loro

WE recently rented a car from Alamo. It was late and dark when we took possesion. WE never did a full inspection. When we returned it their were scratches along both front ends. We all traveled together, had no s and used only head in parking so no one could have hit us. Alamo is holding us responsible. We are sure the car must have been like that when we got it. Any advice other then checking the car in the beginning?

Dick

ALamo and Enterprise are the worst with that game.

They study the car when it comes back to see if they can get extra money.

It it were me, I would request documentation of prior rentals and damage. It's possible they are adding the same "scratches" over and over.

Good luck.

Stacie

Did you purchase the rental insurance Alamo offers?

If not, Alamo will most likely hold your personal insurance company responsible. Before paying, your insurance company should discuss the situation with you, obtain copies of the contract, take statements, and ask Alamo to prove that you were directly responsible for the damage. If Alamo cannot prove your negligence to your insurance company's satisfaction, your company may deny payment. At that point, Alamo will have to decide whether to push the matter further (most likely through arbitration against your insurance company) or drop the accusation.

If your insurance company denies payment, Alamo may ask you to pay personally for the damage. Depending on the situation, your insurance company may pay for your defense in this situation. Your claims adjuster should discuss your options with you and clear up any any further questions you may have.

If you did purchase the additional rental coverage through Alamo, I would still recommend you discuss your concerns with the claims adjuster. They may not be as understanding, because they are paid by the rental company, but they may investigate the matter further. Also, if you purchased the coverage, you probably won't have to pay any additional money for the vehicle repair. The rental company will repair the damage and no one will ever hear about the situation again. This probably won't be a situation that will follow you around when you shop for insurance in the future. However, I realize that doesn't change the principle of the matter...

Good luck!

Flyboy

Great advice from Stacie. Car rental agencies tend to be franchises and some regard damages as a great way to build their bottom line. The only thing I would add is for the next time. Many gold level credit cards offer back-up coverage on rental cars. Check it out and choose what you use to charge rental cars accordingly (because as you already know, the insurance offered by rental car companies is a ridiculously expensive add-on.) For what it's worth, I've never had a problem like this with Hertz or National (but I know as soon as I post this, somebody is likely to say that THEY have!) Good luck!

travel

This could be a potentially costly thing if you didn't purchase the car rental companies' insurance or use the right credit card (only certain gold & platinum cards will cover this.) Read more about this at: http://www.travelcouponsonline.com/insurance.html

Dick

My car was vandalize in HI.

My credit card paid for the amount the rental car company wanted without a problem. They even paid for "loss of use"( the rentals the company would have received if the car was not in the shop).

But there are rules. I called my credit card immediatley and they told me I must file a police report. If I had waited until I got home , I would not have been covered.

Also there are limits on how many consecutive days your credit card is good for. In addition I was required to deny coverage with my rentalcompany. Each card varies it's rules.

I'm a "fine print reader"...and if you read the rental companies coverage you may be surprised. Many will not pay for claims if you were under the influence of alcohol or drugs(even prescription meds) or if you were speeding, etc.

Funny, most people only read the fine print after their claim is denied.

PS.