Enterprise Rent-A-Car Strands Them At The Border And Ruins Their Trip
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
600 Corporate Park Drive
St. Louis, Missouri
63105
Telephone: 314-512-5000 Fax: 314-512-4706
Chairman and CEO: Andrew C. (Andy) Taylor
Vice Chairman and President: Donald L. Ross
314-512-2202
EVP and COO: Pamela M. (Pam) Nicholson
April 12, 2005
Wendy Reyn & Jason Vilon
#6 – 255 King Street North
Waterloo, Ontario
N2J 4V2
1-519-746-1527
wendy.reyn@sympatico.ca
jasonv@geminijetpack.com
On Monday, April 11 and Wednesday 13, 2005 we had plans to attend a
monumental dog show, and awards banquet in Atlanta, Georgia. A show that brings
an attendance of over 200 chows from as far away as Europe, and several hundreds
of breeders, owners, handlers and artists.
This show happens once a year, and very rarely in conjunctional with a
regional specialty, where both judges prefer the type of dog we will be bringing
down to show to them.
We own Koji, BPIS, BPISS, Can Champion Mei-Ling’s Nightscape Master; he is
the #1 Chow in Canada, he is worth about $10,000. This was a show where we could
have obtained his American Championship quite easily and saved ourselves
thousands of dollars worth of entry fees, traveling expenses and handler fees.
Our planning for this event started two months ago.
In advance, I paid for two banquet dinners at $55.00 a piece.
Our hotel, The Hilton, was pre booked and paid for a month in advance at
almost $130.00 a night for 5 nights.
We had our parents take a week off of their work (used their holidays) to
watch our 13 year old child for a week.
We purchased a week’s worth of groceries for my parents while they were
watching our daughter an approximate cost of $130.00.
We also booked a cat boarding facility to watch our cat and dropped him off
in another city at $20.00 a night for 5 nights.
We paid for extra inoculations at this time for protective measures at
$100.00.
We hired new help to watch our store for 6 days at 10 hours a day, $8.00 per
hour for a total of $480.00.
Before we had even left the chow was taken in for grooming, at $50.00 and I
spent another 5-6 hours grooming him at home to be in top shape.
I had purchased two suits specifically for the event, as well as other
accessories and such at a cost of $383.00 plus applicable taxes.
We arranged for a neighbor to come in and watch our bunny for the week as
well.
I purchased $60.00 in raffle tickets which I had to be present to win at the
National Specialty banquet dinner.
We paid $32 US per entry fee (total $64.00)
We filled up our phones at $20 per phone (total $40.00)
We spent over two weeks preparing help sheets, to do lists, rearranging
deliveries and such for our store to be able to go to this once a year event. We
had two weeks of arrangements and details to take care of, so we could leave for
our trip in confidence knowing all loose ends were tied up.
This trip was a once a year chance to network with several hundred people who
use my graphic design services.
I was responsible for bringing down advertising products and cd’s for
customers, and I was also picking up products I had ordered at this specialty.
We felt our car wasn’t reliable enough to take on such a journey so we rented
a car from Enterprise, with a $300.00 deposit.
We filled up the tank on the rental vehicle (given to us with less than an
eight of a tank) for a total of $33.00
We had to REFILL the tank of the mini-van given to us on Monday to get home
$40.00 there. We asked for a small car in the beginning to save such stupid gas
guzzling fees.
This gives a rough estimate of $2,540.00 spent on a five day vacation.
Our trip started off with my being in the Enterprise office, I was discussing
our trip to Georgia and the dog show. Upon receiving the paperwork for the car,
we continued running errands in our owned vehicle to save kilometer charges.
Jason picked up the rental vehicle later and filled the tank after we loaded it
up.
Upon reaching the Ambassador Bridge, we were pulled over on a random car
check and were quickly on our way; however the car did not start. It continued
to turn over and over but never caught. We were getting pressure from the
Customs officials to move the car as it wasn’t the safest place to be being
stuck right in the middle of the inspection area. They told us it can get quite
dangerous there, especially with our entire week’s funding sitting in our
pockets. Customs officials tried to boost the vehicle, with no success and
several more tried to start the vehicle but after an hour it was painfully clear
the car was just not going to start. It was bitter cold and we had the dog in
the car, and no way for us to stay warm.
Our first phone call was to CAA at about 2:00 in the morning. We decided at
the same time to call Enterprise “Roadside Assistance”. This was to be the start
of one of the worst nights we have had in many years. We endured a freezing
cold, 5 hour stay at the Detroit/Canada border in a 2005 Toyota Corolla, which
was supposed to be safer than the car we had plans to take. Roadside Assistance
told us the car wasn’t allowed to be in the US, and that there were no
Enterprise agencies open to help us. We assured them that we made our intentions
clear on where we were going.
