Facts: Rented a car in NJ for 2 days in August 2023. Paid $800 for the initial rental, then they charged us an additional $100 the day of the return with NO explanation. 2 days later (and a day after we had returned home), I noticed an additional $80 in "tolls" charged to my credit card. Let it go as we were new to NJ and we may have gone on a toll road without realizing it.
Exactly 9 month to the day we returned the car, I received an invoice, demanding $110 for a "traffic infraction" and quoting a citation number. The cost of the alleged infraction is $50 but the rental car company's "administrative charge" is $60.
I am BEYOND ANGRY. I do not mind paying a legitimate bill I owe, but a bill 9 months later for an infraction they give us NO details is very shady / questionable. In the email demanding payment, they openly threaten to send us to collections and "ruin our credit" -- an omnious threat indeed. The only reason they couldn't charge our credit card on their file is because my purse was stolen in January and we closed all accounts. HA!
My questions (as we rarely travel so probably are green between the ears here):
1. Can a car rental company actually only learn of an alleged parking infraction 9 months later?
2. Can a car rental company "ruin our credit"? Shouldn't they or the collections agency they're threatening to send us to know our social to be able to report us to the credit bureaus? How on Earth does this work?
3. I am afraid that if I sucked it up and paid it off (it's not unaffordable), they may think they can charge me as and when they want with no check in place. How should I handle this?
Should I demand to see a copy of the alleged citation? Should I refuse to pay the bogus "administrative fee"? How do I word any email I send this place? BTW, Googling them shows that they do this frequently and BBB is full of complaints about their various "practices" so I have no doubt I'm dealing with professional (scammers masquerading as car rentals) here. Too bad I didn't "Google" them before I went to get the car!
Please help!
Exactly 9 month to the day we returned the car, I received an invoice, demanding $110 for a "traffic infraction" and quoting a citation number. The cost of the alleged infraction is $50 but the rental car company's "administrative charge" is $60.
I am BEYOND ANGRY. I do not mind paying a legitimate bill I owe, but a bill 9 months later for an infraction they give us NO details is very shady / questionable. In the email demanding payment, they openly threaten to send us to collections and "ruin our credit" -- an omnious threat indeed. The only reason they couldn't charge our credit card on their file is because my purse was stolen in January and we closed all accounts. HA!
My questions (as we rarely travel so probably are green between the ears here):
1. Can a car rental company actually only learn of an alleged parking infraction 9 months later?
2. Can a car rental company "ruin our credit"? Shouldn't they or the collections agency they're threatening to send us to know our social to be able to report us to the credit bureaus? How on Earth does this work?
3. I am afraid that if I sucked it up and paid it off (it's not unaffordable), they may think they can charge me as and when they want with no check in place. How should I handle this?
Should I demand to see a copy of the alleged citation? Should I refuse to pay the bogus "administrative fee"? How do I word any email I send this place? BTW, Googling them shows that they do this frequently and BBB is full of complaints about their various "practices" so I have no doubt I'm dealing with professional (scammers masquerading as car rentals) here. Too bad I didn't "Google" them before I went to get the car!
Please help!