Our underwriters Allianz Travel Insurance -- The Allianz Travel Insurance company has built its reput

By Christopher Elliott | October 24, 2010 | 8 Comments T he late-model Chevrolet that Sukumar Thanawala rented from Thrifty Car Rental in Munich in the spring looked absolutely fine when he returned it, he said.
But a few weeks later, Thanawala, a software designer from Naperville, Ill., noticed that the rental agency hadn t refunded his $763 deposit. When he asked why, Thrifty furnished him with a photo of a barely visible nick on the car door and a small scratch on one bumper. You have to look really hard to find it, Thanawala said.
Randy Harris, president of Khoury Alternative very cheap boston red sox tickets Claims Management, a San Antonio company that handles damage claims for car rental companies, says that charging customers immediately for damages used to be rare. The only time that I have seen it is when a car rental company knows the claim is going to be above the renter s insurance deductible, he said.
Even then, the standard operating procedure at least until now has been to ask renters whether they want to settle the damages. very cheap boston red sox tickets It s something they would agree to, and the claim would be settled on the spot, explains Robert Barton, president of the American Car Rental Association, a trade group.
But what if there s no agreement? Consider what happened to Carri Schoeller, a real estate agent from Orlando, when she recently returned a rental car to Enterprise in Phoenix. A representative very cheap boston red sox tickets eagerly went around the car like Sherlock Holmes looking for damage, Schoeller said, and found a few scratches that she maintains were pre-existing.
The car rental industry s aggressive position on damages makes some sense: A badly scratched or dented car can t be rented and doesn t hold its value when a company very cheap boston red sox tickets tries to sell it. But many customers charge that damage very cheap boston red sox tickets claims are a source of profits to car rental companies, which ding them for normal wear and tear and even when the evidence that they caused very cheap boston red sox tickets the damage is circumstantial at best.
I ve been fielding a high number of queries very cheap boston red sox tickets from travelers about bogus damage claims. In the past, it s been relatively easy to fix these problems, because car rental companies waited very cheap boston red sox tickets until they received a damage estimate, repaired the car and calculated their loss of use before presenting a customer with a bill.
Kathleen Hernandez, a spokeswoman for Thrifty, said some domestic and international locations now keep an additional charge slip in case one of their cars is damaged, which is what happened to Thanawala. In the event there is damage to the vehicle, the location retains very cheap boston red sox tickets the deposit until they are able to get an estimate on the damage very cheap boston red sox tickets repairs, she said.
Enterprise typically asks customers who don t buy its damage waiver but return a damaged rental vehicle whether they want to pay their insurance deductible. We offer this as an option for customers who prefer to immediately take care of that portion of the claim, said Laura Bryant, an Enterprise spokeswoman. And only with their authorization.
But if customers are unsure about their deductible or want to see an estimate or an invoice, the company s practice is to bill them later for damages. Enterprise dropped its claim against Schoeller and refunded the $500 it had charged her in apparent violation of its own policy.
You don t have to be a consumer advocate to know that car rental agencies shouldn t ask customers very cheap boston red sox tickets to pay for dings and dents without knowing how much the repair will cost. Or that customers should refuse to pay until they see an invoice from the body shop. But it might help to know that if you re ever stuck with a charge on your card that you didn t authorize, you can and should formally dispute the bill.
Christopher Elliott is an author, journalist and consumer advocate. You can read more about him on his personal website or contact him at *protected email* . Got a question or comment? You can post it on the new forum .
Elliott is a consumer advice site published by Christopher Elliott. You can get quick help on our forum , contact me directly or connect with other informed consumers by signing up for my weekly newsletter , RSS feed or daily email updates .
Our underwriters Allianz Travel Insurance — The Allianz Travel Insurance company has built its reputation on partnering with agents all around the world to provide comprehensive travel insurance for their clients. Contact Allianz very cheap boston red sox tickets Travel Insurance for a comprehensive list of coverage.
AirportParkingReservations.com – When it comes to booking travel, people have learned to shop smart, using the web to find the best deals on flights, hotels, vacations, and more. At AirportParkingReservations.com , travelers can do the same with airport parking.
Luggage very cheap boston red sox tickets Pros – Luggage Pros offers a huge selection of luggage, bags, briefcases, very cheap boston red sox tickets handbags, laptop bags, travel accessories and more. It comes with a low price guarantee and free shipping. There’s only one place to buy your next bag: Luggage Pros .
refund.me - Helps passengers claim up to $800 per passenger for delayed or canceled flights to or from Europe, including on US airlines. With a success rate of over 94%, they are one of the leading passenger rights specialists in Europe and operate worldwide. Check your flight today!
ShamaTravel.com - Helping very cheap boston red sox tickets people make their vacation dreams come true for over 30 years. Plane tickets to river cruises, all-inclusive resorts to customized European tours, Mexican getaways to Caribbean cruises. No matter where you're going, Shama will help you get there! very cheap boston red sox tickets Finding the lowest airfares is my specialty. Email your request to *protected email* .
Travel Insurance – Squaremouth.com helps travelers easily and instantly compare all the major travel insurance plans. To ensure customer satisfaction, only companies that meet squaremouth.com’s strict requirements make it into the system. You can save over 70 percent on your next policy at Squaremouth .
Travel Leaders - As America’s very cheap boston red sox tickets largest traditional travel agency company, Travel Leaders Group delivers high-touch, personalized travel expertise to leisure and corporate clients through our various brands, including our flagship Travel Leaders . Our knowledgeable travel agents are dedicated to delivering the best travel experiences. It’s our heart and soul. It’s all we do. We look forward to serving you.
HOW TO BE THE WORLD'S SMARTEST TRAVELER is the definitive manual for saving time, money and avoiding very cheap boston red sox tickets hassles when you're on the road . It's filled with expert advice and fascinating cases that will make you the world's smartest traveler. Order your copy now.