A car rental conundrum: What would you do with this case?

July 23, 2010

Amy and Kevin Roeder are stuck with a $1,600 bill from Thrifty Car Rental for damage they say they didn’t do. Thrifty insists they’re responsible, and isn’t backing down. And now I’m stuck, too. What do I do next?

Maybe you can help with this case.

Let me fill in a few details. The Roeder’s flew to Kalispell, Mont., in May for a high school graduation and rented a minivan through Thrifty. Before picking up the van, they conducted a thorough inspection. All was well.

The only noteworthy event was the “hard sell” on optional insurance. “The Thrifty man was insistent that we get his insurance only $5 a day,” said Amy Roeder. “We said no, we have insurance.”

She continues,

We left, traveled to our hotel, went to graduation and returned on Monday the 31st.

We once again walked around the van with the rental guy and he signed off that all was OK. I have the document that states this.

Fast forward, 2 days later at home, there is a message on the machine from Thrifty in Montana that the van had major front end damage and scratches along the side and the hubcaps were all scratched up — $1,600 worth of damage, that for whatever reason they could not see when we returned it.

Very odd.

We did not damage that van. They have since sent pictures and a bill for the damage.

I really don’t want to submit a claim for something I didn’t do, and I also get a discount for never having ever submitted a claim, but I don’t want this to leave a bad mark on my credit.

What should I do? Should I really submit a claim, lose my discount, have my premium increase for someone who is scamming me? I don’t know any other recourse?

Roeder says she called the Thrifty location in Kalispell, and asked about the “all clear” slip she’d been given.

“I can’t discuss that with you,” she was told.

I contacted Owen Kelley at the Kalispell Thrifty franchise on her behalf. Here’s what he had to say:

What happened with the Roeder’s rental car is that damage did occur at some point during their rental, but I want to make it clear that I don’t think they were aware that it happened, and I don’t want it to appear that we are insinuating that they are being dishonest with us.

This particular car had only 460 miles on it when it was rented to the Roeders, and 125 of those miles were put on it by me personally when I drove the car from our main office in Missoula to our location in Kalispell.

The signed checkout slip that Mrs. Roeder refers to in her email to you is the damage report done for the vehicle prior to us renting it out to them, and she signed it stating there was no damage to the rental car at the time they rented it.

When they returned it the car was dirty, as is very common when cars are returned, and the damage was concealed by the dirt, so unfortunately we did not discover the damage until the vehicle was washed. This is not an uncommon occurence, we don’t make customers wait for us to clean the cars when they return them because they are usually in too big of a hurry to get to the airport.

At rental car locations that are on site at the airport people leave cars in the lot and turn the keys in at the counter, so when damage is discovered on those cars they are also contacted after the fact, when the cars have been cleaned. This is not an unusual procedure.

I want to stress again that we do not think that the Roeders are trying to scam us like they think we are trying to scam them, I believe they did not realize that the damage occured while they had the minivan, but there is no doubt that it did.

We have won awards from Thrifty Corporation for our professionalism and customer service, we do not “scam” our customers. We want them to come back to us again as many of our customers do, but we can’t afford to absorb the damage that is done to our cars.

That being said, if there is any doubt in our mind that the damage may have been previous damage, we do not pursue the claim. In this particular situation that simply is not the case, we know the damage happened during the Roeder’s rental period.

So what now?

Should I appeal the Roeders’ case to Thrifty at the corporate level? Should I send it back to them with my regrets? Should I just do nothing and let the the family’s insurance company deal with the claim?

I’m conflicted. On the one hand, I find it difficult to believe that $1,600 worth of damage could be hidden behind dirt. On the other hand, the Roeders were the only renters of that vehicle.

What would you do?

Updates

(11:30 a.m.) Just received this from Thrifty, via Twitter: “We appreciate your comments. The Thrifty loc is dealing directly with the Roeders on this.”

