Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Portland International Airport, Portland, Oregon, Prior Damages Ripoff
I rented a car from Enterprise on May 12, for business in Corvallis, Oregon. I was in Corvallis for two weeks and returned the car to the Portland Airport on May 26.
The car was used in Corvallis to drive between the office where I was working and the motel where I was staying. It sat in parking lots at these places for over 23 hours out of every 24.
I arrived at the Enterprise counter sometime around 10 pm. When I picked up the car I went through the usual check-for-damage exercise, as I have for over 40 years renting cars for business trips. The car was in the usual multi-level airport parking garage and, as usual, the lighting was not very good, especially this late at night. I admit that I did not check for damages on the roof of the car, especially at the back edge of the windshield. I also admit that I have never in over 40 years done a tight, close-up look for damage, thinking that in the normal line of duty all cars get some damages all the time. I did kind of look over the bumpers, wheel-well areas, and doors.
The guy who I dealt with spent most of the time we were in the parking garage trying to get me to up-grade to a more expensive car: even to a truck or SUV. That was kind of odd because I had rented a Fiat 500, a teeny little thing. I'm certain that his survey for damages was no more complete or detailed than mine, especially given the poor dim lighting. He wrote on the rental agreement, in the space where previous damages are noted, WRR. I later learned that that indication means that he checked the Windshield, Rocker Panels, and Roof, and there was no prior damages.
I returned the car on the morning of May 26. The broad-daylight lighting is now much better than when I rented the car. At check-in a person said he sees damages to the roof of the car just at the back edge of the windshield. I did not pay much attention to what he was doing and what I was doing, either, thinking that this was just a run-of-the-mill exercise. I said that I was not aware of the damages, and actually I could not see the damages even after he pointed out where to look. Ultimately he said the damages appeared to be very slight and he guessed the costs would not be much at all. He said that if the repairs cost under 50 bucks a claim would not be filed.
At that time he filled out some kind of damage report in which he had written that I was aware of the damages. I saw that, but signed because after he had pointed out the damages I was certainly aware of them. Maybe it refers to that I knew the car was damaged while I had it rented. I did not mean to agree to that, at all.
On June 6, I received a letter from Damage Recovery Unit of Enterprise Rent-a-Car stating that I should contact my car insurance and / or credit card company to report the claim for damages. The letter was dated May 30. There were no actual costs given in the letter. A form was sent on which I was asked to report several contact names, addresses, phone numbers.
I called a phone number given for the Damage Recovery Unit to get additional information.in the course of the conversation I asked the lady how the damage could have occurred seeing that it was on the roof and practically at the back edge of the windshield. She was not happy and did not offer any meaningful information. The conversation deteriorated from that point. I ultimately got around to asking what the repair costs were and she gave me an exact number, which I have not recorded but it is close to 400 bucks.
The process is ongoing as I have not intentions whatsoever to pay for the alleged damages. No one has yet been able to tell me what could have caused the alleged damages to such a limited area and at such a location without affecting the windshield. And especially without me being aware of some hard object hitting the roof right over where I'm sitting, and right over the windshield, when driving the car.
I had made a reservation for another car at Enterprise for my next business trip. I have now canceled that reservation. And will never again do business with Enterprise even if I have to pay personally for the difference between an approved corporate rate and personal rate.
0 comments