Q: We recently rented a car through Hertz in Scotland. When we returned the vehicle, we asked a representative if
he wanted to inspect it. He
declined.
To our surprise, we later found a $250 charge on our American
Express for a damaged tire. But that didn't make sense. If it had been damaged, we wouldn't have been able to drive the
car back to the airport.
We disputed the charges, and American Express sided with us, noting that Hertz had not sent enough information as
requested to validate its claim.
We thought all was said and done. But now we have received two letters from Hertz claiming that they are starting legal
proceedings against us.
I called Hertz, and they claimed they did not receive anything from American
Express regarding the dispute. Our credit is perfect, and I am very, very worried about this. Do we just need to pay
and move on down the road? - Tracey Brown Osborne,
Dallas
A: The lawsuit threat is probably a bluff. I've talked to enough car-rental claims specialists to know that in all
likelihood, the letter from Hertz was a form response to losing its dispute with American Express.
If push had come to shove, I don't think Hertz would have sued you. Still, it's worth taking the car rental company's
claim seriously. Not just because it might have turned the claim over to a collections agency, possibly hurting your
credit scores, but also because I'm sure that if you had damaged the tire, you would have wanted to pay for it.
When you return a rental car, you don't ask if someone wants to inspect it. You wait until an employee walks around,checks the odometer, and hands you a bill. If there's a question - and this is particularly true if there's
pre-existing damage like a ding or dent - you go back to the original contract and ask the representative to sign off
on it, making sure there's a notation that
you aren't responsible for the damage.
Disputing a credit card bill shouldn't be your first response to a surprise bill. Instead, contact the car rental
company and ask for the documentation that shows you damaged the tire.
A time-stamped photo of the shredded wheel and a repair receipt would have been sufficient.
Based on your account, Hertz didn't provide you with any substantive evidence, nor did the company respond to American
Express when it asked for the proof. When a travel company loses a dispute, it kicks out a "we're gonna sue you" letter
automatically (I've seen it time and again). So don't feel like you're being
singled out.
As far as I can tell, you skipped a few steps along the way to resolving this issue. So did Hertz.
I contacted Hertz on your behalf. A representative insisted that your damage claim was handled "in line with our
standard procedures." It furnished you with additional documents but agreed to cut the amount of your claim in half, to
$125.
Christopher Elliott is the ombudsman for National Geographic Traveler magazine.
E-mail him at celliott@ngs.org,
or troubleshoot your trip through his Web site, www.elliott.org. Distributed by Tribune
Media Services.
Reader Comments