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Hertz review: car rental 7

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10:50 am EDT
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I returned the car to Logan Airport on 5/8/16 at 2:40pm as agreed in the contract.
At the return center the aisle was conned off. After waiting for 5 minutes and other returns backing up behind me my wife went to find the Hertz employee. The employee said there was only 2 people on duty checking in cars. My wife said we are running late. The employee said if you are a Gold member just leave your keys in the car and I will email you the receipt.

Big mistake, they didn't check the car in until the next day and billed me for an additional day. When I called Hertz and told them the story, the customer service agent acted like I was a liar, it will take a week to resolve, they will let me know of their decision

Update by Ostrogoth
May 12, 2016 4:35 am EDT

They are open 24 hours a day. The employee advised me to leave the keys in the car because I am a gold member and because they only had 2 people on duty checking in cars.

They should check their security cameras and see that the car was returned on time.

This is costing me time and aggravation. I shouldn't have to deal with this.

Update by Ostrogoth
May 15, 2016 10:38 am EDT

You are right they are suppose to check me in in the order that I arrived! Again they failed to do that. Hertz instructed me to leave the keys in the car and go. The car was returned to their return center in plenty of time for them to check the car in.
This is a total fail on Hertz. You assume too much about a situation you know not. For some reason you believe these hertz checkers walk around with paper receipts and pencils in their pockets. This is the 21st century. Hertz should be able to keep track of their cars and know when they enter and leave their facility. It's not an expensive lesson, it's an aggravating one.

Update by Ostrogoth
May 16, 2016 10:52 am EDT

You are misguided at best. How about Hertz locations that have a drop box for keys? So by your rules, if you leave your keys in a drop box, it could be days before your car rental actually gets checked in because Hertz was short handed and didn't have time to get to the drop box because so many people where waiting in line, ergo, you could be charged for an extra 3 or 4 days of rentals you did not use. This would be a great way for rental companies to increase profits, all they have to do is say we don't have time to check in these cars, so, we must charge the customer, why should we (Hertz) adequately staff our drop off locations, we can make more money by under staffing. You obviously do not rent cars very often and you are obviously elderly because you keep talking about check in with paper receipts like in the 60's. You can carry on your defense of making unearned money for the rental car companies all you want, because, I am not going to bother reading or responding to you anymore.

Update by Ostrogoth
Jun 22, 2016 8:45 am EDT

Hertz recognized that I did return the car on time and did not charge me for an extra day. Hertz wins kudos for doing the right thing in the end.

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Jack Davis
, US
Jul 28, 2016 10:48 am EDT

After 6 months back in the USA, an Amount was charged against my Credit Card. The Amt was made out to 'Papermate' . Fortunately my Bank called me to findout whether I was still in South Africa. Hertz was the only company I used my card at.
I wrote to Hertz in Cape Town to complain but never got a reply.
I will never rent from Hertz again.

03/01/2016
Jack

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Fotodoc
Las Vegas, US
Jun 03, 2016 8:38 am EDT

I reserved a car for pick up at San Francisco International airport on Mar 17, 2015, at 1:30 PM. I arrived at the desk about 2:00 (after getting bags and taking a train ride) which had been moved to a different floor only to find a long line of travelers waiting. The clerks were very slow and didn't seem to care much that a longer line continued to form as flights arrived. There were no chairs. I stood in line for over an hour just to get to a clerk. She was in no hurry to proceed and seemed to enjoy small talk more than efficient processing of my rental. By the time I finally found the car in the parking lot and exited the terminal it was already 4:00 PM and heavy traffic across the Golden Gate Bridge, then bumper to bumper all the way to Santa Rosa. One would think that a busy terminal like SFO more clerks with more efficient methods would be there to assist customers. I found a similar lack of customer attention in Oklahoma City Feb 17, 2015, but that's another story.

Wine Is Good
Wine Is Good
, US
May 16, 2016 4:45 pm EDT

For the record, I rent cars regularly as I travel quite a bit. It might be a bit 60'ish but I still prefer a paper receipt. Like stated above, unless you followed the return instructions and filled out the return slip, as indicated, then you are in the red with them.. Take it as an expensive lesson and move on. Sometimes, as adults, we have to admit our mistakes and learn from them. Not blame everyone else.

Wine Is Good
Wine Is Good
, US
May 16, 2016 4:42 pm EDT

I am not misguided, I am a realist. I can also read.

From the Hertz website. I am sure you failed to follow these instructions.

Express Return® Services

Return the car to the indicated return area. Complete the Express Return slip which is included in the printed Rental Agreement stating the return date and time, return mileage, indicate gas was purchased and the final fuel level.

US Airports During Manned Express Return Operating Hours

Complete Express Return slip.
Leave the rental car keys with the completed eReturn slip on the dashboard.
We will close your rental car agreement and email you your eRecipt; Typically within 30 minutes.

US Airports Outside Manned Express Return Operating Hours
Complete Express Return slip.
Drop rental car keys and completed eReturn slip in Express Return box.
We will close your rental car agreement and email you your eRecipt.

Hertz Local Edition or Off-Airport Hertz Locations
Complete Express Return slip.
Drop rental car keys with completed eReturn slip in Express Return box or hand it to your Hertz representative.*
We will close your rental car agreement and email you your eReceipt.
*Where available; otherwise you must return the rental car during normal business hours.

Please note that if you are returning to a location that is closed, all charges will continue to accrue until the location reopens for business.

Wine Is Good
Wine Is Good
, US
May 16, 2016 8:14 am EDT

Once you leave you are no longer in the queue. You fall to the back of the line. That is how it is with every business in this country. Those who stick around get served in the order they are. Those who leave go to the end of the line. Simply put, you failed to give yourself enough time to return the car and make your appointment. You said yourself you were in a hurry and left the car. The clerk said you could leave the car and the keys. He never said you would be checked in right away. Every business takes care of the customers physically there in the order they arrive.

Wine Is Good
Wine Is Good
, US
May 15, 2016 8:35 am EDT

OK, so they were open for 24 hours. It still does not negate your contract time for returning. You returned the car too close to a deadline you had. That is your responsibility, not theirs. Theirs is to check you in in the order you arrived. There were customers ahead of you. They allowed you to leave the car, but they did not force you. Sometimes, you have to take responsibility for your choices. You should have given yourself enough time to get a receipt. Take this as an expensive lesson.

Wine Is Good
Wine Is Good
, US
May 12, 2016 3:44 am EDT

I see a few things here. You returned the car by the contract time, true, but you also did not leave yourself room to wait for the check in (you were running late). You were advised that they were short handed, you saw they were backing up returns behind you, and it was 2:40 in the after noon. They close at, what, 5 or 6? That is 2-3 hours to get everyone checked in, AND checked out for customers who are arriving to the airport to get their cars. Me, personally, I would have either waited for the physical receipt, or gave myself enough time to wait.

What you could have done, was ask for a handwritten receipt dated for that day. They may refund you, but they are not required to do so.