
Daniel of Houston, TX on Aug. 16, 2009
The Paris airport affiliate of National (National/Citer), is trying to scam me $706 Euro for alleged damage and expenses to a rooftop windshield on a French car, the Picasso C-4. The charge was removed from my Chase VISA credit card upon my request to Chase VISA. However, they have sent registered, threatening, mailed letters demanding payment to my driver's license address. National/Citer has not contacted Chase VISA at all since the April 17 charge date.
The car rental was prepaid for by a third party, "Transhire Worldwide" in January. They took pains to exclude windshield damage. I had been awake over 24 hours. I arrived in Paris from an overnight Gulf Air flight from Bahrain. I got to the National/Citer desk in Roissy at around 8:30AM April 6, 2009. After getting the necessary paperwork finalized, the young (Arab-looking) National/Citer vehicle attendant had me wait 1/2 hour at the airport courtesy desk just give me the keys. No apologies.
The car was in a darkened garage at the Roissy Airport. I had to find it myself. An interior retractable sunshade covered the alleged "damaged windshield' in question (it was almost on the roof of the car). In the dark parking garage, there was no one at the car to do a check out. There was no reason why that attendant could not have gone over the car with me.
Equally bad, when I returned the car before 8:30 AM on April 13, 2009, no one was there at the parking garage to do any check in. I returned the keys to a girl at National/Citer courtesy desk. An unexplained charge appeared on my Chase VISA account on April 17. I immediately disputed it. She asked if everything was okay, I said yes, no problems, which as far as I knew, as absolutely true. That was all that took place upon the car return.
This is contrary to what "Emilie" at citer.fr said in her email (29 April) to Mark R. of Transhire Worldwide: She said that "Client advised the agent at the counter that the car has scratches to the front and rear bumpers, but mothing regarding the windscreen."
Also, the check-in form which I received from Transhire Worldwide, not National/Citer, has numerous irregularities: No one signed it, there's no date or time, the three "X" marks for damage forms a perfect isosceles triangle, and part of the damage comments are crossed out. There's no indication of rear bumper damage anywhere as stated by "Emilie" in the email to Transhire Worldwide.
This case is very similar to The State of Arizona vs. PCR Venture of Phoenix, LLC dba Payless Car Rental (Case No. 2009-016742), where Payless was fined $100,000 + numerous expenses and reimbursements. I am awaiting a response from National/Citer. I am having to waste time/money contacting National/Citer. I am suspicious of all car rental outfits and postponing, delaying, or cancelling car reservations for in the future.