Enterprise Rent-A-Car False Claims and Accusations Nashville Tennessee

I rented a car at BNA Nashville Airport from Enterprise.  The car was picked up on March 8, 2014 at 01:08PM Central Time. 

I only drove the car 100 miles during the time I had it, and that was just to drive from the Airport to my friend’s house and back, as well as to drive around the area to see the houses of some local celebrities from afar.  For 95% of the rental period the car was parked in front of my friend’s house with the passenger side at the curb.  She lives on a dead end street and there is little traffic. No other cars park on the street and I was not near another driveway nor any cars.  No damage occurred to the vehicle during my rental agreement. 

I returned the car during regular business hours to Nashville BNA airport on March 11, 2014 at 11:55 AM Central Time.  Not one, but two uniformed employees of Enterprise met me in order to return the vehicle. They both did a visual inspection as well as physically felt around the vehicle looking for any damage.  No damage was found and I was verbally told that “no damage is noted” and that “everything is complete”.  I was then asked if the payment for the rental should be charged to my Visa Credit Card which held the rental deposit, to which I agreed. 

I was then handed a credit card slip noting my payment of $181.91 for the use of the vehicle during the rental period, as well as any taxes and fees.  This payment and corresponding receipt therefore ended my rental agreement with Enterprise.  No damage was claimed on the receipt nor charged to myself at the time of Vehicle return.  No damage was pointed out to myself at the time of the return, nor was any damage report filed in my presence requesting my signature. 

I then went to catch my flight to NYC.  When I landed in NYC I saw that I had a voicemail.  When I heard a Representative from Enterprise, a woman Alice (or Alex) introduce herself in the beginning of the voicemail, I thought for sure that I had left something in the Vehicle.  No problem I would have my friend go pick it up.  Instead to my surprise she let me know that over an hour and a half after I returned the vehicle that she went to move it and noted a crack on the front bumper, on the passenger side right below the headlight.  She said that the Damage Recovery Unit would be contacting me within a week to get my statement. 

She also said that I probably had just not said anything because I was scared.  I was understandably more than livid at this accusation and called her back immediately.  I explained to her that the car was parked most of the time on a dead end street and it would have been near impossible for this damage to have occurred.  She kept saying that I probably parked it at a mall and someone else hit it, which was not at all the case.  More importantly I explained to her that two uniformed employees of Enterprise inspected the vehicle and verbally noted that there was no damage and released my deposit. 

She said that the damage was “very difficult” to see and she only noticed it when she inspected it very carefully.  She also said that the two employees who inspected this vehicle had been reprimanded for not doing a careful inspection.  I let her know that the inspection was very careful and even I had inspected the car and not seen any damage.  I also let her know that the simple fact was that since no damage was pointed out to me at the time of return, that there was no way they could prove that this damage had occurred during my rental period.  I told her that the alleged damage most likely happened in the almost two hours that elapsed from when I returned the car and when I was contacted about the alleged damage. 

She said that this was possible and it could be proved if this was the case and that “they would look into it”.  She also said I “might not have to pay” since the two employees had not noted the damage at the time of return but that it still needed to be investigated by the Damage Recovery unit so she could “rent the car”.  I was upset and shaken and told her that given the circumstances I was giving her my statement and no one from Enterprise should contact me further regarding this incident.  She insisted that it was company policy to get my “statement” or else the car could not be rented.  This seemed very strange since this was supposedly such a “very difficult to see” crack that two employees who do this for a living on a daily basis were not able to see damage.  So how could the car be so damaged it could not be rented? 

Yesterday March 17, 2014 I received a letter from Enterprise postmarked March 13, 2014.  It was from their Damage Recovery Unit.  It did not ask for my statement.  It did not note any information regarding the car, neither the license plate nor Vehicle number, it just simply listed my name and the model of car I rented.  It said that I had caused damage to the vehicle and requested my insurance and/or credit card information so they could charge the claim.  Not only did it not note any of the Vehicle information but it did not specify the extent of the damage, have damage estimates nor did it show proof of any damage. 

