Car painting scam

We had trip in August to California in August from this location. Have pre-arranged compact car and we have been given full-bodied "Chrysler Pacifica" instead. Since we were going to California price on gasoline for us was significantly higher. We accidentally scratched bumper of this monster because of its poor rare visibility and Enterprise workers have instantly noticed the damage on return inspection. Although there was no cracks or any other serious structural damage they have charged us $390.00, of which only $76.00 have been the paint costs and the other cost was re-painting two times for three hours each. This amount has been sent to our insurance company but I owe $250.00 deductible out of my pocket. The take home message - every scratch on their cars will cost you a fortune. Even if this is not your fault they still want their money at the highest possible price of job estimate. Very frustrating experience for our modest budget...

[hekiliko'olau]

Originally Posted by Alexander

We had trip in August to California in August from this location. Have pre-arranged compact car and we have been given full-bodied "Chrysler Pacifica" instead. Since we were going to California price on gasoline for us was significantly higher. We accidentally scratched bumper of this monster because of its poor rare visibility and Enterprise workers have instantly noticed the damage on return inspection. Although there was no cracks or any other serious structural damage they have charged us $390.00, of which only $76.00 have been the paint costs and the other cost was re-painting two times for three hours each. This amount has been sent to our insurance company but I owe $250.00 deductible out of my pocket. The take home message - every scratch on their cars will cost you a fortune. Even if this is not your fault they still want their money at the highest possible price of job estimate. Very frustrating experience for our modest budget...

Will you decline the CDW next time you rent?

Hard for me to believe the bill for the "first" paint job was 76 dollars.... that sounds like a couple hours of labor alone. Any damage to a car is going to cost you a few hundred bucks no matter how minimal it is. I agree those Pacificas suck. They get around 12mpg, and they have blind spots all over the place...... next time just refuse to take it, and ask for your car.... make them sweat.

[FailingEnterpriseAdmin]

Originally Posted by hekiliko'olau

Will you decline the CDW next time you rent?

May I rephrase this question?

Would you rather get screwed by overpaying for fake "insurance" or screwed by overpaying for fake "repairs". That's the choice you get with Enterprise.

Originally Posted by FailingEnterpriseAdmin

May I rephrase this question?

Would you rather get screwed by overpaying for fake "insurance" or screwed by overpaying for fake "repairs". That's the choice you get with Enterprise.

Admin, just for the record, it is not "insurance", it is a damage waiver. Whether the repairs were "fake" or not, whether they cost $50 or $5000, if purchased, there is no financial responsibility to the customer.

[FailingEnterpriseAdmin]

Originally Posted by Hello

Admin, just for the record, it is not "insurance", it is a damage waiver.

Yes, that's what I meant by "fake" insurance. It's not insurance.

Originally Posted by Hello

Whether the repairs were "fake" or not, whether they cost $50 or $5000, if purchased, there is no financial responsibility to the customer.

Well, of course there isn't; that's the whole point of CDW. I was paying $19.95/day for Enterprise CDW. After a year, Enterprise will collect $7281.75 for insurance they could probably get on the market for 10% - 20% of that. In other words, Enterprise tries to scare its customers into overpaying by 500% to 1000%.

So, yes, you have to either overpay for CDW or overpay for repairs.

[hekiliko'olau]

Originally Posted by FailingEnterpriseAdmin

May I rephrase this question?

Would you rather get screwed by overpaying for fake "insurance" or screwed by overpaying for fake "repairs". That's the choice you get with Enterprise.

LMFAO! Yeah it is "fake" insurance, but $16.99/day for a few days and walking out the door and letting them eat the repair is so much more satisfying, and clearly less hassle.

Originally Posted by FailingEnterpriseAdmin

Yes, that's what I meant by "fake" insurance. It's not insurance.

Well, of course there isn't; that's the whole point of CDW. I was paying $19.95/day for Enterprise CDW. After a year, Enterprise will collect $7281.75 for insurance they could probably get on the market for 10% - 20% of that. In other words, Enterprise tries to scare its customers into overpaying by 500% to 1000%.

So, yes, you have to either overpay for CDW or overpay for repairs.

Idiot, there is no "insurance" and we never sell it as such. It waives the renter of any financial responsibility and the money needed to make the repairs comes out of the branch's "reserves" especially for this purpose. Admin, not only are you an idiot, you're an asshole as well.

Originally Posted by FailingEnterpriseAdmin

Well, of course there isn't; that's the whole point of CDW. I was paying $19.95/day for Enterprise CDW. After a year, Enterprise will collect $7281.75 for insurance they could probably get on the market for 10% - 20% of that. In other words, Enterprise tries to scare its customers into overpaying by 500% to 1000%.

Ok, as an ex-employee I am not a fan or ERAC either but I don't get this particular argument of yours. Do you actually think that an insurance compnay is going to give a rental company an insurance policy on a rental car for $728 - $1456??? A car that by definition they will not know who is going to drive it or where it will be driven! I highly doubt that since the first 2 questions you get when you are getting an insurance quote is who is driving the car and where the majority of use will be. Since the rates are dependant on this I gotta think that most insurance companies won't touch a rental car and if they will the premiums would be extremely high.

Not that I am a huge fan of CDW either but it is a good product for some people as long as its not pushed on everyone. That was my only problem with selling CDW while at ERAC, I didn't like how we were supposed to push it on everyone. I refused to go the "used car salesman" approach and do anything I could to get people to buy it. I sold it by explaining exactly what it was and what would happen in the event of an accident with CDW and without it. After that I let customers make up there own minds on it. BTW, I was consistently at a 50-60% selling so it shows you dont have to lie to sell it.
Anyways, I just wanted to give my 2 cents on this argument of yours since I have seen you post it a couple of times here and don't really agree with it.

[Collared Greens]

Originally Posted by FailingEnterpriseAdmin

Yes, that's what I meant by "fake" insurance. It's not insurance.

Well, of course there isn't; that's the whole point of CDW. I was paying $19.95/day for Enterprise CDW. After a year, Enterprise will collect $7281.75 for insurance they could probably get on the market for 10% - 20% of that. In other words, Enterprise tries to scare its customers into overpaying by 500% to 1000%.

So, yes, you have to either overpay for CDW or overpay for repairs.

Man you are dumb as rocks. Employees refer to it as damage waiver and not insurance, which means they don't even attempt to sell it as insurance.

Obviously if you rent a car for a year and pay the per day waiver it will come out to more than just buying an insurance policy through GEICO. I crunched the numbers and actually found it was more expensive to rent a car for a year than to just buy one. What a suprise!

Waiver is offered because some people don't have insurance that covers them in a rental or have a crappy policy because they are broke or have a crappy car. Other people just don't want to have a trip ruined by having to pay if they are in an accident. Both reasons are perfectly reasonable.

As for the idiot who scratched the car, any halfway decent paint shop doesn't just paint the scratch because it's impossible to match the paint. Even if you have the exact same paint it will dry differently and look a different color. ERAC has to resell the car and a difference in paint affects the resale value.

I hate it when idiots make me defend Enterprise.