Complaint Review: Ryder Truck Rental - Athens Georgia

Back in May or June of 2006 I had rented a truck from Ryder, this was not my first truck as I had rented from them on a regular basis (weekly/monthly) for about 2 years prior to that. I had had some problems in the past but nothing that was just totally unsafe.

On this rental, my daughter and I had went about 140 miles, and all of a sudden I heard a very loud boom, and the truck went down in the back end and started swaying back and forth, with My daughter well screaming in fear and I immediately pulled over to the side of the road, because the truck was almost impossible to control, and felt like it was about to roll over.

I called the ryder service center which was only about 15 miles away and told them both Rear tires on the passenger side had blown. (The truck was not overloaded in anyway as I only had about 4500 pounds of freight on it.) they said they would send someone right out, Ryder service did not come out, they called Athens Commericial Tire Service to come out and replace the tires.

When he got there he was amazed that both tires were blown, proceded to take the tires off the rims, after he took the tires off the rims he said I see what caused the tires to deflate, I asked him what was the problem and he said the one tire had a bad valve stem, and caused the one tire to deflate and the other could not handle the load and blowed out. He said the problem with the valve stem was that whoever changed the tire the last time ( Ryder service cent in Athens ga) did not change the valve stem, when the changed the tire, this is required to be done everytime a tire is changed, and the ryder service center did not do that. The man put 2 brand new tires on the truck and said I was ready to go. (the tires that blew on the truck was not anywhere near new, and were recap tires, He put on New truck tires, Alot more expensive).

I am thinking now that how could such a small piece that was so easily changed and cannot be that expensive, could quite possibly cause a very dangerous situation, and that was an endangerment to myself and my daughter lifes.

After I returned and unloaded the truck, I took the truck back the next morning to return the rental. When I got there I had told the Lady (pam) at the front desk the problem and what the man who changed the tires had said, and she told me that Ryder may even try to charge me for the tires, I was IRRATE, and told here they had endangered my life and wanted me to pay for the tires she was crazy, She said because it was not my fault they probably would not bill me.

So in the next week or 2 I went back to rent another truck, I called ahead and made a reservation, but when I got there Pam did not have a truck, and I had to wait about 2-3 hours and finally a truck came in and I took off to my appointment, I was late and had to wait there all day to pick up my load. I returned the truck, and called my account manager and told him of the problem with this rental and that there guarantee states a quick rental and they did not provide me with that, and it cost me a whole day, that I should get a free rental like it states on the guarantee.

He then tells me that I should not worry to much about getting a free rental, because He was keeping the tire situation from the last rental from getting billed to me. He said He could give me the free rental, but would have to let the billing department go ahead and send me a bill for the tires, I told him that was bull*%&& That the tires were there fault, I was not paying for them

and that I did not want the free rental either, because I would never rent from Ryder again.

So I figured I would just leave it alone and just take my business to another company and forget about the incident. I actually went and bought my on truck so I would know the condition when I got into it. (These are 26ft Commercial Trucks, and have to be kept up, because if they break down they can be dangerous.)

Well it was not long till I received a bill for over a $1000.00 for 2 new tires for the truck I had rented, stating I had drove on the tires until they were shredded and therfore I owed them for the tires. I called my account manager again, and asked him why I was getting the bill, and he said It was out of his control, and he could not do anything about it, But this did not come along untill I told him I was not renting from Ryder anymore.

I told him again I was not at fault, told him what the service guy said that changed the tires, and told him I was not paying for the tires, I was in no way my fault. I talked to several people in Customer service and explained the situation, they said they would check into it, and kept coming back and saying I drove on the tires until they shredded therefore it was my fault.

I keep telling them, as soon as the tire exploded I pulled over I had no choice the truck was about to turn over and swaying all over the road. There is no way possible to drive on tires that are both blown on the same side. They tell me there is no way for the tires to shread like that unless they are drove on for many many miles. I keep telling them it was impossible for me to drive on them, but they will not listen.

They called several times, and I told them the same thing several times, and have sent them 2 letters telling them the situation and I was not to blame for something that was actually there fault, and negligence on there part.

After the last letter I did not hear back from them for a while until I heard from Krista at askfinancial asking me for payment of the tires, I told her It was not my fault, and I had told this story to ryder many times, and she ask me to send her a letting telling her I was not at fault. So I sent her a letter, and she email back saying both parties are at fault, and I quickly email her back saying I was not at any fault in this situation. She emails back saying Ryder would be willing to settle on me paying just part of the bill, they pay for one tire and me pay for the 2nd tire, I would not agree to this and told her I did not feel I owed Ryder anything, for the tires, that in fact they probably owed me for not providing me with a safe truck.

So she emails back asking me what I think would be fair that ryder would not just go away, I needed to come up with a sum that I think would be fair for both sides. I told her I dont think there is a sum that is fair, since it is not my fault. I would not be willing to pay anything on the tires.

She emails back today, saying I leave her no choice but to move ahead with a case against me.

That is where we stand now and I still believe I am not at fault and do not owe ryder anything

William

bowman, Georgia

U.S.A.

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