rental

The Government is looking for someone to manage thousands of affordable homes. An unexpected candidate has emerged: Rental Insurance

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The State already has a ‘girlfriend’ for its affordable rental housing. Barely a month and a half after the SEPES put out to tender a contract to find companies interested in managing its public park of rental apartments, a large pool of 17,300 propertiesthe Ministry of Housing already knows of at least one interested firm. Of course, one that perhaps Isabel Rodríguez’s department did not have: Seguro Rent, the same company that the Ministry of Consumer Affairs wants to impose a fine of 3.6 million for violation of rights. Those responsible for the company they advance that they have all the requirements included in the tender and boast of their “experience and training.” Manager wanted. To understand the case we must go back to December 1, when the SEPES (shortly after converted into HOUSE47) launched a tender which probably whetted the appetite of more than one real estate agency. The contract in question amounted to a total of 55.4 million of euros (not including VAT) and was basically looking for companies interested in assuming for two years the “comprehensive management of the leasing of the public housing stock for affordable rentals.” In total, the tender covers 17,324 homes spread throughout the country, although to facilitate contracting it was divided into lots. Specifically, four were created for different regions, with between 1,600 and 5,700 houses. A name: Rental Insurance. The announcement was posted on the Public Sector Procurement Platform and companies had just over a month, until January 8, to present their offers. At the moment at least the name of one is known: Rental Insurancea firm dedicated to leasing management that boasts of having managed more than 75,000 contracts. Specifically, the company aspires to become with one of the four lots tendered by the State, the first, which covers 1,661 homes located in Galicia and Asturias. In exchange for its management, SEPES (now CASA47) offers about 6.5 million. The company of course defends its resume to win the contract. “Alquiler Seguro has the experience and training required to take charge of the comprehensive management of the rental fleet, as it has been doing for more than 19 years with the more than 28,000 contracts it currently manages throughout the country,” has claimed the signature itself on a note. Bragging about history. The company does not stop there. In addition to highlighting his experience managing house rentals (including public protection), he remembers the agreements and collaborations he has had with firms such as YourTECHÔ and First Hfocused on access to housing for vulnerable people. On its website the agency presume also from its office network, with more than 50 points spread throughout the country, and its portfolio of tens of thousands of properties. Why is it news? Because Rental Insurance not only stands out for its greater or lesser experience. Beyond the criticism that you have received from entities such as the Madrid Tenants Union, the OCU either FACUAthe company it was news recently for a proposed million-dollar fine. In December, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs imposed a fine of around 3.6 million euros on it for violating user rights and taking advantage of its position of strength in the market. At least in December, when the news brokethe resolution was not yet final and the company was advancing its intention to appeal. During the investigation he had already presented more than a dozen allegations. Questionable practices. In the file, advanced by Cadena SERdetailed practices that were at least controversial, such as forcing tenants to take out insurance, being responsible for charges for non-payments or claims or paying for a ‘Tenant Service Service’. Not only that. The file also details the obligation for the tenant to accept being included in a file of defaulters. Your practices already FACUA denounced them at the end of 2023. When SEPES launched its tender insisted in the profile of the company that is seeking to run the public affordable rental park: “Management will be carried out from social commitment and not only based on economic criteria. For this reason, one of the services that the successful bidder must provide consists of the prevention, detection and early attention of situations of risk of loss of housing.” Images | The Moncloa, Rental Insurance and FACUA In Xataka | The Great Rental Review is not going to be a joke for millions of Spaniards: more than 4,000 euros more per year

The Great Rental Review of 2026 is going to be dramatic for thousands of Spaniards for one reason: 1,700 euros more

