How long does a Car Rental Agency have to file a damage claim against renter?

Hi I rented a car on my vacation almost two months ago, and I recently received a damage claim for Budget Rent a Car for a scratch they say I caused. I was never called about any problems. Can they notify me so late and still expect me to pay? I feel uncomfortable with the fact it has been two months and I heard nothing, and this damage is totally over 500.00!!

Best Answer

if they did not note the damage on the contract, when you returned the car your not responsible for any damage.

do you have your copy of the receipt?

did you return the car in person or was it one f those drop off they keys and leave it deals?

if it was the latter you will be responsible.

it will come down to what you can prove.

Other Answers

• If the car was not inspected when you returned it, you have no liability. If it was inspected and the damage was not noted, you have no liability. This same exact thing happened to me but they notified me of the damage ( a chipped windshield) 6 months after I had returned it and then turned it into a bill collector. When I got the notice, I called my auto insurance company and they handled the whole thing for me. The rental company ended up with nothing, They were simply on a fishing trip to see if they could catch a sucker (me) to pay for some damage to their car. It sounds as if you didn't buy the rentals cars insurance when you rented the car so that means that your personal auto insurance was prime. If this is so, contact your insurance company and let them handle it
• Hi,
  
  Good post. I had some problems with my car after I had an accident. My Insurer wanted to raise my rates $525 a year! I've never even gotten a speeding ticket! 
  
  I looked for a new provider and found this website:
  
  http://www.help-with-my-rent-mortgage.org
  
  They compare all of the major insurance providers and give you the best deal. I ended up saving over $300 from what I was previously paying (that's $825 a year!).
  
  Good Luck
• Tell them to find some other sucker.