Help is on the way for Long Islanders whose cars were destroyed by Superstorm Sandy.
New York State is working with car rental companies to relocate thousands of rental cars to New York areas hit hardest by Sandy, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Friday. The state already has a deal in place to get rental companies to send 12,000 cars to the area, with another 5,000 more on the way.
Long Island residents have complained that it’s been nearly impossible to sign up for rentals due to the flood of demand following Sandy. Some residents told the Press that waiting lists were hundreds of people deep and several weeks long.
“The car rental companies are stepping up to the plate to meet the high demand for cars and help consumers return to their everyday lives,” Cuomo said in a statement. “I commend them for their swift response and I urge other rental companies in New York to join in the recovery efforts.”
According to the state, Enterprise Holding, which owns Enterprise Rent-A-Car, National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car, is allocating 12,000 cars to New York.
The American Car Rental Association will be working with state officials to ensure that the vehicles get to residents affected by the massive storm.
Consumer protection officials are also following up on complaints that rental companies overcharged customers seeking replacements.