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The usual thing around these times is that people start talking about New Year’s resolutionsprojects, trips… plans for 2026 that is already around the corner. That’s the usual. In Spain there are thousands of families who face the year with a very different feeling: restlessness. They are tenants, they have been residing in rented houses for years and now they see how their contracts are about to expire in a very different scenario to the one they had when they signed them, back in 2021. Things have changed so much that there are those who estimate that some tenants will have to pay up to 4,600 euros more per year if they don’t want to move. What has happened? For thousands of Spanish families, 2026 will not be the year of North America World Cup nor that of Eurovision without Spain. 2026 will be the year in which they will have to decide whether to move or agree to pay much more for their homes. The reason is a phenomenon that some have baptized as “the big rental review” and in practice it is nothing other than the expiration of the contracts signed between 2020 and 2021. After the five-year extension that marks the lawnow many tenants have to sit down and negotiate with their landlords. But that’s normal, right? Correct. Contracts signed from 2019 onwards last five years if the landlord is an individual or seven if it is a company. During this period they are renewed annually automatically and the normal thing is that the rents are updated in a controlled manner, based on the CPI or the IRAV index. That hasn’t changed. What is special about the rental contracts signed in 2020 and 2021 is that they were agreed in a very specific context, conditioned by the impact of the crisis of COVID-19. It comes with taking a look at the price chart of Madrid prepared by Idealista to understand it. After years of moderate rent increases (or stagnation), in mid-2020 rents began to become cheaper and did not recover until well into 2021, when they gained momentum that continues even today. What does that mean? That if you signed a rental contract in January, February, March… 2021, you did so at an advantageous time that has kept you ‘safe’ these last five years from the price increase that the market has accumulated. Now, once that agreement expiresif your landlord wants to renegotiate the contract, he will do so in a very different context, with rents in maximum values. Has rent become so expensive? Yes. Until now we could get an idea thanks to platforms like Idealista. Now we have a theoretically more precise tool: calculations from the Ministry of Social Rights and Consumption prepared from data from the INE, the Tax Agency and the IEF. The results has advanced them The Country and they show that contracts that must be renewed in 2026 will become more expensive by up to 383 euros per month compared to the time of the original signing, which translates into about 4,600 euros more per year. That would be the forecast for the most extreme cases (not the average), but it is eloquent. Is there more data? Yes. The estimates of advanced consumer The Country show an estimate of how much rents will rise per year for a household with a median income. For Spain as a whole, this calculation shows an increase of 1,735 euros. In the case of the Valencian Community it would reach 2,686, in the Canary Islands 2,267, in Madrid 2,042, in Cantabria 1,869 and in Andalusia 1,952. In the rest of the regions analyzed, the increase in median income ranges between 1,408 and 884-329 euros/year, the latter data corresponding to Ceuta and Melilla. And the calculation of 4,600 euros/year? It comes out of the heaviest estimate, the one that corresponds to the Balearic Islands. There the Consumption data show the increase in rent prices can exceed 4,615 euros per year. As a reference, Idealista indicates that in March 2021 the residential square meter was rented on the islands at 11.2 euros. Today it is above 19. If we take an 80 m2 apartment as a reference, that means that a tenant who five years ago paid 896 euros/month today would have to pay 1,528. That is, 632 more. When managing the advanced table by The Country It is worth keeping several keys in mind. To begin with, it does not include data from the Basque Country or Navarra due to their regional regimes. Nor from Catalonia, since one relevant part of the population resides in declared neighborhoods “stressed market areas”which influences their prices. The increase calculations also seem to have been carried out with respect to the values ​​at the signing of the contract (2021), which leaves the doubt as to whether they have taken into account the updates of recent years. Another fundamental factor is the context: the estimates are based on a portfolio managed by Sumar, which takes time pressuring its government partner to extend hundreds of thousands of rental contracts about to expire. Does it affect many people? The answer is once again positive. At least if we take Consumption as a reference. After examining the data from the Household Panel, Pablo Bustinduy’s department has come to the conclusion that in 2020, 568,500 contracts and in 2021 another 632,300. The first ones have been completing their five years of validity in recent months. The latter will begin to do so from January, affecting 1.6 million people. The communities that will (potentially) be most affected are Madrid, Catalonia, Andalusia and the Valencian Community. The first saw 145,900 contracts signed in 2021, affecting some 404,100 people. In Catalonia, 112,700 and 301,000 were recorded respectively, although there the tenants have the declaration of stressed areas in their favor. In Andalusia there are some 85,500 contracts with 213,700 affected tenants and in the Valencian Community there were 65,500 agreements with 155,000 people involved. Anything else? Yes. … Read more

