How to Sue Thrifty Rental Car in Small Claims Court

So you’re looking to sue Thrifty Rental Car?

At FairShake we’ve helped thousands of people ripped off by big companies like Thrifty Rental Car. And we’ve helped get millions of dollars in settlement offers…

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Tired of hitting dead ends when trying to get a refund from Thrifty Rental Car? Feeling like there’s nowhere to turn?

You’re not alone. It seems like many people have tried all the Thrifty Rental Car customer service options, but still feel unheard.

There are different ways to file a complaint against Thrifty Rental Car, but none have the same power and leverage as taking legal action.

So, if you’re thinking of suing Thrifty Rental Car, where do you even start? You might expect there to be tons of class action lawsuits against them, but it’s often more complicated than that.

What many people don’t know is that hidden clauses buried deep within their contracts frequently allow companies like Thrifty Rental Car to push legal claims into the private realm of consumer arbitration, away from conventional courts.

But here’s the thing: your Thrifty Rental Car contract doesn’t have the power to take away your right to pursue legal action by suing them.

Here’s what you can do…

Two options to Sue Thrifty Rental Car:

Consumer Arbitration: This involves accessing an official and independent dispute resolution process that is not a court. It provides an opportunity to seek compensation for your complaint without the need to appear in person. For many, this can be a preferable option.To find out if you can take Thrifty Rental Car to arbitration, you can check your contract or user agreement with them. Many companies’ standard contract are available on their websites. You can do a search for “arbitration” arbitration within the contract text — it is usually mentioned near the very top of a contract.
Learn more about the consumer arbitration process here.
Small Claims Court: If you prefer to avoid the arbitration system, you can opt for Small Claims Court. You should know that the procedures for Small Claims Court may vary depending on your jurisdiction.Taking Thrifty Rental Car to Small Claims Court will typically involve appearing in person and completing necessary forms.

If you’re ready to sue Thrifty Rental Car in Small Claims Court, read on below:

Taking Thrifty Rental Car to Small Claims Court Step-by-Step

Make sure your case qualifies.

Just because you are ready to sue Thrifty Rental Car in small claims court does not mean your case qualifies. There are a few limiting factors that you need to be aware of.

The first is the amount of money. Small claims courts have maximum dollar sizes that you can present and the amount differs based on which state you live in. You can find a list of all 50 states’ monetary limits here.
The second is a type of compensation you want. In most lawsuits you can ask for monetary compensation which is a dollar amount or equitable compensation which is anything other than money. For example, given that Thrifty Rental Car is a car rental agency, the issue might have to do with property like your luggage or the vehicle. However, with small claims courts you can usually only ask for monetary compensation so any non-monetary damages for what you want compensation just have to be converted into a dollar amount based on their value.

If your claim doesn’t fall within the limits of your state’s small claims court, you’ll have to arbitrate your claim instead.

Send a demand letter.

Before you are able to sue Thrifty Rental Car in small claims court, you have to start by sending a demand letter to the company. Most small claims courts require that you ask the company to voluntarily fix the issue and this is done with the demand letter. It is a simple but formal letter where you explain who you are (your name, address, phone number and account number), what the problem is, and what you want from them.

It doesn’t have to be flowery or complicated, it just has to meet the basic requirements for your small claims court. When it’s done, mail a hard copy to the official legal address. According to our most recent research, Thrifty is legally based in Oklahoma and receives mail at this address:

THRIFTY RENT-A-CAR SYSTEM, LLC
C/O THE CORPORATION COMPANY
1833 S MORGAN RD
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73128

If you would like examples of demand letters or more information about how to write them, you can find an excellent guide here.

Fill out court forms.

If the demand letter did not get a response and your issue is still unsolved, now you sue Thrifty Rental Car in small claims court. Every state has different forms they require you to fill out so that you can present your claim in small claims court. Depending on where you live you might have extra forms for your county as well. Find your state court website and forms here.

Make sure you fill out the right number of copies. When you move on to the next step you need to have at least three or four copies depending on what is required by your court, otherwise you will not be able to sue Thrifty Rental Car.

File your court forms.

When you’re done filling out the court forms, it’s time to give those forms to the court. This process, called “filing” can be a bit tricky.

Many courts will require that you physically come to the courthouse during specific hours and days so that you can hand-deliver the forms to the court’s clerk. Other courts may allow you to file by mail, fax or (for a few courts) online.

Regardless of the method, all courts will require you to pay a filing fee before they allow your to sue Thrifty Rental Car in small claims. This fee will be published on your court’s website

When you file your forms, the court clerk will provide you with a stamped copy of the forms (one of which is for Thrifty Rental Car) and a court date. Keep it safe and bring it with you on the day of your hearing.

“Serve” your forms on Thrifty Rental Car.

Now you officially serve Thrifty Rental Car by giving them one of the copies of the court documents you got back from the clerk. This is yet another official legal process and there are very specific rules that you have to follow in order to officially notify them that they are being served.

You can check out your court website to find instructions on how to properly serve them or search for “[your state] small claims service of process”. Be sure to follow each and every rule otherwise your case will be dropped and you won’t be able to sue Thrifty Rental Car in small claims court.

Show up for your hearing.

At this point you’ve reached the end of the process. When your court date arrives, head to the right courthouse and bring your copy of the documents you filed alongside any evidence you have to show the judge why you decided to sue Thrifty Rental Car in small claims court, and why they should give you compensation.

Thrifty Rental Car may or may not send somebody to oppose you but no matter what, your job is to focus on your side of the story and present any evidence you have. The judge could render a decision that same day or it might go on for a few days or weeks depending on the circumstances.

Ready to sue Thrifty Rental Car in small claims court?
If this sounds too hard and expensive, try consumer arbitration instead…

How to Sue Thrifty Rental Car