Cortney Kays, a North Texas schoolteacher, found herself in a battle over a massive repair bill for hail damage on a rental car she no longer had.

Earlier this year, Kays was rear-ended in a minor accident. The other driver’s insurance covered her car repairs and set her up with a rental vehicle. “It was just a small dent on the corner of my car,” Kays said, recalling the incident.

The rental process seemed straightforward. Enterprise picked her up from the collision center, and she signed for the rental car before heading to work. A few days later, once her car was repaired, Kays left the rental vehicle at the body shop where the rental company initially picked her up. She assumed the process was complete.

Weeks later, she received an unwelcome surprise: a $5,100 damage claim from Enterprise.

The accompanying photos showed dents and dings consistent with hail damage. “It’s clearly hail damage,” Kays said. “It’s on the hood, the roof—areas I wouldn’t even touch.”

Kays was certain the weather was clear during her rental period. She pointed to documentation, including a receipt showing she returned the car on Friday, May 24. North Texas experienced hailstorms days later, on Memorial Day. When she called Enterprise, they pointed out she had dropped the car off at the collision center, not at an Enterprise location, and said the lack of a formal inspection left the rental agreement open.

Frustrated, Kays reached out to NBC 5 Responds. Enterprise later reviewed the case and dropped the claim. “After reviewing all the facts and documentation, we decided to close this claim,” the company said in an email.

The timeline of when the vehicle was picked up by Enterprise remains unclear, but Kays was relieved to have the issue resolved.

I spent 10 years handling collision insurance claims, and, therefore, rental car coordinating, at a local shop here in the Midwest. Leaving a rental car at the shop for the company to pick up was pretty common, and we never had any damage issues. Still, because of Kays’ experience…

Here are some tips to help rental car customers avoid unexpected damage bills: 

• Always get a walk-around inspection. Before and after your rental, insist on a signed inspection form.
• Take timestamped photos. Document the vehicle’s condition at pickup and drop-off.
• Request confirmation. Ask for a receipt or email showing the rental is officially closed.
• Double-check the terms. Review your rental agreement for potential liability details.
• Return to an official location. While it’s convenient to leave your car at the shop, it might be best just to drop it off the car at a rental branch.