More Discovered Damage, More Scams

MY STORY & LETTER OF COMPLAINT TO ENTERPRISE

I am writing to express my disgust and dismay with the irresponsible and fraudulent behavior of the Enterprise Rental Car of St. Louis. My boyfriend and I rented a car on October 2, 2008, and we returned the car, with a full tank of gas and no damage, on October 5, 2008. Since our safe return of the vehicle, your company has, without prior notification or authorization, over-charged my debit card in excess of $500.00 for some mysterious, alleged "damage" to the vehicle for which you have provided no written or visual documentation.

My boyfriend reserved the car in person at the St. Louis airport on October 1, 2008. When I arrived in St. Louis the following evening, I finalized and paid for the rental. The representative who completed my paperwork performed a hasty and haphazard visual review of the vehicle. He overlooked some damage to the front passenger bumper and fender area. I stopped him and pointed this out, joking that I did not want to be held responsible for this damage. He made a small indication on the contract. I asked him if that mark would be sufficient, and he assured me that there would be no problem.

My boyfriend and I operated the vehicle without incident until Sunday, October 5, 2008. Because my flight departed several hours before his, my boyfriend agreed to return the rental. But because I had picked the car up, he did not know the location of outlet, so, at the advice of an Enterprise representative, he returned the car to an airport parking lot.

The following day, my boyfriend received a phone call from an unnamed Enterprise representative who stated that there "might" be some damage to the passenger bumper of the vehicle we rented. My boyfriend denied any wrongdoing. This representative did not explain the extent or severity of the alleged damage, nor he did not offer to provide any proof or documentation. This representative also failed to explain Enterprise's policies regarding damage; he did not even suggest what action, if any, the company would take.

I received no word from the company, despite the fact that my name was on the contract and I paid for the rental and made the deposit.

When my boyfriend told me about this phone conversation, I was very surprised, but I reminded him that there had been damage to that part of the car when I picked it up. I resolved to call the company myself to straighten out the misunderstanding, but, due to my work schedule and the time difference, both of my calls were directed to the after-hours message system.

On Thursday, October 9, 2008, I was surprised to find my account overdrawn. When I reviewed my statement I was outraged to see Enterprise had not only failed to refund my $150 deposit but had, without notification or authorization, debited my account about $350 in additional charges.

I immediately called the company. My call was directed to Len Piekarski, the representative in charge of the claim. I explained to him that there had been damage to the car when I rented it and that he should consult the contract. At my instruction, he looked at the contract, apparently for the first time. "Oh yes," he said, "Your contract is in such bad shape I didn't even notice that."

He didn't seem at all troubled by the fact that he had obviously overlooked an important element of the contract. He informed me that the damage indicator on the contract looked "like it was more on the fender," while the mechanic's report said that "it was more on the bumper." He had not, of course, seen the damage or received visual documentation from the shop to back up this claim.

He informed me that the $500 charge represented the standard Missouri state deductible. He stated it was standard company practice to make such unauthorized charges to customers without prior notification; apparently Enterprise can simply take hundreds of dollars from its customers without so much a bill or a phone call.

Len then proceed to inform me that I have basically no recourse, but that I might, if I am lucky, get a refund of about $92 sometime in late November.

If I take these claims in good faith, it is evident to me that Enterprise and its representatives have behaved irresponsibly, recklessly and unprofessionally at every stage of this process. When I regard the situation with a more cynical eye, it seems to me that your company is engaged in the organized and deliberate theft of your customers.

I have disputed Enterprise's bogus charges with my bank, and I expect a full and rapid refund of the money that you have inappropriately debited my account.

In the meantime, you can be certain that I will bring Enterprise's fraudulent handling of this situation to the attention of as many managers, potential customers and consumer groups as will give me heed.

Sincerely,
CG

PS: Please note that I directed this letter to the manager at the airport outlet, the manager at the division of repair, the claim representative, the director of St. Louis operations, the national chair and several groups dedicated to consumer protection.


THE VERDICT

Dear Ms. G.,

Please find the attached receipt for the $500 refund. After you and I spoke, I tracked down 2 employees. I spoke with Jamaal, who rented the Vibe to you initially. Coincidentally, Jamaal was at the airport terminal when your boyfriend stopped by to make the reservation. I also spoke with Liz, the employee that brought the Vibe back from the airport parking garage. Separately, I got descriptions of the damage and they matched. Because of this, I feel confident that the damage that Liz documented is the same damage that Jamaal noted when you checked the vehicle out.

I have already instructed Len Piekarski to stop working the claim. The repair costs will be handled by Enterprise.

