Latest news with #Elliott.org
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Boston Globe
Thrifty bills customer $2,212 for preexisting damage on a rental
A. Thrifty shouldn't have charged you a dime — and not just because you had already noted the damage. I'll get to the other reason in a minute. This is another instance of a company blaming its customer for something that wasn't their fault. When you rent a car, it is essential to carefully document any preexisting damage to avoid being held responsible for it later. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up It sounds like you did everything by the book. You paid for Thrifty's damage waiver, and you noted the damage on the paperwork when you checked out the car. But Thrifty's third-party claims company, PurCo, is claiming that Thrifty lost the paperwork. How convenient! Advertisement Could you have done anything differently? Yes. If you ever get another car that's damaged, politely ask for another one. I've seen too many cases where an employee assures a customer that 'it's fine' only for them to receive a bill for repairs later. You could have also taken 'before' and 'after' pictures. I didn't see any as part of your claim, and they might have helped establish that the damage was there before you rented the car. Advertisement Why wasn't PurCo listening to you? Your bill included a $400 'administrative fee,' which is what PurCo charges to handle a claim. I wasn't there when your case came in, but if I had to guess, I'd say PurCo didn't want to lose the business. But your case was a slam dunk. Not only did you have written proof of the preexisting damage, you also had a second defense. The dates of your rental didn't align with the dates on the claim. You could have tried to resolve this on your own by contacting Thrifty's customer service executives. I list their names and contact information on my consumer advocacy website, I also have the names and numbers of the executives at the claims company, PurCo Fleet Services. I contacted Thrifty on your behalf. A representative reviewed your file and agreed that you should not have been charged for the damage. The representative contacted PurCo and requested that it close your claim. Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy ( a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@ or get help by contacting him at
Boston Globe
05-06-2025
- Automotive
- Boston Globe
A ‘small scratch' on a rental leads to a whopping $1,800 bill
I called Enterprise's customer service. The United States representative couldn't find any record of the damage and couldn't help me. Three months later, Enterprise charged my credit card for the full amount of the damage. I disputed the charge with my credit card company, but they are siding with Enterprise. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up How can I defend myself against this false claim? Advertisement ERIC WEIMAN, San Diego A. You shouldn't have to pay for damage that didn't exist when you returned the vehicle. You're responsible for the car from the time you pick it up to the time you return it. But after you return it? That's on the company. You did the right thing by taking a video of the car when you returned it. This gives you some evidence to support your claim. I also recommend taking 'before' photos and videos of the vehicle, just to establish a baseline. Advertisement The most confusing part of your case is that you showed the rental location a video of the car you rented, and it appears the car didn't have a scratch. Meanwhile, the photos they showed that allegedly proved you had damaged the car did not identify this particular car as the car you had rented. In other words, it could have been any vehicle in the company's fleet. And when you asked for clarification, Enterprise seemed to double down on its claim. I think you had one more option: an appeal to an executive at Enterprise. I list the names, numbers, and email addresses of the top customer service executives at Enterprise on my consumer advocacy site, I contacted Enterprise on your behalf. 'We take seriously any concerns brought to us by customers and investigate them thoroughly,' a representative told me. 'In this particular instance, damage to the vehicle was not present when the renter took possession of the vehicle, yet was clearly present when the vehicle was processed for return.' Enterprise says it has a photographic tunnel that is operated by a third party. Vehicles from all rental companies pass through the tunnel in and out of Munich Airport and are photographed for damage. The photos suggest that you returned your car with damage. 'Because of this, we do intend to stand by our charge in this case and pursue the renter for damages,' the Enterprise spokesman said. Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy ( a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@ or get help by contacting him at Advertisement
Boston Globe
15-05-2025
- Automotive
- Boston Globe
Avis charges $7,671 for a one-day car rental due to an accident
Get Winter Soup Club A six-week series featuring soup recipes and cozy vibes, plus side dishes and toppings, to get us all through the winter. Enter Email Sign Up NICHOLAS CHANDLER, Windham, Maine Advertisement A. Unfortunately, you're on the hook for the vehicle's loss of use. When you rent a car, you accept responsibility for the vehicle no matter who is responsible for the accident, and since your name was on the contract, Avis sent you a bill. But the company made some errors when it charged you. It looks like there was a series of miscommunications in your case. For some reason, Sedgwick only charged the other driver $1,222, presumably for repairs, leaving you responsible for the difference. And according to your records, Avis would not send you a bill for the loss of use. Instead, it just appears as if you rented a car at the most expensive daily rate, which no one would do. Advertisement I would be remiss if I didn't mention that loss of use is highly controversial. The car rental company is charging