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If a scratch might matter later, the best time to record it is before the handover."}],["$","div",null,{"className":"article-meta","children":[["$","span",null,{"children":"5 min"}],["$","span",null,{"children":"August 25, 2026"}]]}],null]}],["$","aside",null,{"className":"article-cta article-cta--top","children":[["$","h2",null,{"children":"Document it now, before the discussion starts"}],["$","p",null,{"children":"A thirty-second photo session in HandProof, sealed with an eIDAS-qualified time stamp from Sectigo, is far more useful than trying to reconstruct the situation months later."}],["$","$L13",null,{"href":"/en/beta","className":"button button-primary","eventName":"article_top_cta_click","eventPayload":{"articleSlug":"prove-pre-existing-damage"},"children":"Document the condition before pickup"}]]}],"$L14","$L15","$L16"]}],"$L17"]}] 19:I[45,["884","static/chunks/884-c89063cdf080f8cb.js","538","static/chunks/538-13b6d825e2e30770.js","915","static/chunks/app/en/blog/%5Bslug%5D/page-90e066ccb5656b41.js"],"default"] 14:["$","div",null,{"className":"article-page__body","children":[["$","section","Three layers of the same photo",{"className":"article-section","children":[["$","h2",null,{"children":"Three layers of the same photo"}],[["$","p","Don't start with a close-up. First take a photo showing the whole object or the surrounding area — for a car, that might mean the entire side of the vehicle; for an apartment, the whole wall or floor. This establishes location.",{"children":"Don't start with a close-up. First take a photo showing the whole object or the surrounding area — for a car, that might mean the entire side of the vehicle; for an apartment, the whole wall or floor. This establishes location."}],["$","p","Then move closer — the scratch should be visible, but there should still be enough surrounding detail to show where it is. Finally, photograph the scratch clearly up close, avoiding digital zoom if it reduces image quality.",{"children":"Then move closer — the scratch should be visible, but there should still be enough surrounding detail to show where it is. Finally, photograph the scratch clearly up close, avoiding digital zoom if it reduces image quality."}]],null]}],["$","section","Add an identifying feature nearby",{"className":"article-section","children":[["$","h2",null,{"children":"Add an identifying feature nearby"}],[["$","p","Useful context might include:",{"children":"Useful context might include:"}]],["$","ul",null,{"children":[["$","li","a vehicle number plate",{"children":"a vehicle number plate"}],["$","li","distinctive furniture",{"children":"distinctive furniture"}],["$","li","the room layout",{"children":"the room layout"}],["$","li","a door frame",{"children":"a door frame"}],["$","li","a wheel",{"children":"a wheel"}],["$","li","a window",{"children":"a window"}],["$","li","an appliance",{"children":"an appliance"}]]}]]}],["$","section","Document it before you take possession",{"className":"article-section","children":[["$","h2",null,{"children":"Document it before you take possession"}],[["$","p","The order matters: receive access, inspect, document existing defects, report them if necessary, then start using the property or item. 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That creates another record showing you identified the issue early."}]],null]}],["$","section","Keep the originals and repeat the photo at return",{"className":"article-section","children":[["$","h2",null,{"children":"Keep the originals and repeat the photo at return"}],[["$","p","Don't keep only screenshots — preserve the original files, even if you also create annotated copies. At the end of the rental or handover period, photograph the same area again, ideally at the same angle — a before-and-after comparison usually makes the situation much easier to understand.",{"children":"Don't keep only screenshots — preserve the original files, even if you also create annotated copies. 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