ComplaintsforAlternative Claims Management LLC

• Initial Complaint

  03/15/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Was contacted February 16th via email citing a damage claim for a car rented through ** rental ******, **. The claim was there was damage to the front passenger window. I contacted *** requesting time stamped proof the damage occurred during my time of rental. I was referred to a claims manager who replied February 20th and was provided images without time stamp, and a video that didn't show the damage. I promptly replied to the assigned *** Feb 20th requesting further footage/evidence of claimed damage prior to leaving the lot the day of my rental. It has been 18 business days and I have received no further communication from ***. Over the last 18 days, I have emailed to follow up on my request 3 times as well as called the *** manager directly 2 times leaving messages with no reply. I am confident that this damage was not acquired during the time period of my rental and have not received any proof that the damage wasn't previously there prior to my rental period. I feel I should not be liable for this claim/bill until solid evidence and proof can be provided.

  

  Business response

  03/28/2024

  Good Afternoon **************, 
  
  I see the representative who was assigned your claim is no longer with ACM, and I don't see where any member of management was involved in your claim. 
  In order to resolve the challenges you've noted, I have requested time-stamped photos and videos from our client. Once we receive these, I will reach back out to help find a solution. 
  
  Thank you, 
  
  *****************************
  Damage Recovery Manager
  P: ************
  E: *******************

• Initial Complaint

  10/31/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On the 27th August i rented a vehicle form thrifty car, i pointed out to the attendant at the counter that the bumper was damaged, he told just take a photo of the damage. for my records and he does not need to see it . Now there is a repair claim against me 2 months after i returned the vehicle with no damages except what was there when i picked it up

  

  Business response

  10/31/2023

  Good Afternoon Crispin,
  
  Thank you for reaching out regarding your concerns so we have an opportunity to address them!
  Alternative Claims Management is a claims handling company representing Thrifty Car Rental for the damage to this vehicle. From the information we were provided, you picked up this rental unit on 8/27/2023, and completed a check-out inspection slip which noted no damage to the vehicle.
  The rental unit was returned 9/3/2023 with damage to the rear bumper. I see you sent some photos to my staff, as well as a photo attached to this complaint,however I dont see that they are date and time stamped as you noted in your email to ACM.
  
  Please see the attached check-out slip indicating no damage on 8/27, and let me know if you are able to provide date and time-stamped photos of the damage.
  
  Please dont hesitate to reach out to me directly.
  
  Thank you,
  *****************************
  Damage Recovery Manager
  Email: *******************
  Phone: ************

• Initial Complaint

  08/30/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I Rented Out a vehicle on 7/13/2023 from NUcar Rentals, the car was then was side swiped while parked on 7/14/2023. I received an estimate of repairs from the Maaco body shop in ****** on 7/14/2023 for a total of *******. This company originally claimed a total of ******* dollars for the damages to the vechile that were done while i was not in the car. Allstate lowered these cost down to ******* . Allstate paid ******* which was the ******* minus my **** deductible. Company is now seeking payment on claims of loss of revenue to the amount of **** which they have failed to provide proof of this. Business can can continue while car was in the shop, provided that the business has more than one rental car at a time. An a diminished car value to the amount of *******, on a rental car which in and of its self has a dismissed value being a rental vehicle,. Non the less this value appraisal was done by an employee at said rental company. An administrative fee of 250 dollars was also claimed along side and an appraisal fee of 150. These charges are not only exorbitant they are unreasonable. I am seeking immediate resolution of this issue as it is a clear display of a company trying to take advantage of the little guy. There is absolutely no way I can pay a ******* on a car my insurance already covered the repairs on. If anything the **** deductible is the only reasonable charge being claimed, considering the the repair estimate I received on the day of the incident.

  

  Business response

  08/30/2023

  Good Afternoon ****************, 
  
  Please be advised we just received the offer and notification of payment from Allstate today. We are not billing or pursuing you directly for this claim at this time, as we are just beginning negotiations on the claim with Allstate. As it stands, all billing presented to Allstate was in line with the Terms and Conditions of your rental agreement with Nu Car. 
  We will continue efforts with Allstate and will advise you if any issues arise. 
  
