Complain about a product or service

Hertz

Hertz • International rentals • What's mid-size? • Late returns • Disputed charges • Abrupt repossession

Like runner-up Avis, Hertz is a household name but that doesn't mean travelers can expect the same consumer protections overseas that they've grown accustomed to here. Take collision damage waivers -- in the U.S., you can decline the optional insurance and not worry about it. But in Amsterdam, France, Italy and elsewhere, it can be una storia differente.

Here are a few of the more recent complaints:

Doug of Baltimore, MD October 6, 2009

I have rented from Hertz twice, and will not do so again. Each time Hertz has failed to provide the quality service they promised. On the 1st rental the firm kept me waiting 1.5 hrs before delivering a car to me. I had prepaid the rental and am a member ofthe Gold Club which promises to provide 10 min check in. Upon arrival, no one was servicing the Gold Counter, and the electronic terminals were not functional.

I had to wait in line with about 30 other customers, since only a single agent was working the counter during ther entire period, why someone else was not added to the counter I cant say. Regardless, when I finally got served, the class of car I had rented, reserved and prepaid for was not available. (I remember the Sienfeld episode regarding the meaning of the term reserved) Hertz insisted upon delivering an SUV which did not serve my needs as elderly family cant climb up into the cabin.

Finally the agent left the counter for several minutes and returned with the keys to a premium auto. I had prepaid for a full-size auto. I found it interesting that when I went to the lot to get the vehicle, there were 4 Camrys next to the volvo I was given. Apparently they were 'reserved' for other arrivals. The volvo had terrible gas milage, averaging 19mpg. Aside from the terrible delay iin gettingthe car and the horrible gas milage this rental was not bad enough to keep me from renting Hertz again. The second rental however, has sworn me off.

The prepay fees I was charged 6 weeks before rental were not credited to my account and it took me 2 months, several phone calls and numerous emails to get the firm to finally issue credit to my account, this after the firm stating there was a billing error the first time ai contacted them about it. Fortunately I am ina position such that I can pay off my CC each month, I sudder to think how much interest I would have paid had I kept an outstanding balance on the card. I am still waiting for the frequent flyer miles, the firm has been completely non-responsive regarding this failure of service, except an automated email stating my account would be credited.

I received that 3 months ago and the the firm has failed to respond to emails and phone calls regarding the points, since then. I can only conclude they have no intention of correcting this problem.

Manuel of Aromas, CA October 1, 2009

I am following up on a complaint I submitted over a year ago concerning my travel last summer in Spain. I rented a care for three weeks. I picked up in Malaga and returned my car in Seville. I paid a lot of money for my rental. One of my problems started with me not having an automatic like I requested and was promised. I pretty much had to learn how to drive stick in a foreign country.

In my last week while I was in Madrid, my car was vandalized. I called the police but did not get any help there. When I returned my car, I returned my car one day early because I was afraid that people would take the car because the window was broken. The manager there was very rude and unwilling to be flexible. On top of that, I had to pay a fine for turning in my car early. I have been a Hertz custimer for many years. I have rented cars from Hertz in the US and also in Mexico, Holland, and Germany. I have spent thousands of dolars on these renals.

Next summer I am taking a trip to Canada. I will be renting a car for three weeks from Hertz. Thus, I am requesting a discounted rate or a voucher I can use toward the rental of a car. We are a family of four, so I usully rent a large veicle that can accomodate us plus the luggage.

I do not think that I am asking for too much. The economy is doing poorly. I could search for one of [their] competitors but I am a Hertz member. I hope [they] will consider my request and provide me with a voucher to be used with my rental. It would be great to perhaps get an employee discount as car rentals in Canada are extremely pricey.

Patsy of Glen Echo, MD September 24, 2009

I have been trying to get Hertz to credit my Airline Frequent Flyer account for mileage that I have accrued by renting cars from Hertz. I tried to use the on-line service to no avail and have written several letters to the Customer service center which deals with these issues, again to no avail. Trying to call "Customer Service" is an exercise if frustration and futility. I am losing money by not getting the frequent flyer points and losing my interest in renting from Hertz again.

