Car rental "handling fee" ?

[MAJPLO]

Okay so we rented a car and got a parking ticket. It was $58 and we had parked for probably about ten minutes while checking in to our hotel. Oops. Lesson learned: excited about a weekend away from our kids and confused about the odd hotel set up (on a corner with two parking entrances neither or which is a typical hotel "carriage" driveway) is no excuse not to pay attention to the street parking signs and meters. Even though said signage was obscured by overgrown trees. Whatever. I'm from that area, so no reason I shouldn't have known better. Anyway, we paid the parking ticket as soon as we got home from our trip. Then a month or so later we got a bill from the rental car company charging us a "handling fee" because of the ticket. What exactly did they "handle" and does anyone have experience with this? I'm wondering what my chances are of getting the charge reversed.

 

[annsteere]

Years ago I got dinged for not having correct change exiting the Orlando toll road. (Lesson learned).

Rental car charged me a bundle. They said it was because they had to help the state of FL track down who had rented the car.

Since I turned myself in to FL immediately, I wasn't impressed with how much work the rental car company had to do to "find" me--press about 20 keyboard clicks and confirm what FL already knew. They charged me more for that 60 seconds of work than the ticket.

I get that they might have to confirm who they'd rented the car to, but the price per minute for their effort seemed like a racket.

 

[luvmy3]

I doubt you'll get it reversed only because there was probably some kind of fine print in the rental agreement. Do you have a copy of it, if so read through if there is nothing in there definitely see what they can do.

 

[MAJPLO]

Years ago I got dinged for not having correct change exiting the Orlando toll road. (Lesson learned).

Rental car charged me a bundle. They said it was because they had to help the state of FL track down who had rented the car.

Since I turned myself in to FL immediately, I wasn't impressed with how much work the rental car company had to do to "find" me--press about 20 keyboard clicks and confirm what FL already knew. They charged me more for that 60 seconds of work than the ticket.

I get that they might have to confirm who they'd rented the car to, but the price per minute for their effort seemed like a racket.

We paid the ticket probably before they even received any paperwork from the city saying we got the ticket in the first place. I get that there would be some legitimate paperwork involved if we had tried to skip out on paying the ticket, but seriously. This makes it an $88 ticket! Grrrrrr

 

[MAJPLO]

I doubt you'll get it reversed only because there was probably some kind of fine print in the rental agreement. Do you have a copy of it, if so read through if there is nothing in there definitely see what they can do.

I'm sure there is something in there because the notice they sent referred to our rental contract. It's one of those stupid mistakes we seem to keep paying for.

 

[luvmy3]

I'm sure there is something in there because the notice they sent referred to our rental contract. It's one of those stupid mistakes we seem to keep paying for.

BTDT, I never read those agreements.

 

[MAJPLO]

BTDT, I never read those agreements.

Lol. I know! Who does?!?! We should, but....

 

[ZehnJahren]

I've read the agreements - which drives them nuts because it takes a long time and they're just standing there rolling their eyes at me - but I really don't sign without reading (same with all the forms at the doctor's or hospital, or on the internet when you have to "click here for terms and conditions" - I read those too ).

In both Budget and Avis agreements, there is a clause that adds additional fees on if you get a ticket of any kind. I don't know if it was called a handling fee or not, but it's definitely there - I remember one of them being upwards of $40. I remember remarking on it to myself as I was going through.

 

[My3Princez]

Recently my DH got a ticket while driving a rental car in another country. It was a camera ticket, so no officer, no paper on the car, etc. The rental company billed us ~$20 for giving the police the name and address of the driver (my DH).