(2 p.m.) I’ve forwarded this case to Thrifty corporate. Not sure who’s at the steering wheel at Thrifty’s Twitter account, but I get the sense they’d like to stay out of this one.

(5 p.m.) Send this case along to PurCo for review.

(Photo: biker tect/Flickr Creative Commons)

Tagged as: CAR, DAMAGE, DOLLAR, MINIVAN, MONTANA, THRIFTY

Liz

Thrifty’s story stinks.

1) Major front end damage can’t be concealed by dirt.
2) How do you get a minivan so dirty in a short time? It’s not an SUV, so it’s not likely they took it off-roading.
3) The car had 335 miles driven by someone who wasn’t the renters or Mr. Kelly
4) Thrifty signed off that everything was ok – you can bet if the situation was reversed Thrifty would be going after these renters for everything they’re worth

I say pursue it.
Britt

I find it odd that if there is other damage “hidden by dirt” that she would be given an “all clear” slip. I also have a problem with the response she got when she called to work on a resolution on her own. It smells of someone trying to figure a way to get extra time so they can make up an explanation. In the end, if she is going to be charged $$ she shouldn’t have been given the all clear slip. Had she returned the car to the airport drop your keys and run place she would have taken pictures of the car, but she assumed the “all clear” slip was actually that. As would I. I would go to corporate, but that’s just me.
Chris

I am very suspect of Thrifty’s claim as well, and agree with what Liz said above. Especially the fact that miles were put on the vehicle after it was returned. And sorry, but no amount of dirt can conceal that kind of damage.

Has the renter pursed this with Thrifty Corporate? Might have them do that before you intervene.
MarkieA

I, too, find it VERY diificult to believe that $1,600 worth of damage could be concealed by dirt. Did they take the van mud-bogging? That signature at the end of the rental period from Thrifty should be the end of the discussion. It certainly would be if the roles were reversed. If the Roeders had signed an “all clear” at the beginning of the rental and then, two hours later, brought the vehicle back to notate damage that was missed on the inital inspection, what do you think Thrifty would do?

My initial reaction would be, “Let ‘em take me to court and prove that I damaged the car.” Unfortunatley, though, they would probably have to spend a lot of time and money to fly back to Montana to defend themselves. This one’s for the legal experts who read this blog. Does Thrifty have to actually prove that the Roeders damaged the van? Is the circumstantial evidence overwhleming? After all, there was a period of time after they returned it that the van was on the Thrifty parking lot where any number of accidents could have taken place. How binding are those signed inspection reports? Thrifty’s Agent gave the car the A-OK. Are the Roeders released from all responsibility at that point? If not, how long are they on the hook for? Hours? Days? Weeks? Until the next person rents the van?
John Baker

As soon as Thrifty signed off on the vehicle being “all ok” on return, any damage became their responsibility. I’d take it to corporate and then let the franchise prove it in court.
Brian C

As someone who has done significant damage to a rental car, I can definitely say that a little rain and a trip down a well-graded dirt road can do wonders to conceal major damage.

However, this was in South Africa, so I knew my insurance wouldn’t cover me there, so I paid extra for the rental companies’ insurance.
Clara

Depending on the type of van, it’s completely possible that $1600 worth of damage was concealed by dirt. I’ve got a VW New Beetle. Because of the style of fender and bumper on the car, a “minor” ding can result in very expensive repairs. It’s possible that dust and debris could have covered some significant scratches.

I’d ask to see pictures of the reported damage before going further. If it’s dings and nicks, it’s possible that it was hidden. If the front end is falling off, different story.
Cris

I also think that $1600 worth of damage can’t be concealed by dirt.

But for the sake of argument, let’s say that it can. Yet once the Thrifty rep signed off, I don’t see how they can legally come back and pursue the customer for damages discovered later. The rep has taken responsibility for an inspection, and if his inspection was insufficient then he bears responsibility for that.