you the maximum daily rate for what it would have earned if it had been able to rent the car while it was in the shop. But they assume that they could have rented the car the entire time. I believe loss of use is not a fair charge, even if your contract permits it. Many consumers, insurance companies and state regulators agree with me. We can discuss loss of use another day, though. You were a model customer. You had insurance that covered you, and you responded quickly to Avis and Sedgwick when they asked for your insurance information. You drove the car carefully. You tried to work within the system to clear up the miscommunication. I think you should have appealed this to a manager. I list the names, numbers, and emails of the Avis and Sedgwick customer service managers on my consumer advocacy site, This was a confusing case. But after several conversations with Avis, it appears that there were 'some issues' with the car rental location and the tow truck, which created some confusion in its internal system. 'We're adjusting the contract back to a one-day rental and removing all the additional days that the customer didn't have the vehicle,' a representative told me. A short while later, you reported back: 'Avis charged me one day for the rental as you mentioned and refunded me the rest,' you said. 'The credit was posted back to my card this morning. This is incredible, and I can't thank you enough for all of your help.' Advertisement Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy ( a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@ or get help by contacting him at
Boston Globe
08-05-2025
- Boston Globe
After a strange hotel closure and a glitch, guest is charged $169
Advertisement STEVE ELIASON, Minnetonka, Minn. A. The hotel should have honored your booking — and if it couldn't, should have refunded your $169. When a hotel can't honor a reservation, the booking site is obligated to find you comparable accommodations or return your money. This is a standard practice in the travel industry. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up This is the first time in my years of advocating cases that someone has closed a hotel to give birth. I hope that the mom and baby are OK and that the hotel opens again soon. In this situation, you did everything right by trying to contact the property and You also kept a detailed paper trail of all correspondence, including emails and phone call records. This documentation shows that you gave the system a chance to resolve your problem. Advertisement Most importantly, the correspondence shows that the hotel sent you an email saying your reservation wasn't confirmed and that you wouldn't be charged. So, someone — either the hotel or — really screwed up here. If your initial attempts fail, consider escalating the issue to a supervisor or an executive. You can find the contact information for executives on my consumer advocacy website, If hadn't been able to help, and if you hadn't reached out to me, you could have disputed your charges. Under the Fair Credit Billing Act, your credit card can refund you for an item you paid for but didn't receive, like a hotel stay. I contacted on your behalf. A representative acknowledged the unusual circumstances of your case and agreed to issue a full refund. You received your $169 refund from along with a $50 credit for future bookings. Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy ( ), a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@ or get help by contacting him at
Boston Globe
01-05-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
American Airlines changes flight without notifying passenger
Given that I had to buy a whole new ticket because of their unannounced schedule change, is there any way I can get a full refund from American? Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up ERICA REMER, Beachwood, Ohio A. You should have received a clear and timely notification about your flight change. According to American's conditions of carriage, the legal agreement between you and the airline, you're entitled to a full refund if the carrier reschedules your flight by more than 4 hours. The airline should have notified you of the schedule change well in advance of your departure. While they notified you of the first, minor change, the lack of communication about the second, more drastic change is unacceptable. When you contacted American to address the issue, the agent should have sent you a written confirmation of your refund eligibility. Instead, you received a verbal assurance, followed by a written denial. Advertisement While nonrefundable airline tickets generally don't qualify for cash refunds, significant schedule changes — especially those involving international flights — often warrant exceptions. The Department of Transportation mandates airlines to issue refunds for 'significant' delays. Under its new consumer protections adopted last year, this is defined as any change exceeding 6 hours from the original departure or arrival times. But this doesn't apply to canceled flights, and a look at your itinerary suggests that American canceled your flight and rebooked you on a different one. For a canceled flight, you always have the option of a full refund. Bottom line: American can't keep your money and offer you an expiring flight credit. A brief, polite email to one of the American Airlines executives I list on my consumer advocacy site, may have helped you get what you deserved. As I review your correspondence, it looks like you were stuck talking to an AI bot. I contacted American on your behalf. The airline reviewed your case and issued a full refund of your original flight to your credit card, which is what you requested. Too bad it took my team's intervention to achieve this outcome. If you're ever in this situation again, remember to cite the airline's contract of carriage and DOT rules to get what you deserve. Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy ( a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@ or get help by contacting him at .
