I rented a car from Thrifty in Spokane for ten days. As far as I could tell, the car was undamaged when I returned it, but Thrifty had no one available to inspect the car at about 9:00 am. I had a plane to catch, so I left the keys at their counter. Several months later, Thrifty billed me for replacement of a chipped or cracked windshield, including loss of use of the vehicle. Their paperwork showed an estimate for windshield replacement dated a week after I returned the car, the only clear evidence they provided to me regarding when the damage was noticed. Rather than discussing their claim, Thrifty in Spokane referred me to a collection agency that offered a choice between payment and legal action. My best guess is that the car was damaged at late in the 7 day period between the day when I returned the car and the date of the repair estimate. Since I was the most recent person to have rented the car, they charged me for the damage and for an extended rental until the damage was repaired.\r
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I'm shocked and disappointed. The one time I had a broken car window, I called a repair shop the day the damage occurred, and the shop provided an estimate and repaired the damage that day. I can't imagine that in a business that makes money from having cars available they would wait a week after observing damage to even get an estimate. I also can't imagine a reputable car rental company charging a customer for damage without a clear indication that the damage occurred during the rental period. \r
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Thrifty's corporate office provided no help, since they say they have no authority over disputes with franchises. The main reason for using a franchise is that the corporate office will enforce standards of honesty and professionalism. Since they failed to do so in the face of a valid customer complaint, I will never rent from Thrifty again. There are plenty of honest and professional car rental companies, and next time I will choose one of them - anyone but Thrifty.
Pros: convenient location, advertised prices sound low
Cons: integrity or professionalism, or both
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