Do Not Use Dollar Rental Car

[fishin4cars]

Back in May we rented a rental car while we were in Charlotte. May the 22 we drove into a Hail storm and one of the pieces of hail put a nick in the windshield. Not a crack, not a split, a NICK! I called and reported it, brought the car back to the lot and showed them and the lady that checked me in said no problem. 6 weeks later( July 9th) I get a phone call that I owe Dollar rental $238.75 for a replacement window. I have called and tried to find out why and they said it had to be replaced due to the nick, that Dollar rental does not fix pecks in the window they replace them. After contacting Expedia which is where we got the package deal from to see if they had any additional coverage that would help, Contacting Visa, contacting my Ins. company I finally gave in and said to heck with this I'll just pay it and be done.
I called Dollar rental and talked to the agent and explained to them what the problem and issue was. For the I guess half a dozen time I have been talking to them. They are the ones that told me to contact all of the above, So when I go to pay they add another $34.00 for Loss of use of the car for the day AND an administration fee of $50 because I took more than 5 days to pay the balance. I got the letter from them on July 17th. My Ins. has a $500 deductible and even if they do pay they add 2 points to my Ins. for the next 3 years and for what. I am still going to have to pay Dollar Rental. I told the lady on the phone very nicely. I'll pay, But I want Dollar Rental to know that this is ridiculous. I paid it and told her that I would never rent from Dollar rental again, and that I would do everything in my power to make sure I stopped at least $322.75 worth of customers from using Dollar rental. This is her response, as long as you pay the bill I don't care what you do, I'm only paid to collect the debt. thank you and have a good day and she quickly hung up the phone.
So as I have sat here and steamed this morning I thought well, I have 2400 friends on face book, another 600 or so on various forums, and whole Internet working in my favor. I've used Enterprise rental car many times and in fact I'm renting one right now. NEVER have I had a issue like this. I'll use Enterprise from now on and Dollar rental. I hope you lose several times the business that you cost me.
Take my advice, they may save you a $1 up front but they cost me more than if I would have booked my Hotel, flight, and rental separately myself instead of using Expedia. BTW, The cost of additional ins. coverage for their cars are $29.99 a day. Enterprise is $7.99. Another reason to use Enterprise.
Sorry for venting here but I really feel Everyone I know should be made aware of their practices and make your decision if you want to use a business that treats it's customers like this.

 

[ididntdoit99]

Good info to know, We are planning our trip to california in sept and still need to rent a car.

I was looking at that hotwire the one day, and they seemed to have really great prices, but they dont tell you who you are renting the car from until after you book it, it seems ridiculous. Almost every car rental place has car seats nowadays for your kids, but nowhereon the jotwire site does it ask you if you need something like that. So i emailed them and asked them about it, and thier response is, "after you book, you will find out the company we have placed you with and then you can contact them and ask them these questions" I was like, yeah that makes sense... so the price looks good now, until i call them and find out im going to have extra fees that I didnt know about when I planned the rental.

 

[sissy]

your car insurance should have paid for it .Most times if I rent a car I call my car insurance to tell them I will be renting and for how long

 

[sissy]

But I only use ford discount rental companies

 

[ididntdoit99]

Sissy, he said he has a $500 deductible on his insurance, so it didnt meet that, and would have put points on his insurance if he claimed it anyway.

I had the same thing happen oh.. bout 6 years ago, because it was right after my son was born, he was coming home the next day, i went home to get a good night rest before i came back and picked them up in the morning, and that just so happened to be the night some dumb punks decided to go through the entire parking lot of our apartment complex and break into cars, they got into 10-15 cars, and my truck was the very last one... .and apparently the only one with an alarm. Busted out my back window, stole my cd player, and damaged the dash.

Insurance guy comes out, looks at my truck, says "You can buy a window from a junk yard for $60, that dash piece for $75, and a new cd player for $100, that doesnt meet your deductible". I was like "Are you serious? I dont pay these ridiculous insurance premiums for full coverage insurance to get junkyard replacement parts when something bad happens."