Lee of P O Box 61322 APO AE, United States September 24, 2009

I rental a vehicle on 28 Aug 09 for 3 days upon returning the vehicle it was low on fuel; No problem I refill and no fuel charges were to be added. Ms Chantal added the paid fuel charges and upon inspecting the vehicle found a chip paint marks I could not remember had it happen and it was not previously marked on the vehicle inspection sheet. therefoe I was charge claim of 470.00 was charge the my credir. One I was to be credited for the over charge of fuel which was 21.00. I spoke with ms Cahntal she mention 7 -10 days for credit back. I waited 14 days mentionthat my refund had not been credited to my card. She now states it takes 30 days for refundss. I persisted ask for the confirmation that the credit had been processed and to my knowledge it was not, thern she it was not her responsiblity it was someone else to credit the account, not trustinf I ask to speak with her manager, she told the same line as Ms Chantal about ther 30 days.\I ask so me something in writng. she couild not and the manamger rouitne tell customer what they fill is approriate the time. Also what upset me the they process the damage claim within 96 hours. I will NEVER use Hertz again and STRONGLY recommend that no other customers do the same. This company has poor customer service and need to be out of business, it focus primary on how they can appropriate money rather assist customers.

TIM of ANDERSON , SC September 19, 2009

Hello; upon flying to Phoeniz, AZ in 4-09 I booked thru Priceline.Com to get a car for 7 days from Hertz. I was required to pay 200 more than displayed on Priceline website at the time. Both Priceline and Hertz refused to refund me the money. The auto was only driven 140 miles and the final charges were more than the round trip flight from GSP, Greenville, SC. When I complained to Priceline, they started posting these hidden charges knowing it was wrong by Hertz and Priceline, but still all refused to refund my 200.00. I advice no one to use Hertz unless no other vehicles available. And, hesitate about trusting Priceline.

Sucher, of Portland, OR September 1, 2009

On May 27 2009, we rented a car thru Hertz at Vienna airport for 13 days. The car was turned in on June 10 at same airport with a full tank, at 5 AM. The Hertz counter was still closed. Well, weeks later, when I received my Visa bill, there was a charge from Hertz for USD 61.42, no explanation given. Next thing I received a Invoince for EUR19.50 for administration fee, again, no explation given.

I sent several e-mails to Herz asking for details on these charges. Finally, I received copies of a trafic violation (19 kilometers over the speed limit) witch I was not aware of. But in the mean time, I authorized Herz by e-mail to charge my Visa for the administration fee and take care of this matter.

I also asked if the USD 61.42 was taking care of the trafic violation and two weeks later received another copy of Invoice with a notation that the USD 61.42 was a refueling charge. Now, how could that be, since we used at the most, two Gallons from a full tank to get to the airport.

The Personal at Hertz does not respond to my e-mails, nor do they follow thru on my instructions. They just send me more Invoises. This is very desturbing, you would think, as big of a company as Hertz, they place more value on customer service. I feel, Hertz gives very poor customer service and I will never utilize there service again.

Sridhar of Orlando, FL August 28, 2009

Hertz customer care at Oklahoma does not care for any issues . I had billing Problem, they keep putting on a Wrong credit card- I had sent multiple emails still it is not working proper between work and leisure. When you write to them you will complaint to the FTS or any other agency they dont seemed to care. NOw, recently i had an isuse with Hertz Orlando location.

Robert at the counter took more than an hour to find a car for me, I am a President circle, i rent every week. He did not provide proper srevice. I had tried to reach Manager-they put you on hold 25 minutes and disconnect very rudely. When you call back in Orlando they dont pick up. they have advertised that they give E-pass -E-pass did not work, E-pass agency can sue me or put me in Jail.

