Hertz - Odd NeverLost Experience

Because of my employer, I have been at National for the past few years. Had the chance to rent from Hertz this past weekend at TPA and booked a F car with NeverLost. Went to the NeverLost.com website before I left to take advantage of the Online Trip Planning (OTP) which allows you to create a trip with as many destinations as you like and either save the file to a jump drive to upload to the unit through its USB port or register and get a wireless download code for when you're in the car.

According to the website, C cars and below have the "Model IV" NeverLost which is the smallish one. F cars and above have the newer, larger "Gen5" model with touch screen. Both are supposedly capable of accommodating your choice of jump drive or wireless download using the code generated by the website.

I created a trip with multiple destinations, downloaded it to a jump drive AND got the download code to play it safe. I should have played it safer and brought the addresses with me because the Impala I got not only had the wrong unit (it had the Model IV) but it did not have a USB port for uploading the file, nor was there an option for the wireless download. I asked the person at the Gold counter and she didn't have an answer for me. The unit even had an OTP label on it. The software version, BTW, was dated 2008.

Luckily, I met up with my brother who had the addresses, but I'm wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience. I filled out the customer support feedback form online explaining what happened, and indicating that I have an F car reserved at DFW later this month also with NeverLost, and asked that they make sure I have the right model and capable of OTP. The autoresponder from Hertz thanking me for my feedback says that someone will get back to me within 2 business days. It's been 3 . . .

You really went without having the addresses?

What if they did not have a car with neverlost available for you?

Always have a plan B.

I travel with my own GPS and I still bring point to point google directions just in case.

There very much likely was a USB receptacle there, just under a rubber gasket. Hard to peel off, but there.

I should have played it safer and brought the addresses with me because the Impala I got not only had the wrong unit (it had the Model IV) but it did not have a USB port for uploading the file, nor was there an option for the wireless download.

I've never seen a Gen IV without a USB port. It's on the side, with a cover over it so it's not always obvious that it's there.

http://www.navsolutions.com/neverlost/images/neverlost01.jpg

Where it shows the jump drive in the photo is exactly where the mount was attached to the unit . . . Also, there were no options on the screen related to OTP (i.e. there was no selection for "My Destinations" as pictured in the photo - nor any options for uploading from a jump drive or for entering a wireless download code).