I got stung by Enterprise car hire.
Discussion
Hired a car for two days, a poxy little Chevy Spark. I gave it a quick check over when I collected it, but as usual it was after a long flight, I was tired, and it was parked tightly in a row of other cars.....
So, when I return it two days later the girl inspected it and said all was okay, some other female employee jumped in, drove it away, then brought it back two minutes later??? Then the original girl, after fumbling with paperwork and the computer for five minutes, tells me her boss had found some tyre damage. She showed me where it was, a slice in the side-wall, about 50mm long, and about a 1mm deep, like a skinny little flap of rubber hanging off. I had to get down on my knees to see it.
I have no idea where I could have done that, as all I did was drive up to the Midlands, park it up, then drive back to Enterprise 48 hours later.
Their policy states the only fix for such damage, any side-wall damage, is to fit a new tyre, for which they bill me £100, and if there is any change they give me that back eventually.
What started out as a cheap two day hire, for a web-page-indicated £31 (£15.50 a day) hit me for £171 eventually. I did ask for the full insurance cover, to avoid a £700 excess, at £10 a day, and then '£7 premium location charge' was added, and then 20% VAT on the top, and later the £100 bill for the tyre piled onto the painful pile.
Lesson learned: have a bloody good look at the tyres, and the small print/extra charges, before you sign the papers. I'm not saying I definitely didn't cause the damage, as there was loads of roadworks and stuff all up the M6, but I never kerbed it, mounted a pavement, went off road or anything else. Maybe they pull the same stunt once a week, but never actually change that tyre.....
So, when I return it two days later the girl inspected it and said all was okay, some other female employee jumped in, drove it away, then brought it back two minutes later??? Then the original girl, after fumbling with paperwork and the computer for five minutes, tells me her boss had found some tyre damage. She showed me where it was, a slice in the side-wall, about 50mm long, and about a 1mm deep, like a skinny little flap of rubber hanging off. I had to get down on my knees to see it.
I have no idea where I could have done that, as all I did was drive up to the Midlands, park it up, then drive back to Enterprise 48 hours later.
Their policy states the only fix for such damage, any side-wall damage, is to fit a new tyre, for which they bill me £100, and if there is any change they give me that back eventually.
What started out as a cheap two day hire, for a web-page-indicated £31 (£15.50 a day) hit me for £171 eventually. I did ask for the full insurance cover, to avoid a £700 excess, at £10 a day, and then '£7 premium location charge' was added, and then 20% VAT on the top, and later the £100 bill for the tyre piled onto the painful pile.
Lesson learned: have a bloody good look at the tyres, and the small print/extra charges, before you sign the papers. I'm not saying I definitely didn't cause the damage, as there was loads of roadworks and stuff all up the M6, but I never kerbed it, mounted a pavement, went off road or anything else. Maybe they pull the same stunt once a week, but never actually change that tyre.....
Crap!
I got a nice volvo from Enterprise a couple of years ago and when I picked it up it hadn't been cleaned properly (so the wheels were a bit black). When they checked it when I returned it they found a small bit of curbing on one of the wheels. I hadn't noticed it when I picked it up as it was covered by black crap. I hadn't been anywhere near a curb as I'd been out in the countyside so knew I hadn't done it.
I protested and they didn't charge me. I hadn't even thought of checking the wheels/tyres but nearly cost me my excess...
I got a nice volvo from Enterprise a couple of years ago and when I picked it up it hadn't been cleaned properly (so the wheels were a bit black). When they checked it when I returned it they found a small bit of curbing on one of the wheels. I hadn't noticed it when I picked it up as it was covered by black crap. I hadn't been anywhere near a curb as I'd been out in the countyside so knew I hadn't done it.
I protested and they didn't charge me. I hadn't even thought of checking the wheels/tyres but nearly cost me my excess...
Hertz keep all the old appraisal forms in under the boot floor so you can trace back any damage as some places have beadier eyes than others when the cars are checked in/out.
This should also be held centrally so you could ask for them to check back through the forms to see if the damage has already been spotted on a previous rental. If so then you are off the hook.
This should also be held centrally so you could ask for them to check back through the forms to see if the damage has already been spotted on a previous rental. If so then you are off the hook.
SS2. said:
I would have thought the opportunity for them to highlight / proceed any issues ended when the first employee drove the car away..
Did you get anything signed when employee #1 first looked at the car ?