 

[Waterbug]

Unfortunately these types of practices are standard for pretty much all businesses. I've been boycotting all rental car businesses for about 20 years and all airlines for 15 years. As you found out Larkin I'd have to be a lawyer to have any chance of understanding even have of the contract these businesses demand you sign up front. And there's not a single line in the contract that protects me.

The reason I've continued by boycott so long is because I found I didn't really need these services. I've lost some business by not flying to see customers, but I've also had more time at the computer that I can bill. So the net is I'm way ahead.

What amazes me is that so much of the country wants to give businesses even more power, like somehow they'd have our interest at heart. I don't expect things to improve in my lifetime.

 

[addy1]

Hail damage should have been comprehensive, no points. We carry 1000 deductible but usually glass coverage is covered at 100%.

Will keep that in mind if we ever need to rent Larkin, thanks

 

[brandonsdad02]

I probably would have went back to the car to meet his $500 deductable. A ball pen hammer can make wonderful hail dents!!!

 

[addy1]

Not asking how you know that!

 

[brandonsdad02]

LOL..I was working construction with a guy that was trying to get insurance money for hail damage. He did his whole truck, but forgot about the metal topper that he had on. He was fired from the company he was working for and I don't know what happened after that. He was working that day and not at home when the storm came, but he wanted the money because he lived over there.

I did test that method once while at a junkyard getting a hub assembly bolt for a wheel bearing. They do make wonderful dents, but not worth the time.

 

[Mmathis]

We used ENTERPRISE and have had nothing but positive experiences with them. Sorry about your ordeal, LARKIN -- I know how frustrating it can be.

 

[fishin4cars]

Unfortunately these types of practices are standard for pretty much all businesses. I've been boycotting all rental car businesses for about 20 years and all airlines for 15 years. As you found out Larkin I'd have to be a lawyer to have any chance of understanding even have of the contract these businesses demand you sign up front. And there's not a single line in the contract that protects me.

The reason I've continued by boycott so long is because I found I didn't really need these services. I've lost some business by not flying to see customers, but I've also had more time at the computer that I can bill. So the net is I'm way ahead.

What amazes me is that so much of the country wants to give businesses even more power, like somehow they'd have our interest at heart. I don't expect things to improve in my lifetime.

Waterbug as you can tell, I'm boycotting as well. The comprehensive would apply on my car, on the rental it doesn't in the different state. I don't know or understand that. The additional package of coverage I bought also did not cover the glass from natural causes. (Oh so I guess if I had known the small print a ball pen hammer would have been covered?) Enterprise has never sprung anything like this on me. I even brought one back that had been wrecked and they worked with us 100% all the way through the ordeal. When that one happened it was in a parking lot and a lady backed into it. Enterprise put me in a new car and handled the Ins. and all. Not a dime out of pocket. I am kind of glad they waited 6 weeks and that far of a distance from me to pull a stunt like this. I would have probably been in more trouble if they had been close.

 

[JohnHuff]

The reason I've continued by boycott so long is because I found I didn't really need these services.

That's not really a boycott when you don't need them. A boycott is when you need them and don't use them.

Otherwise, I could say I'm boycotting the advances of Katherine Heigl and Charlize Theron.

 

[fishin4cars]

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/travel/dollar_rates.html
http://www.customerservicescoreboard.com/Dollar+Rent+A+Car
I've gotten over 50 posts on various forums today and not one good response about Budget or Dollar Rental, Several good posts about Enterprise and national rental car on every forum I use. You know, that says a lot!
The reviews above say just about the same thing.

 

[ididntdoit99]

That's not really a boycott when you don't need them. A boycott is when you need them and don't use them. Otherwise, I could say I'm boycotting the advances of Katherine Heigl and Charlize Theron.

I hate when that happens.... Just last night I walked into my bedroom and there was Victoria secret models sprawled all over my king size bed. "Sorry ladies, I need some sleep, I'm going to have to boycott these activities tonight"