He states that many customers drop cars off with keys and are inspected later, so that when damages are found they are contacted. However, that is not the same situation. In those cases, the customer is not taking the time to have the car inspected by Thrifty in his/her presence, to discuss any findings and compare them to the records of the car’s initial state, and to have the rep sign off that the rental case is closed. The Roeders took that time, and once the rep signed their form, he closed their case. Either the damage was not really done by them, or he missed it in his inspection – but that’s his fault, not theirs.
Lianne

I agree with Liz, how can $1,600 worth of front end damage be concealed by dirt?

The Roeders have a signed document from the rental company saying everything checked out. I can’t imagine any sane judge would take Thrifty’s rationale in place of the signed document.

Maybe an employee tried to move the van after it was returned and somehow scratched the hell out of it and was afraid they’d lose their job if they didn’t pin it on a customer. Hell, what if someone just took it out for a joyride?

I think you should take this to corporate Chris. If the Roeders are truthful then there is no way they should have to pay this claim. If they are lying, then the folks handling the car rental return at Thrifty need to undergo some serious training.
Timothy Arnold, CMP

A contract is a contract, and when they returned the car, an agent of Thrifty signed off on the car stating the car was in acceptable condition, and there was no damage. Now Thrifty is changing their story, and trying to hide, literally, behind dirt. I would come down on them with the full force and fury one can. There is no way 1600 dollars in damage could be concealed by dirt, the car company is just looking for a way to get some extra income. Now, if the renters did not have the sign off sheet, then I would tend to believe Thrifty more. But with that sign off sheet present, either Thrifty hired fools for them (quite possible) or Thrifty is trying to cheat the renters (also very possible).
This is why every time I rent a car, I take 8-10 pictures (with dates) when I pick up the car, and 8-10 pictures when I drop off the car. Once home, I upload them to my computer and keep them for at least a year.
Joe R

Isn’t it interesting how the CUSTOMER is totally liable for anything not caught on inspection when they pick up the vehicle (they signed the paper after all!!), but the COMPANY isn’t liable for the same thing on return?

It seems like a signed document is a signed document, although I’m guessing there’s fine print saying the company has the right to further inspect the vehicle after drop off and charge accordingly.

It comes down to trust. And I lost that a long time ago for pretty any company involved in the travel industry.
Carver

I agree. Thrifty’s story sounds like bull…. $1600 worth of damage hidden by dirt seems highly unlikely. I could potentially have believed that there were scratches along the side, but when I heard, “Major front end damage” that was hidden by dirt, that is simply not a credible statement.

Equally telling is Owen Kelley’s statement, “but there is no doubt” Really, no doubt? Did Mr. Kelly personally witness the damage occur? How can he be so certain? He can’t. He’s doing the classic, “I believe you’re guilty, and If I repeat it loudly, dogmatically, and often enough, you’ll believe you’re guilty as well”

I say appeal this case and let’s see where the true facts, and not Mr. Kelly’s, leads you.
Patti

This situation points out a clear potential for fraud, regardless of who is at fault. When Thrifty signed off that the car was not damaged, how can they realistically expect to later claim that dirt had hidden $1600 worth of damages?

On the surface, it would appear that the Roeders have the documentation to back up their claims. For the rest of us who rent cars, I would certainly hope that would hold up as the issue was taken up the chain of command, or small claims court if it came to that. Otherwise, less than scrupulous individuals within the rental companies could potentially use the situation to fraudulently generate cash.

Please pursue it, not just for the Roeders, but also for the rest of us.

Thank you for what you do!
JohnB

I feel like Monk.

Here is what happened.

The car got dirty. No one disputes this.
The car got washed after the return. No one disputes this.
The damage was found after the car wash. Right?

The damage was done at the car wash.

If by hand or automatic, the dirt and grim was scrubbed around on the vehicle leaving scratches. That is why the scratches are on the front of the car (where there is lots of dirt/debris)…and the hubcaps, because they get extra attention during hand washing, or from machines as you pull in.

