You Might Have Been Banned by a Car Rental Company and Have No Idea

Travelers beware: Car rental companies can and do regularly put problematic customers on the Do Not Rent list–sometimes forever.

As a consumer reporter and advocate, I sort through hundreds of pleas for help from troubled travelers every month. A surprisingly significant number of these requests come from blacklisted customers of all the major car rental companies.

Many of these former customers are completely bewildered by their car rental company’s banishment. Others know exactly what they did wrong to earn their spot on the Do Not Rent list. But they all want the same thing: to get off of it.

Unfortunately, there will be no going back for some, and the car rental company will permanently revoke their privileges.

Here are the most frequent ways travelers run afoul of car rental companies and what you can do if you land on the blacklist.

Filing a Credit Card Dispute

The most common path to the Do Not Rent list begins with a credit card dispute.

Jenny Lehman knows this firsthand. Enterprise added her to its DNR list after she filed a credit card dispute against the car rental giant.

“Putting me on the Do Not Rent list was just revenge,” Lehman told me. “Enterprise owed me $500 because I paid a deductible after I was t-boned in my rental car. The other insurance company sent my reimbursement check to Enterprise. So, I disputed $500 on my credit card bill. Chase found the chargeback in my favor, and I got my money back. I won!”

But Lehman hadn’t really “won” anything. She was about to get a harsh lesson about credit card disputes and how “winning” is often just the beginning of bigger problems.

The Fair Credit Billing Act protects consumers who use credit cards against verified billing errors and fraudulent charges. Unfortunately, travelers often use the credit card dispute process in ways that it was not intended to be used.

For Lehman, she was certain that Enterprise owed her $500. She figured the easiest way to get her money would be to file a credit card dispute and be done with it. When Chase told her that Enterprise didn’t respond to her chargeback case, she breathed a sigh of relief and assumed the troubling situation was over.

It wasn’t.

Fact: A Credit Card Dispute Can Lead to the Do Not Rent List 

What Lehman didn’t know is that car rental companies often ignore credit card disputes. In fact, I would go as far as to say all the major car rental companies rarely respond to chargeback cases.  As a result, customers frequently win credit card disputes by default. This outcome gives the customer the false impression that the debt is erased.

However, nothing could be further from the truth. The end of any credit card dispute only definitively ends the bank’s involvement. The merchant is always free to pursue the debt in other ways outside of the bounds of the credit card company.

And that’s what happened here. Enterprise sent Lehman’s outstanding bill to collections and placed her on the Do Not Rent list. She was shocked by the turn of events.

Lehman soon received even more troubling news: Her car renting privileges were also suspended at National and Alamo (Enterprise is the parent company of both).

That’s when a distraught Lehman contacted my organization, Consumer Rescue, for help. Our consumer advocacy team mediates complicated problems for travelers free of charge.

I reached out to our executive contact at Enterprise to find out what had gone wrong here and if there was a way for Lehman to get off the DNR list. As it turns out, she was right–and wrong–about that $500.

During its review of her case, Enterprise discovered that it had received a $500 check earmarked for Lehman from the insurance company. That check was promptly forwarded to her, and records indicated that she had cashed it months before the credit card dispute.

Lehman then reviewed her records and discovered she had received and cashed that check.

“I feel terrible, in my defense because of the accident, I had been receiving a lot of checks related to the claim,” Lehman explained. “It was a very confusing time. I see now that Enterprise did send me the check.

The Fix: Lehman promptly paid back the additional $500 she had received via the credit card dispute. Enterprise removed her from the Do Not Rent list of all its rental car companies, and she is relieved.

The Lesson: If you suspect a car rental company has overcharged you or owes you a refund, never assume a credit card dispute will fix the problem. It won’t. Always work with the car rental company to hammer out any billing issues. If you don’t, you might also need a consumer advocate to help get you off the DNR list.

Misbehaving Before, During, or After the Car Rental

Sometimes, there is no getting off the Do Not Rent list. The number one way a car rental customer can land on the permanent blacklist is by exhibiting abusive or threatening behavior toward an employee of the company.

Former Hertz President’s Circle customer Oliver S., who asked that we not use his last name, was completely blindsided by his DNR notification. The unassuming email began cordially, and Oliver says he nearly didn’t continue reading what he thought was an advertisement.

It definitely wasn’t an advertisement. Oliver was about to find out the repercussions of his mini-meltdown at the Hertz check-in counter several weeks earlier.

“We truly value your loyalty to Hertz, Dollar, and Thrifty and regret to inform you that your car rental privileges–and associated service program memberships–are now suspended. Additionally, please disregard any further promotional materials that may be sent to you inadvertently.”

