The sign on the key drop-off box gives them a little cover but not much. If they're not going to be there at certain times and expect the customers to drop off the cars, then it's their responsibility to provide adequate security and the consequences should fall on them if they don't, not on her.
When I drop off a rental car, even at an attended facility, I make a point of making a short video of the car, inside and out, all angles, to have a record that the car was good when I dropped it off. If attended, I also record the attendant acknowledging receipt of the car.
All you say is reasonable and would definitely work as a defense at any trial or adjudication...IF she is lucky enough to get before a Conservative judge. And that likelihood grows smaller by the day.
The sign on the key drop-off box gives them a little cover but not much. If they're not going to be there at certain times and expect the customers to drop off the cars, then it's their responsibility to provide adequate security and the consequences should fall on them if they don't, not on her.
Exactly - that's why they want to "wrok" with her. If she takes them to court, she'll win on those grounds. Basically they are functionally terminating her contractual obligations with them by them setting up procedures whereby they take de facto repossession of the car. She is not responsible for their security procedures.
She should sue them, and end this crap. They don't want that to happen, because then they will have to spend a lot of money upgrading the security of their lots, and probably hiring more people to be there after hours.