Anyone fought bogus rental car charges?

[Scruffy]

True story: ( this happened sometime in the 1980's )

My late wife and I rented a car on Nantucket Island for a week vacation there. It turned out to be cheaper to leave my own car at the mainland ferry lot and rent on the Island, than to bring our own car over--or some such nonsense, that was a long time ago.

There are no big name car rental operations on the island. These are local small businesses. I had been use to dealing with Hertz for business and naively thought all operations were similar. I hadn't bothered to look the car over during the rental process. I was careful with the car, it's just my nature; I'm not one to abuse a rental just because I can. When I returned the car after the week They focused on a scuff mark in the middle of the hood and started quoting me damage in excess of hundreds of $$$ to have the hood painted. I had no idea if that scuff mark was there when I picked up the car or not, it was really a very small mark. My issue was the paint was not even damaged and they wanted me to pay for a complete paint job on the hood.

Well they picked on the wrong fool. Little did they know, I had worked my way through college working at my uncle's autobody shop. I had not only painted many cars and trucks, I had completely rebuilt many cars frame up. We did classic car restorations as well as wrecks.

I told them they were off their rocker and that tiny scuff mark could be buffed out completely. I asked if they had any rubbing compound. No, of course not ( I'm sure they did). Then asked where the nearest autoparts was and told them I'll be back to take care of the scuff mark. If I can't get it to completely disappear, then they can charge me. Called a cab, got the compound. Returned and buffed it out in less than 1 minute. I think the cab ride was cheap, less then $10 at the time.

 

[mdf]

I don't know about you, but I've never had an agent walk me out to the car for inspection. You usually get the keys at the counter and they tell you what stall # it's in. I usually only rent with Hertz for business reasons, even on vacation. I suppose you could insist, but at a busy airport, you might be waiting a long while to take the car.

If there is preexisting damage, the rental paperwork is supposed to come with an attachement -- an outline of a car with x's, dated and initialed by a worker. It is pretty rare that they do, though. If you notice something on the car, you tell them at the exit booth and they fill out a slip, give you one copy, and file the other. I've wondered if there is a black market in those forms.

Over many years, I have had two rentals with minor un-noticed damage. In both cases a friendly but incredulous attitude got me off. The cynic in me thinks they may just roll them over and stick the next customer.
One had scratches on the roof -- I said it was dark and I don't generally look at the top of cars, so how would I know if it was there previously?
The other one had a slightly pushed in headlight. That one I had inspected, but missed it. I had to look really closely to see it, even after it was pointed out.

I'm disspointed to hear Avis is pulling this garbage. I've justified paying a little more to avoid these scams, since I associate them with the bargain brands.

 

[fatbob]

I always get damage marked up even if I have to find something quite hard. Italian rental operations are notorious and given narrow roads and proximity of stone buildings. But the cleaning charge is a new scam to me and in the past in the US I've been told not to bother bussing my garbage in a bag in the trunk because they'll clear it.

But yeah if I'd rented from Payless or something I might have anticipated some BS but Avis pretend to be legit...

 

[crgildart]

If there is preexisting damage, the rental paperwork is supposed to come with an attachement -- an outline of a car with x's, dated and initialed by a worker. It is pretty rare that they do, though. If you notice something on the car, you tell them at the exit booth and they fill out a slip, give you one copy, and file the other. I've wondered if there is a black market in those forms.

Over many years, I have had two rentals with minor un-noticed damage. In both cases a friendly but incredulous attitude got me off. The cynic in me thinks they may just roll them over and stick the next customer.
One had scratches on the roof -- I said it was dark and I don't generally look at the top of cars, so how would I know if it was there previously?
The other one had a slightly pushed in headlight. That one I had inspected, but missed it. I had to look really closely to see it, even after it was pointed out.

I'm disspointed to hear Avis is pulling this garbage. I've justified paying a little more to avoid these scams, since I associate them with the bargain brands.

This! I've picked up at the airport from Budget, Alamo, and other lessor players and most of the time they are there for a walkaround. If it's after hours, they do it and it's in the paperwork. If I see damage NOT on the paperwork and the agent isn't there I'd call them and ask that it be added. text them a photo and insist on an addendum to the paperwork BEFORE leaving the lot. A photo without that documented acknowledgement from an agent, any agent before leaving the lot is worthless.

 

[dbostedo]

...I was 10 or 20 miles from the Denver airport in a rental car when the direction of the Sun changed...

Nevermind the chip in the windsheild... the sun suddenly changing direction sound like a much bigger problem!! I mean, it usually shines down from he sky. Did it start coming up from the ground or something?

Seriously... when I read it, I thought you were saying you spun out or something, and was expecting a crash story.

 

[anders_nor]

It's always AVIS, eventhough I'm a presidents club member, especially LAX is bad.

They ALWAYS charge for filling up, and keep insisting I'm over the miles, allthough I always have unlimited miles.

To fight this I film and take pictures before and after filling up, keep receipt, and film gauge at gas station. and at delivery a few minutes later. After the last few times

When skiiing in zurich we rented 2x a8L (long version) they gave us one regular,and told us we were lucky, we would get an upgrade! then offerd the renalt megane, my friend asked on what planet it was an upgrade...

