Depends on the state. I worked for a rental company (not Enterprise) and the renter’s insurance was primary. IOW liability reverted to the renter during the rental period and we informed the customer of that policy.
I confess that I am surprised at some of the comments here - the customer is responsible and that fact is stated as part of their selling instructions - and the it’s-not-my-fault attitude is really something I would expect from the left. I am not unsympathetic to this person by any means, btw. But I can tell you that no one who purchased our insurance ever regretted it when the car was damaged or totaled with no further cost to that customer. At my location we did not allow dropoffs after hours for the customers’ own protection but you would not believe the verbal abuse we endured because the customer could not be bothered to return to the airport fewer than ten miles away. Everyone says “I’ll take the risk” leaving it after hours, but you can be sure that if that risk resulted in a stolen car, they would be singing a different tune. Instead we were called inflexible when we were really doing the customer a favor. So if and when Enterprise changes their policy and does not allow after hours dropoff, people will start bitching about that next.
“if and when Enterprise changes their policy and does not allow after hours dropoff, people will start bitching about that next.”
Many companies do not allow it, especially at high-risk locations (Inner-city).
It seems clear to me that they should REQUIRE people to buy insurance to cover theft, etc. Did your company require non-car owners to purchase ins through you?
What are their chances of getting $47K out of this woman? I don’t know her circumstances, but you’d be hard pressed to get it from me.
We’ve often returned cars after hours, although, as one who grew up in NYC in the bad old days, it’s always made me nervous.
You can’t have it both ways.
The story says she rented the car for two days and returned it on the day her contract obligated her to.
She fulfilled her part of the contract returning the car both on the day and in the manner she was instructed and indeed required to do.
It isn’t her fault Enterprise failed to secure the car after she fulfilled her obligation to return it. No court is going to hold her responsible when she did exactly what was required of her under the contract. If Enterprise wasn’t able to receive the car on a Sunday they shouldn’t write a contract requiring it returned on a Sunday.
That’s like renting a movie for 24 hours and then the next day finding out the business is closed for the day and they want to charge you for another day.
And this wasn’t “after hours”. It was on a Sunday when Enterprise required the car to be returned or face additional charges.
This is entirely Enterprise’s responsibility.