Car Rental Damage..Now I got a Bill!!! UPDATE Post 24

[rgf207]

It will be alright .Just think it does take your mind off your wedding.

I think they do this because a high percentage of people will just pay and it's a revenue generator.Many people are denying coverage and that made them lots of money .So they will do this and everyone will start paying for the coverage again.

Thanks for your help. If they decide to mess with me, they have messed with the wrong person. I have great DISers to help me. I appreciate your help. I will update when I get more info.

Thanks

 

[Imzadi]

This happened to a friend years ago. He rented without getting the car rental's insurance. He returned the car & they found someone had rear ended him in a parking lot. For a few tiny scratches, they charged him $1200. He was sooo upset. He called everybody who could have seen what happened & eventually made a big announcement in class. He was practically crying. He did not have that kind of money.

Some young, spoiled 19 yr old kid, whose grandma bought him a Lexus SUV, routinely backs up without bothering to look out the rear to see if anything is there, spoke up & said it was probably him. He thinks probably because he didn't even bother to get out & take a look at what he hit.

I say routinely because a couple of months later, he backed into MY car too! He hit it with such force, I was across the parking lot talking to someone & saw my car rock back & forth. I ran over as he was about to drive away. Luckily I had no damage.

At least, he had the ethics to speak up & pay for the bill for my friend's rental car - or at least his Grandma paid.

After that, I ALWAYS get the rental insurance: full physical coverage. Here in NY state, I can literally total a whole car (not that I would,) and walk away owing nothing. For something like $24 for the rental insurance it is well worth it versus hundreds of dollars they would charge me, the CC company; or if my own insurance would cover it - but then increase my rate after the "accident", as the scratches would be reported as such. Again, the rate increase would be more than $24. Been there, done that, when a truck sideswiped my rental & I didn't have full coverage.

OP, sorry you are going through this. I feel your pain & frustration.

 

[Mskanga]

That happened to me once from Avis and you know what saved me? That I had demanded an employee to inspect the car for damages before I pulled out of the parking lot and he signed about a dent in the car prior to me driving it. When I got home a month later I got a call and a letter about the damage , when I sent them a copy of the agreement signed by the employee , that's the last time I heard from them.
ALWAYS check the car before you drive it , and have it inspected by one of their employees. Good luck.

 

[rgf207]

Update.
I spoke to the people who sent the bill. I asked them for a detailed copy of the bill and pictures to show the repair. They stated that they could not provide pictures of the repair. They did fax me a copy of an ESTIMATE, not a bill. They also faxed me copies of pictures of the damage. The one picture showed a large gouge which was completely rusted out. I remeber seeing this and the rust was a brown color and felt like heavy rust. The estimate was completed 2 hours after I dropped off the car (noted the time on the estimate slip). I had the car for exactly 38 hours. There is no way that, in that time frame, I could have gouged the car and it could have completely rusted out. I printed out copies of the weather for L.A on those days and it was completely sunny and no rain. Plus my car was in a parking garage. I told them that I am referring this to my Lawyer and he will be contacting them.

 

[pkrimier]

About 2 months ago I was in L.A for business. I rented a car from Thrifty. When I returned the car, they said I damaged it. Now I did not damage it. There was a couple scratches on the bumper that I know I didn't do but they insisted that I did. Even so, these were run of the mill, city parking scratches that would happen no matter what.

Yesterday I get a bill from a place called JNR Adjustment Company for 450.00. This is insane. There is no way this cost that much. What should I do. I'm worried becuase first this place is a Collection Agency which screams Black mark on my credit. This is the first I have heard of this bill. I wasn't sent anything before so I dont know why a collection agency. I have perfect credit and I want to keep it that way. What can I do to assure that my credit will not be harmed and to disput this 450.00 bill

THanks

My husband and I always walk around a rental car(before we take it) and if we see any damage we get someone to come out and look at said damage and note it so we would not be charged for it.
We also always take out their insurance because out insurance would not pay for lack of use had we been in an accident and the car was in the shop for x amount of days.
Alot of people do not realize that the rental agencies can charge you for all the time the car is not able to be rented....that could add up to thousands.
Your auto insurance does not pay for that.

 

[Imzadi]

OP, you might also try telling them you want to bring someone in who will take the car in to do you own estimate & repair the car - "if" indeed you did do the damage. Then the matter should be settled. That worked for me when the truck sideswiped my rental & left.

They of course made a lot of noise that I couldn't get my own estimate & fix it, since it's the MONEY they want & a lot of it. After I made a lot of noise about also contacting the Attorney General of their state & whatever State office governs the Auto Insurance in that state for car rentals, they finally gave up & said the amount of "coverage" I had bought was enough after all.

