When Stacy Mills rented a car from Alamo recently, she says the vehicle had “several minor scratches” on the front right door of the vehicle. Although she tried to report the damage, an employee waved her off, telling her not to worry.
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Always, always, always take pictures of your rental car.
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Question: Please help me with a bogus damage charge by Alamo. We picked up our car in Kona, Hawaii, at dusk and saw numerous small dents and dings and scratches on the vehicle. We couldn’t find a form to report the damage.
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Question: I’m trying to resolve an issue with Alamo and have not been able to communicate directly with anyone at the claims department. Now they’re threatening collections and legal action. I’m in the process of buying a house and can’t afford a ding on my credit rating.
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Richard Hartman rented a car from Alamo in Montreal this summer. It’s a decision he regrets.
“When I returned their rental car on June 21st, the Alamo staff reported no damage after their inspection but,” he says. But a few weeks later, the car rental company changed its tune. It now claimed he owed $646 for damage to his car.
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Question: I recently rented a car from Alamo, and I encountered a questionable practice that I wanted to let you know about.
I’ve used Alamo many times in the past, always returning the car with a full tank. Last month, after bringing back my rental in Tucson, Ariz., an Alamo attendant verified the full tank and gave us a receipt.
After we left, apparently Alamo felt the need to try and squeeze more gas in the tank, even after their employee confirmed a full tank, and charged us the inflated rental-gas price for two gallons.
They didn’t even try to notify us by phone, email or letter. This seems very sneaky and underhanded. I wrote them two emails, but never got any reply or explanation.
It’s not a huge amount of money, but rather the principle and the deceitful tactics to make a few extra dollars. I thought you’d be interested in this episode, if you haven’t heard of this practice, and perhaps could warn others in your column. — Stephen Farr, Sacramento, Calif.
Answer: When the car rental agent checked your tank and offered you a receipt, you shouldn’t have been charged extra. But if Alamo decided you owed it money, the least it could have done was to let you know — not find out when you checked your credit card bill.
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Mary Dampier’s rental from Alamo was problem-free until she returned the vehicle to San Francisco International Airport. That’s when she was drawn into what she says is a frivolous claim that has ended with Enterprise (which owns Alamo) threatening her with a collection agency, legal action and being blacklisted from renting with the company again.
The problem? The cracked bumper (above) which Dampier says was pre-existing. Alamo wants $481 for repairs, but Dampier insists she didn’t do it.
Will Alamo sue her for $481? Probably not. Will it report her to a collections agency? It could, but she has certain rights that could render the collection-agency route ineffective. And being blacklisted would be a problem, but Dampier has no intention of renting from Enterprise again.
So what’s the issue here? She’s worried about her credit score. But mostly, Dampier doesn’t like being accused of something she didn’t do, and wants me to step in to clear her name.
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