I'd tell them that she probably caused it while driving away.Did you get anything signed when employee #1 first looked at the car ?
That said, a friend hired a car from Enterprise, nosed the front end and then coloured in the white undercoat with black magic marker.
Excess avoided
I got a cheap car hire in Spain. When I picked the car up the assistant got her clipboard out with the inspection/fault sheet on it. She then proceeded to draw a circle around the entire car!
The Mk2 Focus was properly scraped up nearly everywhere, but it was clean inside and out and drove fine. Had to say it was quite liberating driving a car I didn't have to worry about picking up the odd mark from the kids (without paying the extra insurance surcharge).
I think the OP was just unlucky on this one, I've had this using Enterprise, made an otherwise cheap hire a bit more expensive than anticipated.
The Mk2 Focus was properly scraped up nearly everywhere, but it was clean inside and out and drove fine. Had to say it was quite liberating driving a car I didn't have to worry about picking up the odd mark from the kids (without paying the extra insurance surcharge).
I think the OP was just unlucky on this one, I've had this using Enterprise, made an otherwise cheap hire a bit more expensive than anticipated.
SS2. said:
I would have thought the opportunity for them to highlight / proceed any issues ended when the first employee drove the car away..
Did you get anything signed when employee #1 first looked at the car ?
Well, the first girl told me everything was okay after her inspection, but it wasn't until ten minutes later that she mentioned the tyre. Did you get anything signed when employee #1 first looked at the car ?
The second girl did clip a traffic cone when she brought the car back! We all laughed about it, but that was before the tyre damage was pointed out to me......
I guess I could have argued the toss and asked why the car had to be taken away, then brought back etc, but I was tired, had a plane to catch etc.
My experience of them was terrible..
Girl who picked me up thought the accelerator was an on/off switch and that speed limits simply didn't apply.
Car was a 6 month old Astra and it was knackard, engine light on, service light on (they weren't interested in either but I had it noted) It chunks out of alloys and scratches down both sides of the car but apparently both weren't bad enough to note on the sheet, i made sure they were as they were very bad.. It pulled to one side hard and the brakes were full of vibrations.
Still I took it back and they didn't try anything on.. Got deposit back no bother.
Girl who picked me up thought the accelerator was an on/off switch and that speed limits simply didn't apply.
Car was a 6 month old Astra and it was knackard, engine light on, service light on (they weren't interested in either but I had it noted) It chunks out of alloys and scratches down both sides of the car but apparently both weren't bad enough to note on the sheet, i made sure they were as they were very bad.. It pulled to one side hard and the brakes were full of vibrations.
Still I took it back and they didn't try anything on.. Got deposit back no bother.
Tired or not, soon as it drove off, its someone elses baby and I would have argued all the way. No way would I have took that! I hire lots of cars and I've had a fair few with dents I haven't seen
The last one rolled down a hill into bush as I thought I'd put the electric hand brake on, was lucky it didn't hit anything, must have rolled 70m. Just got in and drove off, when I took it back the girl had to push a bit of trim back in but there was no damage! I pulled out all the branches from the arches etc..
One I picked up at about 4am, the light was really bright and in my eyes and there was dew reflecting off a black car so very hard to see anything, had a massive dent in rear quarter when I saw it next day, was crapping it as I never pay the damage waiver, but they disregarded it when I took it back, though I did park that corner very close to a bush!
The last one rolled down a hill into bush as I thought I'd put the electric hand brake on, was lucky it didn't hit anything, must have rolled 70m. Just got in and drove off, when I took it back the girl had to push a bit of trim back in but there was no damage! I pulled out all the branches from the arches etc..
One I picked up at about 4am, the light was really bright and in my eyes and there was dew reflecting off a black car so very hard to see anything, had a massive dent in rear quarter when I saw it next day, was crapping it as I never pay the damage waiver, but they disregarded it when I took it back, though I did park that corner very close to a bush!
I hired at Edinburgh Airport a few months ago, 13-plate Astra. The paperwork indicated a couple of minor scrapes, but when I had a look round the nearside of the thing there was a bollard-scrape across the door and rear wing; this prompted me to take a closer look all over and I found three or four other marks.
'I'm not allowed out of the office' said the girl when I asked her to come out and confirm what I'd found...only when I refused to take the car did she relent, but I then had two days of wondering whether her signature on a copy of the handover sheet was going to be enough when I returned the thing.
