In San Francisco, the traffic is tiresome, and the parking is hard to find. That’s why Bertrand Pellegrin doesn’t own a car. Instead, he relies on car shares.
“It’s really tough to have a car up here,” said Pellegrin. “And so for me, the car share idea is a really great concept.”
Pellegrin recently used Enterprise Car Share out of a garage in Russian Hill. His day was uneventful.
“I came back, returned the car, left, and thought everything was fine,” said Pellegrin.
But a few weeks later, Enterprise told Pellegrin things weren’t so fine.
“I looked at these photos and couldn’t believe it,” said Pellegrin.
Enterprise sent Pellegrin pictures of damage to the car - dents along the side and on the front bumper. And the company said Pellegrin was responsible.
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“I was shocked, absolutely shocked,” said Pellegrin. “I knew absolutely for certain that there was no way this damage could have happened.”
Enterprise said the cost to fix the car was $868, and Pellegrin was on the hook for $500, as stated in the company’s Terms and Conditions.
“The fact that it wasn’t my damage, and I was absolutely sure of it, I refused to pay it,” said Pellegrin.
Pellegrin tried to prove he didn’t wreck the car, even requesting footage from the garage’s security cameras, but Enterprise wouldn’t budge. So Pellegrin reached out to us.
When we contacted Enterprise, it dropped the claim against Pellegrin, saying it was unable to verify the damage didn’t exist before he rented the car, and he shouldn’t have been pursued.
So Pellegrin saves $500, that he intends to spend elsewhere.
“I’m no longer an Enterprise customer,” said Pellegrin.
NBC Bay Area Responds talked to a few other car share companies, and their policies are similar to Enterprise’s -- you can be responsible for up to $1,000 in damage if the company determines you caused it. If that worries you, you can ask about a Damage Waiver Fee -- paying it protects you from any liability. Some companies charge $1 an hour, others charge $10 a day. But note - not all companies offer this.
Regardless, inspect the car when you pick it up. If there’s damage, report it right away and take photos. When you drop it off, take pictures of the car so you have evidence of its condition.
