Chandler couple receive $610 repair bill from car rental company | 3 On your side

3 ON YOUR SIDE (3TV) – Stephanie Schwencer and her husband enjoy vacationing in Tampa, Florida.

“I let him do the fishing and I do other things,” Schwencer joked to 3 Your Side.

[WATCH: Chandler couple receives unexpected bill from rental car company]

The couple have traveled to the Sunshine State two years in a row to meet relatives for a mini-reunion of sorts.

“Yeah, we’re going down so we can see our nieces and our nephews and my brothers,” she said. “You know, we just want to enjoy some peaceful time together.”

So last May, when the couple flew to Tampa, they rented a Ford Taurus from Budget Rent A Car. They filled out all the normal rental paperwork and went to the meeting with relatives.

And that’s when Schwencer says family members discovered that a taillight in the back of his rental car wasn’t on. Schwencer says she thought the light bulb had simply blown.

“I wasn’t worried that much because we didn’t drive much at night. We only went a few blocks to dinner and things like that,” she said.

A week later, when Schwencer returned the car to Budget, she told a rental representative about that bulb.

“I notified him that the light bulb was out and that looked pretty simple to me. And, you could look at it and see it was just a light bulb,” she said.

Schwencer and her husband came back here to the Valley to reminisce about that great vacation in Florida.

However, when she visited the mailbox recently, surprising news had just arrived.

“I go to the mailbox and see something from Budget, and I think that’s really weird,” Schwencer said.

According to the letter, Budget was charging Schwencer $610.04 to fix that light that was out.

Apparently Budget claimed they had to replace the whole lamp assembly which came to just over $610.04 and Budget passed the repair bill on to Schwencer.

“I just didn’t get it. I’m sorry, but the light wasn’t damaged. It was just a light bulb. I don’t know why you’re charging me for maintenance,” Schwencer recalled. a Budget representative by telephone.

3 On your side, we participated and we asked the budget, which belongs to AVIS, to investigate.

They did, and in that email, a spokesperson said Budget “…determined that the Schwencers were mistakenly charged for the damaged taillight assembly.” »

As a result, the Schwencers won’t have to pay the $610.04 bill. The couple say it only happened with the help of 3 On Your Side.

“I kind of felt like the little fish in the big sea,” she told 3 On Your Side. “I didn’t know how I was going to deal with it. It’s kind of a helpless feeling. I’m so excited that I don’t have to worry about it anymore and everything is taken care of.”

If you’re renting a car, it’s always a good idea to thoroughly inspect it inside and out before leaving the rental lot. Be sure to document any damage you notice and make sure the rental company is aware of the damage, even if it appears minor. Also, take the extra step and use your cell phone to record a video of your rental car. Again, let’s do the exterior as well as the interior. Taking the extra three to five minutes to do this can really help.

3 On Your Side appreciates Budget looking into the matter for us and reaching an amicable resolution.

Below is the unedited statement from a budget spokesperson.

Please let me know about any issues the Schwencers experienced during and after their rental of our budget location at Tampa International Airport. I am always disappointed when I learn that a customer has found some aspect of their rental experience with Budget Car Rental to be less than satisfactory.

At AVIS Budget Group, we pride ourselves on providing our customers with well-maintained vehicles. We value our customers and recognize that travel can sometimes lead to frustrating experiences. Committed to providing customers with efficient and friendly service, AVIS Budget Group tries to minimize problems by making the rental experience hassle-free.

I have reviewed the Schwencers rental and the documentation provided by the location regarding damage charges. The location fixed the problem in the house and didn’t stop it at an outside body repair shop. However, in doing so, they neglected to follow proper processes for documenting assessed damage charges to customers for in-house repairs. For this reason, I have determined that the Schwencers were mistakenly charged for the damaged taillight assembly. I issued a credit of $610.04 to offset the erroneous charges.