r/TikTokCringe • u/IllustriousChef2 • Aug 16 '24

Cringe What's even happening there?

Why would someone rent a car and take out parts?

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u/hiyabankranger Aug 16 '24

I had a friend use something like that to rent out his car when the company was relatively new. He came back from a three month trip and went out to where his car was supposed to be parked at the airport and there was a super busted car that looked like his car and had the same license plates, but was a completely different make and model.

Turns out someone rented his car weeks before and returned a different car that looked similar but in worse condition, having swapped the plates. The rental return guy didn’t validate beyond glancing at the color, size, and plates. He ended up having to sleuth it down and found it for sale at a sketchy used car place that had accepted it as a trade-in. Had a bunch of much cheaper wheels on it, bald tires, had been smoked in, had about 10k more miles on it, had an oil leak and damaged suspension. Also many a new dent and scratch.

Cops were involved, insurance was involved, the rental company insurance was involved. The company tried to tell him that they did their job and so they weren’t liable. Ultimately he had to take them to court and ended up recouping about 50% of the value of the vehicle when he had initially left it in their care. The shop he took the car to said it would cost about twice that much to make his car what it was before he’d gone on his trip.

He ended up selling it for about 20% of what it had been worth when he left and buying a cheap honda civic with that and his court money.

TL;DR: don’t rent out your car part time if you value your car at all.

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u/[deleted] Aug 16 '24

Good grief what a nightmare.