Consumer disputes rental car damage claim

NBC 5 Responds to a North Texas consumer with a big bill for hail damage to a rental car, she said, she turned in before a hail storm.

Read on for how she found a resolution. Plus, steps you can take to help you avoid a surprise charge later.

$5K DAMAGE CLAIM

After a fender bender earlier this year, Cortney Kays said the other driver’s insurance company arranged for repairs and a rental car.

“I got rear-ended on the corner of my car. It was a little tiny thing,” Kays said of the damage.

When it was time to make repairs, the rental car company picked the schoolteacher up from the collision center.

“They took me the two miles down the road to their location. I just signed the rental agreement, they gave me the keys, I left and went to school,” said Kays.

When Kay’s vehicle was ready a couple of days later, she said she left the rental car with the body shop. Its website shows it offers a service coordinating rentals. It’s also where the rental car company picked Kays up.

Several weeks later, Kays received a damage recovery letter from Enterprise. It said she owed more than $5,100 for damage to the rental car. Enclosed photos showed dings and dents on the exterior of the rental.

“It's clearly hail damage,” Kays said as she showed NBC 5 Responds the photos in the letter. “It's to the hood, it's to the roof."

Kays said the weather was fine when she had the rental. She shared a collision center log, auto insurance company record and receipt with a rental end date of Friday, May 24. The following Monday, Memorial Day, hail fell in North Texas. Kays said she called Enterprise to tell the company she didn’t have the rental the day it hailed. She said she told the company she returned the vehicle days before the storm.

“After the phone call with Enterprise, they told me it was because I left the car at the body shop and they didn't do an official walk around,” said Kays. “That's what closes their end of the rental agreement.”

Kays contacted NBC 5 Responds. In an email, Enterprise told us, in part, “We have a thorough investigation process, and carefully review our internal documentation, as well as any documentation provided by the customer. After reviewing all the facts and documentation in this case, we have decided to close this claim.”

It’s not clear when Enterprise picked up the vehicle from the collision center. We asked Enterprise and the body shop. We didn’t hear back on that question.

DOCUMENT CAR’S CONDITION

Generally, Sally French, NerdWallet travel writer, said the final inspection can be critical when a consumer returns a rental car.

“That’s when the employee verifies there's no new scratches, no new dents on the car. If you don't do that final walk through and a dent happens overnight, when you return the car, there's no way that you can prove that dent wasn't yours unless you take careful documentation,” French explained.

French said careful documentation means pulling out your smartphone when you pick up and return the car. Document the condition inside and out.

Be clear about the rental agreement. If you don’t have it, ask to have it emailed or printed. Understand where you’ve agreed to drop off the vehicle and when.

“That's where you're checking out the car, where you're dropping off the car, when you're doing that and what the plan is if the rental car facility is closed,” French added.

ASK QUESTIONS

Kays said she signed for the rental digitally and believed she was returning the car to the right place.

“I will be more cautious, have more conversations with the rental guys about what contract am I signing what happens if? Because I didn't know,” Kays said.

Consumers can also do research before they get to the rental car counter and are asked to pay for insurance coverage.

If you already have coverage for your personal vehicle, the Texas Department of Insurance recommends consumers check their car insurance policy to find out if they’re covered for rental car damage. The credit card you use to pay for the rental may also include coverage. If you bought travel insurance for the trip, check the policy.

NBC 5 Responds is committed to researching your concerns and recovering your money. Our goal is to get you answers and, if possible, solutions and a resolution. Call us at 844-5RESPND (844-573-7763) or fill out our customer complaint form.