the great rental renewal

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Among the many issues that keep us Spaniards up at night, there is one that usually repeats in the CIS surveys as the great national problem: housing. It has been like this in the last few months. And everything indicates that it will continue to be so (even more so if possible) in the months to come. At least that’s what a consumer report suggests. advanced by SER in which it is warned that Spain is about to see thousands of rental contracts expire, leases signed in the middle of the pandemic and that now face a market in the middle of climbing. The big question is… Is there a way to avoid it? Calendar Earrings. March 2025 was a month to remember. He friday the 14th Five years have passed since the declaration of the state of alarm due to Covid-19, which led many Spanish media to remember How those days of confinement and masks were experienced, what has changed since then and whether we are (or not) more prepared to face a health crisis. For many Spaniards, the fiftieth anniversary of the pandemic represented something else: the end of their rental contracts, leases that they signed in a time of uncertainty and expire now, with prices skyrocketing. Two dates, two scenarios. Although Idealista is not an official source, it is good to take a look at your price chart to understand what has changed in the rental market over the last five years. After several years of almost uninterrupted escalation, towards the summer of 2020 the price per m2 began to moderate and even became cheaper for several months. That ‘truce’ coincided with the worst of the pandemic. In mid-2022, prices rose again and since then their rise has been more pronounced, with an increase of almost 10% in the last year. As figures always say more than a long explanation, here are three taken from the national average of rents calculated by Idealista. According to its registry, in April 2020 the m2 was quoted at 10.7 euros, in December 2021 it had dropped to 10.3 and now it is already 14.6. If we talk about stressed markets like Madrid, the progression is even clearer: Between June 2020 and 2021, rents fell by 12.3% and since then they have risen by 59.4%. Why does 2020 matter so much? Simple. Because the law establishes that rental contracts last five years if the landlord is an individual or seven, if the ‘landlord’ is a legal entity. During this period, contracts are automatically extended annually and prices are usually updated based on the CPI or IRAV (if the agreements were signed from 2023 onwards). If we take into account that the majority of rental homes in Spain (85%) are in the hands of small owners, which means that the thousands of contracts signed between 2020 and 2021, in a declining pandemic market, are already expiring or about to do so. The problem is that now the scenario is very different from that of five years ago. So much so that some warn that affected tenants will suddenly find themselves at the mercy of skyrocketing prices. 30%. And that is worrying since many homes they are suffocated already for the income. Many figures, same reading. How many contracts are we talking about? How many leases are expiring or about to expire? Over the last few months, several estimates have circulated that do not always coincide, but do share a common denominator: they show that the expiration of lease contracts will affect a considerable number of households. In September Llogateres Union warned that in 2026 in Catalonia alone, 119,000 signed rental contracts would end in 2021, an estimate that, I remembereddoes not take into account those that may be subject to extension. More or less around the same dates, the Madrid Tenants Union spoke of the extinction of 500,000 rental contracts in just two years, which led him to warn of “the largest wave of renewals in a long time.” Probably the estimate that more has sounded It is however the one that use Add and the Minister of Consumption, Social Rights and Agenda 2030 has been in charge of emphasizing. Pablo Bustinduy has asked to the PSOE that they be extended automatically 300,000 contracts of rent that would be about to expire. Is there more data? Yes. The last one announced this week the SER chain, which on Thursday released an internal document from the Ministry of Social Rights that maintains that in 2020 568,538 rental contracts were signed, 632,369 in 2021 and 405,234 in 2022. The data is conclusive and shows the considerable number of households that could soon face a dilemma: stay in their apartments paying much higher rents or look for a new home. That does not mean that they should be interpreted as closed calculations. The figures (which do not include Euskadi or Navarra) may include contracts that have already been canceled or have a duration of more than five years. Another key factor is how many homes with contracts about to expire are located in areas that already have declared themselves stressedwhich implies certain restrictions on prices. Just one year ago the Catalan Generalitat pointed which was on its way to 271 municipalities with rent containment measures, although that does not mean that all its tenants benefit. Barcelona, ​​Bilbao or San Sebastian They have already been subject to the measure. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria either Santiago They have requested it. From agencies to politics. The topic is relevant enough (the report talks about a considerable number of potential victims) so that it has fully entered the political debate. To Sumar the answer is clear. The minority partner of the Government has been complaining for a long time that hundreds of thousands of rents about to expire be extended. The idea is simple: freeze your income three years (five in areas with stressed markets) to prevent the families who occupy those houses from ending up in … Read more

The secret to continuing to accumulate LEGO sets is not to keep them. This rental service helps you with that.

