National & Alamo Car Rental - Purco Fleet Services Alamo/National Car Rental used Purco Fleet Services to gouge me $430 for a small rock chip in a windshield Spanish Fork Utah
When returning our rental car to Alamo in Idaho Falls, Idaho I mentioned that a truck had kicked up a rock which chipped our windshield. The chip was smaller than a dime and there was no crack in the windshield. Alamo asked me to file a damage report. After a week, I was called by Purco and notified that I would be billed $430 for the rock chip. They said replacing the windshield would cost $250. They added $129 for 3.5 days "Loss of Use" (at twice the daily rental rate). Just for kicks they would throw in a $50 Administration Fee. Purco is Alamo Rentals collection agency. Whatever excess Purco collects above what they recover for Alamo is Pure Profit. When I spoke with my insurance agent he said that Purco is known for this exorbitant "Recovery" tactic.
Tom
Seattle, Washington
U.S.A.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Pantherjad
Spanish Fork,Utah,
U.S.A.
Don't blame or misalign Purco
#2Consumer Comment
Tue, December 09, 2008
This is the reason you should purchase the damage insurance for rental cars, it's usually only like $20-$30 and would have saved you hundreds. Replacing the windshield is obviously the safest course of action and the only real way to restore the windshield to perfection after the chip. However, a more practical course of action is the quick rock chip repairs they can do for quite cheap. But the rental car company wants as much money as possible. You can't listen to what the sales and customer service reps at these places say. They want to please you not enforce the terms of the lengthy contract you signed. Instead they outsource the enforcement of the contract to a third party so they (Rental Car Company) A)doesn't have to seem like the bad guy. and B) doesn't have to pay to run a collections program.
I know PURCO well, my friend owns it and many others work there. They are great, honest, upstanding people. It is unfair to pull them into this and malign them. It is not their fault the rock chip appeared there, nor is it their fault you didn't purchase the damage coverage. The rental car company is merely exercising its legal authority to collect from you on damages via a third party agency. If you are upset then take it up with the rental car company. They are the ones trying to charge you for a small rock chip, not PURCO. This is like blaming the police officer for arresting you when he is merely following the warrant order of a Judge. Blame the judge for bad judgement, not the officer for mere enforcement.