A McKinney woman says a rental car company is taking security deposits from drivers, but when it's time to pay people back, the company goes M.I.A.
Separated by hundreds of miles, Karin Wymer said living away from her mom isn't easy. But when they do get together in Tampa, they're always on the move.
In order to show her mother a good time, Wymer needed wheels to get around. So, she reserved a vehicle through Executive Car Rental and picked it up on May 22.
She said the price for three days was very affordable. But as she signed the paperwork, she learned a $250 security deposit was required.
"I thought, that's unusual," she said.
But she ended up paying it. Wymer said she returned the car in excellent condition and was told she'd get her deposit back in three to five business days.
But a couple weeks later, the deposit money still wasn't in her account. She said a customer service agent told her they'd take care of it. But the next day: nothing.
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Another week went by, so she called again.
"That's when I was told, 'oh, this has happened to some other customers. You're not alone,'" said Wymer.
She said the agent told her there was an issue with the bank.
Wymer said she asked to speak with a manager and was told there was no manager available, but they assured her they were working on it and she'd have her deposit back soon.
But after month two of waiting, she started doing some digging.
"I had seen online where there were other folks with the same issue," she said.
Several people on the Better Business Bureau's website have also demanded to get their deposits returned. The company, with upwards of 50 locations nationwide, also has some complaints on its Facebook page.
After seeing a number of NBC 5 Responds stories on NBC 5 Today, Wymer decided to give us a call.
After several attempts, we finally got a hold of a manager at Executive Car Rental.
Someone from the management team told us that they have been having issues with their credit card processing and their banking system, which they are in the process of correcting.
They said some of the comments online are not true, but for those that are, they're working on getting it all fixed so that everyone gets their refunds back.
About a week after we contacted the company, Wymer said she got a welcomed surprise in her bank account: $250.
The company called us to confirm she received the money and apologized for the inconvenience this may have caused.
Security deposits can sometimes be hard to get back, so whether you're renting a car or a home, here are Samantha Chatman's Solutions:
• Always take before and after pictures.
• Read your rental agreement thoroughly.
• If you don't understand the security deposit rules, ask questions and document what you're told.