Enterprise prides itself on delivering outstanding customer service, however this time we did not meet that expectation. I realize that we could have done a number of things differently regarding the return and inspection of the vehicle. We truly appreciate your business, and make every effort to be fair and correct with our customers. I cannot tell you how sorry I am that things worked out the way they did. I only hope that I have renewed your confidence in Enterprise to appreciate our customers, and if a mistake does occur, that we will take every measure to correct it.

If there is anything else that I can help you with, please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly.


Laura Timm
Area Manager
St. Louis Airport
314-574-3092 direct
314-889-8593 office

[iluvEcars]

once again ERAC does the right thing! they researched the situation, found they were in error, apologized and refunded your money! great service!

i would agree the charging of your card is a little much without contacting you first though

[trabpukcip]

After reading this story about Jamaal renting a Pontiac vibe, it reminded me of a joke for some reason.

What does PONTIAC stand for? It's a great joke so I hope someone remembers it.

[jaded1234]

ERAC did the wrong thing, was caught, and fessed up.

For the walkaround (the employee held the inspection form), the employee did not want to note the damage. Obviously the renter did not get the insurance.

ERAC then tried to charge existing damage to the renter. Only when corrected did ERAC fix the situation.

Again I don't understand how the RENTER is respoinsible for the inspection. ERAC does the inspection (holding the form). The renter just watches. I understand at the end of the day the form is the final document, but most renters like me trust that the level on inspection done going out is the same going in.

In addition - All rental I have done with Hertz and Avis, there are no inspections. You are supposed to note any major issues on a form when leaving. Vehicle check-in is quick.
The other companies do not use "damage" as an income source.

[trabpukcip]

Originally Posted by jaded1234

Again I don't understand how the RENTER is respoinsible for the inspection. ERAC does the inspection (holding the form). The renter just watches.

The renter is responsible because they sign right under a diagram of the car that they agree to the condition of the car. If they don't agree about the condition of the car, then they don't sign and don't get to rent. I's pretty simple.

[jaded1234]

Reminds me of an apartment I rented. Spent a day cleaning it to get the full deposit. They still charged a few hundred dollars.

1. We always repaint apartments that have been rented for 1 year or more, even with no damage (wait isn't that normal wear and tear?) You rented it with fresh paint, and the next person gets fresh paint (so you are charging me for normal maintenance?)
2. We always replace the saucers on the stove - the things that catch the grease under the flame on gas stoves. (Isn't that also normal wear and tear if you automatically replace them). Yes but you rented with new ones.
Sad that it was half the price to purchase them myself at the store.
3. We always have the carpets cleaned (But I paid for a professional cleaner already on my own - here is the receipt). Okay

Didn't even inspect it, just automatically charged for these items after a brief walkthrough. They charged for normal wear items. I understand the carpet cleaning, but being charged for paint when there was no damage? That's maintenance/depreciation.

I am surprised ERAC didn't charge me for wear on the tires/brake pads, less spring in the seat, dirty floormats, not washing waxing the exterior, or an oil change.

[trabpukcip]

Originally Posted by jaded1234

Reminds me of an apartment I rented. Spent a day cleaning it to get the full deposit. They still charged a few hundred dollars.

1. We always repaint apartments that have been rented for 1 year or more, even with no damage (wait isn't that normal wear and tear?) You rented it with fresh paint, and the next person gets fresh paint (so you are charging me for normal maintenance?)
2. We always replace the saucers on the stove - the things that catch the grease under the flame on gas stoves. (Isn't that also normal wear and tear if you automatically replace them). Yes but you rented with new ones.
Sad that it was half the price to purchase them myself at the store.
3. We always have the carpets cleaned (But I paid for a professional cleaner already on my own - here is the receipt). Okay

Didn't even inspect it, just automatically charged for these items after a brief walkthrough. They charged for normal wear items. I understand the carpet cleaning, but being charged for paint when there was no damage? That's maintenance/depreciation.

I am surprised ERAC didn't charge me for wear on the tires/brake pads, less spring in the seat, dirty floormats, not washing waxing the exterior, or an oil change.

Wow, everyhting is always someone elses fault with you isn't it? It's not my fault I brought back a car with damage on it. It's not my fault I didn't read my lease. It's not my fault I signed the document.

Have you ever rented an apartment before or did mommy and daddy always do it for you? Apartments usually charge for new carpet and paint if you move out before two years. Welcome to the real world. If they didn't take the money out of the deposit for these items, they would just factor it into the monthly rent. It works much better by just deducting it from the deposit though. Would you rather they didn't replace itms that prevent fires in all the apartments? You need to get a clue in life princess.

Originally Posted by trabpukcip

Wow, everyhting is always someone elses fault with you isn't it? It's not my fault I brought back a car with damage on it. It's not my fault I didn't read my lease. It's not my fault I signed the document.