I would imagine the car wash has a no-fault policy. So in my estimation the car rental company is out of luck and needs a new place to wash their cars.
Zak

@John Baker

I agree completely – live by the sword, die by the sword. Had the Roeders failed to note damage on the car at pickup, you can bet Thrifty would hold them to that.
Preston

This sounds like an unfortunate situation. I also have trouble with $1600 worth of damage being hidden by dirt. Of course a scratch nowadays cost $1600 to fix.

I do think the bottom line is the damage out/in sheets would rule in court. If Thrifty needs to change its policies to prevent this then maybe they should.

As a faithful reader of this column and after hearing so many rental stories, I now take pictures before and after every rental. Especially in other countries where cars are not new and scratches and dents are common.
jayne52

If the vehicle had damage hidden by dirt, perhaps the damage was done after the Roeders turned the vehicle in but before someone checked the vehicle over for the next rental- OR Say by an employee who is driving the vehicle 126 miles to the rental site, before they picked up the vehicle. Maybe thats why the hard sell on the insurance, the employee knew the vehicle had damage already. I would definately NOT leave this, but refer to Corporate office. In the last ten years, I’ve never turned in a vehicle where the rental agency did not have an employee on hand to inspect a returned vehicle. Late to the airport or not, everyone should insist on getting one.
Jay S

It’s the rental company’s responsibility to check for damage on return. If they did not check adequately, and issued an “all clear”, anything they find from that point on is on them. Who’s to say the lot jockey didn’t damage the van moving it around? Or that vandals didn’t break in and do so?

As a matter of policy, we can’t have rental companies providing all clears and then reneging on that judgment. That would lead to chaos. It needs to be Thrifty’s problem and I’m sure any court will see it that way.
David Emery

They should turn the whole thing over to their insurance company, which has the legal and technical expertise to figure out what happened, as well as a fiduciary duty to not pay an invalid claim.

If the insurance company decides they’re liable, they’ll have an accident on their records. But the default case is this will happen anyway, they seem to have run out of options with the rental car company. So they gain nothing at this point by not handing it to their auto insurance.
David Emery

p.s. I’ve started walking around my rental with my iPhone taking a video pass over the full car. Probably worth doing this both on sign-out and return.
http://www.thetravelinggiraffe.com Crissy

I find it quite odd that the Roeders went back and got an OK from Thrifty and then $1600 of damage shows up later. $1600 in damage could be some deep scratches or the bumper could be hanging off. Seeing the photos would tell us how possible it was to conceal $1600 in damage.

The other part is did she actually get a form telling her the car was ok and how binding is that form. Did the guy give her a form saying the car was brought back and it doesn’t actually say the car is clear, but he said it to them verbally. Then they don’t really have a case and should either pay themselves or submit through insurance.

If the photos show obvious damage and they have a form that says the car is fine then I would take it to corporate. Otherwise, I would leave it to the Roeders to decide if they want to pay the bill or submit through insurance. One of the advantages of going through insurance is that they can submit whatever they have that would show they didn’t cause the damage and let the insurance company fight it out with Thrifty.

The problem with just not paying the bill and waiting for Thrity to sue is that Thrifty will probably just put them in collections and leave it to the collections agency to collect instead of sueing – that will hurt the Roeders credit rating which could cost a lot more then $1600 in the long run.
Robert C Shelton Jr

Chris, I have some ideas, but as a retired Judge, still admitted to practice in NJ, I am keenly aware of the liability of attorneys for malpractice in giving opinions without a full inquiry into all the facts, even when not hired. I suggest that these folks see an attorney and get good legal advice.

Bob
Thalassa

Absolutely pursue this. If the Kellys received an “all clear” from Thrifty, that $1600 worth of damage occurred AFTER they turned that van in.

