Originally Posted by
pbjag
Although I can't yet offer any advice, I also just received a letter from Viking Billing Services demanding$788 for purported damages to a Hertz rental car last October 3rd. Haven't the faintest idea what they are talking about. I did rent from Hertz that day but the car was returned undamaged on the 4th....
This is the first I've heard of any supposed damage to the car from a rental almost a year ago.
This feels like a scam to me.
Well, I just finally heard back from Viking Billing Services, who provided the "proof of damage" today - 1 year and 7 weeks after the damage occurred and almost 2 months after I requested documentation and photos. The photos show a slight white scuff on the front bumper which is very difficult to see since the bumper is dirty. The scratch was probably there when i picked up the car at 11:42 p.m. after an 18 hour workday but could of course have happened while the car was parked.
Normally I would submit this to Diner's Club, but after the absurd 1 year delay between the rental date and the first contact from Viking regarding this, that will no longer be possible.
DC's primary coverage requires claims to be reported within the following timeframe:
. Claims must be reported within 30 days from the loss/accident and the following documentation must be submitted within 180 days of the loss/accident
We have company coverage for car rentals so I'll turn this over to them to sort out at this point. But ultimately they're probably going to lose a long-time Gold/5 Star customer due to the way this has been handled. I absolutely expect to have to pay for any damage done to a rental car while in my possession, but to be dunned a year later with no prior communication?