Car Rental: Do I Have To?

[magenta321]

Today I get a call from Enterprise. The girl on the phone wants to know how I like my car. "It's ok" I say.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that. I am not sure if you know this, but you can buy cars from us." At this point I think she's going to try to sell me this 1 year old car with 40k miles on it. I'm incredulous, but, I'm also completely wrong. She proceeds "someone bought the car you are driving. This is why we need you to drop it off to us at your earliest convenience."

I try to be reasonable. "I work a lot of hours. It really will not be convenient for me to bring you the car. Would you like to come to [where I work] and pick it up? Then we can transfer my stuff from one car to the other in the parking lot."

"No! That's in New York! That's another state!"

I take a deep breath. "I'm working in the town next to you. You do cross the state border, but, it's only a few miles from where you are."

She proceeds to tell me she can't possibly send someone to New York, despite my logic. "Can't you just drop it off to us tomorrow?"

"What are you hours tomorrow?" I ask, realizing how futile this is.

"9-12."

"I work from 8-4:30, so, no."

"What day do you have off?"

"I don't."

"You work seven days a week?"

"Yes, I work 60-70 hours a week, which is why this is incovenient for me."

"You work that much?! Geez, what, did you just graduate? It seems like only people who just graduated work that much."

If I could have reached through the phone, it would have been trouble. We left it with me biting my tongue so I could not hurl choice words at her. She said she would try to get someone from another store to switch cars with me on Monday.

Am I really obligated to trade cars? I like the one I'm in more than the other cars they have had available the three times I've inquired what they had. I feel bad for who/whatever bought "my" car, and for inconveniencing them. But I still have this rental for another week according to the rental agreement.

I did offer to go there tonight, despite the extreme inconvenience, if they were willing to make it worth my while. She offered me a Dodge Caravan, a van, and some other stuff that is just useless to me. All of them were from a lower class of rentals than I am paying for, or were trucks/vans/etc.

If she offered me a luxury car that wasn't a Lincoln or a Cadillac (not that she offered me those either), I'd bite. I told her this, but all she had were the cars I wouldn't want to drive.

Of course, as punishment for me being inflexible, the lights on the dashboard lit up while I was driving it home tonight. Apparently it wants air in the tires. It only went on once for like 30 seconds... so I'll keep an eye on it, but it's not bad enough to make me want a Caravan!!!

[mjfrombuffalo[$]]

wow. That's a new one on me. I don't know if you have to or not, but wow.

[magenta321]

I just called customer service. I asked them "Do I have to?"

They said "yes."

I asked "do I legally have to?"

Again, "yes."

"Do I legally have to, as in, if I refuse to, you will send the police after me?"

"No, Ma'am, we would never take it that far. We do need the car back, however."

I asked her the number for corporate, and I did tell her my story (even though she's just CSR.) I left a message on the vm of the Regional VP too, after she told me how to get ahold of corporate.

I figured if it's four hours later and I'm still insulted, it's time I follow up.

[mjfrombuffalo[$]]

If they knew the sale was imminent, why did they rent the car? Friends of mine have bought rentals, but I thought the cars were retired from the fleet when they bought it.

[magenta321]

That's what the CSR indicated to me. The car just needed to go back to the fleet so it could be sold. That's not what the girl had told me, but, she didn't seem to have a very good way of handling any part of this conversation.

[MissyRissy]

And after all the advertising Enterprise does about "picking you up".... they should come drop you off a new car, and take that one back if it means so much to them.

[emeleel]

What Missy said. I'd tell them they sold it, they can make pick-up/transfer arrangements. It's not on you, it has nothing to do with you. I would say that you shouldn't fight them on transferring the car (even if they don't have anything you like) but you should not have to do *anything* to accommodate them.

[theworm[$]]

You have a rental agreement for the week. I would think that after the week they don't have to renew and you have to bring it back, but I think that if they want it before then it's not unreasonable to make them come to you. Enterprise does pickups all the time, and while the state thing may be a teeny bit valid, it's really no hardship for them to work with you that way. If you can change it, I would, but I wouldn't go out of my way if it's terribly inconvenient.

[thinkerlady[$]]

This exact thing happened to us. We rented from Enterprise, on a Saturday, and had to leave town on Sunday. On Wednesday we checked our messages, and had a call from them. They had sold our car and needed it back immediately. I told them we were out of town, and would be back the following Saturday. They were fine with that. I returned the car on Saturday, and it was over.

They should no matter where you are located come and exchange cars with you. They are a national company??? They advertise that personal drop off and pick up service, and we have taken advantage of it each time we rented.

And yes, Margaret, you do have to return the car. You rented A vehicle from them. They can recall the car you have anytime, and replace it anytime with another.

