On June 20 my wife and i rented a vehicle from Budget Rent a Car in Oak Bluffs Marths Vineyard, Ma. When I rented the veh the agent and I did a visual inspection for damage. The vehicle was backed in and the rear bumper was aproximately 3 inches from the front bumper of the vehicle behind it. Overall there appeard to be no damage that could be seen. I initialed an inspection sheet indicating the same.
We drove to the Victorian Inn in Edgertown, I parked the car in the rear lot facing forward into the parking slot. After registering we proceeded to retrieve our luggage from the car. As we approached the car my wife noticed a minor "ding" on the underside of the rear bumper, about the size of a quarter. This could only be observed from a distance and was unable to be seen without getting on the ground and looking under the bumper upon original inspection when picking up the car at Budget. This was due to the car being parked so close to the vehicle behind it in their lot.
When we returned the vehicle, the agent went outside and immediately returned to say there was damage, (which makes us suspect they already knew the damage was present prior to our rental). I disputed the damage, and tried to explain to the agent that the damage could not be seen upon initial inspection due to the location and proximity to the vehicle parked behind it. He would not listen to any kind of reason, and told be it was out of his hands.
A week and a half after returning the vehicle, I received a bill in eccess of $1,200 for repair of damage. This included loss of use, covering areas of the vehicle that really had nothing to do with the location of the damage, and other over the top expenses.
I was never given a chance to present my case, that the damage was unobservible, and not caused by our usage.
I feel the agent took the opportunity to possibly cover up for missing this damage made from a prior rent, (why else would the vehicle be backed in so close to another vehicle and makes the very quick inspection upon return appear suspect).
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