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Any adult LEGO fan have run into a similar problem. It is enormously enjoyable to set up the sets, but once finished comes the drama: where do we place it? The lack of space in modern homes or the impossibility of collecting several sets due to the space they occupy has led to the creation of a business especially aimed at those who do not want to give up building new sets, but do not need to keep them. Brick Borrow rents LEGO sets… which are then returned. How it works. Brick Borrow offers users the possibility of renting iconic sets by paying a fixed fee, always for an unlimited time. The amount of the fee determines what can be rented as follows: Mystery Set (9.99 euros): Brick Borrow chooses which set to send. Only one set per month. Builder (14.99 euros): The customer chooses what they want from the Brick Borrow catalogue. Unlimited loans every month. Only one set at a time. There is an annual version with a small discount. Master (24.99 euros): Like Buider, but with two sets per month. There are dozens of available setsin a catalog that is constantly growing, and as expected, we can find some of the most iconic: Mario Kart, the Shire from ‘The Lord of the Rings’, the Temple of the Golden Idol from Indiana Jones, Snow White’s cabin, the Creeper from ‘Minecraft’, the house from ‘Up!’, the ship from ‘Jaws’, a Concorde, Hogwarts, the Infinity Gauntlet, a bonsai, Sonic’s first level, Darth Vader’s helmet and a long etcetera… The wonderful world of AFOLs. This is a service clearly aimed at adult LEGO fans (or AFOL: Adult Fans Of LEGO), a typology that ranges from rigorous collectors to creative builders who see LEGO as a form of artistic expression, and who often value the building experience as much or more than the result. Rental introduces an interesting dimension for them: it democratizes access to complex or expensive sets that are sometimes inaccessible to a large part of the community. Aspects that a child does not appreciate, such as completism or playing with rare sets, are thus more accessible to this type of adult fans. To ride. It is more than proven therapeutic value of play in adults. But in addition, services like Brick Borrow (there are others, especially in the US: NetBricks, Brick Library, Blockria, Brickdrop, Lend A Brick, Chorley Bricks and many more) allow us to focus on an aspect of LEGO that sometimes goes unnoticed: building rather than enjoying the finished set. The activity of assembling blocks works as a mental escape and relaxation, similar to meditative or creative practices. The concentration on small pieces and the satisfaction of seeing a structure take shape generates a binding pleasure that transcends simple fun. The economics of access. There is a global trendlinked to a market increasingly dominated by subscriptions and temporary access to goods, for people looking for andxexperiences without the burden of storage or constant spending. Brick Borrow is not a unique experiment: we have seen it before on platforms that rent luxury clothing either technology. It implies a more responsible use of the product, promoting the so-called economy of access and reuse, repair, recycling and waste reduction, unlike the traditional linear model of “use and throw away”. The products and materials thus maintain their value for as long as possible, minimizing the environmental impact and promoting sustainable consumption. In Xataka | I worked for eight years in a sex shop. This is how the sector has changed and this is how it has changed me

Some old planes end in museums. These are auctioned from $ 25 for non -payment rental

