Pre-existing damage not noticed...

[s_burton]

I just returned a car to Enterprise and the person checking it in noticed a couple of small dents, high-up towards the rear of the car. I hadn't noticed them when I took the car as I'd been advised to look for deep scratches and large areas of damage. There was a large scrape on the bumper which I was told didn't count, but I insisted it was recorded anyway. Plus the guy checking the car out to me had just taken it to be "washed" and it was still dripping wet. A small scratch I pointed out on the side wasn't large or deep enough to warrant recording.

So, I didn't take any of the offered insurances.

I had noticed the dings after the car had dried, maybe the next day when filling up with petrol, but thought nothing of it as it wasn't a huge dent or anything.

When I returned the car the person checking in filled out an accident report and had me sign it. The damage wasn't already noted in the vehicle history so I was told they'd check the last 15 rentals. The rental was not closed out so I have no idea what they're planning to do.

Have I been scammed?

I've not taken the phone survey yet, but the person di ask me if I was happy with the rental and told me I might get a call - I guess my responses depend on the outcome.

Thanks,

s_burton

[GP51Sux]

Originally Posted by s_burton

I just returned a car to Enterprise and the person checking it in noticed a couple of small dents, high-up towards the rear of the car. I hadn't noticed them when I took the car as I'd been advised to look for deep scratches and large areas of damage. There was a large scrape on the bumper which I was told didn't count, but I insisted it was recorded anyway. Plus the guy checking the car out to me had just taken it to be "washed" and it was still dripping wet. A small scratch I pointed out on the side wasn't large or deep enough to warrant recording.

So, I didn't take any of the offered insurances.

I had noticed the dings after the car had dried, maybe the next day when filling up with petrol, but thought nothing of it as it wasn't a huge dent or anything.

When I returned the car the person checking in filled out an accident report and had me sign it. The damage wasn't already noted in the vehicle history so I was told they'd check the last 15 rentals. The rental was not closed out so I have no idea what they're planning to do.

Have I been scammed?

I've not taken the phone survey yet, but the person di ask me if I was happy with the rental and told me I might get a call - I guess my responses depend on the outcome.

Thanks,

s_burton

What you need to do when the Loss Control department calls you (or you call them first) is to tell them the facts....washed car, employee missing damage you had to point, etc. Here is the most important part, and where they get caught all the time. Ask for copies of the last 10 contracts showing that the damage was not marked on any of them. This should take the car history back 30 days+. If it was on there before, chances are VERY GOOD that someone marked it at somepoint in those 10 contracs. Usualy they'll bich about ahving to do the work and customer confidentility, so tell them to just send you the copies with the names/addresses and other info blacked out.

It sounds like you're in the UK? Not sure how courts work there, but in the US you can eventually subpoena those records in court if it goes that far. ERAC doesn't want to look like dumbasses in court, so they'll look at the contracts, find the damage somewhere else, contact you, and you'll get a "sorry for the time, someone made a mistake". A real good feeling after you spend a lot of time going back and forth. If you really want to twist on them after they find the previous damage, ask for the Regional VP, or Group President's phone # and contact them about their procedures. This will then gain steam as the shit rolls downhill to the employees. That is about the only way to affect change.

Originally Posted by s_burton

I just returned a car to Enterprise and the person checking it in noticed a couple of small dents, high-up towards the rear of the car. I hadn't noticed them when I took the car as I'd been advised to look for deep scratches and large areas of damage. There was a large scrape on the bumper which I was told didn't count, but I insisted it was recorded anyway. Plus the guy checking the car out to me had just taken it to be "washed" and it was still dripping wet. A small scratch I pointed out on the side wasn't large or deep enough to warrant recording.

So, I didn't take any of the offered insurances.

I had noticed the dings after the car had dried, maybe the next day when filling up with petrol, but thought nothing of it as it wasn't a huge dent or anything.

When I returned the car the person checking in filled out an accident report and had me sign it. The damage wasn't already noted in the vehicle history so I was told they'd check the last 15 rentals. The rental was not closed out so I have no idea what they're planning to do.

Have I been scammed?

I've not taken the phone survey yet, but the person di ask me if I was happy with the rental and told me I might get a call - I guess my responses depend on the outcome.

Thanks,

s_burton

Good luck! Hopefully the damage was there before.

