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Hello, at the end of 2023 I rented a car from BUDGET at the Zurich airport Switzerland. During this rental period I received 2 traffic violations. My fault, I am fully responsible for them. As consequence, after receiving and paying the violations at home in the US, I received the 2 administrative fees, one for each violation, from BUDGET, for the amount of 50CHF each (100CHF total.) I was aware of those fees and I paid them right away. That was January 2024. I thought that that was the end of it. I have never received anything else from BUDGET AVIS GROUP.
Now, one year later, I received a letter from eCOLLECT AG, a collection agency based in Germany, with a claim from the BUDGET AVIS GROUP of 12.93 EURO, which together with the collection agency fees goes up to 114 EURO.
I have called BUDGET customer service and they were very dismissive. I was able to convince them to open a case and find out for what the 12.93 EURO are. I checked on the BUDGET website for the invoices under my rental agreement and there are only 2 PAID invoices for 50CHF each (admin fees for the violations). I emailed back and forward with all the documents and receipts that I have proving that I have paid everything. BUDGET customer service only said that: “As you can see on the invoices: NO REMITTANCE REQUIRED. THE AMOUNT DUE WAS PROCESSED TO YOUR CREDIT CARD ACCOUNT. This is all the information we have on the subject.”
After that, they stopped answering my emails for clarification as to why they sent me to collection if there are no unpaid invoices.
I sent an email with all the documents to eCollect ag explaining that I have paid everything I owed, and BUDGET said that there are no unpaid invoices. No one answered yet, but today I received a second claim from eCOLLECT asking to pay or legal action will be taken. The claim has been now increased to 135 EURO. They sent me the second claim two weeks after the first one and I am thinking that they will keep sending new claims with increased amounts until I pay.
BUDGET doesn’t want to be accountable and the collection agency I don’t think will stop sending me claims until it is paid or BUDGET tells the to stop.
I owe nothing to anybody. Why should I pay for a fictitious fees which has never been billed to me? BUDGET NEVER SENT ME AN INVOICE NOR A REQUEST OF PAYMENT for that amount. I only received two invoices for 50 CHF EACH which I have paid.
Suing BUDGET from the US seems to be a very costly way to solve the issue. I want to pay it just to have a peace of mind. This is driving me crazy. I feel I am being unjustly punished for something I wasn’t aware I owed (since I have never received an invoice for that amount).
anyone in a similar situation? any German lawyer? What would you do?
Now, one year later, I received a letter from eCOLLECT AG, a collection agency based in Germany, with a claim from the BUDGET AVIS GROUP of 12.93 EURO, which together with the collection agency fees goes up to 114 EURO.
I have called BUDGET customer service and they were very dismissive. I was able to convince them to open a case and find out for what the 12.93 EURO are. I checked on the BUDGET website for the invoices under my rental agreement and there are only 2 PAID invoices for 50CHF each (admin fees for the violations). I emailed back and forward with all the documents and receipts that I have proving that I have paid everything. BUDGET customer service only said that: “As you can see on the invoices: NO REMITTANCE REQUIRED. THE AMOUNT DUE WAS PROCESSED TO YOUR CREDIT CARD ACCOUNT. This is all the information we have on the subject.”
After that, they stopped answering my emails for clarification as to why they sent me to collection if there are no unpaid invoices.
I sent an email with all the documents to eCollect ag explaining that I have paid everything I owed, and BUDGET said that there are no unpaid invoices. No one answered yet, but today I received a second claim from eCOLLECT asking to pay or legal action will be taken. The claim has been now increased to 135 EURO. They sent me the second claim two weeks after the first one and I am thinking that they will keep sending new claims with increased amounts until I pay.
BUDGET doesn’t want to be accountable and the collection agency I don’t think will stop sending me claims until it is paid or BUDGET tells the to stop.
I owe nothing to anybody. Why should I pay for a fictitious fees which has never been billed to me? BUDGET NEVER SENT ME AN INVOICE NOR A REQUEST OF PAYMENT for that amount. I only received two invoices for 50 CHF EACH which I have paid.
Suing BUDGET from the US seems to be a very costly way to solve the issue. I want to pay it just to have a peace of mind. This is driving me crazy. I feel I am being unjustly punished for something I wasn’t aware I owed (since I have never received an invoice for that amount).
anyone in a similar situation? any German lawyer? What would you do?
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