Oliver says initially, he assumed his suspension was a mistake. Surely Hertz would not banish a 25-year customer, he thought. He quickly emailed the company to find out what was going on.

The Hertz customer service agent he reached quickly cleared up Oliver’s confusion: there was no mistake.

He was told: “You were placed on suspension due to an incident of threatening, abusive, or inappropriate behavior toward Hertz and its employees. Due to this, you have been placed on a permanent suspension and will no longer be able to rent from Hertz, Dollar, or Thrifty.”

Fact: You Can’t Apologize Your Way off the DNR List 

Flabbergasted by the turn of events, Oliver thought of the implications of being on the Do Not Rent List of Hertz, Dollar, and Thrifty. As a pilot, he often lands at airports where Hertz is the only option.

After delivering his apology to multiple Hertz employees who reiterated that his blacklist status was permanent, he called me. At that time, Oliver was still unable to believe that Hertz was willing to kick him to the curb forever.

So what exactly did he do for the car rental company to take such drastic measures?

“I had a car reserved, but the Hertz agent told me they had no vehicles available. I got upset. It did not help that the agent was not at all apologetic. I moved away from the desk and called my wife. I never threatened anyone or said anything that would be construed as such. I hit my own bag which might have sounded like I kicked something in the office. I cursed once while on that call. But as soon as another customer pointed out that his kid was there, I did not raise my voice or curse further… I’m truly sorry for losing my temper. I should have just walked away.”

As Oliver described it, the situation sounded minor, and I wondered if his suspension was reversible.

It turns out that it wasn’t, and Oliver would be remaining on the Do Not Rent list.

I spoke to our executive contact at Hertz about Oliver’s case. Her team reviewed all the details which seems to have included a video of the incident. She soon delivered clarity for Oliver.

“We unfortunately must confirm that Oliver’s rental privileges are permanently suspended. While we understand this is not the outcome he anticipated, we hope he will respect our position on this matter as we consider it fully addressed.”

The Fix: If a car rental company puts you on the DNR list for abusive or threatening behavior, your only fix is likely to find another agency to rent your next vehicle.

The Lesson: Car rental companies do not tolerate bad behavior by their customers. Sometimes, a car rental location may not have the vehicle you reserved, but losing your temper and frightening employees and other customers won’t remedy your situation. In fact, it may just earn you a spot on the blacklist.

Unpaid Account Balances

Sometimes, the path to the Do Not Rent list is a bit more circuitous.

Susan Drury found out that she was no longer a Hertz customer a full year after the rental which led to her banishment. Drury says she was unaware that Hertz had been trying to charge her $700 for damage to that car.

“I tried to rent a car at Thrifty recently, and that’s when an agent told me that I was on the DNR list,” Drury recalled. “I never heard of that before. But they said I was being charged for repairs to my previous rental car. I’m definitely not paying for the damage I didn’t cause.”

During that Hertz rental, Drury says she had been driving through the desert around Sedona, Arizona, when she hit a speedbump. The rearview mirror fell off into her lap.

“I put it back on, but each time I hit uneven pavement, it fell off again,” Drury explained. “I didn’t call Hertz to tell them since it didn’t really bother me. I returned the car and figured they’d fix it. Since I didn’t break it, I shouldn’t be responsible.”

Unfortunately, Drury’s argument would not hold up with Hertz. Car rental customers must always remember that anything that happens to the vehicle while in your possession is your responsibility. Anything.

It’s critical that travelers always thoroughly inspect their rental cars before driving off the lot. Documenting any pre-existing damage with the attendant will significantly reduce the possibility of being billed for damage someone else caused.

Drury was insistent that she didn’t break the rearview mirror and that it was broken when she received the car. But she had no proof because she hadn’t inspected the vehicle before driving away with it. Hertz would not back down and expected Drury to pay the damage charge. If she didn’t, she’d stay on the Do Not Rent list and Hertz would send the bill to collections.

“I learned a hard and expensive lesson,” Drury says. “I will make sure to inspect and document all parts of my next rental car.”

The Fix: Drury paid the bill and was promptly removed from the Do Not Rent list. If you get banned from renting a car because you have an outstanding bill, paying the charges should remedy your problem.

The Lesson: Car rental companies are for-profit companies and rarely overlook a chance to bill a customer post-rental. Those extra charges can be for additional cleaning, damage to the vehicle, tolls, or parking tickets, among other things. You can be sure that if you owe a car rental company money, they’re going to get it, or you’re likely headed straight for the Do Not Rent list.