AI Rental Scanner Unfairly Charging You With Damage? There’s AI For That

August 18, 2025 9:15 AM

The way things are going, it’s very reasonable to expect that the next time you rent a car, a human won’t be reviewing its condition when you bring it back. Hertz and Sixt are bringing AI-powered vehicle inspection scanners to more of their lots, with competitors taking notice. And, if you decide to contest one of their accusations of damage, you may be using AI for that, too.

Since publishing our initial stories on this trend, a few digital inspection startups have reached out to share how they’re leveraging the tech, but not quite in the way that UVeye and ProovStation, the companies that are partnering with Hertz and Sixt, respectively, are handling things. Using only your smartphone, this software allows you to capture photos and videos to create your own digitally verified record of a car’s state at pickup and delivery. Then, if the rental agency gets on your case about an alleged dent that is clearly a speck of dirt, you’ve got the evidence to back you up—provided the customer service rep listens, of course

Interestingly, one of these startups—Ravin AI—actually has some familiarity with the rental industry, because it worked with Avis in 2019 and Hertz in 2022 as those companies experimented with AI inspections for the first time. These days, Ravin isn’t focusing on the rental side of things, electing instead to work with insurance companies and dealerships. It’s partnered with IAG, Australia and New Zealand’s largest insurance firm, to allow customers to scan their vehicles and receive quick quotes on damage repairs using their phones.

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