Fortunately it was, but you only know you've not been fleeced when the credit card bill arrives. Next time I'll take photos, too.
'I'm not allowed out of the office' said the girl when I asked her to come out and confirm what I'd found...only when I refused to take the car did she relent, but I then had two days of wondering whether her signature on a copy of the handover sheet was going to be enough when I returned the thing.
Fortunately it was, but you only know you've not been fleeced when the credit card bill arrives. Next time I'll take photos, too.
Fubar1977 said:
I always make a point of taking photos of the car when I pick it up before I even drive it away.
Used Enterprise a few times and never had an issue.
Next time it will be fine tooth comb job, I'll ask them to pull the car out of the line so I can see all sides clearly, and if they say they are busy I will make sure they know exactly why I am taking my time and cataloguing every last mark and scratch, dink or scuff.Used Enterprise a few times and never had an issue.
Have to say I didn't have a brilliant experience either. The car hadn't been cleaned properly (I folded the seats down to get some boxes in the boot and found something suspiciously turd-like lurking under there).
Also, it was an insurance courtesy car and, while this is partly the insurer's fault perhaps, neither party told me the 21 day hire could be prematurely ended with less than 24 hours' notice once the claim had paid out, so I was left with a cheque in the post and no transport. The customer service from the local branch was borderline obnoxious when I phoned up to see if there was any way it could be extended. Strangely enough the head office was far more cooperative once I posted something on Twitter, however.
Also, it was an insurance courtesy car and, while this is partly the insurer's fault perhaps, neither party told me the 21 day hire could be prematurely ended with less than 24 hours' notice once the claim had paid out, so I was left with a cheque in the post and no transport. The customer service from the local branch was borderline obnoxious when I phoned up to see if there was any way it could be extended. Strangely enough the head office was far more cooperative once I posted something on Twitter, however.
King Herald said:
Hired a car for two days, a poxy little Chevy Spark. I gave it a quick check over when I collected it, but as usual it was after a long flight, I was tired, and it was parked tightly in a row of other cars.....
So, when I return it two days later the girl inspected it and said all was okay, some other female employee jumped in, drove it away, then brought it back two minutes later??? Then the original girl, after fumbling with paperwork and the computer for five minutes, tells me her boss had found some tyre damage. She showed me where it was, a slice in the side-wall, about 50mm long, and about a 1mm deep, like a skinny little flap of rubber hanging off. I had to get down on my knees to see it.
I have no idea where I could have done that, as all I did was drive up to the Midlands, park it up, then drive back to Enterprise 48 hours later.
Their policy states the only fix for such damage, any side-wall damage, is to fit a new tyre, for which they bill me £100, and if there is any change they give me that back eventually.
What started out as a cheap two day hire, for a web-page-indicated £31 (£15.50 a day) hit me for £171 eventually. I did ask for the full insurance cover, to avoid a £700 excess, at £10 a day, and then '£7 premium location charge' was added, and then 20% VAT on the top, and later the £100 bill for the tyre piled onto the painful pile.
Lesson learned: have a bloody good look at the tyres, and the small print/extra charges, before you sign the papers. I'm not saying I definitely didn't cause the damage, as there was loads of roadworks and stuff all up the M6, but I never kerbed it, mounted a pavement, went off road or anything else. Maybe they pull the same stunt once a week, but never actually change that tyre.....
And the bolded part is the part at which I would have lost any and all interest in discussing damage to the vehicle.So, when I return it two days later the girl inspected it and said all was okay, some other female employee jumped in, drove it away, then brought it back two minutes later??? Then the original girl, after fumbling with paperwork and the computer for five minutes, tells me her boss had found some tyre damage. She showed me where it was, a slice in the side-wall, about 50mm long, and about a 1mm deep, like a skinny little flap of rubber hanging off. I had to get down on my knees to see it.
I have no idea where I could have done that, as all I did was drive up to the Midlands, park it up, then drive back to Enterprise 48 hours later.
Their policy states the only fix for such damage, any side-wall damage, is to fit a new tyre, for which they bill me £100, and if there is any change they give me that back eventually.
What started out as a cheap two day hire, for a web-page-indicated £31 (£15.50 a day) hit me for £171 eventually. I did ask for the full insurance cover, to avoid a £700 excess, at £10 a day, and then '£7 premium location charge' was added, and then 20% VAT on the top, and later the £100 bill for the tyre piled onto the painful pile.
