The Sixt class action lawsuit settlement is an approximately $11.07 million deal resolving claims that Sixt Rent A Car overcharged U.S. renters for vehicle damage through inflated repair estimates, fabricated fees, and charges for repairs that were never performed. Eligible class members can receive 70 percent of the disputed damage charges they paid, averaging about $357 per person, plus relief from outstanding balances and from credit reporting tied to the disputed charges. The court granted preliminary approval on February 26, 2025, final approval followed after a July 15, 2025 hearing, and the first checks began going out in early 2026.1ClassAction.org. Sixt Settlement Resolves Lawsuit Over Rental Car Damage Charges
Who Qualifies as a Class Member
The class covers anyone who rented a vehicle from a Sixt corporate location in the United States on or before June 30, 2019, and was first sent a damage claim on or after January 1, 2014. Thousands of renters fall inside that window according to the preliminary approval order.2ClassAction.org. Calderon v. Sixt Rent A Car, LLC, Preliminary Approval Order
One boundary matters: franchise locations are not covered. Only rentals from Sixt’s own corporate branches qualify.1ClassAction.org. Sixt Settlement Resolves Lawsuit Over Rental Car Damage Charges
What the Settlement Pays
The $11.07 million package breaks into three distinct forms of relief, and not all of them require you to lift a finger.1ClassAction.org. Sixt Settlement Resolves Lawsuit Over Rental Car Damage Charges
- Cash refunds totaling $2.87 million. Approved claimants recover 70 percent of what they actually paid Sixt in disputed damage charges. The estimated average payout is around $357, with the exact figure depending on what you were billed. Some claimants have reported checks over $400.3Top Class Actions. $11.07M Sixt Rent A Car Class Action Settlement4Lawfold. Sixt Class Action Lawsuit Settlement
- Debt collection relief worth about $6.6 million. Sixt agreed to stop collecting on outstanding damage charge balances. Class members get this benefit automatically with no claim form required.
- Credit reporting relief. If a disputed Sixt damage charge appears on your credit report, you can indicate that on your claim form and request that Sixt ask the credit bureaus to remove it.
A separate $1.6 million covers administrative costs, attorneys’ fees, and service awards for the three named plaintiffs. Sixt did not admit wrongdoing.3Top Class Actions. $11.07M Sixt Rent A Car Class Action Settlement
How to File a Claim
Claims are handled by American Legal Claim Services, LLC, out of Jacksonville, Florida.5ClassAction.org. Calderon v. Sixt Rent A Car, LLC, Settlement Agreement You can file online at calderoncarrentaldamagesettlement.com or by mail to PO Box 23309, Jacksonville, FL 32241. If you were charged on more than one rental, submit a separate claim form for each damage claim.
If you received a mailed notice, your form came pre-filled with a Claimant Notice ID. If you didn’t get one but believe you qualify, request a blank form by calling 800-706-6593 or emailing info@calderoncarrentaldamagesettlement.com.6Calderon Car Rental Damage Settlement. Frequently Asked Questions Documentation of payment or credit reporting isn’t required with the initial submission, though the administrator may ask for it later.7Claim Depot. Calderon Car Rental Damage Settlement
The same settlement website also lets you check the status of a submitted claim.
When Checks Are Going Out
The first wave of settlement checks was mailed in early 2026. Additional waves are being issued on a rolling basis as the administrator verifies claims.4Lawfold. Sixt Class Action Lawsuit Settlement
One caveat worth understanding: distribution is pro rata. If more valid claims come in than the fund anticipated, individual payments can be reduced proportionally. The 70 percent refund figure and the $357 average are estimates, not guarantees.
What the Lawsuit Alleged
Three plaintiffs — Philippe Calderon of Florida, Ancizar Marin of Arizona, and Kelli Borel Riedmiller of Colorado — sued Sixt in September 2019 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.8Court Listener. Calderon v. Sixt Rent A Car, LLC, Case No. 0:19-cv-62408 Each said that after returning a rental, they received damage invoices for several hundred dollars built out of charges that either weren’t authorized by the rental agreement or didn’t correspond to real costs.
The complaint identified five categories of what plaintiffs called “sham fees”:9ClassAction.org. Calderon v. Sixt Rent A Car, LLC, Second Amended Complaint
- Estimated repair costs billed for work that was never actually performed, with no third-party repair invoice to back them up.
- Diminished value fees calculated as a flat 25 percent of Sixt’s own repair estimate, rather than the before-and-after valuation the rental agreement defined.
- Loss of use fees charged for days a vehicle was supposedly unavailable, even when it was never taken out of service.
- Administrative fees tiered to the size of the damage claim rather than tied to real administrative costs.
- Appraisal fees passed through from a third-party vendor, The Doan Group, which generated estimates for roughly $25 each.
Calderon was billed $631.65 and never paid; the claim was eventually deleted. Marin was invoiced $708.62 and paid part out of pocket while his insurer covered repairs. Riedmiller’s $523.75 invoice was paid by her employer.10U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Calderon v. Sixt Rent A Car, LLC, No. 22-13539 The suit also alleged Sixt reported disputed charges to credit bureaus without adequate investigation, hurting consumers’ credit.11For the Injured. Sixt Rent-A-Car Class Action Lawsuit
How the Case Reached Settlement
The lawsuit spent five years in litigation before the parties agreed to settle. Sixt first tried to force the dispute into arbitration by pointing to a clause in plaintiff Marin’s reservation contract with Orbitz, arguing it was a third-party beneficiary. The Eleventh Circuit rejected that argument in 2021, holding the Orbitz clause covered only services provided by Orbitz.12Harvard Law Review. Recent Case: Calderon v. Sixt Rent A Car, LLC
Sixt then won summary judgment at the district court, which ruled that the Terms and Conditions governing damage charges were not part of the rental agreement and that plaintiffs hadn’t shown actual damages under Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. In August 2024, the Eleventh Circuit partially reversed. Judge Marcus, writing for the panel, held that the Terms and Conditions were properly incorporated by reference under Florida, Arizona, and Colorado law, reviving the breach of contract claims. The FDUTPA claims remained dismissed.10U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Calderon v. Sixt Rent A Car, LLC, No. 22-13539 With the contract claims headed back toward trial, the parties reached the settlement now being paid out.