  Thank you, 
  
  *****************************;
  Damage Recovery Manager
  ************
  *******************

  Customer response

  08/30/2023

  Complaint: 20539435
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Ive already spoken to my Allstate representatives they are done with their portion of this exchange. They will not be negotiating further than what theyve already paid. I would like to get this resolved as soon as possible if you would like to accept the *************************************************************************** this process to close your claim. There is no way that i will be paying more than the cost of damages on this case. 

   

   

  
  
  Kind Regards,
  
  *****************************

  

  Business response

  08/31/2023

  Good Afternoon ****************, 
  
  ACM has spoken with Allstate and confirmed they are still willing to review for additional payments. It is common for insurance to send an initial payment, claiming they will not pay anything else, and then consider additional payments once we address the items they said they wouldn't pay. We have asked Allstate for a breakdown of the items they are not paying so we can continue to address.
  We will continue working with Allstate until we have exhausted our efforts with them. At this time, you have not been billed for any charges relating to the demand we are resolving with Allstate. We will notify you regarding your deductible, or any unpaid loss of use once this portion of the claim is completed. 
  
  Thank you, 
  
  *****************************
  Damage Recovery Manager
  ************
  *******************

• Initial Complaint

  08/28/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  ***** retained ACM as part of a car accident on a rented car. I provided all documentation to ACM along with police report detailing the at fault driver, filed a claim with at fault insurance. ACM is not providing the at fault insurance with the information they need, and is asking for me to pay 5k

  

  Business response

  08/30/2023

  Good Afternoon **************, 
  
  ACM: 00556061
  We have not billed you for the unpaid balance of this claim. Our staff is continuing to pursue the at-fault carrier for the remainder of this claim. They have not provided us a request for any additional information at this time, however we have asked what they need to proceed with handling the remaining balance still owed. 
  Please be advised, in the event we needed to take additional measures to recover the amounts owed, ACM would proceed through your insurance ahead of any billing that could potentially be deferred to you. We will contact you in the event that is necessary, at this time it does not appear that will occur. 
  
  We are not billing or anticipating anything from you on this claim at this time. 
  
  Thank you, 
  *****************************
  Damage Recovery Manager
  ************
  ******************* 

  Customer response

  08/30/2023

  Complaint: 20509639
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I have forced eire to pay by pushing so hard on them after your person just sat back and sent me a bill for 4k. The person has failed to answer numerous requests from the insurance carrier and now to top it off has requested a frivolous claim for diminished value on a leased vehicle. My insurance nor any party on my behalf will pay a ***** of this claim. **** is responsible and sending frivolous demand letters to me is ridiculous. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *************************

  

  Business response

  08/30/2023

  Good Afternoon **************, 

  My system reflects that you were never billed directly for any portion of this claim. If you were, can you please attach a copy of the payment demand/bill you received from ACM? As I will need to address that with my staff. 
  
  As of now, Erie is sending an additional payment, which will be a total paid of $5,405.29 (covering the full estimate, loss of use and administration fee.) The only unpaid portion is the diminished value, which we are still negotiating with Erie. This final remaining charge will not be passed along to you or your insurance. 
  
  Thank you, 
  *****************************
  Damage Recovery Manager
  ************
  *******************

  Customer response

  08/30/2023

  Complaint: 20509639
  
  I am rejecting this response because:  how do I have assurance neither I nor my insurance will be billed for diminished value. The remaining balance on the claim was 4.2k in the demand letter I have. Can we revise this ?  
  
  Regards,
  
  *************************

  

  Business response

  06/14/2024

  Regarding this complaint, Alternative Claims Management concluded this file on behalf of GSP Transportation Charleston Hertz, Thrift, Dollar. The at-fault insurance carrier, Erie, paid and resolved the claim. ************** was never billed directly for any portion of this claim, and was never asked to pay the $5K he mentions in his complaint.
  We previously asked him in August of 2023 to provide us a copy of any billing he received from ACM so it could be addressed with our staff, and we did not receive a copy of that alleged billing from him.
  ACM and our client has considered this claim paid and closed by the at-fault ************** for several months.
  