Have you ever rented an apartment before or did mommy and daddy always do it for you? Apartments usually charge for new carpet and paint if you move out before two years. Welcome to the real world. If they didn't take the money out of the deposit for these items, they would just factor it into the monthly rent. It works much better by just deducting it from the deposit though. Would you rather they didn't replace itms that prevent fires in all the apartments? You need to get a clue in life princess.

trabpukcip, you're a fucking douchebag. I see your posts all over this website and you're always busting people's balls for ERAC's misdeeds. what's the problem, you got Andy Taylor's green cock shoved too far down your throat to see this company is a crock of shit and takes advantage of their customers to make a profit?? i get all your "holier than thou" bullshit about personal responsibility, but i don't ever see you sticking up for the customer when ERAC blatently fucks them over like this woman at the St. Louis airport. she points out the damage to the rep, asks again if that "mark" is sufficient proof, then gets slammed for 500 bones upon return and that's not some shady ass business??? first of all, the woman got her money refunded on an area manager level, that's nearly unheard of, most times to get any type of refund you have to go RRM, RVP, or higher like corporate HQ. second, her money was refunded after the first complaint letter, also unheard of, most people spend weeks or months calling and writing ERAC only to get nothing back at all in return. finally, let me back up what i've been saying with some evidence. im a former assistant manager at ERAC and quit after witnessing this event firsthand. at my branch we had a blue pontiac G6 with a minor black scuff mark on the front right fender. it basically looked like someone had dragged a black soled shoe about 4-5 inches across the fender. rather than take the car out of fleet to get it serviced, the car was rented out in the morning to a dealership customer who took DW and returned hours later. that night, the G6 was rented out to a state farm customer (corporate guy) who was in a big rush to get going. the BM did the walk around while the renter was loading the car up with all his work stuff. when the state farm renter returned the car a few days later (didnt take DW) the BM dinged him for the scuff, filed a claim and charged the guy $160 to get it fixed even though I knew it wasn't his fault. i quit at this point, i had seen enough, ERAC is a shady shithole who puts money in the pockets of their employees by wrongfully taking it out of yours. please trabpukcip, tell me how you're going to justify this one? let me hear your babbling bullshit about how the customer should have done the walk around himself. i mean, i love your spouting personal responsibility to all the customers, but i guess that doesn't go for ERAC employees? they don't have a personal responsibility to do an honest and complete walk around and not knowingly swindle people out of money?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

trabpukcip, you're a fucking douchebag. I see your posts all over this website and you're always busting people's balls for ERAC's misdeeds. what's the problem, you got Andy Taylor's green cock shoved too far down your throat to see this company is a crock of shit and takes advantage of their customers to make a profit?? i get all your "holier than thou" bullshit about personal responsibility, but i don't ever see you sticking up for the customer when ERAC blatently fucks them over like this woman at the St. Louis airport. she points out the damage to the rep, asks again if that "mark" is sufficient proof, then gets slammed for 500 bones upon return and that's not some shady ass business??? first of all, the woman got her money refunded on an area manager level, that's nearly unheard of, most times to get any type of refund you have to go RRM, RVP, or higher like corporate HQ. second, her money was refunded after the first complaint letter, also unheard of, most people spend weeks or months calling and writing ERAC only to get nothing back at all in return. finally, let me back up what i've been saying with some evidence. im a former assistant manager at ERAC and quit after witnessing this event firsthand. at my branch we had a blue pontiac G6 with a minor black scuff mark on the front right fender. it basically looked like someone had dragged a black soled shoe about 4-5 inches across the fender. rather than take the car out of fleet to get it serviced, the car was rented out in the morning to a dealership customer who took DW and returned hours later. that night, the G6 was rented out to a state farm customer (corporate guy) who was in a big rush to get going. the BM did the walk around while the renter was loading the car up with all his work stuff. when the state farm renter returned the car a few days later (didnt take DW) the BM dinged him for the scuff, filed a claim and charged the guy $160 to get it fixed even though I knew it wasn't his fault. i quit at this point, i had seen enough, ERAC is a shady shithole who puts money in the pockets of their employees by wrongfully taking it out of yours. please trabpukcip, tell me how you're going to justify this one? let me hear your babbling bullshit about how the customer should have done the walk around himself. i mean, i love your spouting personal responsibility to all the customers, but i guess that doesn't go for ERAC employees? they don't have a personal responsibility to do an honest and complete walk around and not knowingly swindle people out of money?