There’s no way dirt covered “major front end” damage.
SirWired

If Thrifty didn’t notice the damage at return, then that’s Thrifty’s problem. If the front end was so filthy they couldn’t inspect for damage, then they should have hosed it off before giving the renter a receipt for the return saying everything was fine. The “everything is fine” slip is the key; if they could claim damage despite the slip, then what precisely is the point of that slip existing? If this went to court, Thrifty wouldn’t have a leg to stand on.

Maybe the state Attorney General’s office is the next step if we assume corporate won’t help? Telling the consumer everything is just peachy and then turning around and billing them for $1600 in damage after they’ve left the state and can’t dispute things sounds like fraud to me.

Really, it doesn’t matter at this point who caused the damage; if Thrifty signed a piece of paper saying that there is no damage, then anything they want to fix after that point is Thrifty’s problem.

P.S. If the OP doesn’t want to deal with it any more, do they perhaps have insurance through their credit card? That might keep it off their personal auto policy.
Rich

Pursue it. How dirty can they have got that car so that ‘major front end damage’ did not show up?

It could easily have been caused by one of the Thrifty employees, or by some other driver in the parking garage.
Jonathan

One more vote for “fight Thrifty.” Primarily because of the reasoning laid out before that the car was signed off upon return. On two occasions in the past, I’ve had car companies try to charge me for “damage” that was actually little more than mark (not a scratch) less than an inch long (once it was on the very bottom of the passenger door where you would have to struggle to look for it!). This is an example of these rental agencies pushing the “damage policy” to the nth degree, claiming ANY significant blemish as a front-end replacement. At this stage, I make sure I use the video camera on my I*Pod to do a visual inspection before I leave the lot (including video OF the lot with a shot of the original rental agreement in the video) and then do the same upon return before I leave with something time-stamped (i.e. the day’s newspaper or, even better, the check-in receipt from the company). At least that way I have something that I can use to contest any damage beside my version of the story!
Mike

Refuse to pay. If Thrifty charges credit card, protest charge.

Write to parent company and ask it to intervene. File a report with the Better Business Bureau and state consumer protection agency.
Arizona Road Warrior

It is my recommendation to take pictures of your rental car especially dealing with a non-corporate\franchise location.
charlie

check the date on the check out slip. check that there was one checking in and one checking out…perhaps different signatures? should be different words at the top. something simple?
Rich

Bottom line, Thrifty signed off as “all clear”, it is their responsibility. That is a legal document showing that the vehicle was brought back in the agreed upon condition. Thrifty has no case and I would take this to Thrifty corporate.
Mike

What I would like to know for sure, is do the renters have that document from the end of the rental saying that there was no damage? The renters claim they do, but the agency says the document they have is from the start of the rental. Someone is not being honest here and I think that is an issue that need to be solved before anyone goes any further

If the renters have the signed document from the END of the rental, I would escalate this as far up as possible as well as fight it. The person at the rental agency signed off on it stating no damage. Its on them after that. You can bet your bottom dollar that if the damage had been there but still signed off as all clear and then the damage was discovered, well then who is on the hook. Also, its customary that you pull into the agency and park in the front or some other designated drop off spot. Depending on the location of the agency, customer cars can also be in the mix. Its also quite possible that the car was backed in to, or that someone moving the cars damaged it by accident.
Sarah Di

Absolutely, take it to corporate! They signed off for no damage upon pick up and return. It’s not like they just dropped it off in a lot. If Thrifty was willing to sign off for no damage, even if it was dirty, when the car was dropped off, then they should stand by that documentation. If the dirt was an issue, then there’s no reason the employee checking them out couldn’t wipe off the dirty areas to see if there are any scratches.
Ron

I rent 50+ times per year for the last 20 years. This has happened to me. I finally had to have my attorney contact the the rental company numerous times. It cost me lots more in legal fees than the damage, but I was not going to let the rental car franchisee charge me for damages that were not mine. Now, I take pictures upon rental and upon return.
JMJ

I agree with other commenters. The “all clear” slip should apply. It’s the franchise’s fault if they gave the all clear slip without properly inspecting hte car.

