Partially upheld: Other regulated complaint complaint against KINTO UK LIMITED

Decision detail

Summary

Mr J complained about end of contract charges totalling over £1000 imposed by Kinto UK Limited when he returned a hire car in April 2025. The charges included £620 for previous paint repairs that Mr J had arranged through his insurance after damage caused by another driver. Kinto disputed the complaint, claiming the repairs showed poor finish not meeting BVLRA guidelines. The ombudsman partially upheld the complaint, finding that while some charges for scratches, dents and cut tyres were fair, the paint repair charges should be refunded as the photographs did not show obvious evidence of poor repair meeting BVLRA standards. Kinto was ordered to refund £620 to Mr J.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman applied the BVLRA guidelines which require 'obvious evidence' of poor repair such as flaking paint, preparation marks, paint contamination, rippled finish or poorly matched paint to be unacceptable. After careful review of the photographs and enlarged versions, the ombudsman found no obvious evidence of such defects. While Kinto claimed orange peel and ripple effects, the ombudsman could not agree this constituted obvious evidence of poor repair meeting the BVLRA threshold. However, charges for scratched and dented bodywork and cut tyres were upheld as these clearly exceeded fair wear and tear.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website