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Originally Posted by SojuAssissin  Apparently Enterprise doesn't care who they take advantage of. I have been Serving in the U.S. Army for quite some time now. On a recent trip back home to the states from overseas I went to the Enterprise in Columbia, SC. and rented a car. Getting the car seemed hassle free, kinda scary, never asked for my proof of insurance or anything. anyways, after I had the car for about 10 days (i rented it for 2 weeks) during rush hour I was forced out of my lane and ran over a curb. It was hit pretty hard but not too much damage was done, all it needed was new rims on the passenger side, and new tires. I called them first as they told me to, they immediately came and got the car, no police report was made. I was told they would call me back with the estimate and work with my insurance company. I gave my insurance company a call and it seems signals got crossed somewhere but they wouldn't be able to cover this rental car. I called Enterprise and they assured me everything would be ok and they would 'work out a deal' Once I got back overseas a week later, my Fiance got a call and a letter from them saying we owed them over $3500.00! they replaced a TON of unnecessary stuff. they replaced the axle, drivers side rear door (nowhere near any of the damage, that door had a small dent in it when I rented it, and it is marked down) I believe they repainted it too. plus a lot of other maintenance stuff. The car wasn't in the repair shop for more than a few days, but I was charged more 'days of non-use' So much for them appreciating what I do (as they said) and working out a 'deal' I guess they got the deal. The only deal they are giving me is deducting $100 a month from my credit card. |
Let me talk about a couple of things before I get into the meat and potatoes of this post. First, most of us appreciate what you do overseas for us defending our country. For that you have my personal gratitude. Thank you. However, the way you present your service information off the bat and in the thread title leads me to believe that you have a sense of entitlement above us civilians. While I support what you do, you have blown a deal of credibility in your post by throwing this in our face. No doubt, you should take pride in what you do, but it might be in your best interest to also practice some humility and not use this as a crutch to make a point.
Now the topic at hand... Yes, ERAC does not care who they hammer. But this would be the same with most any business who is due to be paid out on a loss. ERAC, however, is rather aggressive with collections. If they can hold someone's feet to the fire on an accident report, they will try to get as much paid for as possible.
Let's talk about insurance. I assume you didn't purchase their coverage. What type of "signal crossing" would prevent your insurance company from covering the rental car? My assumption (again only an assumption so correct me if I'm wrong) is that you do not have comp and collision coverage on your insurance OR you have a high risk insurance policy with a company that doesn't transfer coverage to any other vehicle other than your own. This would be a big OUCH and one of the VERY FEW cases where it would have been in your best interest to purchase the Damage Waiver (cost of it differs by region, but typically $13.99 to $19.99 per day). If this is the case, then Enterprise will try to pursue loss of use days. With some persistence, you might be able to have the loss of use days (soft costs) reduced. Other soft costs would be anything not physically repaired on the vehicle (processing fees, admin fees, etc.). Mind you, they have the right to charge them based on the rental contract, but they are usually happy just to get the money back for the damages. If you WERE going through an insurance company to have this vehicle covered, ERAC will usually waive the soft costs because they do so much business with the insurance companies. If you are still overseas and can't handle this yourself, your fiancee should try to make good and friendly with the Enterprise loss control coordinator on your case.
Next, the "curb" accident can be tricky. Even if you didn't do all of the damage, it is hard to prove that you didn't when it comes to the undercarriage of the car. Only you know how hard you hit the curb, but typically cars now are made to fall apart on impact rather than sustain the crunch. It's a safety feature, and a costly one at that. So in a nutshell, when things get rattled around down there, they need replacing. You're likely stuck with that part.
Let's talk about the door. How much damage was done? Was it a dented panel on the door or was it realignment due to the impact? If it was a dent and you believe the door was that way when you got the car, it should have been noted on your rental contract prior to you renting by the employee on the walkaround. If the employee missed the dent on the walk around you or your fiancee should have the loss control coordinator check the last 10 rental contracts for notation of this damage. Typically they only go back 3 contracts when investigating, but walkarounds can be sloppy if you have the same employee check the car in multiple times. Again, nice but firm and befriend the loss control coordinator.
As far as a "deal," they are likely wanting to get a payment plan instead of a lump sum like they would from an insurance company. You can try to "deal" a little... As mentioned before, negotiate the soft costs (fees, loss of use days) and get to know your own personal auto insurance policy. Hope this helps... Good luck and keep us posted.