This can lead to more shenanigans by rental cars. If the”all clear” means nothing, can any damage be applied to any random renter? The precedent cannot be set!
Ron

******************
We once again walked around the van with the rental guy and he signed off that all was OK. I have the document that states this.
******************
If this is indeed the case, I cannot see where the local Thrifty office has a case for charging these folks. A signed off form saying the car was returned in ok condition by a Thrifty rep.

To the Thrifty folks that will undoubtedly read this, I have taken away one clear thought after reading this story……..

Avoid companies like Thrifty that treat their customers so poorly.
Diana

I would fight Thrifty also. But, I would let my insurance company handle it. They have the resources and expertise to fight this fairly. Insurance companies do this every day. If the company is a good company, then the claim should not count against them, especially since it was not the OP’s fault. Unless the OP has a history of filing claims, then one should not effect his premium.
Laura Cattell

I had THE most horrendous experience with Thrifty in London which I have never forgotten. Unfortunately, I didn’t know about Christopher at the time. Thrifty are on the list of companies very likely to go under this year so it comes as no surprise they would be using such underhand tactics. There shouldn’t be any argument in this case. Perhaps the time has come for us all to take photos which are dated before we leave and return to the lot as further proof although in this case Thrifty seem to be making things up. It sounds to me that someone in the company caused the damage and is trying to pass the buck. I can’t wait to read the final outcome.
Tanya

I vote with the others, pursue it, IF they do indeed have the document from the end of the rental signed by an agent giving the all clear. Once a rented vehicle has been returned and the car rental company signs off on it, any further damage is the car company’s fault, in my opinion. Just like other posters have mentioned, the car rental company would not give you slack if you (and they) missed a scratch or a ding before signing off that the car was in good condition and then come back 15 minutes later saying that you had spotted something on the car, they would presume you had done the damage. Why shouldn’t the car rental company have to live by the very same standard that they set? If the employee failed to note the damage, that is on the company, not on the renters, as the renters were told everything was ok.
The damage could have been caused at any time after the vehicle was returned and the damage was found. It only takes a second to get into an accident. And I am guessing that the car was not washed immediately.
Anthony

Once Thrifty had signed off that there was no damage, anything beyond that is their responsibility. If they don’t want to have the customer wait for a more thorough inspection, then they should tell them that they can’t provide an all clear sign-off. The damage is now Thrifty’s responsibility.
Tim

Chris

I work in the travel industry. Thank you for bringing this type of issue everyone’s attention. I now make sure I tell my clients to check and re-check for any damage (including taking many pictures) before they leave and when they return with the car to the rental office.
Texas Road Warrior

I’ve rented countless numbers of vehicles through all the car rental agencies and I’ve yet to find any uniformity in the procedures for returning vehicles even at the same location. It just depends on who is working the return center at the time of the return. Having said that I have a problem with Mr. Kelly’s response. If it is common for cars returning to the Kalispell franchise to be dirty and it is their custome not to make the customer wait until the cars are washed to inspect the vehicles then any sign-off as to the condition of the vehicle upon its return by a Thrifty employee should be “conditional” and not an “all OK”. The statement by the Roeders that the car was given an OK upon its return makes me suspicious of Mr Kellys’ response. I would ask the Roeders to provide a copy of the return slip in order to verify the date and information they provided and if it checks out I would pursue it with corporate. I would also call their attention to the fact that the Thrifty representative made a false statement when they said the Roeders did not have a signed return but rather the sign out slip

It’s sad but I suppose the period we now live and work in that I not only take pictures of the vehicles I rent at the time of rental and when returning the vehicle but also the hotel rooms where I stay.

