Rental Car Damage

[psycoticclown]

So as some of you know, my car was hit in January. While it was being repaired, I got a rental car from Enterprise. When I returned it a month ago, they told me theres a tiny little dent on the roof of the car... yes the fucking roof, they said it was almost like somebody ran on the roof or something. So they said they will get it repaired. I was pretty pissed and I told them it might have been there before and it was actually so small that I didn't see it until the guy pointed it out. And even than, it was so minor that it was almost impossible to see even knowing where the dent is. Anyways, Enterprise told me that I would be contacted by their damage claims department and that I could talk to them since there was nothing the store could really do.

So I was expecting to be called in a few weeks, no calls so the matter was pretty much out of my head now. All of a sudden, I get a letter telling me that I owe them $527.99... $425 in damages, $75 in "admin. fees" and $27.99 in loss of use... WTF. I never really agreed to the damages was told I could dispute it with their claims department and than all of a sudden I get it billed instead? And if I don't pay it, they automatically charge my credit card.

Do I have a basis for disputing this? Is there anything I could do with the CC company such as disputing the payment with them?

[Isaiah]

Absolutely you should dispute it with your CC company. They will reverse the charges after they are applied.

[JTC180]

Originally posted by Isaiah
Absolutely you should dispute it with your CC company. They will reverse the charges after they are applied.

[bourge73]

I used to work there a long time ago, if you took their damage protection your ok, if not refuse to pay and there is nothing they can do. Really if it comes down to it and you get legal, did they really inspect the car 100% BEFORE they rented to you? the answer is always no because when they wash and clean the car and you go over it with the sales rep.before you rent it ,it is impossible to catch every single flaw and whether it was from you or the previous renter.....dispute and you are fine.

[psycoticclown]

^^Well yeah, that's what I was thinking. We did a quick walkaround and as a customer, you kind of assume theres no bigass dents or anything. And obviously I wouldn't check the roof, and even if I did, I wouldn't be able to see it anyways.

And I didn't pay damage protection because the other parties insurance company was paying for the rental and I had it for over a month, the total damage protection cost would be ~1100.

[psycoticclown]

Any other advice?

[RX_EVOLV]

wow $530 sounds expensive

Last time we rented a car from enterprise at the car got hit and run in the parking lot. Big scratches across the corner of the front bumper, showing the bare plastic underneath!! I assume if nothing else they would have to re-spray that whole section of the bumper. The damage was 'only' ~$340 or something

[DonJuan]

I used to work at Hertz. They used to be serious about the pre-rental damage inspection. They use a form that the customer signs to ensure that the car is in that condition when they get it. All we used to charge ever charge for was chips/cracks in the windshield and when the car was involved in an actual accident. Otherwise we didn't give a shit.

Enterprise was always a bunch of pro company by the book, douches that took things way to seriously. Please clarify though as to when the dent was discovered. Was it as soon as you returned the car, before you got the reciept? Or was it a phone call later saying that the car was damaged?

If it was the phone call after the fact the your're in the clear all you have to say is that you returned the car without the dent on the roof and the damage must have happened after you returned it. If it was noticed before you recieved a reciept and they made you sign off on the damage then you may be held responsible to whatever extent they want to escalate it to; all the way up to court if they want. It all depends on the wording of the TERMS and CONDITIONS of rental (Have a look through it now, if you havn't already) and also read all the fine print of everything you signed off on.

Hope this helps. Keep us updated.

[psycoticclown]

I don't have the papers on me as I'm at school studying, however the damage was noticed when I returned the car. They made me sign off on the damage by saying there's nothing they can do right than and there and that if I wanted to dispute it, I'd have to talk to their damage department which was supposed to call me but didn't. They said basically what I'm signing off is that there was damage noticed. So I signed off on it cause there was really nothing I could do at the time and I've never rented a car and didn't know the proper procedure to dealing with this situation.

The guy told me that I would be contacted within a week and that they would go over what my options are and everything, obviously they didn't and I guess what they meant by options is just paying it.

And yea, $530 is ridiculous considering how much "damage" there was... literally roof slightly slightly... dimpled. It's hard to describe, not even really a dent, more as in the roof line was off by literally 3mm...

How often do rental companies go to court? If I do have to pay for it, is it possible to argue and get the Admin fee and loss of use fee waived? Technically, with the loss of use fee, don't they have to document that they 100% would have loss a sale, as in there was no other car but that one in it's rental class that could be rented out and it was in the shop, thus losing them a sale? Cause how I see it right now, it's just basically time that the car is away from the lot, I'm charged with, irregardless if the car was actually going to be used or just sitting on the lot anyways.

