CASA GRANDE, AZ — An Arizona Air Force disabled veteran says a dispute over a rental car in Cleveland cost him the chance to say goodbye to his mother.
Michael Ihsan and his daughter, Navy veteran Kiamesha Guy, were traveling from Arizona to Barnwell, South Carolina, for the funeral of Ihsan's 97-year-old mother.
Their original flight on Frontier Airlines from Phoenix to Atlanta was canceled as they were walking to the terminal, Guy said. The family rescheduled on the next flight, which was rerouted through Cleveland, but the next available flight to Atlanta was not until the following morning.
Guy said waiting for the flight would have meant missing the funeral, so she booked a one-way rental car through Enterprise in an attempt to drive through the night and make it to South Carolina in time.
Enterprise said its records show the reservation was made at 8:39 p.m. for a 9 p.m. pickup.
Guy said she arrived at the Enterprise counter expecting to pick up the vehicle but was told the location was not accepting same-day reservations.
"He was like, 'Well, we're not doing same-day reservations,'" Guy said.
Guy said she asked to speak with a supervisor. She said she had her driver's license and military identification on the counter because she was seeking a military discount as well.
Guy said she explained that flight disruptions had unexpectedly left them in Cleveland and that they were trying to find a way to make it to a family member's funeral. She said she also identified them as a military family and alleges the supervisor looked at her military ID and responded, "Well, that means even less to me."
Enterprise did not specifically address that allegation in its response to ABC15.
With time running out, Guy said she called Hertz and explained the family's situation. She said employees there helped them find a vehicle despite the system showing that all cars were booked.
The family drove through the night to Atlanta, a trip Guy estimated at about 10 1/2 hours, where they picked up her Marine Corps brother and their prepaid rental car before making the final three-hour drive to South Carolina.
They both claim that the delay at the Enterprise counter created a situation that was unforgivable.
"We missed the viewing Friday night, and here we missed the service Saturday," Ihsan said. "And by the time we got there, it was basically take the casket out, walk across the street to the burial, sit down, put it in the ground."
Ihsan said he also had to explain his absence to relatives who expected him to be at the funeral.
"I was supposed to be there with my sister," he said. "I can't say my last (words) ... I can't view."
Guy said Enterprise's regional manager, Michael Achour, later contacted her following an internal investigation.
According to Guy, Achour told her the investigation had verified her account of what happened. Enterprise has not confirmed that characterization of the investigation to ABC15 or provided details about what actions were taken.
Guy said Enterprise offered the family a free rental in the future.
Guy said she wants Enterprise to explain what actions were taken following the internal investigation and is calling for accountability on how the supervisor interacted with her.
She also wants the company to take steps to ensure another family, military or not, does not experience a similar situation.
"You do not cause other families to miss their family member's funeral," Guy said. "You don't get to do that again."
Enterprise provided the following statement to ABC15:
We take all customer feedback seriously and are sorry for this family's experience.
Our records show the reservation was made at 8:39 p.m. for a 9 p.m. pickup. At that time, all vehicles at the branch had already been committed to existing reservations. Due to a system delay, unfortunately, the reservation was accepted despite no vehicles being available.
Same-day reservations are subject to vehicle availability and operational requirements. Those decisions are based on available inventory and established operating procedures, not the discretion of an individual.
Our team has reached out and spoken to Ms. Guy and understands her concerns. We’re taking appropriate follow-up actions.
We understand her frustration and sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. We are a long-standing supporter of the military and veterans, and we remain committed to treating every customer with care, respect, and professionalism.
