Complaint Review: Enterprise rent-a-car - Columbus Ohio

I fly home - Cleveland Ohio - every year for the holiday and usually rent a car from the airport and drive home.  This year, I flew into Columbus to visit friends beforehand for a day and then make my way up to Cleveland area.   I arrived late in the afternoon and decided to get picked up by a friend, stay the night in Columbus and then get dropped off at a non-airport location to avoid the additional fees and then drive home.   

I arrived early to pick up my car and the rep checking me out was very nice and asked me if I wanted the additional insurance.  I asked how much it would cost and when he told me I was shocked at the cost - the insurance for the 7 days cost more than the rental itself!  I have never had any issues, accidents or problems in the past, and I knew if anything serious went wrong that my own personal insurance would cover me so I denied the additional insurance.   NOTE:  this rep, as nice as he was, asked me about the insurance at least 5 more times over the next several minutes, each time I denied telling him I didnt need it.  He made such a big deal of this insurance, I called and asked a friend who used to work for Enterprise and he acknowledged that the reps get paid a commission on every insurance plan they sign a driver up for and the number of plans sold also determines how you move up their company ladder.    

Before turning the car over to me, the rep went outside and I watched him walk around the car.  He spent maybe 30 seconds total looking over the car and making a few checks on my rental paper.   I wondered how he could have checked the car so quickly since 1) there were cars parked on both sides of the car so it was difficult to get a good angle/look at the car and the car was absolutely filthy dirty - both inside and out - so it was very difficult, if not impossible, to get a good look at the cars true condition.  I didnt question or complain - I was in a hurry and didnt think anything of it.  I have experience driving Ohio roads and know its impossible to keep a car clean with the snow dirt salted roads.  He handed over the keys and I was off.  I am kind of a neat freak so the first place I went was to a car wash to run the car through and get a quick rinse and vacumn out the car and dispose of trash left over in the car.  

I returned the car a week later - note: I used the car to drive from Columbus to Cleveland where the car literally sat in the driveway for most of my trip - and when I turned the keys in and after looking at my paperwork - seeing I didnt opt for the additional insurance - not one but TWO reps went outside and combed over the car for what felt like 5 minutes.   They came back and told me that there was a 4 inch scratch on the very bottom of the passenger side front bumper that I was going to be held responsible for.   I know for a fact that I did not do this damage but feel as if I was being picked on and held responsible because I didnt opt in for their additional insurance plan.   You literally had to get on your hands and knees,bend down to the ground to see this minor blemish and, there is no question if I wouldnt have gotten the car washed, the salt and dirt from the roads of Ohio would have covered this blemish.   Feeling as if I was being taken advantage of for not "compensating" their additional insurance plan, I was pretty upset. 

I have since now received damage claim paperwork for almost $1000 that not only acuses me of this minor blemish on the bottom of the front bumper, but they have since added on additional minor scratches and knicks that they say were done when I had the car.  total and complete rip off and fraud.   I am seeking legal counsel and exploring my rights as I feel that they totally are taking advantage of me, and making me pay for something I didnt do and because I didnt opt for their insurance, I have no other choice but to pay for there bogus accusations.   

I called and spoke to the area manager and he said he would look into it.   He called me back and said that he was able to get them to drop all the charges except for the $200 to fix the scratch.   now they sent me revised paperwork / bill for almost $500.   It feel as if they are sending me bills just to see how much they can get out of me.  its disgraceful.   

one thing is for sure.  I will never ever rent from Enterprise ever again and I am going to go out of my way to voice my displeasure on every report web site and social media platform I can get my hands on to tell my story and let local area - Columbus people know what I feel is almost criminal conduct by this company, this branch and its representatives.   watch who you rent your cars from.   They are all out for a buck and have no concern for your well being as a consumer.