I was recently in a car accident and was authorized by the other persons insurance company to use a rental car while mine was being repaired. I chose the local Kia dealership to take my car to since I have a Kia and the work tends to be completed faster if you take it to the dealer. From there I was told I could use Enterprise Rent-A-Car because it is the company Kia uses and they would pick me up from the location. Everything fell into place perfectly as I have two small children and the transition from car to car was easier with the assistance of the rental car company.
I had the car for two days and took extra special care of it. I drive very cautiously and would never put any car that is not mine in risk of damage danger. My husband and I looked over the car before we took it off the lot, even though the associate who was assisting us never let us know that we needed to. Actually, anytime I would point out damage to her she would say that it was not bad enough to put on the sheet. Therefore we were trusting her judgement and let her do most of the work.
However I did look for any large damage, because anytime I pointed out a scratch it was not good enough. I signed the paperwork saying that I would use my insurance with a $500 deductible if there was any problems or damage because I know that I am a very careful driver and have never had any problems. Never thinking that something would happen. I even joked with my husband that if something did happen to the car we would be shooting ourselves in the foot for not taking the supplemental insurance since that would have cost us only $60 and it would have covered anything that happened.
Now before I dropped the car off I put gas into the vehicle. The gas tank was on the passenger side of the vehicle and I inspected that side very carefully as I was pumping gas, mainly because I was bored standing there. Then straight from there I took the rental to the Kia dealership and picked up my car. They told me at the body shop I could leave the vehicle with them with no worries and that they did this all the time.
Not even two hours later I receive a phone call telling me there is damage to the vehicle and I would need to come pay the deductible from my insurance company so they can start the claim. I called Enterprise Rent-A-Car back and let them know that I want to see the damage because I will definitely not pay for something I did not do. The person I spoke to said this was fine and he would have the car there, I asked what time they closed, which was 6pm, and then said I would be there sometime before they close. I also asked what the damage was and he told me that there was a dent on the passenger side behind the front wheel on the fender. According to him, this dent was at least 6"x 6". Now I had inspected that side ten minutes before I dropped it off at the gas station and there was nothing there.
I went thirty minutes out of my way to go back to the rental company and when I walk in the door he told me the car had just left. I said I want to see it so he needed to get it to come back. He walked outside to give the person a call, assuming so that I could not hear any conversation that was about to happen, if a conversation even did happen to be honest. He came back inside about five minutes later and told me that the person driving the car could not come back and that if I want to see it I could drive across town to look at it. I told him I was definitely not paying for anything I could not see. I remember from the gas station that I had not seen any damage, therefore if this damage occurred it happened in either transport of the vehicle or after it was on their lot. I know for a fact that I was not at fault for this damage they claim to be on the vehicle.
If there was in fact damage, why was the car not held so that I could see it? Why am I being insisted to pay for something I cannot see? Why are they lying to me and saying that I can see the vehicle when they know that I cannot? And if the car just left not five minutes before I arrived, why could it not come back to the lot for me to inspect it?
They knew I was coming and made it to where I could not see anything. I left not signing any paperwork or paying any bills and let him know there will be a dispute.
Now knowing about privacy laws, I know that I cannot just walk up to the body shop and ask to look at a vehicle that is not mine. So I called the body shop and they actually would not tell me any information whatsoever and told me I could not come see it and they cannot send me pictures. I called my insurance company and they said that the rental company could very well claim the incident on my insurance if they please and there is nothing I can do about it because I signed the slip.
Everything about this is wrong. I was picked up from the dealership to begin with, therefore leaving the car at the dealership says to me that responsibility ends there, which is what I understood at that point also. The girl who did our initial paperwork was new, therefore mistakes could happen but like I said either the damage was not even there or it occurred after drop off.
I will never use this company again. I am still disputing this matter in hopes that it is resolved and I do not receive any bills. I will be calling a lawyer and still communicating with the rental agency to try and get this resolved. At this point I am being told I have no choice to pay, but we shall see. I also have gotten advice from the police department to contact all parties involved to resolve.
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