Hertz ‘fines’ driver $436 before he even picked up his car – then he realized he had to pay for stranger’s actions

A HERTZ rental driver has alleged the company charged more than $400 for a driving infraction before they stepped foot in the car.

The driver posted on a travel blog that his credit card had been charged by Hertz for a road law violation committed while he was still in an airplane.

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The rental company told The U.S. Sun it had taken several steps to help clear the customer’s complaints.

The driver said he rented the vehicle from the Calgary airport, according to a blog post on FlyerTalk .

The post alleged the driver was scheduled to pick up the car at 10:30 pm.

However, the driver said the Hertz representative accidentally switched the pickup to 10:30 am.

The rental car was on another trip with another customer during the morning.

Police captured the vehicle illegally running a red light at 2:33 pm, almost eight hours before the blogger was initially scheduled to grab the car.

The blogger said they were en route to the airport on an American Airlines flight during the alleged infraction. They had airline tickets to prove they couldn’t drive the car during the red light violation.

But because of the switch-up, the renter said they received the fine.

They also allege their credit card was charged for an extra day with the vehicle and “various small charges.”

The driver said they sent Hertz their airline records. The company rescinded the charge for the extra day.

However, the blogger claimed the $436 fine for the red light infraction remained on their card.

They also allege they have received “no further response to my emails, and [I’m] unable to reach anyone by telephone.”

The rental company said it has since contacted the customer and issued a refund for all of the charges.

“We regret that we were unable to resolve this matter sooner,” a spokesperson told The U.S. Sun.

“We have apologized to the customer, issued a refund for the inaccurate charges, and provided points that can be used toward a future rental.”

THESE FEES HERTZ

Other drivers have recently complained about other accidental Hertz fees.

Fighting incorrect toll violations

A legal expert says a toll violation notice can be disputed with a few simple steps.

1. Double-check the name and license plate number. Violations are finalized by a technician before they’re mailed, and sometimes a simple mistake can be made. If the matter is as simple as someone misreading the plate due to a grainy photo, the matter can be resolved by calling the toll agency.
2. If the license plate is correct but the car is no longer registered to you, you can dispute it by contacting your state’s transportation agency (ie. DMV) to provide proof the vehicle is no longer yours.
3. If the violation claims it was issued due to a missing account and you indeed have an active account, the violation can usually be disputed on the toll agency’s website. If not, calling is an option.
4. Dispute the notice promptly. Many toll agencies will impose a short time limit that drivers can dispute a notice, so it’s important to do so quickly to avoid late fees.
5. Be clear when submitting a dispute online. The more details included, the easier it is to have the matter resolved.
6. If necessary, drivers can submit a hearing to dispute the charge.

Read more here .

Joshua Lee, a renter who snatched a Tesla Model 3, was charged a gas fee after returning his electric vehicle.

Lee received a $277 “refueling” charge from the company.

Lee, part of the company’s Presidents Circle Status, said he returned the car with a 96% charge. He had already paid for the “Skip the Pump and Save Time” option.

But instead, he was initially charged for 46 gallons of gas for a car that doesn’t use oil.

Hertz previously told The U.S. Sun the company has “apologized to the customer and issued a refund.”

The company also said it had “issued a refund” for the “erroneous charge.”