Hertz - Additional Charges

ElstonG · 12 August 2019 at 8:01AM

Guys,

I hope you can help. I hired a car for our trip to Taormina, Sicily and hired the vehicle through AutoEurope - I paid £168. I also bought cover to protect my excess - I did that in the UK so I didn't have to buy from Hertz. I've kept the receipts for the fuel purchases (one credit card purchase and one cash purchase), used my own phone for the sat-nav and returned the car to Hertz in exactly the same condition I picked it up in. Upon delivery, I was advised there would be no additional charges.

Imagine my surprise to see an additional £124 charge to my debit card account. I still have all my paperwork and can't see why Hertz would make such a charge.

Can anyone throw some light on this and advise on how I can get my money back?

Many thanks in advance.

Elston.

eDicky · 12 August 2019 at 9:44AM

Look at your contract to see exactly what you signed for, perhaps Hertz' own excess cover...

If there is nothing, and Hertz cannot justify the extra but refuse to refund it, you can ask your card provider for a chargeback.

ElstonG · 12 August 2019 at 11:28AM

Hi eDicky,

Thanks for the reply. I remember discussing this at the desk when I arrived and said that I didn't need additional excess cover - I took a print with me and showed it. I was advised there'd be a 'stop' of £200 - if I damaged the car the £200 would be deducted and I could claim it back from my insurer. There was no mention of any other cover and there was no damge to the car upon return.

I'll take your advice - I'll check things this end and contact Hertz if I'm no further forward. By the way, can I contact Hertz UK? The reason I ask is that it's Hertz Italy that have made the deduction.

Thanks again.

Elston.

EveryWhere · 12 August 2019 at 11:44AM

ElstonG wrote: »

Hi eDicky,

Thanks for the reply. I remember discussing this at the desk when I arrived and said that I didn't need additional excess cover - I took a print with me and showed it. I was advised there'd be a 'stop' of £200 - if I damaged the car the £200 would be deducted and I could claim it back from my insurer. There was no mention of any other cover and there was no damge to the car upon return.
I'll take your advice - I'll check things this end and contact Hertz if I'm no further forward. By the way, can I contact Hertz UK? The reason I ask is that it's Hertz Italy that have made the deduction.

Thanks again.

Elston.

A £200 authorisation appears suspiciously small, unless Hertz has changed it's MO. Usually an authorisation will be in the region of £850 upwards.
So it could be that they got you for their Excess Waiver. Italians...eh?

Have you asked AutoEurope?

ElstonG · 12 August 2019 at 2:50PM

Hey EveryWhere,

I was going to mail AutoEurope when I got home tonight - after all, I arranged the rental originally with them. I promise you faithfully I did NOT ask for additional excess waiver and I'm loathe to contact my insurer.

I'll keep you posted.

Elston.

eDicky · 12 August 2019 at 4:16PM

ElstonG wrote: »

By the way, can I contact Hertz UK? The reason I ask is that it's Hertz Italy that have made the deduction.

Yes, they should have access to your rental details and be able to identify the charge, perhaps immediately.

I agree that a £200(€?) authorisation is unusually small without Hertz excess cover included.

EveryWhere · 12 August 2019 at 6:55PM

ElstonG wrote: »

Hey EveryWhere,

I was going to mail AutoEurope when I got home tonight - after all, I arranged the rental originally with them. I promise you faithfully I did NOT ask for additional excess waiver and I'm loathe to contact my insurer.

I'll keep you posted.

Elston.

It's nothing to do with your insurer.... who suggested that you contact them?

It's more likely that the charge was applied locally. Obviously without you knowing.

ElstonG · 11 September 2019 at 8:24AM

Hey Guys,

Well, I took your advice.

I won't regale you with all the details only so say that Hertz Italy refunded me 124.39 Euros - it still means I'm down by just over £14.00. I've yet to receive an explanation as to why the whole amount wasn't refunded.

It may seem churlish to bang on about £14.00, but the whole thing doesn't seem fair. And the reason this irks me is because I can't rationalise it all: Hertz had absolutely no right to deduct that money. But I ask myself albeit rhetorically, what can I do? Answers on a post-card please...

