Complaint Review: CruiseAmerica - charlotte North Carolina

[email protected],
[email protected], [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected],
[email protected],

Rimicci RV rental
contract # 27901660 unit # 252293

[email protected],
[email protected],

Dear Cruise America, Ron
Miller and interested parties,

On 5-5-2011 my brother, J, and I rented a twenty five foot RV from
your establishment.

We waited two hours and five minutes at the location even though we had secured
rental of this vehicle days prior.

This time frame was an inconvenience, so we were credited $100. At that time,
we assumed that if check out and preparation of the vehicle took over two hours
it was thoroughly being inspected

for tire wear, oil levels,
etc...We realized that the hood was never even opened to check fluid levels
because we discovered a roll of toilet paper securing the hood closed. This
alone could have caused a fire! How could the hood not even be opened to
inspect by your company before you let us drive off your lot!

It appears as though we were supposed to be provided with a short movie on the
operation of the vehicle but we were shown some basics by a wash attendant.

Fifteen minutes outside of Raleigh, only three hours of having the RV, the
vehicle began making deafening noise and shaking violently. We slowed down from
60 mph to 40 mph within a few seconds before a loud explosion. This caused us
to swerve on the highway and avoid a steep ditch. We were able to pull over
dragging debri that fell from the undercarriage.

We immediately called 911 highway patrol and your emergency number at
CruiseAmerica. Wake County Deputy Sheriff G. Romero arrived after trying to
track down our location. He helped us to round up the insulation tubes and blue
plastic and rubber tire debris. He instructed us to leave all debris at the
side of the road but we took over thirty photographs of the undercarriage, tire
wear, toilet paper holding the hood secure, etc...

The Deputy Sheriff was appalled and gave us his business card in case we were
mistreated and could not be reimbursed.

Our party included my frail 70 year old mother and a small boy so Deputy Romero
drove them to safety at a nearby exit. As you can already imagine our family
was in peril on the side of US 264 East.

Upon inspection with the Deputy we discovered duct tape under much of the
vehicle and the above stated "roll of toilet paper" holding the hood
secure from vibration. 3-6 tires were worn down to the wear bar which never
would have passed a DOT inspection. This vehicle should have never been rented!

We continued to make no less than 35 phone calls to CruiseAmerica and spoke
with Todd Page, Heather in Arizona, Lucas in Arizona, Gideon, a cab driver,
Jesse with Magnum Towing, Multiple hotels and motels and we left a strong
message for Ron Miller to call us in the morning. He never called us to check
on our situation the next day which was Friday. Cruiseamerica faught with us
regarding payment for a cab and pushed us to continue in this dangerous
vehicle. They also pushed for us to wait for the tow truck and ride with him.
We refused to put our family in further danger in this vehicle. This was not
just a tire blow out ...this was an irresponsible rigging of crucial car parts
with duct tape, wire hangers and several more bald tires!

We stood on the road for over three hours before we could get CruiseAmerica to
pay for the taxi van to take us to our destination in Greenville, NC for my
son's college graduation, a once in a lifetime event, a culmination of four
years of hard work.  tow

We were already sleep deprived and could only secure that last of many hotels
we called with any availability. There was a mandatory two night minimum. We
had to secure two rooms since there were five of us. We arrived there at 4 am
to get up for a 7 am graduation.

Let me explain here, I am not a litigious person but this was not just an
inconvenience of our trip, it was a purposeful rental of a substandard vehicle
for profit. We expect to be reimbursed entirely for the 1117.16 amount of this
RV to the MasterCard it was secured with in a timely fashion. We expect also to
be reimbursed for the two hotel rooms we had to rent and the taxi we had to
take the morning of the graduation. Receipts are attached.

We did not have access to another newer vehicle again until 5-6-2011 at 8:30 pm
when a fellow named Judge of the Durham CA location dropped it to us.

We are not asking for the $200 gas we put in the vehicle in Raleigh just before
this mishap but if you do not cooperate fully, we will be forced to fight for
what is just to the fullest extent of the law.

We are obviously on the defense already because CruiseAmerica did not seem to
want to take responsibility for this travesty without a fight and pushed for us
to get in this vehicle and drive on with only one tire change.

We are hugely disappointed in the public relations of your company as a whole.
It was impossible to get e-mails to file this complaint. Some were refused to
us. As a newspaper reporter, I was was forced to use skills for research of
pertinent information.

This was supposed to be a lovely weekend we could enjoy and I have spent hours
taking notes and now writing you this e-mail on Mother's Day. 

Let me make clear, we had the vehicle mere hours and then did not get another
vehicle until the following night.

We cleaned the new rental immaculately; we did not use the toilet or shower so
we will not pay other incidentals or charges such as cleaning, propane,
generator, etc

To repeat, I expect a
response by e-mail or phone and full reimbursement. and credit for hotel rooms
and cab. You almost killed my family and I will not pay monetarily for that!

Sincerely, SM