Hertz Rent A Car Hertz Charged Me Bogus Damage Charges Spokane Nationwide, Washington

 I had the recent misfortune of doing business with your location at the Spokane International Airport. I understand you have privately owned locations, but by allowing unethical business practices to go on, you are causing irreparable damage to your brand. I would greatly appreciate an investigation into the Spokane location and a response to this serious matter. On March 24, 2016, I rented a vehicle from Pullman, WA which I drove home and returned several hours later in Spokane, WA. When I rented the car, the Pullman agent told me there was pre-existing damage noted on the bumpers. Upon check-out in Spokane, I was told by the Hertz agent that I was good to go, and there was no mention of any issues. Five days after I returned the car, I received a phone call from a claims agency, Purco. I was told by PurCo that the rental vehicle had sustained damage during the time I had driven it. These damages were described to me as scratches on the front bumper which had not been noted previously. The total charge for these scratches is said to be 1,347.95. Let it be known, this is the first I had heard of there being an issue with my Hertz rental. The PurCo Agent said he would email me pictures of the alleged damages and I could call him back after I received his correspondence. I did receive an email from this agent, however, no pictures were included. While waiting for the email from PurCo, I contacted the Pullman Hertz to inquire about the damages. While the Pullman agent was polite and sympathetic, he was unable to help me. He said the only damage noted on their end was on the rear bumper, nothing on the front. I firmly believe the agent who rented me the vehicle deliberately used deceptive language by referring to damage on “the bumpers” instead of specifically the rear bumper. After getting nowhere with Pullman, I called the Spokane Hertz. I explained my situation to the agent who answered and she promptly redirected me to whom I assume was a manager. I expressed my concern about the alleged damages and inquired as to how and when they could have appeared on the vehicle. The manager responded that the claim was out of his hands and he did not know any of the details. He told me all my correspondence would need to be directed through PurCo. I responded that someone in Spokane obviously knew about the occurrence since they were the ones to report the damage and lay the blame on me. The manager reiterated that the claim was in PurCo’s hands now and there was nothing he could do. It is unethical that I can be checked out of a car and then later blamed for damages which were not sustained under my control. Hertz cannot prove the damages occurred during the time I rented the vehicle. Therefore, I will not be held liable for these damage claims. I had a passenger with me in the vehicle who can attest that these scratches were not caused by me.