You can always try the area manager, or better yet, the Regional Vice President. THey may take your word for it. I am an area manager and had to deal with a very similar situation. I was planning on getting out of this miserable company anyway, and after all, when this occured, it was Christams time. The Customer said his son left a nintendo Gameboy in the van he rented, returned it after hours and dropped the keys in the drop box, discovered his son left it in the back seat, he could physically see it on the seat, according to the customer. When he went to the branch first thing in the AM...the van was parked in a different place and the gameboy was gone. BIG SURPRISE, right.

After he got nowhere with the branch, he got to me. I took a day or so to think about it, but I was in the Christmas spirit, and not only bought one for him (On erac's dime ofcourse, but I bought him the new upgraded one for 50 bucks more! I didn't even bring it up to the branch because I knew there was NO WAY I would ever get anywhere with it. THe way I figured it.......MERRRRRRRRY CHRISTMAS, both to my underpaid trainee or car prep who stole it and also this customer! It's a win win!