• There has been a recent cluster of spammers accessing BARFer accounts and posting spam. To safeguard your account, please consider changing your password. It would be even better to take the additional step of enabling 2 Factor Authentication (2FA) on your BARF account. Read more here.

Penske doesn’t make good on their rental liabilities!

Lucytriple

Wrrrench
Joined
Feb 15, 2017
Location
SF
Moto(s)
SV1000, F800GS, Beta XTrainer, CRF230
Name
Lucy
BARF perks
AMA #5057309
Here’s a little story I have to tell: nearly 6 months ago someone driving a rented Penske truck had an issue which resulted in multiple parked vehicles damaged, including my client’s motorcycle. Her motorcycle is beyond totaled, for sure.

The police report showed Penske‘s driver is at fault and Penske’s Automotive Department provides their own corporate insurance. It takes us days to find out who to contact to submit the damage estimate, and when we finally do, we hear nothing back. Every two days we make a round of emails and phone calls, I find out the names of their chain of command and add them to the rotation. Months went by without a peep from them. We went to their Instagram page and made a few comments, which were immediately deleted, in fact, my client got herself blocked. But the social media blast provoked a response. Several people called me and said so sorry, they would handle this right away!

Then four more months went by. My client contacted a lawyer and they sent several communications and a demand letter. . .crickets.

I made a few more Instagram posts today, and will see what comes of it, but we’re thinking all she has left is small claims court. Any ideas?

Also, Penske sux.
 
Damn that does suck. Whenever I see a Penske rental truck or even any moving storage truck driving recklessly around, I stay the hell back. They scare the crap out of me like busted up Nissans with no plates. Just headaches. I hope y’all get it situated for your client.
 
It depends some on the value of the destroyed property. If the bike is worth more than $12,500 then it is regular court. Small claims courts may get you a judgement, getting paid is a whole nother problem. Her attorney can’t help much in small claims but he should be able to answer this question. Blast them daily on yelp, facebook, heck even linked in, tik tok and whatever other sites are out there, esp if she has pics or vid cam footage of said truck and smooshed stuff. Blast the corporate insurance co online too. But keep it all facts. There is also the state Dept of Insurance complaint. G’luck.
 
Take notes of phone numbers of attorneys during local news casts?

But use small claims anyway, get judgement, sell judgement to collection agency, eat the discount and go on your way. Collection agencies may or may not be interested.

At least a collection agency will be a PITA for someone at corporate for a while.
 
Noy sure if it's help I'm SF but maybe see if the DAs office can do anything? My folks did this in (an admittedly small town) in Colorado after the insurer of a car that ran a red and totalled their car claimed they were partially at fault for failing to see the red light runner. After the DA contacted them they were suddenly convinced their client was entirely at fault and paid out top blue book value on the car.
 
It depends some on the value of the destroyed property. If the bike is worth more than $12,500 then it is regular court. Small claims courts may get you a judgement, getting paid is a whole nother problem. Her attorney can’t help much in small claims but he should be able to answer this question. Blast them daily on yelp, facebook, heck even linked in, tik tok and whatever other sites are out there, esp if she has pics or vid cam footage of said truck and smooshed stuff. Blast the corporate insurance co online too. But keep it all facts. There is also the state Dept of Insurance complaint. G’luck.
Department of Insurance doesn’t even care because Penske is self-insured.

Take notes of phone numbers of attorneys during local news casts?

But use small claims anyway, get judgement, sell judgement to collection agency, eat the discount and go on your way. Collection agencies may or may not be interested.

At least a collection agency will be a PITA for someone at corporate for a while.
This will probably be the way to go. I didn’t know that’s what you do—sell to the collections agency.

Noy sure if it's help I'm SF but maybe see if the DAs office can do anything? My folks did this in (an admittedly small town) in Colorado after the insurer of a car that ran a red and totalled their car claimed they were partially at fault for failing to see the red light runner. After the DA contacted them they were suddenly convinced their client was entirely at fault and paid out top blue book value on the car.
Thanks. She’s going to contact the DA. We’re imagining this isn’t the first time a complaint has been filed.
 
Cannot help but this is the SUCK. Good luck.
 
I wonder if there is a way to impound the actual vehicle involved as evidence until the court case resolves, that would put the hurt on them.
 
in 2001 I had a problem with AAA, contacted the Cal DA office to get complaint form and AAA suddenly agreed to pay up, coincidence maybe. Ask Penske for their "agent of Service" that's who accepts subpoenas and court documents, this may make them sit up and take notice. They are probably used to people just giving up and going away and those that do lawyer up and sue don't get much more then they would have got any way.
 
not a lawyer but one might speculate that self-insured incurs the same fiduciary responsibilities but may fall under the Dept of corporation. This eventually should be recoverable. She should record the $ costs of not having her bike as well as the other effects of her ongoing loss of her means transport. Documentation matters. Best of luck in this situation.
 
Isn't Penske truck rentals a franchise? If it is, you need to deal with the franchise owner and not corporate.
 
Back
Top