All of the following phone calls were eating our minutes on the phone, and as
well were frustrating to say the least, sometimes we were on hold for 20 minutes
or more, and then hung up on or told we couldn’t be helped … we had to push for
help and answers! During this phone call, we were patched to CAA, and during the
conversation with CAA, Roadside Assistance hung up on us, with no resolution as
to how we were going to get another car and in a safe location.
Conveniently at the same time we found out Enterprise’s systems were down, so
each time we were hung up on or disconnected, we had to start the process over
from scratch and we used up all our phone minutes and had to start using the
phone of the tow truck driver (when he arrived). After 3/4 hour there was no tow
truck driver, so we called yet again to find out the systems were still down and
we went over the whole scenario again. Before losing the connection with
Roadside Assistance the first time, the man waived the condition so that the car
could now go into the states, which would have been a bonus, had the car been
drivable. The second person (who could not retrieve details of the first
conversation) was adamant on the fact the car was not going into the states and
the phone died because we had been on it for several hours.
Finally Abrams trucking company showed up, and he was too, quite displeased
with the service we were being provided with by Roadside Assistance. Several
times while being on OUR phone with Roadside Assistance we heard him say, “So
you want me to tow the car, and leave these people stranded on the Detroit side
of the border??” then we told that they were going to tow the car to a
dealership, and that STILL didn’t help us get out of the border – it seemed
Roadside Assistance was for the car only that night. Over and over customs
people asked us who we rented the car from – we said “Enterprise” and they
retorted, “isn’t their motto ‘we’ll pick you up’?” we could only assume they
were talking about the car only …
These conversations lasted for another hour and had to switch over to the tow
truck driver’s phone and we even used up all of his minutes and phone battery. A
man named Jeff finally told us they would tow the car and put us up in a hotel,
but had no idea as to when we could get a new car, or if one would even be
available when the offices opened. We were told that we might be able to get a
car in the Detroit office, at 7 in the morning, but would have to wait until 9
a.m. for the Waterloo Office to open up to authorize it – which left us still
standing at the border without a car.
I can’t stress the amount of pushing and demanding we had to do, to get an
answer of ANY kind, and we only got offered the hotel after the tow truck driver
started threatening to impound the car, leaving us stranded at the border, and
potential legal actions because of that. I have to insist you understand these
phone calls happened for a five hour period!
The tow truck driver even offered to drive us to other rental agencies or
airports where a more reliable company could provide us with a vehicle. He
stressed to Roadside Assistance that he was losing money waiting for them to
answer some simple questions, and that if they didn’t hurry up, he’d just take
the car and be on his way! He tried everything he could to get them moving, and
get us to a safe location, something we should have gotten from Roadside
Assistance.
We were to call Jeff back at 9 in the a.m. and we did, we were on hold again
and patched us through to the Waterloo office. They had to ask us where the car
was, and we told them we had no idea … what kind of service is this where you
can’t keep track of your own vehicles??
It was clear that there were no intentions to get us a car to continue our
trip, and only a vague interest to get us on our way back home. We were offered
an F150 pick up truck – don’t know what they expected us to do with the $10,000
dog at highway speeds considering he’d only be able to fit in the bed of the
truck. We were given a caravan with very little gas in it again, and it ate ten
times more gas than the small cars we had asked for in the beginning.
So, in the end, not only did we lose an incredible opportunity to finish a
Canadian Champion in the US, we lost a 5 day vacation, $2500.00, we could have
easily been involved in a dangerous situation at the US/Can Detroit border, we
inconvenienced a ton of people by our not showing up, and lost a once a year
only chance to network for our business. We now have to pay for courier shipping
of products that I had ordered and expected to pick up at the National
specialty, and have to pay for courier to send down products and advertisements
which we were planning to just hand in personally.
I have not, in my lifetime had this type of treatment and lack of car from
any company, our family and friends are still in astonishment with what
happened. As well, several hundred who were expecting us to show up, and who had
helped us make arrangements to stay down in Georgia are also in a state of
disbelief as to what happened, and what steps were taken before we got some sign
of hope that we’d soon be on our way to Georgia or on our way home.
As we sit finally in the comfort of our home, filled with such depression
over what could have and should have been, I found it necessary to write you and
let you know that your actions regarding one family, have affected several
hundred. Such a shame that a family who rents a car from you to avoid a
breakdown in their regular vehicle, ends up in this sort of position.
Upon searching your website I find answers to almost every question EXCEPT
who we send complaints to. It is quite apparent though we are not the only ones
who have been treated this way, or have been given a car that should not have
been used as a rental vehicle.
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/travel/enterprise_cars.html
http://www.failingenterprise.com/
__________________________________
Wendy Reyn
__________________________________
Jason Vilon
More on Enterprise
car rental at the Failing Enterprise home page. |
