Car Rental Damage Scam?

Car rental customers who received an unexpected or suspicious bill after returning their cars may have legal recourse. ClassAction.org is investigating allegations that Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Alamo Rent-a-Car and National Car Rental are sending bills to customers for scratches, dents, windshield damage, and other cosmetic damage several weeks, and in some cases months, after the customer has returned their rental car. It has been alleged that these bills total several hundreds of dollars. Unfortunately, consumers have been left little recourse to verify or dispute the car rental company’s claims, as the car is no longer in their control when the bill is sent.

If you suspect you have been unfairly charged for repairs after returning your rental car, you may have legal recourse to collect the money you paid out for vehicle damage. Attorneys are trying to determine whether a class action lawsuit can be filed against Enterprise, Alamo and/or National Car Rental and need to hear from consumers to assist in their investigation. Contact us today by completing the “Report a Complaint” form on the right-hand side of the page.

Consumers Lodge Complaints about Bogus Car Rental Damage Bills

Consumers who unexpectedly received costly car rental damage repair bills have reached out to both media outlets and internet complaint boards to express their grievances. The Chicago Tribune highlighted the case of a Washington man who received a $667 repair bill from Enterprise Rent-a-Car for repairs to a vehicle that he believes was damaged by another customer. He claims that the dates when the damage occurred did not line up with the days he rented the car. He further alleges that the pictures of the damage were shot weeks after he returned the vehicle. When he asked Enterprise about the bill, he received little help until the journalist writing the article reached out to the car rental company himself, according to Tribune. Unfortunately, for consumers across the country, the journalist reports that he receives “several requests for help every week” regarding car rental companies that overcharge consumers for minor repairs that the car rental companies may or may not be making.

Concerns expressed by the Chicago Tribune article were echoed by posts in travel section of another prominent news source. One consumer wrote to The Seattle Times expressing that he received a $312 bill for damage caused by a pebble in the windshield of a vehicle he previously rented from a Canadian car rental company. He claimed that there was no damage while he rented the vehicle, and upon contacting the company, was led to believe he would not have to pay the repair bill. According to his complaint, the date of loss was a month after he rented the vehicle, leading the columnist to believe the bill was sent to the wrong customer.

According to the Chicago Tribune, there have been a number of reports making headlines in Canada regarding car rental companies’ practices of systematically and intentionally defrauding customers by overcharging for repairs. The article suggests that these practices may be spreading to the United States, and attorneys suspect that these claims are not unfounded.

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