subject: Treating Your Rental Car With Delicate Hands; Otherwise You Can Be Out Big Bucks [print this page] Surely you would think that rental car companies, in particular the massive ones, would be forthcoming when it comes to damages on rental vehicles. Lately, however several issues have been coming up for Enterprise customers who are utilizing their personal insurance in the form of small dings and scratches popping up after they return their vehicles.
Customers are not pleased when they discover that they are being charged for these cosmetic problems which compile to large headaches because most cost less than the average customer insurance deductible and this means that they are being asked to pay for these mishaps out of their own pockets. If a representative notices even the smallest scratch or mark they can claim it against the last drivers insurance and at Enterprise they are doing just this.
The only way to actually be sure that you will not be charged for these minor cosmetic injuries to a rental vehicle is by paying the car rental agency for their insurance. This will safeguard you, but can be a very costly way to protect yourself. And while most other rental car companies will not go to this length to get those additional dollars, Enterprise has been caught doing this for every small mark, even those that might have been caused by scraping up against a vehicle when walking past it.
In order to protect yourself, firstly, do not use Enterprise since they are known for using this method of charging customers and if for some reason you do choose them as your car rental agent then make sure that you pay for the additional rental insurance. Also, be sure to note ever single damage that you can find on a vehicle and not just the significant ones but every scratch or ding that you might notice and go over the automobile a couple of times to be sure that you did not miss a thing. And when you are out and about with your vehicle be sure to park it away from other cars and high traffic areas to help ensure that it does not become accidentally scratched or dinged.
Protecting yourself when driving a rental vehicle is not easy, but there are steps that you can take to help cover yourself from excess damage charges that are unfounded. Making sure that you obtain a receipt from the attendant accepting your vehicle when you drop it off is just one way to help protect yourself from marks that may be inflicted on the vehicle after you drop it off.
