ENTERPRISE RENT A CAR DAMAGE INSURANCE SCAM WILMINGTON Delaware

Don't go by what I tell you. Believe what I meant to say.

You won't have to pay it if you don't want it. Just sign here agreeing to the charge.

Don't worry, we'll just take it out of the bill later.

A million crooked ways to cheat the customer! Notice how the figures lie, and the liars figure?

Now, I'm sure these crooks are out convincing the public that they do everything they can to explain the charges. Funny, though, people like this one still end up getting cheated.

The victim made it clear that they did not wish to pay the extra $100 charge for insurance.

No problem. At enterprise, they are trained not to accept that. They just confuse the person into agreeing to it.

At enterprise, we pick you up. What they really mean is that at enterprise, we pick your pocket!

But, thanks to the victim and this site, they'll be picking far fewer pockets in the future.

Your problem is, sadly, a fairly common misunderstanding we deal with at Enterprise... I am truly sorry that the representative did not make everything clear with you at the time you rented.

I would like to clear up a couple of issues you raised, however, so that you (and others) reading this will have a better understanding in the future.

The first point I would address is in the cost of CDW (collision damage waiver). We often run specials or have discounted insurance rental rates, etc. that can bring the daily cost of renting the car down to near (or sometimes even below) the cost of CDW. The main reason for the cost of this product is the risk we assume when we sell it to you. When you purchase CDW, we agree to NOT hold you responsible for any damages that may be incurred to our vehicle while you rent it, up to a total loss. We don't check your driving record, we don't charge a deductible, and we don't even contact your insurance company, let alone file a claim with them (which might very well cause an increase in your premiums or even cause your insurance company to refuse to renew your policy). I would challenge you (or anyone else) to call a local insurance agent, and ask for a quote to cover you for just a week without any deductible for anything up to a total loss on a $15,000-$40,000 vehicle, without even running a driving record check. If you can even find an agent to give you such a quote, I would bet the cost would far exceed our CDW rates. And, unlike an insurance company, if you do damage our vehicle having purchased CDW, we will cover you again in the future WITHOUT raising the cost of the CDW because you are represent an "increased risk."

Secondly, the reason why you needed to call to cancel CDW on your rental is because had you done so, you would have been asked to bring the car back by a rental location so an employee could check out the condition of the vehicle to ensure there was no damage incurred that would be covered by the CDW. We do this because if we didn't, a customer could take out the CDW for the first day of a multiple day rental, and then claim any damage that happened was on that first day... [sarcasm]Of course it was....[/sarcasm]. Again, the problem seems to be that this wasn't fully explained to you. Had you called, you would have been informed of the need to stop by the rental branch and also that you were responsible for the daily charge for the CDW up through the day you brought the car back to be checked out and to sign off of the CDW.

Which brings us to the third point. You stated that you did not understand why you were charged for the CDW when the car was not even damaged. This is a very common question. The reason is because, by selling you CDW, Enterprise then assumed the risk of any damage that might have occurred while you were in possession of the rental vehicle. Of course, when no damage occurs, Enterprise realizes a profit. However, when damage occurs, Enterprise suffers a loss. Additionally, when you think about it, when damage does occur, it is almost always at a cost to repair FAR in excess of what we have charged you for the CDW. It would make absolutely no business sense for us to only charge you for CDW when damage has occurred. We often get calls for that very issue. A customer will call asking to add the CDW after initially refusing it, and when we inform them that they will have to bring the vehicle in so we can inspect it for any damage, the real story comes out. (As if we will write off $2000 worth of damage if you pay us $20 after the fact...) Which brings us to another challenge for your friendly local insurance agent. Call and ask if they will refund your premiums for last year because you did not have any accidents. What do you think they will say? We, like your insurance agent, realize some profit by assuming the risk for the costs of repairs for any damage that might occur to the vehicle you are in possession of... Sometimes we make money, sometimes we lose money... Hopefully we make a little more than we lose, but not always...

At any rate, I think that the whole thing was not adequately explained to you at the time that you rented, and for that, I am truly sorry. I can only hope that my explanation has at least shown you that it is not some kind of "scam", and that no matter which rental car company you choose to patronize in the future, you see the benefit of and the reasoning behind the CDW product which we all offer to each and every one of our customers.

I worked for Enterprise for 6yrs in the boston area - Enterprise does NOT sell insurance. When you rent, YOU are responsible for the condition of the car you rent.

For many people, driving a strange car can be problematic and they may cause damage to the vehicle. In most cases their own car insurance will cover any damage and regular deductible rules apply. Enterprise does offer COLLISION DAMAGE WAIVER for all of their renters.

This means that ENTERPRISE will waive your responsibility for any damage to the vehicle. You can cover just your deductible or the entire vehicle.

Every renter's situation is different and in many cases it is a great option to exercise to be able to drive "worry free" for a few days. In some long term rental situations it may not be feasible.

But in no way should you confuse the CDW with insurance or Enterprise trying to scam or take advantage of their customers. If you are confused when renting a car, ask questions before you sign anything. Having rented many many cars I know there are plenty of customers who knew exactly what they were signing for and then complained when returning the car that they did not know what they were doing. Ignorance is no excuse.