Enterprise Rent-a-Car Deceitful and false damage claim Highlands Ranch Colorado

Upon returning my rented vehicle to Enterprise the Manager informed me that there was minor hail damage to the vehicle and asked if we had been in a hailstorm. I confirmed that we had not been in a hailstorm, nor any storm for that matter. He said he would have to record the damage but they would "probably" not pursue the issue. One month later I received a bill for $971.25 and a couple of blurry images to support their claim. That we were not in a hailstorm seemed somewhat irrelevant from their perspective.

Of course the problem began with the preinspection. There is a circle drawn on the contract which the agent informed me defined the size of damage I might be held accountable for. When we did the preinspection we were both looking for damage that was larger than this circle. The hail damage is claimed to be dime or nickle sized and much smaller so neither one of us would have noted it. Consequently I have no idea, nor does the Enterprise agent, if the hail damage was present before the vehicle was in my care. Knowing that I was not in a storm, it obviously was.

The manager  told me that they are self-insured and do not cover themselves from hail. He said that hail damage comes out of their bottom line, and consequently from the paychecks of the managers. This clearly creates a conflict of interest that leads this company to engage in dishonest practices. It explains how readily they would dismiss the simple fact that we were not in a hailstorm and are clearly not responsible for the claimed damage.

That I live 1800 miles away from where I rented the vehicle doesn't make matters easier. It feels like retaliation for my refusal of additional insurance.