Please follow-up and let us know the outcome.
Robert Hefley

A similar thing happened to me several years ago. I returned the car, and after inspecting it VERY thoroughly, the attendant gave me a check-in form stating there was no damage or any other problem. Several months later, I received a bill from the agency for several hundred dollars and a claim that the hubcaps were missing. Since I had rented the car with my American Express card, I mailed their insurance people a copy of the signed return form. They told the rental car people to stuff it, and that was the end of it.
Roberto

I’m not trying to say Thrifty is right here, but I can easily see how $1600 worth of damage could be hidden by dirt. Deep scratches can be surprisingly costly to repair, and don’t forget that when you get a damage claim on a rental car, you’re paying for the damage, plus:
1. A fee for taking the car out of service for repairs
2. An administrative fee for dealing with the damage
3. Maybe others I’m forgetting.

So getting up to $1600 is not surprising to me.

That being said, I think JohnB’s explanation was the most likely: car got scratched up in the carwash.
Leslie

I agree with the others that stated this case should definitely be fought with Thrifty. Regardless of who caused the damage, if the customer and the rep for Thrifty both signed off on the contract stating the vehicle was returned in good condition, that’s the end of the story and removes any liability from the customer. Even if cleaning the cars and inspecting them after they’re turned it in is “standard practice” for this Thrifty location, it sounds like they need to change their standard operating procedures to prevent this issue in the future.

I think the customer should also contact her insurance company, not to submit a claim, but to see if they can help with the situation. I damaged a rental car on vacation (someone sideswiped my car in a parking garage and I scraped the side of the car against a concrete wall to avoid a collision). Unfortunately, I couldn’t identify the car that sideswiped us to get their insurance information. I called my insurance company when I got home to ask what I should do. They said to submit a claim and not to worry. Not only did my insurance cover the entire cost of the damage, but they also didn’t raise our rates. Luckily, my driving record with them has been spotless and they understood the situation. Hopefully this customer would have the same luck with her insurance!
Joe Farrell

Thrifty is claiming there is no all clear slip upon return – they are claiming the only slip is the sign out slip – when was the last time you got an all clear slip for a turn in?

Ron [post right above] is the end of the matter; if, and its a big if, there is a ‘good condition’ return slip then Thrifty is done, kaput, finito. Lets switch it around; the Roeders picked up the van and drove it out of the lot where, upon reaching the freeway and reaching freeway speeds, detected a serious malfunction, such as a loose strut which damaged the drive shaft simply as a result of driving it. These folks signed it out as OK whicn means they hit someone, a kerb, something, to damage the strut which causes all the rest of the damage. Does anyone think they’ll win there defense?

If I were the Roeders I would a) look through my travel photos and see if anyone got a picture of the front of the van, and b) surveillance photos at the Thrifty location? They ALL have camera nows. Ask to see the camera photos of them driving into the location.

Physical damage is NEVER concealed by dirt. ‘Major’ front end damage is more than $1600. If what they are talking about is scratches in the paint, wheels and other areas – sure they could be concealed by dirt but then its also normal wear and tear. They chose to clear the car – they could have refused to clear the car.

What is needed here are photos of the claimed damage. They’ll resolve once and for all if the concealed damage could be concealed by dirt. The video captures from the surveillance cameras will show the level of dirt –

Until I see all that I’ll reserve judgment because you know what? People lie.
Jason

It is difficult situation. First, if you never had insurance claim before, contact your insurance and ask if they have accident forgiveness: many companies won’t increase your rate because of one claim. Also, consider your deductible: if you have $500 deductible on your policy you will have to pay out of your pocket or submit a claim with your credit card company if they offer car rental protection. Credit card protection is a secondary policy it picks up some items your own insurance did not pay for. Also, did Thrifty include in the bill a “service fee” and “lost of use charge”? If you contact your insurance and you insurance is reputable company, they will negotiate for you with Thrifty to take the fees off. In any case, I would call my insurance agent first and ask for advice. Insurance company deal with this kind of issues all the time.
On another hand, if you ignore it, Thrifty will try to collect money from you and eventually will transfer your debt to a collection agency. You will have a negative item on your credit report. You can still write an explanation to a reporting agency. If you are lucky, it might be removed. But I would not take the chance.
Also, if I would ever be offered $5/day full protection I would take it and not even think about it. I have never been offered $5 coverage; it is normally $15-20/day. I had damages to rentals in the past and even it was taken care between insurance company and credit card policy, it is still a hassle to deal with. But in your situation I would definitely start with your insurance and ask if it even will affect your rate. A reputable insurance company not increase your premium for one claim. The claim will still be on your record and if you to change insurance in the next three years it will be taken into account.
Geoff

