Avoid damage to your car dinged
Q: My wife and I recently rented a minivan from Enterprise. Before signing the contract, a representative of the company and I looked around the vehicle for damage. We noticed that some damage on the bumper at the rear of the vehicle and noticed that on the contract.
Do not Miss These Travel Stories
Beat the heat with 'dive-in' movies at hotels
This summer, plenty of hotels are offering guests poolside Movies That invite to dive in and enjoy the show.
Postcards to travelers: Wish You Were Here High times: skyscrapers in New York Celebrate Win a prize for your family vacation photo awkward TSA Worker Accused of swiping $ 22.000 in watches
I took good care of the minivan and we never parked in an area where the cars were close. I took special care of more than hiring and even sucked it before returning it.
When we returned the minivan, a young clerk Enterprise inspected the interior and exterior. He noticed a light scratch on rear bumper and asked the assistant manager – the same person who inspected the car when we took it – also have a look first to document what he saw.
The damage was so small that the assistant had to kneel down to look more closely. Even if I had noticed this minor scratches during our initial inspection, I would probably not reported.
I asked to speak with the chief deputy director, and he informed me that it was simply a formality and that the scratch of light could potentially be polished out. He also said that he would call, if a law was necessary. I never received that call.
They did, in fact, complete and give a report like an idiot, I signed it. The report said just the damaged part of the vehicle such as a scratch long and that I was not aware of its source.
A few weeks later, I received a letter in the mail from company requesting that we contact the insurance company to inform them of our request for compensation or to contact them so that they can communicate with the estimated damage to the minivan.
I think the damage that has been observed when I returned the vehicle was already there before I rented. But I signed the damage report. It will be hard to prove my side of the story with this error on my part? – Leigh Barber, Chicago
A: It depends on what you signed. If the form has said he accepted responsibility for the scratch, then you are responsible. But the guarantee of managers who could be "rubbed out" and his promise to call you if a complaint was necessary, the impression is that the form was merely a formality.
I can not blame for feeling cheated.
While most rental car companies would have no problems to its customers a complaint unless it was serious, some see the damage as a profit opportunity. If you do not believe me, just take a magazine specializing in the rental car industry. You will find ads for the company claims that all but guarantee that I will make extra money by pursuing any claim, no matter how small.
Obviously, you should not have signed the form if it has not damaged the car. But it also underlines the importance of a careful inspection pre-hire. Note every ding, scratch and dents, no matter how insignificant. Unless you're the first person to rent a car, you should be scribbling notes on the rental agreement, identifying every scratch and smudge. Do not forget the roof.
In the end, Enterprise would have to demonstrate that it has replaced the bumper, it would be difficult. Before contacting your insurance company to make a complaint, the car rental companies would not only need to provide evidence that the repairs made, but also that the damage happened on your watch. I'd give anything to see the repair records for a small scratch.
If the rental company had insisted it should have copied the Illinois Department of Insurance, your insurance company and an agency like the Better Business Bureau, on your complaint. That would send a strong signal that you believe this claim to be frivolous and that you do not want to roll up a second time.
I contacted Enterprise on your behalf. And 'contacted and agreed that the damage to the van was "discovered to be pre-existing" and dropped its claim.
© 2011 Christopher Elliott … Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.
More Source:
Avoid getting dinged for rental car damages - Travel - Travel Tips ...Don't get dinged for rental-car damage - The Seattle Times - Services
Parking: How to Park Your Car in a Covered Garage lot Prevent ...
How to Avoid Dings and Scratches on Cars | eHow.com
Related News:
- Traveling with family? Avoid these 7 mistakes
- Traveling with your family? Avoid these 7 mistakes
- Airport healthy food – and food to avoid airport
- Airport healthy food – and food to avoid airport
- Guided Adventures avoid the crowds of Yellowstone
- Guided hikes to avoid the crowds of Yellowstone
- Guided Adventures Yellowstone to avoid the crowds
- Guided adventures avoid the crowds Yellowstone
- Guided Adventures Yellowstone avoid crowds
- How an airport security pat-down to avoid
Details :
Submited at Thursday, July 28th, 2011 at 4:00 am on Tips by blum
Comment RSS 2.0 - leave a comment - trackback