 

[LindaR]

Ok, here's how this works. A couple of years ago, my boss was in Hawaii (he travels ALOT and works from a boat he kept docked in Hawaii). He always rented a car to run errands, never checked the car beforehand, and always charged it to his AMEX. About four months after a particular rental, I received a bill for damages. Called the boss (who was in Mexico at this time) and he stated that he never had any kind of accident. Called AMEX and THEY said that the claim goes thru your car insurance first and anything the insurance does not pay will be paid by AMEX. Requested copies of photos, estimates for repair, etc. The car rental company admitted that they would not be actually getting the car fixed (they would lose money taking it out of commission to fix it) but that they had a signed contract and by law, had every right to charge him for the damage. It is the responsibility of the RENTER to walk around and check for damage and have it noted on the rental contract BEFORE signing it. Most people are too lazy to do this....and that is what the rental companies count on. In reality, they could charge my boss for damages, not fix them, and continue to charge folks for the same damage that rent afterwards.
I got this issue resolved to our favor. I used his reputation (he is well known), his rental history with this company, and just old fashioned business sense to have them drop the claim (and send a letter stating such). I made it clear that he would no longer rent from their company if they persued the claim. In an effort to keep his business (believe me, it was alot of business...) they did drop the claim.
I have also NEVER rented a car for him from this company again! This was a huge, HUGE hassle. Beware.

 

[POB14]

I hate rental car companies. I've only rented a car once, because it came "free" with a travel package, and the hard sell for the CDW was unbelievable. Basically, he was telling me that if I didn't buy the CDW that they would pull a scam like this and I'd get stuck.

Just checked Alamo's website, more or less at random: CDW costs $10.50 per day for a car that costs $26 per day. Anybody like paying $3832.50 per year for car insurance? (Yes, I know, it's not insurance. I think of it that way, though.)

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

We had damage to our van last year from a hit and run. If they opted to repair the bumper--typically...bumpers, unless painted--have to be replaced. So it is possible for it to cost that much. I do know--that while a car is being repaired..they can bill you for loss of use--so perhaps the lost rental days while the bumper was being repaired/replaced is included in that figure.

ETA: My bumper had been punctured and from what you say yours was a gouge--so it is possible that if repaired..the whole bumper would have to be replaced. Though your update with the rust/weather report and attorney--ohhh...that is sooo good! Hope it all works out for you.


I had a medical bill that was sent directly to collections once. Your only option at that point is to pay. I had to pay mine--but i was able to add a note on my credit statement saying that this was the first notification i had received.

Hubby's company pays for all the extra insurance--and good thing to. He's been in DC since October---and holy cow...the stress of a rental in that city is enough without worrying about every little thing.

The other thing you can do is check yoru auto insurance and see if it covers rental cars.

As far as disputing the bill. The collections agency can make notations on teh file--but once with a collection agency...the black marking has typically already begun. Constant phone contact and updating your status in their records is important.

 

[rgf207]

A small update. I informed the collection agency that I forwarded everything to my lawyer. My lawyer laughed when I told them they were trying to charge me for a rusted out gouge when I only had the car for 38 hours. Most likely what I think will happen is that my lawyer calls them and demands a new estimate. The rental car company, instead of going through the hassle, will just drop this and move onto trying to scam the next person.

I guess thrifty doesn't realize that I rent cars for average of about 150 days per year. They have just lost a customer.

I will update when I get more info

 

[tmt martins]

I guess thrifty doesn't realize that I rent cars for average of about 150 days per year. They have just lost a customer.

I will update when I get more info

What would be sadder for Thrifty is if you stayed a customer ,took out their full coverage and started driving your rentals into trees .Or even into another thrifty rental as you pull into the lot.

 

[RUDisney]

This is a fascinating thread. I know... not for the OP, but if you look at it like you've taught the naive a lesson, hopefully it will make you feel better.

I'll look forward to hearing that they backed off after hearing from your attorney.

 

[horseshowmom]

I guess thrifty doesn't realize that I rent cars for average of about 150 days per year. They have just lost a customer.

They may not realize it now, but I'd sure send a letter to the President of the company (and anybody else you want to send a copy to) and make sure that they find out.

 

[CapeCodTenor]

I'm glad this came up because I'm renting a car for just over a week in May from Thrifty. I guess I'll be walking around the car and looking for scratches and dents. I might even have an employee walk around with me and sign off on it.

 

[Imzadi]

You might write a letter to one of the L.A. TV stations that does segments on helping people who've been scammed & then get the money back for them by shaming the compaies on air. This case is so obvious, if the picture shows rust already, the TV station might want to help so they can air it to alert other potential customers to buy the full coverage insurance.

 

[momrek06]

You know I have heard of this before...where consumers get ripped off AFTER they have left the state they are visiting and renting a car from...only to get a BILL for some damage...WHATTTT!!!

DH & I rented TWO cars while vacationing in Tampa and Orlando between Jan22 and Feb10, 2006!! BOTH times we rented with ALAMO. Both times as we were picking up the car and exiting the garage we INSISTED that the Alamo employees look at the car with us....GUESS WHAT...they said naaa, we don't need to, all the while I am telling them whether they want to know it or not that I spotted a few "minor" scratches and scrapes....???
ALAMO DID NOT SEEM TO CARE AT ALL. When we returned the car, they toook it right from us and that was that...????