How Much Does Truck Services Enterprise Charge For Inspections In Galax Va

Samuel Wardlaw expected to pay $200 for his truck rental. Instead, Enterprise Rent-A-Car added more than $3,300 to his bill — for damage that occurred after he dropped it off.

He'd merely used the truck for v hours, to motion some belongings to his new flat.

Just a calendar week afterwards, an unexpected email from the rental giant said he was responsible for impairment that occurred on the Enterprise lot after hours.

The e-mail didn't explain what had happened or why he was responsible — but information technology struck fright in Wardlaw, 29, a delivery driver for a lumber company.

"I was anxious most what the price was going to be," he said. "So to run across over $3,300 in damage? I was totally shocked."

Enterprise said subsequently that, after Wardlaw parked the truck and put the keys in a secure drop box, equally instructed by an employee, someone stole its catalytic converter, a part of the exhaust system that contains valuable metals.

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Enterprise pointed to a clause on page 7 of its rental contract that says drivers who drop off a vehicle after hours are responsible for any impairment or theft until it's checked in by an employee.

"Information technology'southward their truck, their lot, their catalytic converter. Everything most it is inside Enterprise's control," said Wardlaw. "For them to say it'due south my liability is pretty ridiculous."

After Go Public got involved, Enterprise said in an email it had "decided non to pursue the claim."

The company did not explain why and said no one was available for an interview.

Get Public has checked the terms and conditions for the three major companies that business relationship for an estimated 95 per cent of all motorcar rentals in Canada: Enterprise (which owns National and Alamo), Avis (which owns Upkeep) and Hertz (which owns Dollar and Thrifty).

All the contracts contain like clauses, claiming drivers are responsible for any damage or theft from the time they drop off a vehicle until information technology is checked back in.

An employee at this Enterprise location in n Toronto told Wardlaw he could drop off a truck after hours. Wardlaw says in that location was no mention that he'd exist responsible for the truck until it got checked back in nigh two days later. (Samantha Nar/CBC)

A consumer advocate and lawyer says Enterprise and other car rental giants requite the impression there'southward no downside to dropping off a vehicle after hours.

"We've all been in that location — the automobile visitor says, 'No problem, stick the keys through the slot in the door,'" said Jennifer Marston, who works with the free legal clinic Pro Bono Ontario.

"Just how many times do they say to you, 'If annihilation happens when the car is parked on the lot, you lot're responsible'? That's never happened to me."

'Just put the keys through the drop off slot'

Wardlaw says when he arrived to selection up the truck, there was niggling discussion about the terms and conditions in the 30-folio (English language and French) contract.

"They told me that since they were going to be closed at 12 o'clock that day and I would exist returning at around ane p.m., to just put the keys through the drop off slot when I returned the vehicle," he said.

Marston says big machine rental outfits can't hide backside lengthy contracts they know most people won't read and may not understand when they incorporate cryptic or unusual terms.

The rental contracts for Canada'south three biggest vehicle rental companies all comprise similar clauses; challenge drivers are responsible for any impairment or theft from the time they drib off a vehicle until it is checked back in. (Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg)

"They wrote it. They had the opportunity to put more attempt into making it articulate and they didn't," she said.

She says legal precedent exists due to an Ontario case which establish Tilden Rent-A-Machine was required to bring unexpected terms to the attention of the consumer if it wants them to be enforceable.

"When at that place's an onerous term in the contract, a heavy term that puts a big brunt on someone, if information technology'south buried in the fine print, then the visitor in a consumer transaction similar this has the responsibility to bring that to the consumer's attention," said Marston.

The companies also have to come across a standard of proof when belongings customers responsible for impairment, said Marston.

When Enterprise told Wardlaw a thief had stolen that catalytic converter, information technology sent photographs of the damage, simply they weren't time-stamped.

"Nosotros don't know when those photos were taken," said Marston.

