How I Was Almost Scammed Out of My Deposit — And How to Protect Yourself

I Started LuxeClub Because of This Problem

Before I started LuxeClub Rentals, I was a customer. And like a lot of people who rent cars in Dubai, I got burned.

One experience stands out. I rented a car in early December, returned it on time, in perfect condition. Then I waited. January came and went. No deposit. I started chasing. February, same thing. I had to track down three separate points of contact within the company. Nobody gave me a straight answer. In the end I created a WhatsApp group with all three of them just to stop them passing me between each other.

After months of pushing, I finally got a partial refund. Out of my AED 1,000 deposit, they returned AED 900. No explanation for the missing AED 100. No itemised deduction. Just a hundred dirhams less and a feeling that I had been taken for a ride.

Here is the thing though — the only reason I even got that much back is because I live in Dubai. I am a resident. I could keep messaging, keep calling, keep pushing. If I had been a tourist who flew home after the rental, I would never have seen a single dirham of that deposit again. And they know that. That persistence, over three months, across three different contacts, is the only reason I had a shot at even partially getting my money back. Most people do not have that option.

That experience, and others like it, is a big part of why LuxeClub exists. I knew I could not be the only person dealing with this, and I was right.

The Proof Is in the Pudding

Below are the actual WhatsApp conversations from that experience, laid out in chronological order across three separate contacts and a group chat. December to February. Three months of chasing AED 1,000.

Disclaimer: This article is based on a genuine personal experience. All phone numbers, names, and bank details have been blurred to protect the privacy of all parties involved. We are not naming the company in question and this is not intended as defamation — it is a factual account of what happened. If we have missed blurring anything, that is an honest oversight and we apologise. The purpose of sharing this is to help other renters in Dubai recognise the warning signs and protect themselves.

Contact 1 — The Company

19th Dec — picked up the car, got an automated "we're unavailable" reply. Great start. 10th Jan — asked for my deposit back, sent bank details. "Ok." 13th Jan — followed up. "Ok under process." 15th Jan — "HELLO Brother, please can you send the deposit, I have asked 3/4 times." Nothing. 16th Jan — tried again. Silence. 18th Feb — messaged again, two months later. Another automated reply. More nothing.

Contact 2 — The Second Number

Contact 1 went quiet so I got a second number. 8th Jan — "You have not returned 1000 deposit." Reply: "I will chwck wiht accaountant bro." Sure. 10th Jan — followed up. "Call the manager bro" and sent me a third number. Lovely. 18th Feb — tried again. "I will check the accountant." I literally quoted their own message back at them. 19th Feb — "Send your account number." Sent my IBAN. Again. 20th Feb — "Have you made the transfer?" "Today we will transfer." 21st Feb — "What is the bank name." I had already told them. Twice. 23rd Feb — forwarded a receipt for AED 900. Not 1,000. "Brother, I paid 1000 deposit. You put 900." Call failed. "You've sent me less money."

Contact 3 — The Manager

The number I was told to call — "the manager." Asked about car return schedule, then nothing. 18th Feb — chased the deposit. Got another automated reply. "Thank you for contacting [company] Car Rental!" I messaged "My deposit." Same waffle, different number.

The Group Chat — "DEPOSIT RETURN"

Three contacts, three months, zero progress. So I made a WhatsApp group called "DEPOSIT RETURN" and added all three of them. 18th Feb — "I have asked you guys since 10th of January to return my 1000 dhs deposit." The company left the group. "Any update please. Or you guys just stealing my deposit." This is what it took to get AED 900 back out of AED 1,000.

This Is Not a Rare Problem

Dubai has over 800 car rental companies. Many of them are legitimate. But a significant number have turned deposit withholding into a business model. It is the single most common complaint on Google reviews, Trustpilot, and Dubai consumer forums when it comes to car rentals.

The pattern is always the same. You pay the deposit, you return the car, and then you enter a cycle of ignored calls, vague promises, and endless delays. For tourists who have already left the country, the chances of recovering that money drop to almost zero. The companies know this, and some of them count on it.

The Tactics to Watch Out For

Fake damage claims. You return the car spotless. A few days later you get photos of scratches that were not there. Without your own timestamped evidence, you have no defence. The deposit gets swallowed.

Phantom fines. Some companies will tell you that traffic fines were registered against the car during your rental and deduct the amount from your deposit. The problem is they never show you proof. No screenshot from Dubai Police, no official fine reference number. Just a number they came up with. Always demand screenshot proof of any fine from the official Dubai Police app or the relevant emirate authority. If they cannot produce it, the fine does not exist.

