Originally Posted by
Often1
Send it to your insurance company. Be done with it. That is the primary value of this coverage for tiny claims. The $200 may not break the bank, but takes time & effort. Not yours if you do as recommended.
Again, why send it to your personal insurance if $200 is probably more than the deductible? For the pleasure of seeing your rates rise?
Originally Posted by
garykung
I gave a lot of thought before replying. But I believe at this point I must say something.
Small Claims Court is NOT the way to go.
OP will not have suffered unless OP paid the $200 to Avis. So Avis still decides to charge and OP does not want to pay, OP will need to a competent court of law that can grant declaratory judgment (establishing the non-liability).
While I have no evidence to support or rebut, generally when a company gets sued, the company won't blacklist the suing customer, as this can be seen as a retaliatory act. However, during the settlement, the company will usually make sure that both agree to blacklist each other mutually for the future.
So Avis won't blacklist OP unless OP agrees to do so.
I advised small claims court if Avis charges OP the $200, not pre-emptively.