DEAR TRAVEL TROUBLE SHOOTER: I need your help resolving a car rental damage claim. I recently rented a car from Enterprise in Phoenix. The rental car had a small dent on one of the doors. I took a photo of it to document the damage.
When I returned the car, an officer took a ride with me and told me the vehicle was ready to go. Eight weeks later, I received a damage claim from Enterprise. The date of loss was three days after the car was returned.
I sent Enterprise the photos of the existing damage, but the company insists I am still responsible. Can you help me convince Enterprise to drop this $1,391 claim, please?
— Stacey Wall, Crestview, Florida
ANSWER: Technically, Enterprise is right. You are responsible for a car while it is in your possession, including any dents or dings. But if you have proof that your car was damaged before you rented it, that should be enough for Enterprise to drop its damage claim. Obviously this didn’t happen on your watch.
You did a good job of taking “before” photos of your rental, but it looks like you missed a few things. You want to take “before” and “after” pictures of the car to show that there is no damage.
In case of damage, you must request another car. If no other car is available, you must note the damage to the vehicle in writing and have a supervisor sign the form. It looks like you only have the “before” images, which showed the pre-existing damage. They were time stamped, but that apparently didn’t matter to Enterprise. Their records should have shown that the car was not dented before your rental.
This is a common problem with rental cars. Many drivers assume that if they weren’t directly responsible for the damage to the car, someone else – perhaps the rental car company’s insurance – will take care of it. But unfortunately, that’s not true. The renter is responsible for everything that happens to the car from start to finish.
It can take weeks, sometimes months, for a car rental company to process a damage claim. So, the dates you mention – the complaint being dated three days after your rental for example – are not out of the ordinary.
Here’s what’s a little unusual: you had photographic evidence that the damage already existed, which the rental car company seemed to ignore. If the car was already dented when you picked it up, why doesn’t Enterprise take that into account?
You’ve been in contact with Enterprise’s Damage Recovery Unit, the part of the company that handles claims. But you also tried to relay this information to an Enterprise executive. I list the names, numbers and email addresses of Enterprise executives on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org. But the managers didn’t respond to you.
I have contacted Enterprise on your behalf. He reviewed your photos and agreed to drop the complaint against you.
Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps consumers resolve their issues. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him at elliottadvocacy.org/help/.
(c) 2024 Christopher Elliott
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