Fucking rental companies though ugh.

[kamakurakid]

Car rental companies ought to have a condom stapled to the contract, really they got you by the nuts. The best car rental video ever:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sa_AhS7o_G4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sa_AhS7o_G4

[RX_EVOLV]

if nothing else, you should be able to dispute the cost of the damage and get a 3rd party to give an estimate

[2BLUE]

You won't beable to dispute it. The walk around is used for this reason. You signed and any damages after signing is your responsability. Also if you put a stop payment on the CC they'll just send collections after you. Maybe call and see if you can get the amount lowered but gone will never happen.

[hampstor]

Dispute it - you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

I think PDR shops can pull that kind of damage out. If however they can't, in order to access the underside to gain access, you have to pull the headliner out. Many new cars (ie: that rental), you have to remove the rear window to get the headliner out - lots of new headliners are molded and can not bend thru doors. Just something to think about next time you think a 'small' dent is easy to repair :thumbsup:

[em2ab]

Doesn't your insurance company cover you for rental cars? Have them pay for it.

[psycoticclown]

They cover it, but wouldn't I have to pay my deductible first? I think they treat it like a vandalism? Correct me if I'm wrong.

And the estimate is from a PDR company. Only says $425, no parts quote (shouldn't be), no hours quote, etc. They coulda just pulled that number outta their asses for all I know.

[bignerd]

Yeah I hate that bs, I always rent a car in Toronto at the airport and usually get in at night. They have you pick your car up in the parkade and just toss you the keys, go to spot 15 or whatever. The parkade is very poorly lit and it is hard to see things like dents and scrapes etc. etc. Your in a hurry to leave and it would be easy to miss stuff like that. Of course they go over the car with a fine tooth comb when you bring it back.

[em2ab]

Originally posted by psycoticclown
They cover it, but wouldn't I have to pay my deductible first? I think they treat it like a vandalism? Correct me if I'm wrong.

And the estimate is from a PDR company. Only says $425, no parts quote (shouldn't be), no hours quote, etc. They coulda just pulled that number outta their asses for all I know.
That's weird. It's kind of your responsibility though to make sure you have documentation from them of their acknowledgement of all the damages. I've had a few rentals and always check over the damage sheet before going anywhere. Pretty crazy that they actually complained about that though.

[psycoticclown]

Yeah... the damage is actually so minor, if I took pictures, I guarantee nobody would be able to spot it. It literally is 3-4mm lower on one side than the other, like small dimple, not even a dent. Even after they pointed it out, it was almost impossible to see, I mean it was more the fact that the guy was telling me it was there than me seeing it.

[berbatov]

Originally posted by em2ab
Doesn't your insurance company cover you for rental cars? Have them pay for it.
Only if he pays the deductible

[71car]

Go fight that claim. To me that's silly when it comes to having a tiny dent on the roof. I used to rent a car on my vacation trips, and when it comes to inspect before I get the keys. While the rental guy check over, I also check myself as well - to point out EVERY dent, scratch or ding. One time, one rental guy asked me why I made a big fuss over a plain rental car,

I tell him, "I don't trust your eyes"

In reality, I never trust ALL rental businesses - gotta watch out and read all the fine print.

[bignerd]

At what point would some of that stuff fall under normal wear and tear? Like door dings and what not are sort of expected, chips in windshields etc...

[psycoticclown]

I could understand catching door dings and scratches... but how do you know if theres damage on the fucking roof. Nobody checks that anyways.

[Stealth22]

Note to self...next time I have a rental vehicle, before even pulling it out a few feet to fit luggage in, check it over with a fine-toothed comb! :nut:

[rm777]

Originally posted by Stealth22
Note to self...next time I have a rental vehicle, before even pulling it out a few feet to fit luggage in, check it over with a fine-toothed comb! :nut:

I rent cars all the time. If there is damage to the car when you return it, but the damage was not caused by you, DO NOT SIGN OFF ON IT! You will be held liable once you sign off, particularly if the agent was clear in describing what you are signing.

In reality, I spend five to ten minutes when I first rent a car. It usually pisses off the agent, but FUCK them! By signing the inspection report, they are holding me fully responsible for any damage incurred during my rental period. Therefore, ALWAYS take the extra time to inspect the car before you rent it, especially bumpers, glass, and the interior. I even check under the floormats.