[mtbat]

I'm torn between and

I know enterprise sells cars, I had a roomate years ago who bought a used rental-it was a nice car. I'm just amazed they'd be selling cars out from under the renters. I'd have thought they'd sell cars they aren't using.

I'm also confused as to who is buying them and how-because obviously they aren't seeing the car in person before they're buying.

Enterprise does the we'll pick you up add-remind them of that and tell them to come pick up the car and bring you a new one,

[mjfrombuffalo[$]]

mtbat said

I'm also confused as to who is buying them and how-because obviously they aren't seeing the car in person before they're buying.

Why wouldn't you? A friend bought a car from Avis - went to Avis, looked at it, went to the bank to get financing, had the car a couple days later. Avis might have rented it out in the meantime, but she saw and drove it first. Buyers also could have rented the car and liked it and asked about it, or been told it's coming up for sale when they returned it from renting it.

[magenta321]

I don't think anyone is actually buying it... it's being returned to the fleet.

I've had it for a week. I rented it for two, total, and was told to just call them if I needed it longer.

I'm not really that upset that they sold it out from under me. Well, I am annoyed about it because it feels like one more thing to deal with and I think my plate is already too full. However, I'm more upset that they put the onus on me to get them back the car, and that they, in my mind, belittled me with the comment about working so many hours.

I'll hear what they have to say on Monday.

[mtbat]

MJ those are points that didn't occure to me, I was trying to figure out how, if she had the car a week did it get sold while in her possession.

I think you should complain about the comment over how much you work, you have to work, that was rotten and pretty much inappropriate.

[jgibson2[$]]

Lots of people work a lot of hours for reasons other than money. That person NEEDS some education in customer service. Enterprise actually prides themselves on that - at least around here. We've rented from them several times. They generally bring the car to us much further than your "across state lines" because of where we live. They've picked up the rental at the body shop when we got our car back. My son bought a car from them and they kept the office open an hour after closing because of his work hours.

I will be surprised if they don't make you feel much better on Monday. AND take care of the exchange.

[magenta321]

Yesterday I get the call from the same girl I am so angry at. She'll be over shortly, and which car would I prefer, Chrystler 300, or Nissan Maxima. Nissan I tell her.

She came over and we started switching the stuff from one car to the other. It took about 10 minutes. She commented on how much stuff I had. I told her I have to keep stuff for both of my jobs in my car.

"Oooh, you work two jobs. THAT'S WHY you work so much! I get it now."

I kept my mouth shut, still.

As I was xfering my crap, I finally said "Is it common place for your company to give your customers no regard whatsoever and demand the car that they rented back, despite the hardship it can cause some customers?"

After a few back and forths, she said to me "Wow, this really has you pissed, huh?"

"I'm livid. I think this is the worst I've ever been treated by a company."

"I had no idea you were mad. You seem so nice. You're even smiling."

"I'm smiling because I'm trying not to swear at you or worse."

Deep breathe.

I told her I had reported her to customer service and I had left a message for the Regional VP. She realized she had messed up and, said "Gee, I can see why you'd be pissed at some 21 yr old kid asking you why you work so much." She went on to appologize.

Shortly after, I got a call from the assistant to the regional VP, who heard me out. She understood my position, and appologized. She then went on to say she thought the girl was trying to build a rapport with me, but had missed the mark by asking such personal questions in a way which sounded judgemental.

The assistant to the VP went on to ask me what they could do for me. I told her what I really wanted was for them to train anyone doing this girl's job that they need to handle this with sensitivity. I added that they need to understand that it's not worth it to push some customers for whom it would be a hardship. She agreed that no one should have forced me out of that car. She offered me a free two-day car rental, but, since I don't see myself taking any vacations any time soon, that was of no use. She offered to see if they could upgrade my car, but, they don't have any better cars currently, so that was out too. Supposedly they'll keep checking (but I'm not holding my breath).

I felt much better once I vented to someone though.

Oh, and now I have a car where the light on the dash, which tells me my tires need air, never goes off. The 21 yr old assures me she put air in them herself though, and that it's just a design flaw in Nissans that if the air is cold, the light goes on. Yeah right.

I give Enterprise two thumbs down... way down, after this experience.

[jgibson2[$]]

Lovely way to treat a customer all the way around. Design flaw in Nissan's? Never heard THAT particular story.

[emeleel]

My mom has the same thing with her Toyota RAV4 and the tire pressure light coming on when it's cold. The air apparently shrinks enough to trick it into think there's less pressure than there should be.

But since her car has an outside thermometer, it ought to have a brain to calculate for that.

[magenta321]

I'd buy her line, except the other car that I had, also a Nissan Maxima, only had the light come on one time, for about 30 seconds. This one has had it on permanently. I have talked to other Nissan owners and they all call "bull" on the story.

[mtomm[$]]

Tire pressure lights going on when there is not low pressure is a known issue on many, many vehicles. Just ignore it.