I would call corporate ASAP. The I am not trying to “scam” statment always means that I am try to scam the clients. Any idiot can see 1600.00 worth of damage when a car is turned in.
Donald Fry

I would fight it. You have numerous articles about successful fights against similar spurious claims. Hard to believe a little dirt concealed that much damage. Pictures, anyone? Before the cleaning, and after? before the rental period? Before an employee got in the car and drove it somewhere else on the property? An employee damaging a car? Could it happen? Duh!

Too many cracks in this story. Thrifty doesn’t really know where the damage came from, they just want somebody else to pay for it. No sale.
Chris in NC

I remember writing this exact same comment somewhere else. It bears repeating, so I will post it again…

Over the years, I have rented cars from virtually all rental car companies. Most of my experiences have been good, but there are a few that I still haven’t forgotten about. Historically, I’ve had the least problems from Hertz, Avis and Budget (yes Budget) and I’ve swore off Payless, Advantage and Alamo. The BIGGEST problem (with any company) seems to occur with FRANCHISE locations vs CORPORATE locations. My experience is that there are a few bad franchises where corporate either is unaware of non-standard practices or looks the other way.

Sad to say, but I have adopted this protocol when renting a car. Since my camera (which is with me at all times) has HD recording capability, I record a thorough inspection of the car with my camera. I try and include any employees in the video. I document EVERYTHING, every little scratch, ding and scrape. Many a times, I have an employee tell me thats not an issue, but I make them write it down anyways. Upon return, I video the odometer, gas meter, AND video the employee who is checking in the car. Yes, this is a pain, but I’ve found that it adds no more than 5-10 minutes on each side of the transaction.

Another technique that I use, if I have luggage to check in, is to drive to the gate, check in all my luggage BEFORE returning the rental car. This way, when I return the car, all I have is my carry on luggage. Its SO much easier to not have to worry about getting luggage onto the shuttle bus, and I can pay more attention to the vehicle check in process.

Finally, since we frequent the Rocky Mountain State (ie DEN, SLC, LAS), and during the winter, all vehicles come back dirty (due to salt and grime), I make sure that I find a car wash and WASH the vehicle before returning it. Several of my colleagues make fun of me for doing this. My opinion is that it is psychological. If you return a car that is clean, there is less chance that the rental car company will “look” for damage. Yes, I believe that rental car companies profile.

One last caveat. For those who have insurance protection with your credit card, be aware that there are certain vehicles that they DON’T COVER. For the Diner’s Club policy they do not cover pickup trucks or any vehicle that is a crossover (ie Ford Rangers, F150s, Chevy Avalanches, etc). Sometimes, specialty vehicles (ie Mercedes and other luxury vehicles) aren’t covered either. It serves everyone well to READ their insurance policies before they rent! Be aware that Diners Club offers primary coverage, whereas everyone else offers Secondary coverage.

Just my 2 cents
Sara

I’m finding all of these comments very interesting. I, too, would want to see photos of what Thrifty is claiming as the major damage.

In addition to all of the other car-rental trips that have been discussed on here, I now take the time and a couple of extra dollars to wash the car before I return it, for exactly this reason. I’d much rather spend $10 to wash the car and know I’m returning it in the same condition in which I rented it than take a chance.