When Felix rented a car for a week, he took a cursory glance at the car and everything looked fine. But when he returned the car at the end of the week, Ivan, the car rental examiner, told him he would be charged for a dent on the left side of the car. Felix saw the small dent, but maintained that he couldn’t possibly have caused it, since he drove carefully all week and didn’t have even the smallest accident. meIvan insisted on charging him for the damage and Felix, already running late for his plane, gave in and paid. But when he got home from his trip, the first thing he did was write a post on social media telling people not to use this dishonest car rental company.

Who was right in this story? We’ll never know. What is certain is that this incident ended with a dissatisfied customer and the tarnishing of the company’s reputation. 

Now this type of scenario can be avoided. Our team at Click-Ins has spent years engineering a system that can accurately identify every variable on the car’s exterior and compare it to the car’s previous condition. Automated inspections for rental cars promotes transparency and puts an end to insurance fraud, manipulation, claims of exaggerated damages, and inflated price quotes.

A Damage Assessment Report that Settles Potential Disputes

If the car rental company that Felix rented from had been using Click-Ins, his story would have had a very different ending. Felix would have received a detailed report of the state of the car emailed to him when he first picked it up. In near real time, he would have received a damage assessment report in clear PDF format, comparing the car’s current exterior to its former state. Felix might not have been able to remember when the damage occurred, but he wouldn’t be able to deny that it had happened while the car was in his possession.

The Technology Behind Damage Assessment Accuracy

Click-Ins uses advanced technology to assess the damage to a car. The software first identifies whether the car has any damage and, if damage is found, provides its location on the vehicle, classification type, and precise measurement. This is done by comparing the car and its condition against digital models of every car make and model. 

The Click-Ins technology is based on a hybrid multidisciplinary approach, combining artificial intelligence, deep learning, photogrammetry, applied mathematics, computer vision, and 3D modeling. A single picture taken from a smartphone has the power to generate a digital signature called DamagePrint™ that identifies the type of damage and its exact measurements, making it simple for the car rental company, the auto insurance company, or the car repair shop to estimate the cost of repairs. 

Precise Damage Assessments for Cars Prevents Overpaying

In addition to the technology being used by car rental companies, car insurance underwriters and claim adjusters are also seeing the benefits of the precise assessments which enable them to provide accurate estimates.

The car that Felix rented was fixed by the car rental company at a nearby auto shop. The company has auto insurance to cover these repairs, but only with precise damage assessment for cars can it be clear that the rental company didn’t overpay. With Click-Ins, when the insurance company raises the premium for the car rental company, it is not based on estimates, but on actual damage caused to the company’s various vehicles. And the auto insurance company can keep rates low for companies and customers who use Click-Ins, thus benefiting everyone involved.

Positive Client Interactions

Transparency and accuracy result in more positive client interactions for all parties involved. From the renter to the car examiner, the operations manager and the claims examiner, everyone benefits from an interaction that’s fair and straightforward. 

Click-Ins is a high-tech company, but at its roots, it is a humans-first brand. Its founders believe technology that transforms vehicle inspections improves human interaction and bring peace of mind to customers and to service-providers. This was the motivation behind the technology that takes the guesswork out of car damage.

Learn more about this patent-pending technology here.