You raised a good point that I, as a former employee, used to get annoyed about. Really, is there a good time to walk around the car? No customer wants a dirty car so we'd have to clean it, but a freshly washed car is hard to spot dings and scratches on as well. However, so is a dirty car. Then, of course, there's walking around a car in the rain, in the snow, in the dark, in a parking lot of moving cars while keeping up the banter with the customer and building rapport so you can sell CDW, knowing that there are a couple other customers waiting for you in the office and all ten lines are ringing but you're the only one there and you have to finish serving this customer, then the waiting customers, then make arrangements for your car prep (who is driving a customer home) to go and pick up three more customers. Somewhere in there you have to finish your ARs before your ARM has your ass in a sling and you have to do callbacks so that you can find dropped cars for the customers your carprep is picking up. This was fairly descriptive of my last six months on the job.

No wonder damage gets missed!

Damage? Our cars get damaged? Never noticed that before, since I never got a lunch and my blood sugar was so low I couldn't see! In all seriousness, take the advice of the above poster who said to demand copies of 10 or so previous contracts on the car you rented. Be firm, but polite, to Loss Control and success should be yours.

[stickman]

I had the exact same experience as you did only mine is worse. It was 9am when i checked my car out and the roof was wet from dew. It looked fine as far as you could tell so i drove it home and parked it in my driveway until the next day. When i saw it the next day ,it was dry and when the sun shined on it , you could see a lot of distortion in the metal that you could not see when it was wet. It looked like back workmanship at most. I kept the car for 3 days.In this time i noticed the weather stripping was about a half inch off of where it should have been on the drivers door. I also noticed wat looked like shims between the dashboard and the windshield.This car had only app750 miles when i got it and i put around 60 miles on it over my three days.When i returned the car, another person checked it in an was pointing out all kinds of things that the guy who checked it out said were fine and i shouldnt be concerned with. Neither the original guy or me noticed the roof but i dont think we could have anyway because it was wet . They are trying to hang everything on me and im not about to let that happen. They are scam artist and someone needs to do something about it.Good luck with your claim.

[trabpukcip]

Originally Posted by stickman

I had the exact same experience as you did only mine is worse. It was 9am when i checked my car out and the roof was wet from dew. It looked fine as far as you could tell so i drove it home and parked it in my driveway until the next day. When i saw it the next day ,it was dry and when the sun shined on it , you could see a lot of distortion in the metal that you could not see when it was wet. It looked like back workmanship at most. I kept the car for 3 days.In this time i noticed the weather stripping was about a half inch off of where it should have been on the drivers door. I also noticed wat looked like shims between the dashboard and the windshield.This car had only app750 miles when i got it and i put around 60 miles on it over my three days.When i returned the car, another person checked it in an was pointing out all kinds of things that the guy who checked it out said were fine and i shouldnt be concerned with. Neither the original guy or me noticed the roof but i dont think we could have anyway because it was wet . They are trying to hang everything on me and im not about to let that happen. They are scam artist and someone needs to do something about it.Good luck with your claim.

If you're going to wreck a brand new car buy the damage waiver first because then erac is screwed. that's just common sense.

[stickman]

I only wish i had wrecked that car. I have a feeling i might wreck alot of cars before this is over. I also forgot to mention that when we did the walk around when i picked the car up, i noticed a good size paint run on the front bumper and it was wrote on the contract. Do new cars usually come with very big paint runs? Like i said, they might when a little battle but they will not win this war. I have the feeling someone has done something to this car and they think that they will pin it on me.They have no idea how wrong they are.

[trabpukcip]

Originally Posted by stickman

I only wish i had wrecked that car. I have a feeling i might wreck alot of cars before this is over. I also forgot to mention that when we did the walk around when i picked the car up, i noticed a good size paint run on the front bumper and it was wrote on the contract. Do new cars usually come with very big paint runs? Like i said, they might when a little battle but they will not win this war. I have the feeling someone has done something to this car and they think that they will pin it on me.They have no idea how wrong they are.

You're going to have to pay. No way to get out of it. What you need to do is walk into the branch, pay the bill, be really nice, and rent a car. Buy the DW this time and return it with "Fuck You Enterprise" spraypainted on the side. Just tell them you live in a bad neighborhood and you have your revenge. You'll never feel better.