Lawyer Jennifer Marston of Pro Bono Ontario says motorcar rental companies are required to signal out unexpected clauses in the fine print to their customers. (Samantha Nar/CBC)

"Perhaps they were taken a week afterwards. The burden is on the visitor to evidence that."

She says people caught in a dispute need to know one thing — the rental company isn't the judge.

"They will send you a alphabetic character maxim you've caused this harm, you owe this amount of money. Just they're actually not the ones who get to decide that," said Marston.

"That'due south simply their position as one of the parties to a legal claim. And yous have the opportunity to answer," she said, with the understanding that the affair might cease with a collection bureau or small claims court.

Get Public has learned that the same Enterprise location in n Toronto had half a dozen catalytic converters worth $24,000 stolen from its trucks shortly after Wardlaw's incident.

Read stats nigh the growing problem of catalytic converter thefts

The company declined to say what it is doing to preclude farther thefts and damage.

Marston says the companies should ensure their vehicles are existence stored under safe conditions.

"The rental company could secure the perimeter. They could install security cameras. They can install anti-theft devices on vehicles," she said.

"These options aren't available to the consumers, then why should the consumer bear the loss?"

'This is absolute BS'

Stuti Narula of Toronto says an Enterprise employee also told her to drib off the keys when she returned a car after hours, to a location in the city'southward north end concluding December.

The next day, an Enterprise employee called to say she was responsible for a scratch on its rider door — and owed $1,000.

Narula says the car was in perfect condition when she returned it, just — as with Wardlaw — an employee said she was liable for whatsoever amercement incurred earlier information technology was checked back in and that the affair would be sent to a collection bureau if she didn't pay upwardly.

"This is accented BS," said Narula. "If I take to be held liable for any damages to the automobile, I might also keep it in my careful custody until the office opens the next solar day."

She says the drop-off location had airtight-excursion cameras, but she was told she couldn't meet footage.

WATCH | Enterprise charges customer more than than $3K for damages incurred afterward truck returned:

Human charged $3,300 for harm after rental truck returned | Get Public

A Toronto homo was charged over $iii,300 by Enterprise when a rental truck he returned after hours had its catalytic converter stolen. CBC'south Go Public investigated the clause in most rental contracts that makes the renter responsible when a vehicle is returned later hours.

Narula also says she was told the impairment was discovered after an employee collection the automobile to a automobile wash — and she questioned whether that'south when the damage occurred.

"I'm entitled to know what investigation Enterprise carried out at its end before slamming the damage price on me," Narula wrote in an email to the machine rental behemothic.

After fighting Enterprise for several months, Narula reluctantly asked her car insurance company to submit a payment, simply she's sworn off ever renting from Enterprise once again.

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Enterprise wrote in an email to Get Public that allowing customers to return vehicles afterwards hours is a "convenience" and that "it is important to understand that the rental transaction is non complete until the vehicle has been inspected."

Wardlaw says he'due south relieved he's no longer expected to pay his impairment nib, just says Enterprise has lost him every bit a customer, too.

"Basically, from the moment I chosen them, they were arguing with me. I didn't feel that there was any interest in resolution — other than to have me pay the total amount."

Protect yourself 'after hours'

Ideally, return your vehicle during operating hours and have an agent check it over and sign off on rental.
If you lot must drop off the vehicle after hours, note whether in that location are security cameras on the lot and endeavour to park within view.
Set your smartphone to add a engagement and time stamp to photos and take pictures of the sides, forepart, back and roof of vehicle and — if possible — the underside, wheel wells, interior and body.
Have a photo of the mileage on the odometer.
Agree onto photos for at to the lowest degree six months.

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Go Public is an investigative news segment on CBC-Telly, radio and the web.

We tell your stories, shed light on wrongdoing and concur the powers that exist answerable.

If you lot have a story in the public interest, or if you're an insider with information, contact GoPublic@cbc.ca with your proper name, contact data and a brief summary. All emails are confidential until you decide to Get Public.

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