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A plane is, above all, the reflection of human ingenuity. The history of aviation shows to what extent progress is relentless: models that just a few years ago seemed irreplaceable today they have no place in the skies. Each device runs a different destination. Some are restored and displayed As heritage pieces, others are dismantled to serve as a source of spare parts and many remain aligned in silent cemeteries where they expect a second chance. There, among rows of immobile fuselage, it is decided whether its future will be the scrap, an unexpected museum or project. In the county of Big Hornin Wyoming, United States, the history of forgotten airplanes has taken an unexpected course. Local authorities have put historical aircraft auction that remained stored in the Graybull airfield. The process does not arise from a cultural initiative or a preservation project, but from a litigation that faced the landlord with the county itself. After years of disputes and appeals, it was the Supreme Court of Wyoming who finally gave the green light for sale. A special auction for aviation lovers The aircraft that have come to auction are units built in the middle of World War II and during the Cold War, and As Paul Thur explained to Cowboy State Daily, They are not in a position to fly And they have very different degrees of deterioration: some remain complete, while others barely retain the fuselage. These are goods in different phases of scrapping, with pieces that have been extracted for decades to keep other devices in service. The origin of the auction dates back to a prolonged conflict with Harold Sheppard, lessee of the land where the planes were stored. For years he stopped paying the rent at Big Horn County and refused to withdraw the aircraft when required. In April 2021, local authorities imposed a storage tax worth $ 543,600, which began a legal battle. The case climbed to the Supreme Court of Wyoming, which in March resolved in favor of the county and allowed to have aircraft as their own assets. The sale is being carried out Through the Public Surplus portala website specialized in public auctions. In the listings, some aircraft start at $ 25 and it is noted that “As is” are deliveredwithout any guarantee. The buyer not only acquires the fuselage, but also what there is inside, from original instruments to scrap remains. The standard is clear: there will be no assistance for disassembly or transfer, and each winner must organize its own logistics and remove the aircraft within a maximum period of 90 days. The future of auctioned airplanes will depend largely on who acquires them. For many buyers, the main interest will be to disassemble and recover pieces with value in the spare parts market. However, there are precedents that show that they can also become surprising projects. In Indonesia, A Boeing 737 ended up being a luxury house In Bali, while in Oregon An individual installed a Boeing 727 in the middle of the forest and made him his residence. Examples that underline to what extent a plane can continue to tell stories even when it does not take off again. Exit prices start from 25 dollars, but logistics costs trigger the invoice. After winning the bid, each buyer must take care of the disassembly, load and transport of the aircraft. That implies going with specialized equipment, own tools and Enough laborin addition to hiring road transfer in oversized vehicles. To this are added circulation permits and storage expenses, which raise the invoice well above the initial price. In practice, acquiring one of these planes is a disbursement comparable to that of a large logistics project, rather than that of a simple collection curiosity. The old planes are part of the daily landscape in Graybull and their possible withdrawal has aroused comments between neighbors and visitors. Some fear that the airfield will lose one of its most unique features, a visible fuselage cemetery from the road. However, local authorities have clarified that the auction only affects one part of the collection: the other remains under control of B&G Industries, which maintains its maintenance and manufacturing activity. The identity of the place will not be completely erased, although it will inevitably be reduced. The auction will conclude on Friday, October 3 and, except surprise, most aircraft will end up dismantled, more valuable as pieces than as a whole. For Big Horn County, the result is double: recover part of the accumulated costs and reinforce the airport box With leftover funds. For buyers, on the other hand, the prize will be a cluster of historical remains that can be used for scrap, private collections or creative projects. In any case, it will be the last symbolic flight of aircraft that marked time. Images | Paul Thur/Public Surplus In Xataka | Airlines have invested millions in entertainment. Passengers use it to see an plane icon slowly movingAnn

Now what is growing is the rental of rooms

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Spain is experiencing a huge housing crisis for years for which no solution has been found at the moment. The autonomous communities and the central government are fighting with the problem in its own way, trying to eliminate tourist floors illegal while Pockets are filled. One of the big problems, if not the greatest, is the offer. Little is built, but Where there is more pricing up. Burned several stages of the crisis, the (antepen) last final boss is the growth of room rental. What’s happening. According to the last Idealist reportthe offer of rental rooms has grown 24% in the second quarter of 2025 compared to the same period of the previous year. At that time, prices have risen 5% on average throughout the territory, something that according to the real estate portal is a low figure that It is explained with the great growth of the offer. That is, if not grown so much, the price increase would be much higher. In 30 provincial capitals where we appreciate price increases, 19 have more demand than supply. In two out of three capitals where the price rises, the demand grows more than the supply, so there is a certain correlation and a message to the market: there is interest in more room rental. Why it is important. Because renting a room It costs the same as whole floors 10 years ago. In Madrid or Barcelona they already exceed 500 euros, and in Valencia, Málaga, Palma, Pamplona or San Sebastián, the 400 euros, and in several cases in a comfortable way. According to idealist data, the average cost of the rooms is already 420 euros. It is also relevant because the rental model per room is the most chosen by students and young people for their lowest price. The situation drowns them in a labor market where the Youth unemployment continues at record levels in the European Union and where Having a job no longer implies getting out of poverty. It is a figure similar to the one that the OCU establishes today as the monthly food spending of a couple. On the other hand, idealist experts establish in a 30% the maximum effort rate On the salary we should do when renting: the worrying thing is that the average price per room, which not for the complete house, already represents 32% of the minimum wage (Net, in 12 payments). Profitability as great explanation. The growing room rental trend has to do with the potential offered by the market for investors: A Fotocasa report At the end of 2024, the gross return of this rental modality was established by 9.3%, compared to 6.1% of a traditional three rooms and 80 square meters. In summary: a 34% higher profitability. The places where room offer grows most. The cities that have more fired figures are Ciudad Real (88%), Santa Cruz de Tenerife (76%), Ceuta (74%), Palma (71%) and Valencia (70%). On the other hand, the large markets also have very bulky figures: Malaga (45%), Bilbao (39%), Barcelona (30%), Madrid (19%), San Sebastián (15%) and Alicante (6%). A Contra highlights Seville, the only major market where the room offer has been reduced (5%). Córdoba (-26%), Logroño (-21%), Granada (-11%), Castellón de la Plana (-11%), Badajoz (-3%), Cádiz (-3%) and Oviedo (-2%). Where the price grows more. Barcelona is the city with the most expensive room rentals in Spain with 570 euros on average. They are followed by Madrid (527 euros), San Sebastián (475 euros), Palma (450 euros), Malaga and Pamplona (425 euros in both cases). However, where the price grows the price since last year is in Zamora (18%), followed by Segovia (16%), Palencia (15%), Jaén, Lugo and Ciudad Real (14%in the 3 cases). In Palma, Ceuta, Cáceres and Castellón de la Plana is where the cost for a room has fallen most. Image | Erwan Hesry in Unspash In Xataka | Spain will need to build more homes, but it has collided with a wall: there are no professionals to do them

