How do I avoid the pre-existing damage scam?
Film the bike before you ride away. Walk one slow lap around it with your phone, close on the licence plate and on every scratch, dent and scuff already there. Thirty seconds at pickup settles most arguments about damage later, and it is the cheapest insurance available in Bali.
By Ade Lanang Prices and rules on this page last checked July 2026.
The dispute usually arrives at the end: you return the bike, someone points at a mark on the fairing, and a repair bill appears that bears no relation to the damage. Sometimes the mark was already there; sometimes it appeared between drop-off and inspection. Either way, whoever has evidence wins.
So keep the video until the deposit is back, and ask for a written receipt for both the deposit and the rental. If a shop refuses either, rent somewhere else. The shops that plan to argue about a scratch are the ones that avoid evidence.
The dispute itself usually arrives at the end. You bring the bike back, someone points at a scratch on the fairing, and a repair bill appears that has no relation to the damage. Sometimes the scratch was already there. Sometimes it arrived between drop-off and inspection. Either way the argument is settled by whoever has evidence, which is why the phone video at pickup matters more than anything else on this page.
More questions about renting a scooter in Bali
- How much does it cost to rent a scooter in Bali?
- Do I need a licence or an International Driving Permit in Bali?
- How much deposit is normal in Bali?
- Is renting a scooter in Bali safe?
- Can I rent a scooter for a month in Bali?
- Should I rent from my villa or from a rental shop?
- Do Bali rental shops deliver the scooter?
- What happens if a shop photographs my ID?