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Enterprise - Damage Charges

Enterprise •Billing Disputes •Damage Charges •Defective Cars •Happy Customers

Michael of Springfield MO writes (9/30/02):
In March of 2001, my garage door came down on my car while I was pulling into the garage. While it was being fixed, I rented a car from Enterprise Rent a Car. I only drove it to work and back - parking it away from other cars. Then I drove it home and put it in the garage. Allstate was billed $536 - which they paid without question due to a billing from Enterprise Rent a Car. Not only that, but Enterprise is asking for $80 more on a car we returned back in good shape.

The paperwork we received was on a car that was wrecked several thousand miles after we rented it with $80 written in pen that we supposedly owe for a dent that was so small you could only see it by a sun light gleem. Then they sent it to the collection agency. Our insurance got cancelled. Our rates went up. And the car had been totally demolished in the front by someone else.

Wanda of Erie PA (9/26/02):
We rented a car from Enterprise on Monday 9/24 thru Thursday 9/26 putting only 30 miles on the car, driving it only to and from work. The car was picked up by a Enterprise employee from my husband's place of work. At time of pick-up no one contacted my husband to look over the car, the employee just took it from the parking lot at Bianchi Honda. At 11:06 a call was placed to our home phone with a message on the answering machine stating Enterprise had found a "stone chip" in the windshield and we were responsible for the damage.

At 5:45pm we went to Enterprise to see the damage and were told the car had been repaired with a new windshield and re-rented. All this in less than 6 hours. We were not allowed to see the repair order and were told the total cost was over $200.00 but we could not see the windshield. So in 6 hours, they replaced the windshield, not giving time for the windshield sealer to seal they re-rented the car.

With no proof, we are being forced to pay for damage we did not do. There was no chip in the windshield when my husband drove the car, we only put 30 miles on the car. Enterprise was no help, they said we had to pay. The person who picked the car up was unavailable to speak with and 2 hours lasped between the time of pick-up and the phone call to our home. Also if they had called my husband at work he would have immediately gone to Enterprise to inspect the damage. How can a company do this to a consumer? Shouldn't we at least see the proof of the damage? Not to mention was this car reinspected with a new sticker put on the windshield? I just don't understand how this is possible in 6 hours. Was this the only car Enterprise has to offer?

Rosana of McKinney TX (9/10/02):
I was given a 'loaner' car through Enterprise while my BMW was in the shop. I returned it to the BMW location as instructed. Five days after returning the car I was told that I owed approximately $500.00 for dent repair. I did not damage the car.

Daniela of Detroit OR writes (8/25/02):
As many times before, on Dec. 3, 2001 I rented a car from Enterprise Rent-A-Car located on 808 SE 12th St in Salem, OR. In compliance with the rental agreement, I returned the car on 12/6/01 in same condition as received, on the return date stated in my rental agreement. A handwritten provision added to the contract by agent Tonya states: close contract as if 12/6PM if in drop box 12/7AM.

On 12/11/01 I received a phone call from Tanya Pebbles, Loss Control Specialist at the Tualatin Regional Office, informing me that I owe $228.22 for a broken windshield. I was shocked; not only was there no damage done to the rental car while in my possession, but nobody from the Salem office had bothered to call me with such information. I asked for details and was informed to call the Salem office. Since my agent was not available, I called Speedy Auto and Window Glass to ask if they still had the damaged windshield on hand for me to view. They already had gotten rid of it, and the lady on the phone refused to give me any further information regarding this matter.

Frustrated, I called the Salem Enterprise office back and spoke with the manager, asking her why I was not called after discovery of the broken windshield. Her reply: "We're in the business of renting cars and need to get them back on the lot quickly or we lose money". I did not receive details regarding the windshield damage until I finally got hold of my agent, Tonya. She informed me that there was a 4" crack on the lower center of the windshield. I asked for pictures to see the damage and was surprised to find out that none were taken.

Again I stated that I had dropped off the car in same condition received on the close of contract on December 6th. She said that I was responsible for the car until the next day if dropped off after hours. That reply was shock number two. In no way, shape or form was I ever informed of such a policy, nor did I ever sign anything agreeing to such a policy. I would NEVER have taken advantage of that special service would I have known! As far as I was concerned, I had met my obligations by following the last and only rule posted on the drop box: 'make sure key falls all the way to the bottom'. It might be important to mention that the walk around Tonya and I did was not only done in the dark, but it did NOT include a windshield inspection.

As a matter of fact, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, no matter which agency I have utilized, has never included a windshield inspection in their walk around. My letters to Enterprise Rent-A-Car fell on deaf ears: the same canned reply insisted that I owe the money and if not paid up I would be turned over to a collection agency. I wrote back again, informing them that I would have to take the next step now, which included a report to the Attorney General's office and the Better Business Bureau. The Better Business Bureau contacted Mr. Neary, who replied to them with a copy of a contract which, in Paragraph 2, states that after hours drop off's are responsible for the car until opening of business the next day. I immediately sent the BBB a copy of my contract, which did not have anything about after hours drop-off included whatsoever!

In the meantime I had received a letter from the Enterprise appointed Collection Agency, plus messages at home and at work from the collection agency. I sent a letter to them requesting not to be contacted anymore and that the case was in negotiation with the BBB. I also stated that I had no intention to pay for something I did not do and did not happen during the duration of my contract. The collection agency did not contact me anymore alright, instead I got served a notice from the Small Claims Court in behalf of Consolidated Credit Services, Inc.!

In our opinion, Daniela (and others in this situation) would be well-advised to pay the disputed claim, then file in Small Claims Court to recover it.

Beryl of Landrum, SC (7/26/02):
We rented a car in California May 28 through June 10. When my husband picked up the car he did not notice a ripple in a front fender and drove off without reporting it to the employees. When he arrived at our daughter's house and I came out to the car I saw the damage to the fender and pointed it out to him. He went back in the house and called back the Enterprise company and told them about the damage.

The person at Enterprise said the damge would be noted and he did not have to drive back down there. We returned the car June 10the before the Enterprise office opened and left the keys in a lock box. (our plane left at 6:30 AM.) We heard nothing from them until 6 weeks later when we got a phone call saying we had damaged the car and we would have to pay for it. We told them our story and that we had not damaged the car. They claimed to have no record of our phone call, and we no longer remember the name of the person we spoke to. Now we have received a bill in the mail claiming $708.27 in damages and asking us to pay. We did not damge this car and do not feel we should have to pay the damages.

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