Short answer: car rental scams usually follow three patterns: a price far below the market combined with a request for a deposit to hold the car, a request to send payment to a private person's account, and a fake website or social media account that imitates a real company. You protect yourself by checking the company's registered name, official domain and phone number yourself, paying only through the company's own channels, and signing the contract and vehicle handover form at pickup. The official details you need to verify SAW Rent A Car are in this article too.
This article contains general safety advice and is not legal advice. If you received an offer or payment link in SAW Rent A Car's name and you are not sure, call our customer service on the official number to confirm before you pay.
Renting a car is a great way to make travel easier; unfortunately, the sector has also become a target for fraudsters. These are the most common scenarios:
To avoid being scammed when renting a car, follow these steps in order:
Before renting a car online, check the company's history and customer reviews. Choosing well-known, established companies reduces the risk of fraud. Official registrations such as membership of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (İTO) are also a signal; SAW Rent A Car is a member of İTO.
Find out the registered company name that is the other party to the contract, and check that the account you pay into belongs to the same name. In SAW Rent A Car's Rental Conditions the rental company is written as “SAW Araç Kiralama Turizm Taşımacılık Limited Şirketi”; our Google rating is 4.4 / 5 (127 reviews).
Make sure the website address starts with “https://”; the padlock in the browser shows the connection is encrypted. Prefer sites protected with 256-bit encryption. Sites that show contact details and a physical address are generally more trustworthy. SAW Rent A Car's official address is https://sawrentacar.com/ — watch out for domains that differ by one letter, shortened links and pages that do not match the address in an advert.
Do not click payment links sent via social media or from a number you do not know. When contacting a company, use the number on its official website, not the one in the message.
Car rental offers far below market prices are usually a sign of fraud; offers that look too attractive to be real cannot be trusted. Like every service, a rental car has a reasonable price. The price depends on the car class, the dates, the rental period and the pickup point. Compare offers on the total amount for the same dates and the same car class; we explain separately how the deposit works in our deposit article.
Read the contract in detail before you rent. Make sure there are no hidden fees or dubious clauses, and ask for an explanation of anything you do not understand. Read the traffic insurance and the scope and limits of the collision cover carefully; we explain the insurance types in our article on insurance options in car rental.
Under article 4.3 of the SAW Rent A Car Rental Conditions, the rental starts when the vehicle handover form is signed, and the form is an integral part of the contract. Do not take a car without a handover form.
Use only reliable payment methods. If you are asked to send payment to an account in a person's name, stop: if you pay by bank transfer, check that the recipient name matches the registered company name in the contract. Prefer traceable payment methods such as a credit card; for online payment, choose systems that use 3D Secure verification.
If you pay in cash, do not pay before you have seen the car and checked the registration document and the contract. For renting without a credit card and the payment options, see our car rental without a credit card page or talk to our customer service (WhatsApp/phone).
Take photos or video documenting the condition of the car when you collect it and when you drop it off; these records protect you against possible damage claims. Make sure existing scratches and damage are written on the handover form and keep a copy. Under article 7.3 of the Rental Conditions damage can be reported within 30 days after return, so keep your return records too. For the steps, see our guide to airport car rental pickup and return.
If you received an offer in SAW Rent A Car's name and you are not sure, confirm it on our official number before you pay. Rent with confidence at every point, including Sabiha Gökçen and Istanbul Airport.
The clearest signs are a price far below the market, an urgent request for a deposit to hold the car, payment directed to a private account, and a deal made without a contract or handover form.
No; some companies confirm a booking with a prepayment. What matters is that payment goes to a channel belonging to the company's own registered name and that the booking is confirmed in writing.
Check the domain letter by letter, make sure the address starts with “https://” and that the site shows contact details and a physical address. Type the address yourself instead of using the link in an advert or message.
If the recipient name does not match the registered company name in the contract, do not pay, and confirm with the company by calling its official number.
If you paid by card, dispute the payment with your bank at once, keep all messages and receipts, file a complaint with the police or the public prosecutor's office, and report it to the platform where the listing appeared.
Our official website is sawrentacar.com and our customer service number is 0850 304 94 30. If you are not sure, call this number to confirm before you pay.
Photograph and video every side of the car at pickup, have existing damage written on the vehicle handover form and keep a copy; do the same at return.
