Lesson learned from Dollar car rental

I got a letter in the mail from Dollar rent-a-car a last week. It claimed damage on a car I rented when I was in Michigan for the new year and demanded nearly $700 for damages. It was crazy, because I didn't hit anything with the car, and nothing hit me.

Looking through my paperwork from the trip, I realize that I don't have anything from the car return stating the condition of the car, just the final receipt. I just presumed that was a part of the check in process: If there's a problem with the car, they tell you right then and there. Nope. Apparently it's my responsibility to get someone to check the car out and give me that paperwork.

Luckily I rented it with a Visa card that has rental car insurance. I've kicked off the process for them to pay the claim for me. No doubt they will only pay part of it. I'm sure I'll be responsible for things like the "administration fee" and "lost use" fee.

But I suppose the silver lining is that this is a lesson learned. I will always be sure to get an employee to check out the car and give me paperwork stating there is no damage to it. And barring that, I will take a bunch of pictures of the car with the day's newspaper in it to prove it was returned with no damage. Renter beware.