I tried to reach out Customer care through hertz.com they dont answer either. The lady tells me call me and she does not pick up and tells she is on vacation or contact - we have to keep trying three different numbers and noone cares to respond to resolve it. It has been ages and we can get hold of them. When we try to calll them during business hours you will be on hold for hours together i dont have a time to reach during business hours since i am only bread winner in the family

Bridget of Hemet, CA August 28, 2009

On March 18, 2009 I rented a vehicle from Hertz. When I did so I agreed to pay a 9.00 per day LDW charge, basically because I was told that if ANYTHING at happened to the vehicle from a flat tire to an accident I would be held liable without the LDW in place, but that if I took the LDW and something happened, regardless of fault, all I had to do was turn in the keys and walk away and they would take care of it. I felt it was worth 9.00 to not have to worry about it.

A few days later in speaking to my personal insurance company,they stressed that they would not cover the cost of the LDW as I did not need it because my policy would cover me in the Rental Car. So I called Hertz on March 24,2009 and had the LDW coverage removed.

However, as soon as I removed the LDW I began to feel uncomfortable with making my insurance company responsible for someone else's property. So on April 2,2009 I called Hertz and requested that they re-instate the LDW that day, as I just felt more comfortable having it in place. Their response to me was that they could certainly do that, but I would have to bring the vehicle in to have it inspected first, so they could make sure no damage had already occurred. I agreed to bring the car in first thing the following morning. As soon as I did so, I was told by the representative, "Oh never mind, my manager said you are a repeat customer, so we can trust you and just go ahead and put it back on." I responded, "So you do not need me to bring the car in tomorrow after all, then and I will be covered as of today." To which I was told, "Yes, no problem."

So, in spite of the fact that my insurance company wasn't going to reimburse me for the LDW, I opted to pay the 9.00 per day charge anyway, as I felt it offered me some peace of mind.

On April 15, 2009, I was proceeding through an intersection when another driver ran a red light and hit the rental car. I immediately placed a call to the Hertz office where I had gotten the vehicle. I was assured by the person I spoke with that the LDW was in place, so I would need to call their claims department to get directions regarding what to do. I called the claims reporting number that Hertz gave me and followed all of the instructions given to me regarding their vehicle.

The next morning, I went to the Hertz office to file the appropriate paperwork on the accident and to pick up another vehicle. I talked to both of the gentlemen at the counter and they both assured me that, "These things happen, that is why we offer the LDW to people. It will be all right, we will take care of it." They gave me another vehicle, assured me that the LDW coverage would remain in place on the second vehicle, and I went on my way.

The following week, an insurace representative from Hertz called me to get information on the accident. I answered all of her questions to the best of my ability. I passed on to her all of the information that I had regaring the other driver who the police cited as being 100% at fault for the accident. She then spent the next 15-20 minutes explaining that the LDW I had with Hertz covered the damage to their vehicle ONLY and that I would need to deal with my own insurance company regarding any claims related to personal damages to me or my passangers.

This was now the fouth Hertz associate that had assured me that I was covered under the LDW. When I returned the vehicle to Hertz on the morning of May 8, 2009 I was charged 324.00 (9.00 a day for a total of 36 days from 4/2/09 through 5/7/09. A period covering 2 full weeks before the accident, the day of the accident, and another 3 weeks following the accident.) I expected that to be the end of the matter.

Two months later however, I received a letter from Hertz demanding payment of 4,045.68 for damages to their vehicle. I called the number on the letter and spoke to a "recovery specialist" who informed me that although they could see that I had paid 9.00 a day for coverage, it was not in actual fact, LDW coverage, but rather some sort of personal liability coverage and that therefore, I was responsible for the damage to their car.

I spent 30 minutes on the phone with this gentleman explaining the chain of events...including the conversation that I had with their own insurace representative who made it expressly clear, in no uncertain terms that I definately DID NOT have any personal liability coverage through Hertz.

I also explained to him that noone I had dealt with at Hertz had even discussed personal liability coverage with me, so how could I have agreed to pay for something that I did not even know was an option. Additionally I explained that in spite of the fact that I had not been covered by the LCD for a brief period, I did not believe that I had ever signed a "waiver" of that coverage as the LCD was stopped and re-started by phone.

