TAKEN FOR A RIDE
One car renter’s nightmare
Dear John: Back in January 2016 I was in an automobile accident involving an Enterprise car I’d rented.
Essentially, a guy towing a utility truck or van — it’s in the police report — stalled in the center lane of an expressway. I realized this too late to brake properly and sideswiped the rear vehicle.
Although I ended up with just a few scrapes and bruises, I had to be cut out of the car by the local fire department and transported to the hospital.
When I rented the car, I had not taken the collision damage waiver because I was using my American Express card, which, as you know, offers that protection — so I figured I was OK. That was not the case. Amex paid $10,490.00 of the $13,989.40 in damages andrelated costs.
The difference, as I understand it, is that Enterprise chose to total the car instead of repair it. And in addition, Amex was disputing the cost of one of two tows that resulted after the accident.
Representatives from Amex have told me more than once that they consider the case still unresolved and are waiting for Enterprise to respond to their queries before deciding whether they will fork out any more money.
After months of radio silence — particularly on Enterprise’s end — I recently received a notice from a collection agency seeking to recover the difference, and I thought of you. Please a) suggest a resolution that won’t bleed me dry, and b) tell your car-renting readers how to avoid such a pitfall in the future. F.D.
Dear F.D. As you know, I contacted both Enterprise and American Express, and the matter has been resolved — by Amex.
F.D. picks up the story: “I finally spoke to someone at American Express. She was very polite and apologized for the delay, but explained that Enterprise was not very communicative.
“She explained that after finally bringing Enterprise to the table, the car rental company refused to budge or compromise on the difference between Amex’s assessment of the damages and Enterprise’s decision to total the car.”
But as a gesture of goodwill, Amex decided to cover the difference.
My advice: Before you rent a car, check what your insurance will cover. If it doesn’t cover a total loss, then pay for the extra insurance.
F.D. had something else to say about Enterprise: “I was also surprised — and not pleasantly — at the rude way in which I was treated by representatives of the company when I sought to resolve this. The home page of the company’s Web site reads, “We care about what our customers think and how they feel.”
“I call that BS,” says F.D. “This would have dragged on had you not gotten involved. Thank you very much for giving it your attention.”