  ************** was not, and is not, at any risk of being billed for this loss and claim.

   

  Thank you,

• Initial Complaint

  07/20/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  They said I damaged the windshield and tore up the car and the dates on the pictures are 3 days before I even rented the car. They said it was the process. They sent pictures of the damages with red circles 3 days before I rented this car. I told them the dates don&#**;t work and they said that is how they do it. They said I owed them $1700 for the windshield. Now there are all kinds of dings on the car that I didn&#**;t do. I want them to leave me alone! I didn&#**;t do it.

  

  Business response

  07/28/2023

  Good Morning, 
  
  We have reviewed this claim and the subsequent complaint. In discussing with our client, ***************'s/*******************************, we have determined that this claim was billed to ************************* in error. 
  
  It appears the renter purchased a Loss Damage Waiver at the time of the rental and per the terms and conditionsof the rental agreement, the damage in question is covered by that waiver. ACM on behalf of ***************'s has closed and withdrawn the claim for payment made against ************************** 
  
  Thank you for your patience and interest in assisting us in resolution on this matter. 
  
  *****************************;
  Damage Recovery Manager
  P: ************
  E: *******************

• Initial Complaint

  04/04/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Last summer my fianc was driving my car and didnt check his blind spot as he was changing lines and swiped a ztrip van. Very minimal damage and barely noticeable. I honestly think my car had more damage in dents on the front fender than this van had any damage. Back in I believe November early December I got an estimate in the mail from this business claiming I owe OVER ***** just for this accident and my insurance wasnt going to cover it. Understandable as my fianc wasnt on it yet and unfortunately the rare time he was driving my car an accident happened. That is on us and I definitely should be paying something but the estimate and everything on it was outrageous. I tried to figure out things with one lady but she was very unprofessional and rude. She told me my only payment options were five payments of over ****. Sounds a little ridiculous? Yeah. After a few months of going back and forth with her and everything blowing up, I finally got some one else to handle this case. I keep asking for a final invoice of everything done and the actual time and amount it was and they keep saying theyll get back to me in a few days and its more like 2 weeks at a time. I just want to know the exact amount I owe and then stop messing around before it gets too serious and moves on to me having a lawsuit against me. I want the exact amount I have to pay and that should be fair. I also want it in mail and payment plan agreement in mail as well. But that seems to difficult for them to provide? I wont pay anything until I receive documents I asked for so as far as Im concerned theyre not cooperating and they dont deserve to be paid until they do. Im willing to share the estimate because its outrageous. I need a final legit invoice and I would like it to come straight from the auto repair shop if thats even possible or at least something so I know its legitimate. Ive read too many negative things on here I dont trust them.

  

  Business response

  04/06/2022

  Good Afternoon **************,
  
  I appreciate you reaching out. As we discussed on February 15th, and you discussed with your new claims handler on March 6th, and March 29th, we are waiting for Z-Trip to provide their final repair invoice. We are continuing to request this document from our client, and your claim remains on hold until that is secured. 
  We will provide that to you as soon as we have it in hand, and discuss arrangements to pay at that time. Thank you for your continued patience. 
  
  Please don't hesitate to contact me directly to discuss. 
  
  Thank you, 
  
  *****************************
  Damage Recovery Manager
  ***************************
  Direct: ************

• Initial Complaint

  11/04/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I rented a car in March **************************************************************************** the bottom area of the windshield about a 1/4 inch round. I just learned that my insurance company paid $591.78 for this damage but I just got a **** from this company for and additional $1,736.85. I rented a 2020 ****** Rogue so I went online to Safelite window repair for and estimate for both a full windshield replacement and for a ****. As you can see the full replacement for parts and labor is $869.99 and for the **** is $114.99. I asked the company how they can justify this excessive fee and they simply told me I signed a form saying there was no damage when I rented the vehicle. I then asked them to provide me a picture of the damage and an itemized list of the expenses. They have failed to provide either to me. This appears to be a scam or gouging. I get it I signed on the line so whether it happened on my rental or not I am responsible but I don't see how they can justify charging almost three times the fair market value for full windshield replacement ($2,328.63) for a small **** in the windshield that could have been repaired for $114.Please review the attached estimates from Safelite for the replacement or repair cost for a 2020 ****** Rogue windshield.I am willing to pay up to another $500 to give them the benefit of the doubt but that would be a total $1,091.78 for a **** in a windshield.

