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Elliott Report

Elliott Report

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CAR RENTAL

When Nicholas Chandler rented an Avis car for one day, a rear-end crash led to a jaw-dropping $7,671 charge for 29 days of “loss of use” — despite the other driver being at fault. His insurance refused payment, citing vague billing. Avis’ claims partner, Sedgwick, admitted a possible error but offered no resolution. Consumer advocate Christopher Elliott uncovered internal confusion: Avis had charged Chandler the maximum daily rate as if he’d kept the car. After intervention, Avis refunded $7,000, admitting the mistake. A cautionary tale of rental car pitfalls and the fight against controversial “loss of use” fees.

Help! Avis charged me $7,671 for a one-day car rental

May 15, 2025May 14, 2025 by Christopher Elliott

Nicholas Chandler was rear-ended while driving an Avis rental car. Even though the other driver was at fault, Avis charged him for the entire time the car was out of commission. Can he get a refund?

Categories The Travel Troubleshooter
Corwin Simmonds encountered a frustrating $457 overcharge from Budget after renting a car in France. Despite multiple unauthorized charges and poor customer service, he persisted in seeking a resolution. Learn how he navigated the process and ultimately secured a refund for the erroneous charges.

Budget overcharge: I paid an extra $457 for my car rental in France!

May 6, 2025May 5, 2025 by Christopher Elliott

When Corwin Simmonds rented a car from Budget in Marseille, France, he never expected a simple transaction to become a frustrating ordeal with multiple overcharges and a bewildering lack of customer service. 

Categories Advocacy
Glenn Roberts gets a surprise bill for $1,357 two months after he returns his car to National. What is it for -- and why can't he get the car rental company to refund it?

How to dispute a $1,357 charge from National and get your money back

April 26, 2025April 23, 2025 by Christopher Elliott

Glenn Roberts gets a surprise bill for $1,357 two months after he returns his car to National. What is it for — and why can’t he get the car rental company to refund it?

Categories The Travel Troubleshooter
Just when you think you've seen every car rental fee under the sun, you hear from someone like Jason Hunter. 

Help! Budget charged me $1,166 for a “loss of license plate” — is that legal?

April 26, 2025March 31, 2025 by Christopher Elliott

Just when you think you’ve seen every car rental fee under the sun, you hear from someone like Jason Hunter. 

Categories Advocacy
What should you do if your car rental company runs out of cars? Can your online booking site just keep your money? Here's the unfortunate truth.

Hertz ran out of cars. Why is Booking.com keeping $65 for my rental?

February 2, 2025January 27, 2025 by Christopher Elliott

What should you do if your car rental company runs out of cars? Can your online booking site just keep your money? Here’s the unfortunate truth.

Categories Advocacy
When Joseph Hall returns his car to Budget, it drops a $450 cleaning fee on him. Does he have to pay all of it?

Do I really have to pay this $450 cleaning fee from Budget?

April 2, 2025January 22, 2025 by Christopher Elliott

When Joseph Hall returns his car to Budget, it drops a $450 cleaning fee on him. Does he have to pay all of it?

Categories The Travel Troubleshooter
Did Sixt scam this customer with optional travel insurance? Find out.

A surprise surcharge for car rental insurance with Sixt. How do I fix this?

November 14, 2024November 13, 2024 by Christopher Elliott

Sixt surprises David Degagne with an extra $513 car rental insurance surcharge in Portugal. Can he get his money back if he never asked for the insurance? Let’s find out.

Categories The Travel Troubleshooter
What should you do if you have ants in your rental? Here's how one customer handled it.

Help! My Hertz car rental is infested with ants — and now they’re charging me extra

January 2, 2025November 11, 2024 by Christopher Elliott

There’s a rule in the Travel Bible that your rental car must be insect-free. But the folks at the Hertz location in Palo Alto, Calif., forgot to study their scripture on the day Miguel Lopez came to town. And they handed him the keys to a car infested by ants.

Categories Advocacy
Stacey Wall rented a car from Enterprise in Phoenix and took photos of a small dent on the door before driving it. Weeks later, she received a $1,391 damage claim dated three days after returning the car. Despite providing timestamped evidence of pre-existing damage, Enterprise insisted she was responsible. After escalating the issue, Enterprise reviewed the photos again and agreed to drop the claim, leaving Stacey relieved but questioning why this happened with her rental Windstar.

I have proof that I didn’t damage my rental car. So why do I have to pay?

November 24, 2024October 9, 2024 by Christopher Elliott

Stacey Wall has proof that she didn’t damage her rental car. So why does Enterprise want to charge her, anyway?

Categories The Travel Troubleshooter
Michael Roehricht found himself in a tough spot after damaging a rental car from Enterprise in Germany. Despite his efforts to work with his car insurance company to cover the damages, Enterprise refused to provide the necessary repair invoice, leaving Michael in limbo. With his insurance company’s deadline approaching, Michael reached out for help. After a frustrating back-and-forth, Enterprise finally provided the documentation, allowing his insurance company to settle the claim for $17,552. This case highlights the importance of obtaining a repair invoice in rental car disputes.

How do I get a repair invoice from Enterprise? My insurance company needs it

October 23, 2024October 2, 2024 by Christopher Elliott

Michael Roehricht needs a repair invoice from Enterprise to file a claim with his car insurance company. Why won’t the company send him the paperwork?

Categories The Travel Troubleshooter
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