A car rental company has fined a customer with 100 euros for smoking behind the wheel. The only problem is that he never did

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Should you smoke inside the car? The debate is a pédiagudo and has gained strength in Spain in recent weeks after the balloon was dropped that smoking could be prohibited from the wheel in our country. The reasons wielded range from the health of the rest of the passengers (especially if the driver travels with children) to the possible distractions that a cigarette can cause. But where Smoking is prohibited It is in rental cars or in shared car services. That is what a driver has discovered to whom a company the carsharing platform Thousandsvery widespread in Berlin, has punished with 100 euros of sanction because it ensures that it briefly smoked up to four times. However, the driver alleges that this is not possible. He says not only that he has not smoked in the car, he emphasizes that he is not even a smoker. A black box for smokers The story is brought by our German companions of Gamestar Tech. They explain that, as in Spain, neither in their carsharing vehicles is allowed to smoke. To control it, cars have a small smoke detector that launches a sound warning when it records that someone inside the vehicle is smoking. According to the company, this notice rang up to four times on a three -kilometer journey that lasted 10 minutes. The driver does recognize that the detector rang but defends himself by ensuring that he is not a smoker and that, of course, he did not smoked inside the car. In your article, Gamestar Tech It shows the activity peaks registered by the smoke detector in which the four, supposed, smoke snacks that the driver expelled. The sanction on the part of the company is 100 euros but the driver says he has no intention of paying it. To try to get rid of the fine, the sanctioned contacted thousands, the carsharing company, but these were limited to showing the report with the four peaks of activity. As in the case of defective AI When reviewing the damage to a rental car, we are facing the evidence that the driver and the company are in unequal positions because one has alleged activity records and the driver has no way to prove that it is A “non -smoker”. Although the case of this driver is the last one, it is not much less unique. In social networks You can read similar complaints of other drivers who have had problems with the service of Miles, ensuring that the detector began to whistle without having reasons for it. In all testimonies a sanction is mentioned by the company of 100 euros. Some even point out that they have charged this amount up to three occasions. In the case of thousands, the detector is designed by Bosch and it is common to find them in rental vehicles. In the Consumer Information Association Austrian highlights the case of a driver who lived a similar situation. This time with a rental car and an economic punishment that reached 300 euros. The Bosch system boasts to be able to discern if a person has smoked or simply has a smell of tobacco impregnated in clothes. Therefore, I should be able to discriminate if really The driver has given or not a draft to cigarette. In addition, they claim to use artificial intelligence to send a signal to the center that manages fleets when the detector has been activated to give notice and, thus, to be able to manage the car cleaning more quickly. Photo | Thousands Mobility and Hans Isaacson In Xataka | Smoking ends on the terraces and beaches: socially makes sense, scientifically not so much

He returned his rental car and found an extra bill of $ 400. The reason: the AI ​​hunted a tiny scratch

