I just got off of a very upsetting call with someone named Scott at the Enterprise Rent-a-car customer service line. I rented a car in Orlando last week for a few days, and I unfortunately discovered AFTER I’d verbally approved the total and left the Enterprise office to hurry to catch my plane, that the final charges included a $21.99/day damage waiver fee. I checked my contract with them, and the agent had circled several places on the contract for me to initial, the standard ones approving the condition of the car, and declining extra coverage, but he’d also circled the area in which my initials ACCEPTED the damage waiver fee that almost doubled the cost per day of my economy rental car. I’m fully insured, and would NEVER double the price of my rental car for a damage waiver had I realized what I was signing.
Now, I’m clear this is my bad. I SHOULD have read what I was initialing. I made an assumption that he was circling the standard places, and I shouldn’t have made that assumption. However, if the agent had mentioned the fee to me, or asked me if I wanted to pay for a damage waiver, I would have declined. In my opinion, any respectable business doesn’t try to trick it’s customers into paying more than they think they’re paying, especially if it wants to keep those customers.
When I called Scott at Enterprise Rent-a-car customer service, I told him I wanted to issue a customer service complaint, and see if there was anything that could be done. I realize my fee might not be refundable, but frankly, I just want some acknowledgment that tricking me into paying that extra fee isn’t a standard practice.
Unfortunately, Scott basically blew me off. He had the gall to say “Ma’am, that’s why I READ all the contracts I sign.” Excuse me? My point was that I’d expect a respectable business to not attempt to trick it’s customers into paying extra charges. I received no acknowledgment from Scott that this is not a standard business practice, and the very most he could do was transfer me to the Orlando office, with the disclaimer that “not that I think they can do anything, because you DID sign the contract, ma’am.” And if I was transferred to the local office because the national customer service agents are not empowered to handle customer complaints, that’s terrible customer service too. If I felt a waiter had mischarged my meal and went to the restaurant manager, should I expect the manager to say, ‘Hmm, I doubt he can help you, but your waiter’s over there, you can walk over there and ask him about it if you want.’? Of course not, the manager might ask the waiter about it in private, but the manager would never require the customer to confront the waiter directly.
Once Scott transferred my call, I hoped he’d put me through to the branch manager, but when I heard an automated voice tell me to press 5 to speak to an agent, I’d had more than I could take for the moment and hung up. I may call back later.
I’m lost as to where to rent a car now, as I’ve stuck with Enterprise because they’ve always been rated very well in particular for their customer service, and until now, my experience has always been good. Any recommendations?
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