  

  Business response

  11/05/2021

  Good Morning ******************,
  
  Thank you for taking the time to make us aware of your concerns, I see you recently submitted a dispute to ACM regarding the same.
  Our client provided us with an estimate of $2,000.90 for the windshield damage (See attached estimate.) We billed this to your carrier, GEICO, along with $89.73 in loss of use and $200.00 administration fee for a total of $2,290.63.
  GEICO paid $541.78, advising you have a $1,000.00 deductible and loss of use and administrative fees are not covered under your policy. After some discussion,GEICO issued an additional $50.00 bringing the total paid to $591.78.
  While Safelite is a company with a lot of brand recognition, it is well known they do not include all potential/final charges in their quotes. With this, their work on a vehicle can void manufacturer programs such as warranties.
  Our clients 2020 ****** Rogue is still under manufacturer warranty, which means any repairs completed must be compliant with a ****** Certified specialist and their specified repair guidelines. Ive attached ******s position statements regarding windshield replacement for your reference.
  The cost of repair being at Action Car Rentals discretion, as well as the associated charges that were billed to you and your carrier are outlined in your rental terms and conditions (attached.)
  
  I understand its difficult when an insurance carrier does not fully cover a loss, and to hopefully assist with your situation I would be willing to accept your deductible payment of $1,000.00 to conclude the claim.
  Please don't hesitate to reach out to me directly by phone or email. 
  
  
  Thank you, 
  
  *****************************
  Damage Recovery Manager
  Alternative Claims Management
  O: ************** | Direct: ************** | F: (210) 572-4500
  ******************* | AltClaim.com
  
  
  Claims Recovery Experts Since ****

  Customer response

  11/05/2021

  Complaint: 16094252
  
  I am rejecting this response because.  Thank you for sending me the itemized **** and the pictures of the **** on the windshield.  I hope the person from the BBB will actually look at the picture of the windshield to help resolve this matter.  As I stated in my original complaint it was an incredibly small **** that the rental company wants $2,328.63.  This seems incredibly excessive.  As the estimate I submitted demonstrates a simple repair fair market value repair is $114.99 which this **** is over 20 times that cost.  Even if you had to replace the entire windshield the fair market estimate is $869.99 and your **** is almost three times the estimate of a full replacement.  I feel I should not have to pay anything for something I never saw but I understand your response saying the car had no damage and I signed a document so I am responsible.  My insurance paid $591.78 and I offer to pay an additional $500 which would cover all of the fair market expense for this **** and additional expenses.  
  
  Regards,
  
  *****************************

  

  Business response

  11/08/2021

  Good Afternoon ******************,  
   
  I appreciate you being responsive and working with me, however I am unable to accept $500.00 to resolve the claim.  
  Ive reduced the requested amount so I will accept your $1,000.00 GEICO deductible.  
  GEICO reviewed and approved $1,591.78 being paid. They paid $591.78 because your policy with them dictates they pay anything over your $1,000.00 deductible and they expressed to us that you would be responsible for that $1,000.00, and the fees which they dont cover under your policy with them.  
  Im conceding to payment of your $1000.00 deductible, and you can rest easy that still will not pay the full estimate of my clients, which they are already out of pocket for. We have waived the Loss of Use and Administration Fees despite your contractual obligation to pay them as outlined in your rental agreement.  
  It's more than reasonable that we conclude the claim, accepting your deductible payment of $1,000.00 as the final resolution.  
   
