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DAMAGE CHARGES

Marcy Schackne is mad.  She recently waited 2½ hours at LAX just to talk to a car rental agent. After completing her paperwork, she inspected three vehicles that were "beyond dirty" before finding one suitable to drive

Car rental rage: Why everyone’s losing it at the counter right now

March 30, 2026March 30, 2026 by Christopher Elliott

Marcy Schackne is mad. 

She recently waited 2½ hours at LAX just to talk to a car rental agent. After completing her paperwork, she inspected three vehicles that were “beyond dirty” before finding one suitable to drive

Categories On Travel
Avis charged me $250 for smoking weed

Avis charged me $250 for smoking weed in my rental car. But I don’t even smoke! 

March 18, 2026March 18, 2026 by Christopher Elliott

Gary Mullen-Schultz thought he was getting a reliable rental when he picked up a vehicle from Avis in Sacramento. Instead, he got something else — a vehicle that reeked of marijuana. Now Avis wants him to pay $250 to get rid of the smell. Can it do that?

Categories The Travel Troubleshooter
Did Jesse Treakle lose the cargo cover in the BMW x-5 he rented from Enterprise in Zürich, Switzerland? Of course not. So why is he getting these demand letters from PurCo, telling him he must pay $1,202 in the next 10 days?

I didn’t lose the cargo cover in my rental car. Do I still have to pay this $1,202 damage claim from Enterprise?

April 29, 2024April 22, 2024 by Christopher Elliott

Did Jesse Treakle lose the cargo cover in the BMW x-5 he rented from Enterprise in Zürich, Switzerland? Of course not. So why is he getting these demand letters from PurCo, telling him he must pay $1,202 in the next 10 days?

Categories Advocacy
Hertz hits Joseph Meisinger with an $850 bill six months after he returns his rental car. Wait, six months? Yes, six months. Does he still have to pay?

Help! Hertz hit me with an $850 repair bill six months after I returned my rental car

January 2, 2025December 27, 2023 by Christopher Elliott

Hertz hits Joseph Meisinger with an $850 bill six months after he returns his rental car. Wait, six months? Yes, six months. Does he still have to pay?

Categories The Travel Troubleshooter

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