Hidden kilometre charges. This is a big one. A lot of companies are not upfront about the daily kilometre limit on the vehicle. You drive normally, return the car, and then get hit with an excessive per-kilometre charge that wipes out your deposit and then some. The km rate, the daily limit, and what happens when you exceed it should all be crystal clear before you sign anything. Take a photo of the odometer at pickup and again at return.

Salik admin fees nobody mentioned. Toll charges in Dubai are between AED 4 and AED 6 per gate depending on peak or off-peak times. That is fair. But some companies add AED 10 to AED 15 per toll as an "admin fee" that was never discussed at handover. Suddenly a few toll crossings cost you AED 100 in fees you did not agree to. Ask about the Salik admin charge before you book.

The indefinite hold. Some companies tell you the deposit takes 30 days to process. Then 60. Then 90. Each time you call, there is a new excuse. This is not processing time. This is them hoping you give up.

How to Protect Yourself

Photograph and video everything. Before you drive off, walk around the entire car. Every panel, every wheel, the roof, the interior, the odometer, the fuel gauge. Make sure your phone timestamps the images. Do exactly the same thing when you return it. This single step eliminates the majority of disputes.

Use a credit card if possible. With a credit card, the deposit is held as a block on your card rather than money being taken from your account. If the company tries to charge you unfairly, you can dispute it through your bank. With cash or debit, the money leaves your account and getting it back depends entirely on the company cooperating.

Read the contract. Nobody wants to, but look specifically for the daily km limit, the excess km rate, Salik admin fees, cleaning charges, and the deposit return timeline. If any of those are missing or vague, ask before you sign.

Demand fine proof. If a company tells you there were fines during your rental, ask for a screenshot from the official source. Dubai Police fines show on their app and website with a reference number, date, and location. Any legitimate fine can be verified. If they cannot show you proof, push back.

Check reviews properly. Do not just look at the star rating. Read the one and two-star reviews specifically for deposit complaints. If you see a pattern of people struggling to get their money back, that tells you everything you need to know.

What to Do If Your Deposit Is Being Withheld

If you are already in this situation, here is what works.

Start with a written request by email or WhatsApp. State the deposit amount, the rental dates, and give them a clear deadline to respond. Keep it factual and keep screenshots of everything.

If they do not respond, file a complaint with the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) through the Dubai Consumer app or their website. Government inquiries tend to get companies moving when nothing else does.

If you paid by credit card, initiate a chargeback with your card issuer. Provide your rental agreement, your pre and post-rental photos, and any messages showing the company is unresponsive. This is often the most effective route, especially if you have already left the UAE.

Leave honest reviews on Google and Trustpilot. It will not get your money back directly, but it protects the next person. And companies that care about their online reputation will sometimes resolve your complaint to get a negative review taken down.

Dubai Needs a Centralised Deposit System

Here is an honest opinion: the rental industry in Dubai needs a centralised platform for handling deposits. Something independent, where neither the rental company nor the customer can be unfairly done out of their money.

Imagine a system where your deposit sits with a regulated third party. The rental company cannot touch it without documented justification. The customer cannot dispute a legitimate damage claim without evidence. Both sides upload their photos, the condition is recorded, and the deposit is released or adjusted based on facts rather than whoever shouts loudest or ignores the most messages.

This does not exist yet. But it should. It would clean up the industry overnight and give customers the confidence to rent without that knot in their stomach about whether they will ever see their deposit again. Until something like that exists, the responsibility falls on you to protect yourself and on companies like us to do things properly.

How LuxeClub Handles Deposits

Our deposit is simple: one day's rental rate of the vehicle you are hiring. Nothing inflated, nothing hidden.

If you pay by credit card, we place a hold on the card. No money leaves your account. The block is released once the rental is complete and the car is returned in good condition. If you pay by cash or debit card, the deposit amount is taken and returned within 14 days of the rental ending.

We do not charge cleaning fees. The car is delivered to you fully detailed, and you return it as-is. Normal use is normal use. As long as there is no damage or neglect, there is nothing to deduct.

For Salik, we charge AED 2 on top of each toll gate charge. That is it. For fines, we charge only the fine amount with no admin fee on top. And if there is a fine, we will show you the official screenshot so you can see exactly what it is for.

We advise every customer to take as many photos and videos as possible at both pickup and drop-off. We prefer to do the handover with you present so we can walk through any existing marks together. But we know not everyone has the time, so if you cannot be there, we take our own timestamped photos that are as clear as possible. You can always rely on those.

Transparency is not a selling point for us. It is the bare minimum of how this should work. The fact that it feels unusual says more about the industry than it does about us.