I agree with tony g. A foolish and sweeping statement concerning car dealers. I know several very well and over 30 years have dealt with them in full confidence. As with every section of life a few rotten apples will tarnish the reputation of all.

Anyway, car hire. Again a few rotten apples causing the problems. A self defence strategy is called for. I use to hire a lot in Italy, where until a few years ago this practice was rife. I always booked and paid via credit card then immediately cancelled the card and closed the account. Thus returning the vehicle, safe in the knowledge charges could not be taken without my permission. Twice I received requests for charges for various spurious claims, all untrue, which I duly ignored. It never stopped me from hiring time and again. So keep several cards on the go and sacrifice one when you hire a car. Then simply get another card. Never had the problem over here though.

My advice; cancel the card and close the account immediately and ignore the requests for money. Do not even reply in defence.

Cheers Concrete

I'd like to add my tuppence worth to this thread.

I'm so sorry to read of this experience you're having. But it screams a loud message to so many people - CAVEAT EMPTOR!

In the first instance, tertiary level car hire companies Dollar, Thrifty, Alamo, etc have often been leaders in their initial pricing. Sadly however, the problem is that the staff are compelled to push harder the CDW, PAI, LDW, PEC ancillary insurance products. The most common of them is CDW (Collision Damage Waiver), That particular ancillary item more or less is an insurance rider that protects you from every-day road occurances, a ding in the windscreen, general pits in the car's finish due to stones, dirt, etc., knicks and bruises to the bumpers, broken wing-mirrors, etc. There are other ancillary products, such as winter waivers to protect drivers from snow salt and sand damage, pitting to the windscreen, etc.

But I gather that you did not purchase these items. When you took posession of the car your rental contract would have had ticked anything that THEY identified as being wrong with the vehicle. This is extremely dangerous because as far as the staff are concerned, nothing is EVER wrong with their vehicles. This causes you to be compelled to actually do a comprehensive walkaround of the vehicle, opening the boot to ensure there's a spare tyre (they DO get stolen!), jack and anything else, including interior damage, such as cola spills, broken controls on the radio...the list is almost endless.

If you have failed to note these things, plus you have failed to have the recipient, whether it be the actual franchise or an agent for said franchise, you are, in the only way I can delicately put it: at the mouth of an unsanitary tributary with an insufficinet means of propulsion! I trust you get my drift?

Unfortunately as well, the Thrifty and Dollar Rent-A-Car companies across Canada are actually franchises or contract locations, which means the vehicle you've hired is actually owned by that local office. Compare this to companies such as Avis, Hertz, National, etc., the bulk of their rental offices are corporate owned....and their websites clearly identify which locations are corporate or franchise. In the 'corporate pool' environment, the national companies tend to take an almost lackidaisical approach to cars being returned. If they look intact and nothing is hanging off of them, they're generally fine as far as the corporates are concerned. But the small franchise holder unfortunately invests substantial amounts in their vehicles and any...and I do mean ANY damage or flaw to their vehicle directly impacts what they're charged when the vehicle is turned back at the end of its lease or is sold as an ex pool car...(they do both).

I would strongly encourage you to write, NOT call, demanding an itemised detail of what happened to the car and how they feel you were at fault. If there is something that was glaring at you when you took posession of the car, point this out. After all, they are human and they DO make mistakes. Send your letter by recorded delivery, return receipt required. But make no concession or admissions in any form!

Also, contact your credit card company and make them aware of the dispute. Document with them everything you provide to the hire company. This proves you are sincerely trying to resolve the matter and not hide from it.

Also, you mentioned that you returned the car to 'someone.' I'm not entirely clear on this. Was this an actual employee of the hire company or someone they asked to receive the car from you? Manyu years ago in Salzburg I returned an Avis car that I had collected in Vienna. The car was in excellent condition when I returned it. But two weeks later I was told the vehicle was damaged. I had left the keys with reception at my hotel - a common practice. My only only saving grace was that I had the forsight to have the porter sign a receipt for the car with an acknowledgement that he had visually inspected the vehicle and saw it had no damage. Some time between my leaving the car in the carpark and Avis actually collecting it, someone had backed into the car causing severe damage to the back far side door. I was saved by the skin of my teeth.

The only reason I did this is because there was a reader's complaint in the Conde Nast magazine I had read on the flight from London! Danke Gott!

I wish you every success friend!

May all your journeys be ones of discovery!

Fr. Bill+

Gott sei mit Euch

Having been the vicim of this rip off a couple of times, I now take out an annual CDW poicy from a 3rd party. End of worries.