Nfld. & Labrador

Ontario man dinged for returning rental car late during St. John's state of emergency

An Ontario man was shocked to be charged for extra days with a rental car he couldn't return due to a state of emergency in St. John's.

Derek Wilkins was charged for a week, when he only rented a car for 2 full days

Derek Wilkins came to St. John's on a business trip, but ended up storm-stayed for a few extra days. He is now back home in Sarnia, Ont. (CBC)

A Sarnia, Ont., man who was stuck in St. John's during last week's state of emergency was shocked when he went to return his rental car at the airport and was charged for each day he was stuck.

Derek Wilkins rented a Nissan Murano on Jan. 16. That night, a massive blizzard ripped through the city, closing streets and the airport.

His return flight on Jan. 18 was cancelled, and the SUV stayed parked outside his accommodations until the airport opened again on Jan. 21.

His bill was supposed to be $136 for two full days. Instead, they charged him more than $400 for a full week despite him being stuck during a state of emergency that shut down the entire city.

"The airport was closed and so was [Enterprise's] office. Even if I brought it back [Jan. 18], there was nobody there to accept it," Wilkins told CBC News. 

"So you are charging me for days that you couldn't have actually made a profit on. I was stranded ... and you're trying to gain financially off that."

Company responds

In an emailed response, a spokesperson for Enterprise told CBC News it handled each problem related to the state of emergency on a case-by-case basis.

They said Wilkins accepted a $100 credit and they believed it was a satisfactory response.

Wilkins, meanwhile, said he only accepted the credit when it was made clear nobody at the rental counter could do anything better for him.

When Derek Wilkins returned his rental car after being stuck in St. John's during a state of emergency, he was surprised to be charged for the extra days. (Gary Locke/CBC)

Wilkins has spent the last week emailing Enterprise, and getting nowhere.

"All I feel is, charge me the amount that I booked for originally and nothing more," he said. "I didn't have it [during] any days they could have used that car for anybody else, so I feel my original charges should be what I'm charged."

Two hours after Wilkins spoke with CBC News, an Enterprise spokesperson said they will go back to him and see what more can be done.

"Our local team is now reaching out to Mr. Wilkins to ensure he is satisfied, and determine if there is an additional amount that needs to be covered beyond the originally agreed upon $100," the spokesperson wrote.

By 7 p.m. Wilkins said he had been refunded. 

Derek Wilkins snapped this picture on Hamilton Avenue in St. John's while he was stuck. (Derek Wilkins)

Despite the rental car kerfuffle, Wilkins said the storm actually made his trip better. What was supposed to be two days of business meetings turned into a week of hospitality.

"It was my first time in Newfoundland so I got to meet all the neighbours shovelling and got to have lots of dinners with nice people I helped out, so it was actually quite an enjoyable trip given that I was there an extra four or five days," he said.

Wilkins said he plans to return with his family in the summer.

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