question about accident
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 42
question about accident
3 months ago I was in a minor accident in an Avis rental. No injuries, no airbags, just minor damage to front bumper and hood. They send a bill for $900. End of story (or so I thought).
Now (3 months later) they tell me the damage was actually worse; they say they had to salvage the car and sold it at auction. And they are now charging me $9,000.
Can they do this, and would it be worth hiring a lawyer to deal with them?
Now (3 months later) they tell me the damage was actually worse; they say they had to salvage the car and sold it at auction. And they are now charging me $9,000.
Can they do this, and would it be worth hiring a lawyer to deal with them?
#2
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Adelphi, MD
Programs: Korean Air Skypass, ANA Skyweb, Amex Premier Rewards, Chase Sapphire Preferred
Posts: 745
question about accident
That is a huge difference. Did you have any pics or accident reports of the minor damage? Do you have insurance to cover the 9000$? If you dont have any proof I would let the insurance cover it. Im sure avis has the recorded proof of the 9000$ bill
#3
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Edison, NJ
Programs: Avis President's Club, Hertz President's Circle, Hyatt Platnium, National Executive Elite
Posts: 128
They wouldn't salvage the car if there was only minor front bumper damage, was the car still drivable when you got into the accident? I think it's probably a mistake on their side.
My imagination is your damage was $900 and they fixed it then started to rent the car again, then some idiot got into a major accident and it costs $9,000 and they pull up the accident record of the car and some idiot working there put it to your name.
My imagination is your damage was $900 and they fixed it then started to rent the car again, then some idiot got into a major accident and it costs $9,000 and they pull up the accident record of the car and some idiot working there put it to your name.
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,933
I can't day whether this is what happened in this case, or whether it was you "renters mixed up" scenario, but it certianly is possible to have more damage found in a thorough inspection than an ininital quick inspection first estimated.
#5
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
3 months ago I was in a minor accident in an Avis rental. No injuries, no airbags, just minor damage to front bumper and hood. They send a bill for $900. End of story (or so I thought).
Now (3 months later) they tell me the damage was actually worse; they say they had to salvage the car and sold it at auction. And they are now charging me $9,000.
Can they do this, and would it be worth hiring a lawyer to deal with them?
Now (3 months later) they tell me the damage was actually worse; they say they had to salvage the car and sold it at auction. And they are now charging me $9,000.
Can they do this, and would it be worth hiring a lawyer to deal with them?
If you don't have insurance, book off some time to deal with this. Ask for documentation as a starting point.