Consumer Affairs warns that if you rent a car, beware. Rental companies are aggressively pursuing damage claims against consumers even when the consumer may not be responsible for the damage.
A case in point, a woman from Winter Haven, Florida says her son rented a car in Roanoke, Virginia and after three days he returned the car, which was processed back into the fleet. The mother co-signed for her son and because of that, she received a letter from a claims company which represented the rental car company, saying the rear seat belts had been damaged and the repair cost was more than $1,100.00. The bill also reflected an additional charge for four days to cover the time the car would be out of commission for the repair.
Consumers need to check the fine print on their contract to determine whether or not they will be liable for the days the car is being repaired. Consumer Affairs urged the woman to challenge the charges by sending a certified letter to the claims office. In this case, the woman fought the company, claiming that her son and his girlfriend did not even use the back seat. She also promised to file an action if she continued to be pursued for collection in this aggressive manner.
The Lake County motor vehicle accident attorneys at Farah & Farah urge consumers to drop off their car only when an intake person is there and not at a drop-off desk after hours. Walk around with the intake person as he or she inspects the vehicle. Take notes and/or pictures and write down the employee’s name and number. Put a note on the receipt that the car is clean and ask the attendant to initial it.
In this case, the collection agency takes a percentage of what it collects from the consumer, which may explain the aggressive pursuit.
Source: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2011/10/car-rental-companies-becoming-more-aggressive-in-pursuing-damage-claims.html
