By Lambe Lamis 
CLEVELAND — Sharon McCue of Cleveland lived by means of what she referred to as a rental automobile nightmare, after the automobile she returned turned up lacking for greater than a month leaving her with 1000’s in sudden fees.
McCue advised Information 5 she rented a 2021 Toyota Camry from the Funds Hire-a-Automobile location close to Hopkins Worldwide Airport on March 12 as a result of her automobile broke down and he or she wanted to get to work. She confirmed Information 5 documentation that she returned the automobile to the identical rental location on March 18.
However McCue defined a month-and-a-half later she obtained a licensed letter from Funds loss prevention claiming she as soon as once more rented the $25,000 car a day later and that the automobile had not been returned and was lacking. She mentioned Funds loss prevention additionally referred to as her a number of occasions, left voicemail messages, and advised her the automobile was lacking.
“This was a horrible, horrible expertise and it’s getting worse by the day,” mentioned McCue. “It’s turning out to be a nightmare.”
“I truly missed a pair days of labor taking place to the Cleveland Hopkins Airport attempting to resolve this matter. I saved getting telephone calls, I get textual content messages, I get a licensed letter within the mail, threatening me with reporting the automobile stolen. They wish to know what I did with it.”
McCue recalled the steps essential to return it, as she did so on the 18.
“I had the car up till the 18th, returned it early, and did the identical course of so far as returning it. Mainly the identical spot that I picked the automobile up for, there was a gentleman there once I was exiting the automobile, I had the important thing in my hand. He advised me to place the important thing again within the ignition. I went in there, I used to be given the paperwork and he or she advised me I might get an e-receipt, which I did get.”
To make issues worse, McCue reported Funds then rang-up greater than $5,000 in fees on her debit card for rental time on the automobile she by no means used, and advised Information 5 she was by no means given any invoice on the costs.
“I obtained nothing, no type of billing, no kind of itemization for what these fees are for,” mentioned McCue. “You couldn’t even think about, this incident it’s making me sick, I imply it’s making me bodily sick.”
McCue mentioned she referred to as Funds quite a few occasions to unravel the problem however with no outcomes.
Information 5 contacted Funds Hire-a-Automobile Headquarters and it rapidly responded and issued the next assertion:
“Following an preliminary evaluate of occasions, now we have apologized and refunded Mrs. McCue the extra fees. We’re finishing up additional inner investigations to make sure this does not occur once more.”
Ericka Dilworth, Cleveland BBB Director of Operations, advised Information 5 that customers must take precautions when renting a car.
“You want to make certain while you’re strolling round that automobile that you just observe something that you just would possibly see,” mentioned Dilworth. “Take photos, make certain it’s famous on the contract, it’s a must to cowl all of your bases.”
Dilworth suggests protecting each little element, down the gasoline tank.
“You want to guarantee that the mileage is what it says it’s, the extent of gasoline is the place it says it’s, and each little tiny ding that could possibly be occurring in that automobile,” mentioned Dilworth.
She additionally suggests retaining a paper path of all paperwork in the course of the return course of.
“While you return the automobile, ensure you’re not returning it to some informal individual hanging exterior of the situation. Be sure you get a receipt, you recognize I dropped the automobile off on such and such a date, you recognize, you may have a signature, they’ve a signature.”
In the meantime, McCue has a remaining warning in the event you’re renting a automobile utilizing your credit score or debit card.
“I might completely extremely urge individuals to undoubtedly put an alert with their bank card firm or their debit card in the event you’re getting a rental automobile,” mentioned McCue.
https://www.news5cleveland.com/information/local-news/cleveland-metro/cle-woman-shares-rental-car-nightmare-after-returned-car-turns-up-missing