work is usually not reimbursed.
pursuing a claim afterwards · if damage rather than failure is involved