It seems like a Carte Blanche for Enterprise to get permission to charge whatever they would like to the credit card and/or insurance company of unsuspecting and frightened customers.  So where was my statement being taken to provide my side of the story?  Instead Enterprise continued with their accusations for which they have no proof.  I sent an email on March 18, 2014 to the Damage Recovery Unit for Enterprise noting all of the above and attaching my receipt which served as proof of cessation of the rental agreement and release of my rental deposit. 

In my email I advised them that in order to pursue this claim any further they must provide me two forms of proof that damage occurred during my rental agreement. 1) Time stamped photos at the time my rental agreement commenced as well as time-stamped photos at the time I returned the vehicle, proving damage occurred within that period.  2) They must provide any documents signed by myself which acknowledged any damage to the car when it was returned.  I know that since they carefully inspected the Vehicle upon my return and released my deposit, that they have neither. 

I immediately received an automated email message from the Damage Recovery Unit acknowledging the receipt of my email.  I never did receive an email response to my reply.  On March 25, 2014 at 4:27PM EST I received a voice mail from the local Tennessee office of Enterprise from a lady named Alison who said she was from the “Damage unit”.  She claimed that she spoke to the manager who handled the original case and that this manager claimed that I was “shown the damage” but was “in a rush” and refused to fill out the paperwork so they would be pursuing the claim. 

At no point did she reference the Vehicle number, license plate or rental agreement number.  I was horrified by this message!  This is not at all the case as I have stated the truth of the situation above and have the receipt to prove that my vehicle was inspected.  I was never shown any damage (there was none) nor asked to sign anything, so of course I did not refuse anything.  I had two employees inspect the vehicle carefully while I waited and they released my deposit and charged my card for the rental. 

My husband is a witness to this and is also horrified at this accusation.  I was also not in a rush as I let the employees take their time with the inspection.  I dropped the car off earlier than anticipated and spent almost two hours at the airport afterwards.  If I had been shown damage and refused to sign a form, Enterprise would never have released my deposit and charged my card the full rental amount, they would have kept the deposit pending resolution as they do when people do express drop-offs.  At no time did Enterprise ever point out any damage to me nor ask me to sign anything. 

It is obvious that Enterprise has either totally confused my rental with another client all around, or they are stooping to lying about the situation because they do not have the two forms of proof I requested from them in my email to the DRU.  I think it is also worth note that they did not respond in email to my request for proof, but instead left a voicemail that ignored my requests (they were never mentioned).  It is like since they have no proof they do not want to put anything in writing and want to instead leave verbal messages that cannot leave a trail.  I am shaken and upset from this and my health is suffering from the stress of the situation.  I feel like I am in a TV drama where an innocent person is accused by a powerful figure.  And even when the innocent person has proof they are innocent and the powerful figure has no proof, the person must still stand trial and humiliation.  I feel just as helpless. 

It is terrible that this company and all of its affiliates are allowed to do business in this manner.  They accuse customers even when there is no proof, or in this case when proof is against Enterprise’s claim.  They don’t let customers make statements, but instead send them vague correspondence asking them for payment information for something which is not detailed and with no amount given.  In the documents and voicemails they send there are vague elusions which threaten customers with the fear that if they do not respond they will be sent to a collection agency and have their credit ruined.  They have also stooped to lying when they have no proof of their false claims.  What happened to the customer feeling valued and respected?  Obviously these are not Corporate values that Enterprise Rent a Car embraces. What started out as a brief and happy Vacation for myself and my husband ended up in unfounded accusations by Enterprise. 

This was actually the first time I ever waived the insurance on a car rental. Usually the companies use “bully” tactics to get you to pay for insurance with many conditions that you probably don’t need and I always submit to this fear.  This time I ignored the tactics on advice from some financial websites, and waived the insurance, as I have my own insurance as well as credit card protection for “loss of use” fee.  I really feel that Enterprise did a “bait and switch”. on me and is trying to charge me and/or my insurance company for damage that I did not incur, just because I waived their insurance.  I will never use Enterprise or any of their affiliates every again.  I am letting everyone know that they should never use Enterprise nor its affiliates unless they want to end up being upset by having false accusations made at them and having to deal with a long paper trail and threats of their credit being ruined.