This Could Happen To You- Rental Car Scam
May 30, 2024 4:00 AM
This Could Happen To You- Rental Car Scam
I’m consumer investigator Dale Cardwell and this could happen to you.
In the 1970’s, customer service reigned supreme in the rental car business. Remember Avis? we try harder!
But according to Jim Laffiteau, getting any customer service now-a-days is, well, almost impossible.
Last fall, Jim rented a Chevy from his local Avis car rental location. Jim stated “I was driving it, and it would not go over forty miles per hour. Avis did a satellite diagnostic and said, yes, you need to bring it in.”
The next day, per Avis’s instructions, Jim dropped it off at the nearest Chevrolet dealership for repairs. Jim called Avis and told them he left the service manager the phone number so they could contact Avis when it's released.
Spring forward five months. Jim got a debit to his bank account for approximately $7,500. and was really surprised ! It was a charge for the rental car, Avis said, Jim never returned. Jim was infuriated. He called Avis to explain but he said no one on the other end was even listening to him. They treated him like he had the car the whole time.
What’s worse, even with documentation, Avis refused to return his money. That’s when Jim called TrustDALE. Jim said the very next day, they credited his account in the amount of $3000.Jim guessed they thought that would be enough and maybe he would go away.
But he didn’t go away- and eventually Avis responded saying,” While we require customers to return rented vehicles to our locations and do not have a record of communication suggesting otherwise ….we have decided to issue a refund.”
Jim believes he would have never gotten the refund without the help of TrustDALE. Jim said, “For me I have an advocate with you and your organization to represent me without having to go the legal route.”
Lesson learned - when dealing with large corporations, always remember the three p’s. Be patient, be polite and be persistent. If that doesn’t work, call TrustDALE.