His resolution to the problem was to suggest that I talk to his supervisor, although, he told me that he felt it would be a waste of time, because his supervisor was going to tell me the same thing he had just told me.

I then spent another 45 minutes on the phone with the supervisor explaining the whole chain of events once AGAIN. He too, kept insisting that according to my paperwork, I had not been paying for the LDW. I told him that if that were indeed the case that someone had made a mistake or worse, had deliberately mislead me.

Eventually, he told me if I could get the representatives at the office where I had rented the car to contact him that a mistake had been made, he would close the matter.

I then called that office and spoke to them. They told me they would look into it. I went in the following morning to see if there was anything they needed from me to pursue resolution of the matter and was told that they were cotacting their city manager to get it resolved and someone would get back to me in a day or so. He again assured me, that there should be no problem as I had paid the LDW.

As of today, August 27, 2009 no one has called me back. However, two days ago I received a second "demand for payment" letter from the "recovery specialist" that was much more strongly worded than the first had been. So it would seem that no one at Hertz has followed up with the matter.

Penelope of Schaumburg, IL August 19, 2009

Used the so-called AARP discount for a 4-day Hertz rental car in Las Vegas. Did the prepay option so all charges were shown and paid for. Not so, when we got to counter, another 45 in charges was presented. Argued and got no where. Said we could protest later. Another joke - no way to do that. No one in authority anywhere in sight. Can't reach them by phone. Yes, we agreed because of time restraints - needed to be at show on convention floor. Deceptive and misleading and Hertz will not admit it. When I came home and protested, says charges could be added on even though taxes and fees were all on original prepaid bill.

Christine of Longwood, FL August 12, 2009

Hertz just launched what appears to be a very easy way to purchase a car. They let you test drive any car on their list of available cars for 3 days. During that time you can take it to a mechanic, drive it all over, check it out completely by yourself without some sweaty car salesman in it with you. the prices are very reasonable and they are set. There is no dealing up or down. All saleable cars are 2008 or later. I just went through the entire deal and while I DID end up purchasing an extrememly nice 2008 pontiac G6 for 10,200.00, i went through one nightmare after the other.

No one at the rental counter knows what your talking about when you get there to pick up the car that you reserved on line. Once i got someone who knew, they told me I couldnt use a debit card, after the Sales department told me I could. Then they told me i couldnt rent the car because after i fought with them to use my debit card, they ran a credit check and said mine wasnt good enough to rent a car.

I had to call a friend to drive across town in 4 oclock traffic to rent it under their name. I had to reserve 4 cars before i actually got a car, because as fast as you reserve them, Hertz calls you back and tells y ou to go pick another one because the one you reserved is not coming back when you wanted it as expected.

Once i drove the test car around and decided it was ok to buy, i wired 10,700.00 to Hertz's bank in New Jersey. That was over 3 weeks ago. To this day, (August 12th), i still do not have my tags, Bill of Sale, Title, registration, NOTHING. The car still has the Hertz rental tag on it, I had to change my insurance over to the car along with wiring my money up there. so what i have is a new car, insured by me, with my old tag number, but that tage cant go on the car yet. Im driving around just waiting to be stopped by a police officer who runs that tag thus causing my insurance to be cancelled which will snowball to driver license suspension and on and on and on.

I email every day, asking for a status, recieved a date of August 21st and an offer of a gas card for my incovenience yesterday. DO NOT DO THIS. I LEFT OUT ALOT BECAUSE ITS TOO MUCH TO TYPE. DO NOT GO THROUGH THE TORMENT AND AGGRAVATION OF THIS PROGRAM. I THOUGHT CAR DEALERSHIPS WERE BAD... THEY ARE A DREAM COMPARED TO THIS PROGRAM WHICH WAS OBVIOUSLY LAUNCHED PREMATURELY WITH NO FORTHOUGHT FOR THE CUSTOMER. STAY AWAY FROM THE HERTZ RENT2BUY PROGRAM!

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