GetGo car renter stunned by $5,400 bill for 'scratching' another car

She described the sum as "exorbitant" and "absurd".

A woman rented a GetGo car and was shocked to get a $5,400 bill for "scratching" another car.

Stomp contributor Claire pointed out that there was no damage to the GetGo car itself.

She told Stomp: "The brief context is I rented the GetGo car and accidentally scratched another car's door when parking. The rental car was perfectly unaffected with zero damage.

"I met the owner of the third-party car and requested that he share the workshop bill with me afterwards.

"I also reported the incident on the GetGo app, but GetGo billed me $5,400 for the third-party damage without any workshop bill, stating they followed industry practice.

"I am only liable to pay the actual workshop bill and some administrative fee if applicable.

"Hence, I am planning to take legal action against GetGo for billing this absurd amount."

The Stomp contributor said she had contacted the company several times but received no response.

In an e-mail to GetGo dated July 1, she wrote: "I have agreed to settle the bill for a minor dent with the damaged third party involved (owner of the other car), currently waiting for the workshop invoice.

"But I am shocked to discover that GetGo is still charging an exorbitant amount $5,400 (stating it's for third-party damage) for the same incident while the GetGo car has zero impact from the accident."

The Stomp contributor also shared photos of the undamaged black GetGo Mazda car and a photo of the damage to the other car, which looked more like a "minor dent" than a scratch.

Stomp has contacted GetGo for more info.

In February, Stomp reported a similar incident where a GetGo car user was shocked to receive a bill for $4,636.80 after "grazing" a parked Mercedes-Benz while driving out of a parking lot.

In response to a Stomp query about the February incident, GetGo said then: "GetGo ensures that our accident and insurance policies are clear and fair for our users. All charges payable by our users in the event of an accident are outlined in our terms and conditions, and FAQs...

"We adhere to the industry practice of collecting the costs of Third-Party Damage Excess in the event of at fault and shared liability cases.

"However, we do provide the option for Mutual Settlement in minor accidents where both parties explicitly agree that they will not be claiming against each other's insurance.

"In the event that our user is not at fault, as determined by the insurer, we may not open the option for Mutual Settlement. Upon submission of proof of private settlement between both parties, the Third-Party Damage Excess cost will be removed from the bill.

"We highly recommend that our users consider taking the Collision Damage Waiver (CDW), which can reduce Third-Party Damage Excess costs by 50 per cent in the event of an accident."

ALSO READ: 'Shocked me till my jaw dropped': GetGo car user slapped with $4,600 bill after 'small accident'

This article was first published in Stomp. Permission required for reproduction.