Great point, I completely agree. I'm so sick of people on here defending ERAC like they are some great reputable company. It's not like these issues are the first or second time they have come up, it's stuff that happens on a daily basis. On a side note, did you ever notice how ERAC doesn't think twice about charging the customer hundreds of dollars for a microscopic ding or scuff mark that could be buffed out with 5 minutes of elbow grease but has no problem renting out a car that reeks like cigerettes/weed, has ashes, garbage, food crumbs all over the floor, spilled coffee/soft drink in the cupholder, melted crayon in the back seat, or has saliva droplets from where someone sneezed all over the winshield or window. I've never had a problem getting a clean car at Hertz but at ERAC it seems like asking for a clean car (including NOT reeking like smoke/drugs) is like asking the employee to part the Red Sea. When my wife was getting an ERAC car through a Progressive deal, she was given a Ford Tarus that had leaves/grass on the backseat floormats and french fries on the front seat along with gum wrappers on the dash board. When she asked them to please clean the car, the ERAC rep rolled his eyes and said it would be 15 minutes before anyone could vaccuum it. I'm not a demanding person at all, but is it really too much to ask for a clean car at a rental car company? I use Hertz for all of my business/personal rentals now and pay about $10-$12 more per day but it saves me the hassle of wondering if the car will even be there at all, be clean, and if I'll get charged for phantom damage when I return the car (I don't take DW because my rentals are usually for 10-14 days which is the same as my deductible, $250).

[trabpukcip]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

trabpukcip, you're a fucking douchebag. I see your posts all over this website and you're always busting people's balls for ERAC's misdeeds. what's the problem, you got Andy Taylor's green cock shoved too far down your throat to see this company is a crock of shit and takes advantage of their customers to make a profit?? i get all your "holier than thou" bullshit about personal responsibility, but i don't ever see you sticking up for the customer when ERAC blatently fucks them over like this woman at the St. Louis airport. she points out the damage to the rep, asks again if that "mark" is sufficient proof, then gets slammed for 500 bones upon return and that's not some shady ass business??? first of all, the woman got her money refunded on an area manager level, that's nearly unheard of, most times to get any type of refund you have to go RRM, RVP, or higher like corporate HQ. second, her money was refunded after the first complaint letter, also unheard of, most people spend weeks or months calling and writing ERAC only to get nothing back at all in return. finally, let me back up what i've been saying with some evidence. im a former assistant manager at ERAC and quit after witnessing this event firsthand. at my branch we had a blue pontiac G6 with a minor black scuff mark on the front right fender. it basically looked like someone had dragged a black soled shoe about 4-5 inches across the fender. rather than take the car out of fleet to get it serviced, the car was rented out in the morning to a dealership customer who took DW and returned hours later. that night, the G6 was rented out to a state farm customer (corporate guy) who was in a big rush to get going. the BM did the walk around while the renter was loading the car up with all his work stuff. when the state farm renter returned the car a few days later (didnt take DW) the BM dinged him for the scuff, filed a claim and charged the guy $160 to get it fixed even though I knew it wasn't his fault. i quit at this point, i had seen enough, ERAC is a shady shithole who puts money in the pockets of their employees by wrongfully taking it out of yours. please trabpukcip, tell me how you're going to justify this one? let me hear your babbling bullshit about how the customer should have done the walk around himself. i mean, i love your spouting personal responsibility to all the customers, but i guess that doesn't go for ERAC employees? they don't have a personal responsibility to do an honest and complete walk around and not knowingly swindle people out of money?

If you actually read my posts, a high percentage of them are critical of erac. I don't like enterprise, rarely rent from there, and it was a bad job. I just happen to hate idiot customers that never want to take responsibility for anything and retarded employees that stay at a crappy job and complain non stop. As for your story about why you quit, I'm pretty sure it is exactly that- "a story". ERAC doesn't take cars out of service to fix scuffs on bumpers. I never saw that happen once when I worked at erac. Any manager would have yelled at an employee that tried to dx that. Why would you take a car out of service for a few days and lose revenue to fix a scuff on a bumper that will just get scuffed again soon and nobody cares about? Why would you pick a state farm employee to charge if you wanted to scam someone? ERAC licks the balls of anyone with any connection to big insurance companies. If it was a corporate rental, dw is included in the day rate so he wouldn't have been charged. Even if your story is true, that branch did everything exactly the opposite of how erac teaches their managers to operate. You seem like one of those assholes that complains and never takes responsibility. Of course it's the renters responsibility to also check out a car for damage. Who rents a car without checking it out first? If you were so morally offended by what erac did, why didn't you tell the customer or the insurance company the damage was pre-existing? That's just as bad as what erac allegedly did. Your actions are worse in my book- erac was (allegedly) motivated by money, you didn't act because of your gaping vagina.