Other Tourist Scams in Kona

Rental Car Pre-Existing Damage Fraud

Multiple documented cases at Kona International Airport (KOA) involve rental car agents charging tourists for damage that was pre-existing or fabricated. In documented TripAdvisor and FlyerTalk reports, agents at Budget, Sixt, and Avis have presented invoices days or weeks after return — citing photos allegedly taken at pickup — for damage the customer never caused. One documented case involved a $450 charge for "excess interior sand" from a beach visit; another resulted in a nearly $1,000 invoice that was only dropped after a BBB complaint.