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During a trip, unforeseen events may arise. That is something relatively common, assumed and that must internalize anyone who considers making the bags to spend a few days away from home. Much less frequent is what happened to Patrick, a traveler who recently encountered a bill of More than 400 dollars When he returned his rental car at the Hertz branch of the International Airport Hartsfield-Jackson from Atlanta, in the US. The reason: A system with AI He analyzed the vehicle thoroughly and in just a few seconds he discovered that he had a scratch of several centimeters on a rear wheel. The story He has revealed it The Drive And more than one tourist who considers renting a car this vacation is probably removed. At least around Atlanta, in the US. Patrick recently, a client of Thriftya vehicle rental company linked to the international chain Hertz, found a surprise when he wanted to return the vehicle that had leased. Betrayed by algorithms The man did the usual one: he went to the company’s branch, delivered the vehicle (from the Volkswagen brand) and gave the procedure per setback. After a few minutes, however they told him that he had to pay a whopping $ 440. The reason? The company had identified a friction on the rear wheel on the driver’s side, a 2.5 cm scrape whose arrangement had to pay. Not just that. The company also broken down to him how he had calculated those $ 440. Of that amount almost half would be dedicated to repair. The rest corresponded to a series of expenses that made Patrick crawl the eyebrow. According to the company$ 125 responded to processing and 65 to administrative expenses. The man also found that the invoice came through a web application that contributed the damage test and allowed him to enjoy A small discountor as long as he paid at the same time. According to collect The Driveif it accepted the conditions and disbursed the money in 48 hours the company offered a bonus of 52 dollars. In case something else was delayed, but did not miss more than a week would be 32.5. The man chose not to pay. Moreover, when a few days ago He spoke with The Drive He had not yet paid the amount that the company claims for the wheel scrape. “Save 30 dollars to accept responsibility is not worth it,” says the driver, who after meeting the invoice first resorted to the Chatbot from Hertz (without too successful) and then sent an email to the company. So far the story is curious, but what makes the case of Patrick exceptional and has caught the media attention from other countries It is how the company detected the damage on the rear wheel of its Volkswagen. The merit was not of any operator or worker of the Branch of Atlanta International Airport especially diligent when examining the cars. No. The failure in the wheel was located by a New scanning system of cars that is based on AI. In April Hertz announced An alliance with Uveye, a firm specialized in the inspection of vehicles with AI, precisely to apply its technology in the US. “The camera systems with the Uveye and the algorithms of Machine Learning They allow automated inspections in real time of the body, the crystals, tires and low “, He claims Hertzwhich emphasizes that the new technology allows you to detect failures “with unprecedented speed and precision.” {“Videid”: “X91SZ26”, “Autoplay”: False, “Title”: “This is the perfect shipment of an airplane and no airline does it ❌✈️”, “Tag”: “Webedia-prod”, “Duration”: “567”} Already then The company advanced That the system would be released in Hartsfield-Jackson, although its objective is to expand it in not much time to the main US airfields. The company also claims that by “complementing” traditional exams with Uveye technology, it can guarantee its customers “more efficient and transparent reviews”, the latter nuance that He stressed These days a The Drive. The app that informed Patrick in fact included A photo of the scrape and another of the same part of the car just when he rented. The service, yes, does not seem free to leave. Hertz He explained That the so -called processing rate, which at least in the case of Patrick represents a sensitive part of the invoice, corresponds to “the cost of detecting and estimating damage during rent.” As for the administrative rate that includes the invoice, “it covers part of the costs incurred by Hertz by processing the claim.” Images | Uveye Via | Motorpasion In Xataka | Car rental: what is important to look before hiring (Function () {Window._js_modules = Window._js_modules || {}; var headelement = document.getelegsbytagname (‘head’) (0); if (_js_modules.instagram) {var instagramscript = Document.Createlement (‘script’); }}) (); – The news He returned his rental car and found an extra bill of $ 400. The reason: the AI ​​hunted a tiny scratch It was originally posted in Xataka by Carlos Prego .

