Can I dispute this claim from Budget Rent-a-car?

Question

I rented a Garmin GPS system along with the budget rent-a-car. I returned the system with the car, but was in a rush and didn't realized I was supposed to return the system at the counter, not with the employee that checks you in. Of course, he mentioned none of this to me when I checked in the car. Now they are saying I never returned it and sticking me with a $500+ charge for the system. I've called customer service, but they've only offered to split the charge with me. Can I do anything to prove that I returned it? Please help!

Answer 1

The quick answer is yes, you can dispute this.  In fact, if you call Budget they should give you the procedure to dispute it.  Unfortunately, it may involve paying the bill and then filing a small claims court claim to get back the money you pay or alternatively taking a hit on your credit until things get sorted out.  

But here's the problem... you have no way of proving that you left the unit in the car.  Did you sign something that said you agreed to return the GPS unit to the counter?  If not, then that makes your case stronger since what you did was reasonable.  If you did sign it though... well, that doesn't help.  Ask Budget how they track their GPS units... do they have individual identification numbers?  How do they know it's not still in their possession?  If Budget routinely charges people for GPS units that are "lost" when in fact they're still being used by Budget, they can get in a lot of trouble.  Bring that up to the next customer service rep, and they might be a little more helpful getting to the bottom of this.  Hope that helps.

Answer 2

find your reciept (the one the guy gave you when you handed over the keys) (you did save it right?) it should have the mans initials on it, saying that he took possesion of the car once you handed it over. fax it to the customer care people, and tell them you handed possesion over to this person, and they need to find out where the gps system is.  

Answer 3

If you paid with a debit card, you're probably out of luck.  If you paid with a credit card, check the terms of your credit card - you may be eligible to file a claim with them.

Another route you might be able to take is to find out whether or not the facility has security cameras and whether your transaction was caught on tape.