When Jessica Kamzik’s father was diagnosed with stomach cancer last summer, there was no question about what she had to do. Dad’s prognosis was “grave” — the doctors said he probably wouldn’t make it to the holidays — and, “as any loving daughter would do, I immediately cancelled our vacation to stay closer to him,” she says.
CLAIM
You’ve put a dent in your rental vehicle. Or worse, your car rental company claims you returned the car with a scratch or two on it. Oops.
Carrie Finegan’s rental car has a dent on it, and the company wants her to pay for the repair. But did she do it, or was the dent on the car before she rented it? Why doesn’t the company seem to care?
When Mary Dampier returns her rental car to Alamo, she believes it is undamaged. But the company begs to differ, and now it is threatening to refer the case to a collection agency. Is there any hope?
Marcel Meth’s wife and daughter had plans to visit his recently widowed sister-in-law in Minnesota. As a precaution, they bought a travel insurance policy through Access America.
One of the most common questions I get from car rental customers who are facing a damage claim is: “Why can’t they take pictures of my car before it leaves the facility?”
With all the recent stories about questionable damage claims on rental cars, it’s no surprise that motorists like Mike Weaver would insist on inspecting his vehicle before renting it. Or that he expects to note every ding and dent before he drives away.
When Enterprise rents Janice White a car in Chicago, there’s damage to the fender. No worries, says an associate. It will be noted. But a few days after she returns the car, she’s being asked to pay for the dent. What now?
Timothy Taylor gets an unpleasant surprise in the mail after returning his rental car: A claim for $2,000 in damages. He didn’t do it, and his car rental company agrees, but after agreeing to drop the matter, it reverses course. Can it be talked out of this wrongful claim?
Catherine Markland was looking forward to her Ecuador trip with Friendly Planet this month. She had a litte extra peace of mind because she’d purchased an insurance policy for her flights through Access America.
Editor’s note: This the last in a series of posts about travel insurance sponsored by Access America. Here’s part one, part two, part three and part four. First, the good news: Nine out of ten travel insurance claims are honored according to the US Travel Insurance Association. So if you’re thinking of filing a claim [...]
Tim Carpenter thought he had done everything he could to avoid a frivolous damage claim on his rental minvan.
When Rose Satz showed up at the luggage carousel in Baltimore after a recent American Airlines flight from Dallas, she found her almost-new American Tourister bag in bad shape.
When the price of Steven Estrella’s Cancun vacation takes a nosedive after he’s already paid for it, he tries to make a claim under his online travel agency’s price guarantee. But for some reason, the company never processes his claim. What’s going on? And will he ever see a refund?
I’ve seen high car rental bills, but the one Fareeda Elqatto just got from Budget is in a class by itself.
Elliott is consumer advocate 
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