reconditioned and rental products

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A decade ago it was Just an occasional exchange fair. Today, the repurchase and resale of sports material is one of the vertices that sustains the growth of Decathlon. The French chain has turned the circular economy into a commercial argumenta magnet of young customers in a country eager to Chollos in reconditioned And, above all, a visible profitability lever in its global accounts and – with special intensity – in the Spanish market. In 2013 the first ‘took placeTrocathlon‘In Spain, the first semiannual fair that had been celebrating in France from the eighties. It was the germ of the current strategy with a name that today sounds like archeology. Five years later, Decathlon was called occasion and its frequency was increased before moving on to the current nomenclature, ‘Second life‘. The project was formalized with donation, recycling and sale of returned products. Having had three different names in the last decade is more than evolution of sheet and paint: it is the passage of a specific and little transcendent event for the annual balance to a permanent service that already lives with the linear of novelties. And that weighs more and more in Excel. Not that Decathlon is alone here. IKEA has its ‘Preowned’ program, Patagonia launched ‘Worn Wear’ almost a decade ago. It is part of a trend in which the Zeitgeist which proclaims the green and sustainable helps to underpin the results account. Circular turn figures According to him 2024 results reportthe number of second -hand items reached 1.35 million units. It is not just a volume record: that implies that each of these products has generated a second life cycle with minimal marginal costs against the production of a new item. There are also the three million repairs made. There are two twin levers: operational capacity (1,730 workshops) and loyalty. Repair consolidated customer confidence, because the guarantee is prolonged and the perception of durability is reinforced, and incidentally, nourishes the information group on recurring failures or use patterns that can be reversed in design improvements for the following designs. In addition, almost half of the offer (48.5%) is born with criteria of “ecodesign”, ten points more than in 2023. That is: The circle does not begin in the after -sales, but in the design. Easy to disassemble, standardized parts, transparent repair manuals … All that lowers reconditioning and prepares the land for rental models and, of course, subscription. Even, as has happened in consumer technologyanticipates European regulations that will make that “ecodesign” a legal requirement. In the rental market, Decathlon has a 50%share, the same as in Spain. It is an example of how circularity convinces different audiences. In southern Europe there are many occasional practice athletes: The Holy Week skier. The summer cyclist. He camper of the August bridge. Etc. The type of user who sees the “payment per use” as a way to test, rotate and update your equipment Without having to make a great payment (bargain country) or have to store bulky objects (floor of the floor). This is another mine for the cross sale of accessories, insurance, maintenance services … Spain, outstanding laboratory Spain has a highly digitized type of consumer (be complex) and very familiar with the resale. Wallapop and Vinned are religion. In addition, the second -hand bike market has also raided the psychological land. Decathlon has capitalized this habit with Its 70 circular spaces inaugurated in the last two years: large areas in its large format stores that They exhibit reconditioned without sibling them, without removing dignity in front of the new ones. Its placement, by the way, is strategic, near autophagous boxes and counters. The perfect place for last -minute impulsive purchase. Second life space dedicated to cycling with the promotional image of Pedri. Image: Decathlon. Spain is also a good country for reverse logistics for its geography and connections. Makes easy to redistribute Stock to coastal or mountain stores depending on the station. To that we must add the Tarbes factory, south of France, specialized in reconditioning bikes. However, the album has a face B. or three: Delicate appraisal. The balance between what the seller receives and the margin that the retailer needs is unstable. Paying too much erodes the benefit and paying less brakes the product flow. Decathlon Test Algorithms of Pricing Dynamic that weigh local demand, seniority, aesthetic state and seasonality – a road bike is worth more in April than in October. It risks arbitrariness perceptions, something that reduces trust. Capacity of your workshops. The three million repairs are a force exhibition, but also a possible bottleneck. The workshops are concentrated by type of product (cycling, mountain), but other emerging sports such as paddle points require different pieces and skills. The specialized technician is key. Forming and retaining that profile will be key. Inverse logistics and data. Each extra kilometer in the collection of used product can neutralize a part of the savings in CO2 that Everyone proclaims in marketing. Hence the commitment to hubs urban. But the waterfall in the form of a breakdown, average time to the second sale or residual price is analytical gold … that the GDPR Maybe it does not allow you to squeeze as much as the company would like. And there can be no reputational stumble in privacy. Thinking about 2026 That Decathlon has uploaded ten points the “ecodesign” quota in its catalog lets intuit that within a year there will be another climb so important or more. AND That will require redesign entire families of product. Not only changing materials for others Ecofriendlybut modularizing components, normalizing the screws, publishing open repair guides. That will presumably raise the costs. It is the toll. Decathlon is also resorting to AI, according to his CIO in an interview with The Spanishto experiment with the Pricing or estimate the residual value, but the next step is to integrate external data (such as trends in Google) to anticipate, for example, the depreciation of a scooter depending on the weather, its … Read more

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