Renting cars in the US is always weird, every car has a form saying it has 0 damage, eventhough its coverd with scratches/dents, and I ask them to fill it out, and they say "its nothing major" In europe as single door dent, or tiny scratch will be marked.

 

[fatbob]

Just invoked the airline who my primary booking was with - don't expect any speedy action from them

 

[anders_nor]

Ohh btw, I always take pics of every angle when I get a car, if I have a gopro handy, I will use that around it as well. Gotten me out of trouble tons of times. but in the US the just mark the entire car as a huge X on every panel... when I point at flaws leaving the lot

 

[Gary Stolt]

I hate to rent a car - for the reasons stated above as well as the hassle at the rental counter. Of those I've rented from, Thrifty seems to be the easiest to rent from, assuming you are Thrifty club member. All the more reason to get in my own car and point it west.

 

[Sibhusky]

I hate to rent a car - for the reasons stated above as well as the hassle at the rental counter.

I agree. It's become a mayor stressor on any trip. Now that I'm older and can't drive as far per day I'd still rather spend 3 days driving each way to Denver, rather than deal with those crooks at Denver airport.

 

[scott43]

We have a preferred card so out rental outings are generally painless but I always worry...sometimes we never even see the agency people..

 

[Ogg]

I've been lucky with rental cars but I usually stick with Enterprise locally and Hertz when I travel. This thread has given me a few things to think about. I'm even less likely to use Avis than I was before. In the future I will take pictures and maybe even a video on pickup and drop off. I need to check the coverages on my credit cards and if I get any coverage from AAA.

 

[crgildart]

BUMP!

I rented a car at the airport location last week and returned it Thursday morning two hours before it was due back. Hertz didn't give me anything other than a "you're good to go" from the attendant in the return center lot. Well, my credit card showed a $50 charge pending yesterday... then another one today. LOL.. They never checked the car in when I returned it and were charging me $50/day additional late fees. I called them.. wasn't easy to find the correct number via Hertz Customer Service.. Eventually just called the airport location directly.. "Oh, our systems were down Thursday. I'm fixing this right now". I wonder how many other people "didn't" return cars there Thursday who are still getting charged for them???

 

[Tom K.]

BUMP!

I rented a car at the airport location last week and returned it Thursday morning two hours before it was due back. Hertz didn't give me anything other than a "you're good to go" from the attendant in the return center lot. Well, my credit card showed a $50 charge pending yesterday... then another one today. LOL.. They never checked the car in when I returned it and were charging me $50/day additional late fees. I called them.. wasn't easy to find the correct number via Hertz Customer Service.. Eventually just called the airport location directly.. "Oh, our systems were down Thursday. I'm fixing this right now". I wonder how many other people "didn't" return cars there Thursday who are still getting charged for them???

Funny, how these "errors" never seem to be in the customer's favor, eh?!

Good thing you were paying attention. We -- well, my wife -- checks our CC activity statement every day. Crazy not to.

 

[oldschoolskier]

Depending in the how long I have the car, I pay the extra full coverage up front, basically anything that happens is covered, if you back charge I’ll go for fraud charges. Yes I know its money grab, but its cheap insurance against an expensive pain in the backside back charge.

In Europe it can be common that they do this and that insurance is expensive (car rental was about US$150.00 for one day and the insurance was the same in 2012) but it beats a even bigger back charge and having to fly back to fight it.

 

[crgildart]

Depending in the how long I have the car, I pay the extra full coverage up front, basically anything that happens is covered, if you back charge I’ll go for fraud charges. Yes I know its money grab, but its cheap insurance against an expensive pain in the backside back charge.

In Europe it can be common that they do this and that insurance is expensive (car rental was about US$150.00 for one day and the insurance was the same in 2012) but it beats a even bigger back charge and having to fly back to fight it.

Full coverage auto policy covers rental car damage and accidents. It even pays the rental company for money lost by them while their car is in the shop. I'm not going to pay for it twice. Some credit cards also offer the same protection just for using their card to charge the costs. It's just a matter of one more phone call to file the claim instead of paying X dollars per day for the exact same coverage via the rental car company.

 

[oldschoolskier]

Full coverage auto policy covers rental car damage and accidents. It even pays the rental company for money lost by them while their car is in the shop. I'm not going to pay for it twice. Some credit cards also offer the same protection just for using their card to charge the costs. It's just a matter of one more phone call to file the claim instead of paying X dollars per day for the exact same coverage via the rental car company.

Difference is they first charge you the max on your card.

 

[newfydog]

If we ever get to go back to Europe, I always get a card just for the rental car. France has these speed trap cameras that flash your plate and bill you if you are 2 kph over the limit. The locals know them well, but I'll be cruising along, often slower than the flow, and suddenly find I'm passing everyone. Flash!. The rental car company forward the bill on to you (which I never pay) and bills you 50 Euro for the administrative fee (who agreed to 50 Euros? Why not 10, it is all automated? Why not 500?) Anyway, I get a zillion credit card offers in the mail, so I take one of them and then just cancel the card as soon as I turn the car in. I get a letter or two and then all is forgotten. Never had an issue renting the next year.