Lesson learned: have a bloody good look at the tyres, and the small print/extra charges, before you sign the papers. I'm not saying I definitely didn't cause the damage, as there was loads of roadworks and stuff all up the M6, but I never kerbed it, mounted a pavement, went off road or anything else. Maybe they pull the same stunt once a week, but never actually change that tyre.....
CommanderJameson said:
King Herald said:
Hired a car for two days, a poxy little Chevy Spark. I gave it a quick check over when I collected it, but as usual it was after a long flight, I was tired, and it was parked tightly in a row of other cars.....
So, when I return it two days later the girl inspected it and said all was okay, some other female employee jumped in, drove it away, then brought it back two minutes later??? Then the original girl, after fumbling with paperwork and the computer for five minutes, tells me her boss had found some tyre damage. She showed me where it was, a slice in the side-wall, about 50mm long, and about a 1mm deep, like a skinny little flap of rubber hanging off. I had to get down on my knees to see it.
I have no idea where I could have done that, as all I did was drive up to the Midlands, park it up, then drive back to Enterprise 48 hours later.
Their policy states the only fix for such damage, any side-wall damage, is to fit a new tyre, for which they bill me £100, and if there is any change they give me that back eventually.
What started out as a cheap two day hire, for a web-page-indicated £31 (£15.50 a day) hit me for £171 eventually. I did ask for the full insurance cover, to avoid a £700 excess, at £10 a day, and then '£7 premium location charge' was added, and then 20% VAT on the top, and later the £100 bill for the tyre piled onto the painful pile.
Lesson learned: have a bloody good look at the tyres, and the small print/extra charges, before you sign the papers. I'm not saying I definitely didn't cause the damage, as there was loads of roadworks and stuff all up the M6, but I never kerbed it, mounted a pavement, went off road or anything else. Maybe they pull the same stunt once a week, but never actually change that tyre.....
And the bolded part is the part at which I would have lost any and all interest in discussing damage to the vehicle.So, when I return it two days later the girl inspected it and said all was okay, some other female employee jumped in, drove it away, then brought it back two minutes later??? Then the original girl, after fumbling with paperwork and the computer for five minutes, tells me her boss had found some tyre damage. She showed me where it was, a slice in the side-wall, about 50mm long, and about a 1mm deep, like a skinny little flap of rubber hanging off. I had to get down on my knees to see it.
I have no idea where I could have done that, as all I did was drive up to the Midlands, park it up, then drive back to Enterprise 48 hours later.
Their policy states the only fix for such damage, any side-wall damage, is to fit a new tyre, for which they bill me £100, and if there is any change they give me that back eventually.
What started out as a cheap two day hire, for a web-page-indicated £31 (£15.50 a day) hit me for £171 eventually. I did ask for the full insurance cover, to avoid a £700 excess, at £10 a day, and then '£7 premium location charge' was added, and then 20% VAT on the top, and later the £100 bill for the tyre piled onto the painful pile.
Lesson learned: have a bloody good look at the tyres, and the small print/extra charges, before you sign the papers. I'm not saying I definitely didn't cause the damage, as there was loads of roadworks and stuff all up the M6, but I never kerbed it, mounted a pavement, went off road or anything else. Maybe they pull the same stunt once a week, but never actually change that tyre.....
illmonkey said:
I take photos when collecting and returning. Not the thing you want to do when travelling, but it might just save me this kind of issue in the future.
Me too. I've rented a few cars in Spain, and this is a must. Our last car came "pre-crashed", I suspect the last few drivers have paid for the damage many times over. Why fix it when you can charge for it time and time again?I even recorded the person collecting the car saying that it was returned in the same condition it was given. They came over when I photographing it, so I switched to video.
Too many stories of the companied making their profit from fake accident damage claims or expensive fuel refills. In the canaries it seems rife!
98elise said:
illmonkey said:
I take photos when collecting and returning. Not the thing you want to do when travelling, but it might just save me this kind of issue in the future.
Me too. I've rented a few cars in Spain, and this is a must. Our last car came "pre-crashed", I suspect the last few drivers have paid for the damage many times over. Why fix it when you can charge for it time and time again?I even recorded the person collecting the car saying that it was returned in the same condition it was given. They came over when I photographing it, so I switched to video.
Too many stories of the companied making their profit from fake accident damage claims or expensive fuel refills. In the canaries it seems rife!
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff