Thrifty kept $4,195 deposit after Sydney crash; Chase credits $2,000

A couple who rented a car from Thrifty in Sydney had the company retain their full $4,195 security deposit after a semi clipped a rear door, even though the damage was later assessed at $1,929 and the renters had relied on collision coverage from a Chase Sapphire Preferred card. The renters waived Thrifty’s insurance, paid the deposit the same day and provided the other driver’s information.

Thrifty said it would pursue the at‑fault driver but held the entire deposit while doing so, at one point telling the customers it could keep the deposit for seven years while pursuing collections. A U.S. spokeswoman for Hertz, which owns Thrifty, said the company understood the customers’ frustration and cited an unresponsive third party and regional complexities for the extended timeline.

After more than a year of back-and-forth, a Thrifty supervisor refunded $2,266 in October, and Thrifty eventually sent the invoice for the $1,929 damage the renters had sought. The couple had missed Chase’s 365‑day deadline for submitting supporting documentation to the card benefit administrator, and their initial claim had been filed more than 120 days after the accident.

Key Topics

Business, Thrifty, Sydney, Chase Sapphire Preferred, Hertz, Collision Damage Waiver