  Thank you,  
  Katharine Davis 
  Damage Recovery Manager 
  Alternative Claims Management 
  O: ************** | Direct: ************** | F: (210) 572-4500 
  ******************* | AltClaim.com 

• Initial Complaint

  09/21/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I collided with a deer in a Kia ***** from the *** Airport Ace Rent a Car on 6/5/2021. My insurance paid $5243.36 on 8/12/2021 under my comprehensive coverage. On 8/24/2021 I received a payment demand from Alternative Claims Management for $495.32 for loss of use and $1560.84 for vehicle diminished value. Neither of these charges were substantiated and only after requesting on 8/25, 9/1, and 9/17 did *********************** provide an "independent" assessment increasing the diminished value claim to $1629.91 based on a market value of $22050 for this "average" condition used car with ****** miles. MSRP is $19,390 new. I have since obtained the repair estimate quoting **** hours of labor - I was charged for 14 days loss of use. ACM willfully inflates these charges and stonewalls requests for documentation, knowing consumers have fewer resources than the insurance company to fight the claim. By contacting me nearly 3 months late I was not able to file a claim with my credit card within 45 days.

  

  Business response

  09/21/2021

  Good Afternoon ****************, 
  
  Thank you for reaching out! For some clarity, on the delays, we billed USAA on 6/23/2021 and they did not issue payment for the repairs until 8/12/21. ACM received that mailed check on 8/20/2021. 
  We wanted to ensure you were billed accurately, and waited for USAA to resolve any and all portions of the claim they would before sending you a letter. We arranged for a letter to go out to you that same day (8/20/2021) this was a Friday, and our letter writers issued the letter as soon as they could the following week on 8/24/2021. 
  When we **** these amounts, the loss of use is based on the labor hours, four hours a day being worked on the vehicle by the shop Monday Friday. The **** hours of the estimate came to 7.7 (8 Days.) 
  You returned the vehicle Saturday, 6/5/2021, and under the assumption everything went as smoothly and timely as possible, we accounted for the estimate being written the following Monday, repairs starting the following Tuesday, and being completed with the unit returned to our client on Friday 6/18/2021 (14 total days.) We charged you the same rate you paid per day for the rental of the vehicle (which you may  confirm with your rental agreement.) 
  
  With regards to Diminished Value, we understand the numbers on most appraisals come at a higher amount, as a great deal of factors are taken into consideration during the assessment. In an effort to simplify the process, and negotiate a quick settlement, ACM billed USAA and you, 25% of the repair cost for diminished value. When you requested an appraisal, it was not an issue for us to provide it, but we are well aware they tend to come at an increased amount regardless of the vendor used. Unlike insurance carriers, we utilize independent vendors for all aspects of the claims we represent our clients on. As you know, we billed $1,560.84 (25% of the damages) I see when you requested an evaluation, **************** was up front that it can be run, and whatever it comes out to would be accounted for as updated billing since all parties can agree its the most accurate figure when we were initially billing you off of an estimated percentage. The evaluation was ran, and came to the higher amount. 
  
  I am appreciative that you honored the remainder of the claim, and will be sending in payment to resolve it. I also appreciate you taking the time to let us know how this claim situation came across to you. It allows us to do better in the future as we work to maintain transparency with more of our client's customers. 
  
  If youd like to discuss anything further, please dont hesitate to reach out to me directly. 
  
  Thank you, 
  *****************************
  Damage Recovery Manager
  Alternative Claims Management
  O: ************** | Direct: ************** | F: **************
  ******************* | AltClaim.com
  
  Claims Recovery Experts Since 1997
  
  

  Customer response

  09/21/2021

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I see that Alternative Claims Management devotes the majority of their customer service budget to responding to ******************** complaints. If only the responses from **************** had been so prompt and detailed. I am accepting the resolution of this complaint because I really have no recourse, but it is fairly apparent to me that ACM will continue to inflate their charges and collect the highest possible settlement unless they are actually called on their actions. The facts remain that they attempted to charge me for double the number of days for loss of use that would be justified and only reduced it to 8 when I mentioned the possibility of filing a BBB claim. Furthermore, their default calculation for diminished value is not the industry standard 17c formula, which resulted in at least a $500 increased estimation. The fact that they were able to find a 3rd party assessor who cited an even higher diminished value (using yet another proprietary formula) does not justify their original claim. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *************************

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