I need your help with an insurance claim. I recently damaged a car I rented from Enterprise while in Germany.
Long story short, my auto insurance company has been asking for a repair invoice from Enterprise for the past two months to close the claim and determine how much to pay them.
Enterprise wrote that it would not share additional documentation as required by my auto insurance and instead demanded immediate payment.
My insurance company is giving me two months to get these documents from Enterprise. If I do not receive them, the claim will be closed and the insurance may not pay. can you help me — Michael Roericht, Austin, Texas
I typically handle complaints from rental car customers who claim they have been wrongfully charged for damage to a rental car. It's good to hear someone willing to acknowledge the damage and trying to do the right thing.
And when I got your case, I wondered why Enterprise wasn't helping you. After all, isn't it in the company's best interest to have you file a successful insurance claim? (I'll get to the answer in a moment.)
Based on the claim information you sent me, it looks like you collected your entire rental car. Enterprise originally wanted to charge you the full value of the vehicle ($31,309), but then agreed to settle for about half ($15,654).
The offer was contingent on you paying quickly. In fact, when you contacted me, the Enterprise offer had expired and had been extended for another 10 days. If you do not pay, you will be liable for the full $31,309.
Enterprise says it doesn't have to provide you with a repair invoice under German law. It says he has the right to choose to receive the amount of money that would be necessary to return the car to working order under the law. “This is also a case of restitution in kind, as the value of the money is also intended to restore the hypothetical uninjured state,” Enterprise said.
In other words, it does not need to show your insurance company a repair invoice.
There's another twist: Your car insurance is actually covered by your travel insurance. Car insurance companies are well versed in claims rules and regulations, but travel insurance companies cater to different insurers and have different requirements. And I saw that your travel insurance company won't pay without the necessary documentation.
So why didn't Enterprise send you the invoice quickly? Reading between the lines, it appears the company negotiated a settlement with you and expected you to pay the claim out of pocket. Car rental companies often prefer to work directly with customers because they are less likely to question charges such as administrative fees, loss of use and depreciation.
Once an insurance company is involved, there are often negotiations that result in the rental car company being responsible for more damages. Maybe that's what Enterprise was trying to avoid in this case.
A short, polite email to one of the Enterprise executives I list on my site may have clarified the matter for you. Again, you were trying to do the right thing and admitted the damage to your vehicle. I think Enterprise would have appreciated the fact that you took responsibility for the car.
I contacted Enterprise on your behalf. Your insurance company contacted you shortly after and told you that they agreed to pay $17,552, which is about half of the claim. You are happy with this decision and Enterprise has accepted the insurance company's offer.
Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy, a non-profit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at [email protected] or get help by contacting him on his site.