DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas — A Dripping Springs woman wasn't having any luck getting a refund for a car rental that she only used for a few hours.
A memorial service took Lori Shields to California in June, but she had to rush back after learning some devastating news: Her home caught fire from a lightning strike.
She contacted the KVUE Defenders for help. KVUE visited Lori Shields and her husband, Marty Shields, at their Hays County home.
From the outside, the Shields' Dripping Springs home looks almost normal. But a look inside the home revealed devastation.
"When you open the doors, it's traumatic … We lost between 85% to 90% of everything we own," Lori Shields said.
A fire destroyed furniture, electronics and memories.
Marty Shields remembered the early morning hours of June 10.
"Because the storm was going, one of our dogs doesn't like thunder and he was very upset, so I was awake. And while the thunderstorm was going on, suddenly the television set that was on the wall up there wasn't turned on, but it just exploded," Marty Shields said.
Cellphone images captured flames shooting through the roof. Marty Shields took the pictures after getting his daughter and dogs out safely. He later learned from investigators how the fire started.
The lightning strike hit the detached structure in the backyard before the current traveled through electrical wires to the main house, sparking a fire in the attic.
Lori Shields had no idea.
"I was in California to go to the memorial service of my best friend's mother," she said.
Minutes after the fire started, she got a phone call from her daughter.
"She was screaming, 'Our house is on fire,'" Lori Shields said.
She immediately decided to come home.
"Very devastating," Lori Shields said.
Making the stressful situation worse, Lori Shields said she got nowhere when she tried to get a partial refund for her car rental in California. She booked the car from June 9 through June 13, but she only used it for 14 hours.
"I didn't think I should have to pay $331," Lori Shields said.
That's the amount she paid for the four-day car rental.
Lori Shields said she contacted Alamo Rent a Car and Expedia, the travel website she used for the booking, several times to try to get some of her money back.
"I called Alamo and Alamo said, no, absolutely, since I booked with Expedia, I had to go back to Expedia. And so, then I started calling Expedia," Lori Shields said.
She shared screenshots of messages she said she received from both companies. One Expedia customer service support member wrote, "As much as we wanted to fulfill your request, please note that Expedia is subject to the rules and restrictions of our vendors, and we do not have the authority to change or override their policies."
Another Expedia customer service support member wrote, "We've contacted Alamo Rent a Car to see if they could make an exception and grant a refund. However, after multiple tries, we weren't able to obtain an approval from the manager responsible to waive the cancellation fee. This means the current rules and restrictions for your booking apply and a refund can't be granted."
"I was completely surprised that they had been unhelpful. They were not willing to look into the matter. Then I contacted you, Ms. Lee, I contacted you and the KVUE Defenders to see if you could help," Lori Shields told KVUE.
The Defenders reached out to Enterprise Holdings, the company that owns Alamo Rent a Car, and Expedia Group, the company that owns Expedia, to see why she couldn't get a refund. We got two different explanations.
An Enterprise Holdings spokesperson wrote that, "When a customer books and pays in advance through a third party, they have different policies and guidelines they adhere to based on the third party's requirements, and the customer is paying them directly."
But an Expedia spokesperson wrote, "When Expedia initially contacted Alamo about the refund, the company declined the refund stating their policy only allows refund exceptions in cases of medical issues or death. While Expedia always attempts to advocate for the traveler, cancellations and refunds are at the discretion of the partner and their policies."
After the Defenders contacted both companies, Lori Shields received some good news: she got a full refund.
"I would just say that I am so grateful you all stepped in. I'm so grateful to you, Ms. Lee, and the KVUE Defenders for helping me. I would not have gotten the credit if it not for you," she said.
With one frustration out of the way, the Shields can now focus on salvaging what little they can before rebuilding their home.