Meanwhile, thanks for your advice. Had I not spoken to you, there was every chance I wouldn't have even got a penny back.

NB: I referred the matter to the card dispute team with my bank. I'm considering calling them to cancel my dispute in light of Hertz's 'kind gesture'.

EveryWhere · 11 September 2019 at 1:56PM

ElstonG wrote: »

Hey Guys,

Well, I took your advice.

I won't regale you with all the details only so say that Hertz Italy refunded me 124.39 Euros - it still means I'm down by just over £14.00. I've yet to receive an explanation as to why the whole amount wasn't refunded.

It may seem churlish to bang on about £14.00, but the whole thing doesn't seem fair. And the reason this irks me is because I can't rationalise it all: Hertz had absolutely no right to deduct that money. But I ask myself albeit rhetorically, what can I do? Answers on a post-card please...

Meanwhile, thanks for your advice. Had I not spoken to you, there was every chance I wouldn't have even got a penny back.

NB: I referred the matter to the card dispute team with my bank. I'm considering calling them to cancel my dispute in light of Hertz's 'kind gesture'.

I would most certainly query the difference. You need to be 'made whole', at the very least.
You should update your bank as soon as possible, letting them know what you have been refunded and how much is still in dispute.
They are quite likely to make up the difference, if no response from Hertz Italy.

ElstonG · 12 September 2019 at 6:11PM

Hey Everywhere,

You were right. This is the very latest mail I sent to AutoEurope:

Thank you for your response.

I can advise that this matter is now resolved: Hertz Italy refunded me 124.39 Euros and my bank made up the difference by supplementing my account with £20.00 GBP.

Whilst I'm satisfied the matter is resolved, I'm not sure I'm happy with what's taken place: My bank shouldn't have had to supplement my account. To my mind, Hertz Italy took 138.90 Euros and that's the amount that should have been refunded OR, the Euro amount equal to £125.40 GBP. I received no explanation from Hertz as to why they refunded a reduced amount, my bank says it is the exchange rates but I don't believe that to be the case.

The reason I am aggrieved is because I cannot rationalise it at all: Hertz Italy had no right make that deduction so why did they? The question that comes to mind is how many people have they done this to and gone unchallenged? These questions need to be asked.

That said it is nonsense to spend anymore time on what is a very small amount, but you can be assured I will never rent from Hertz again.

Meanwhile, thanks for your time (AutoEurope) and I look forward to hiring from you again next year.

Thank you.

So guys, thanks to you again.

:-)

EveryWhere · 12 September 2019 at 7:12PM

ElstonG wrote: »

Hey Everywhere,

You were right. This is the very latest mail I sent to AutoEurope:

Thank you for your response.

I can advise that this matter is now resolved: Hertz Italy refunded me 124.39 Euros and my bank made up the difference by supplementing my account with £20.00 GBP.

Whilst I'm satisfied the matter is resolved, I'm not sure I'm happy with what's taken place: My bank shouldn't have had to supplement my account. To my mind, Hertz Italy took 138.90 Euros and that's the amount that should have been refunded OR, the Euro amount equal to £125.40 GBP. I received no explanation from Hertz as to why they refunded a reduced amount, my bank says it is the exchange rates but I don't believe that to be the case.

The reason I am aggrieved is because I cannot rationalise it at all: Hertz Italy had no right make that deduction so why did they? The question that comes to mind is how many people have they done this to and gone unchallenged? These questions need to be asked.

That said it is nonsense to spend anymore time on what is a very small amount, but you can be assured I will never rent from Hertz again.

Meanwhile, thanks for your time (AutoEurope) and I look forward to hiring from you again next year.

Thank you.

So guys, thanks to you again.

:-)

Unfortunately a few bad apples can spoil the whole barrel. Of course it's likely not a Hertz thing, but perhaps a specific outlet or group of outlets trying it on.
I've had many trouble-free Hertz rental with only one try on. I also had a try-on with an AVIS Italy rental. Perhaps in some regions old habits die hard.
Personally I always rent direct with Hertz, in conjunction with promo codes. Usually cheaper than booking with an often useless third party broker.

Hertz - Additional Charges

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