Hertz - Parking Tickets in Europe-- No Documentation!!

I recently returned from a 2 week Hertz rental in France. About 3 days after my return, 3 charges of Euro 19.99 each appeared on my credit card. 3 days after that, I got 3 invoices from Hertz France, citing "Traffic Fine". No other information. No date, no place, nothing. I wrote an email to Hertz, and just got back a long-winded response.

The gist of the response is that, of course, I am responsible for all traffic fines. I should appeal to the local authorities if I dispute the charges, and lastly-- THEY HAVE NO OTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE VIOLATIONS!!!

Firstly, I got no tickets during my rental. I diligently used the payment boxes and displayed my paid ticket on the dashboard. Secondly, no tickets were ever placed on the car windshield.

This is pure insanity. Hertz expects me to pay for 3 tickets that I most likely never got, and refuses to provide ANY details (no less copies of the tickets) to me about the violations!! How can I go to the local authorities if I don't know which Authority they are talking about??

Needless to say, I have disputed the charges with the Credit card. But this leaves a bad taste in my mouth about Hertz. Do these rental companies just make it up as they go along?

Any similar stories of unwarranted (no pun) traffic ticket charges in Europe?

Read the CoC and if you don't want random fines pay for ticket-free rentals.

From the Hertz France rental agreement:
What about parking fines, road tolls and other traffic related charges?
You are responsible for payment of all fines, road tolls and similar charges incurred in relation to the vehicle during your rental.
Some of these charges and fines will be sent to us for payment, which we will pay and recover from you. Alternatively, we may be required to provide your details to the relevant authority, who will contact you directly. Either way, we will recover the costs we incur through an administration charge. Please ask at the rental location if you want to see our current charges.

See also:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hertz/982853-hertz-charged-us-20e-give-our-name-address-french-police-twice.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hertz/716881-hertz-fee-parking-tickets-madrid.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hertz/581501-hertzs-easy-money-traffic-violations-6.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hertz/177406-parking-ticket-3.html

Read the CoC and if you don't want random fines pay for ticket-free rentals.

Talk about a completely non-responsive reply!

It is absurd to expect the renter to pay for random charges without giving adequate information about them to allow them to be disproven.

OP, suggest you also followup with Hertz corporation offices in the US as well as disputing the charges with your CC.

That's great, just like the email I got from Hertz. So I'm responsible for all fines. I knew that. But I never got any fines, is my contention.

In France, they put tickets on the windshield wipers, just like in most places. I never got a ticket on my windshield. I diligently bought my parking vouchers at the machines and placed them prominently on the dashboard.

And Hertz says that they regret that they have no more information other than the idea that they decided to bill me E19.99 3 times.

Nah. Bah humbug. Ridiculous.

P.S. Hertz US is not interested, they will not intervene. They were almost rude. I'm actually done with Hertz. It's in the hands of Visa. I know they WILL require a copy of the violations.

That's great, just like the email I got from Hertz. So I'm responsible for all fines. I knew that. But I never got any fines, is my contention.

In France, they put tickets on the windshield wipers, just like in most places. I never got a ticket on my windshield. I diligently bought my parking vouchers at the machines and placed them prominently on the dashboard.

And Hertz says that they regret that they have no more information other than the idea that they decided to bill me E19.99 3 times.

Nah. Bah humbug. Ridiculous.

P.S. Hertz US is not interested, they will not intervene. They were almost rude. I'm actually done with Hertz. It's in the hands of Visa. I know they WILL require a copy of the violations.

They don't always, see the posts in the links I provided. For example, Nice started doing parking enforcement by camera in some areas of town a year or two ago. The parking enforcement officer sits in an office and reviews videotapes. Parking tickets are not placed on windshields.

Was the 19.90 for the fine itself or was it that Hertz received the infringement notice and is charging the 19.90 for the processing of informing the entity of the renter's details so that they can then pursue the renter for the fine

If it is just for passing the details on, then Hertz will have little difficulty I suspect in providing supporting information to Visa

I can't believe that any parking ticket (or any other type of "Traffic Fine") in Paris would be only 20 Euro.

I can however believe that Hertz would charge you 20 Euro to provide your details as the responsible driver for a ticket if they were asked to. This would also explain why they can't give you details of the "fine", as that's not what you are being charged for.

It's possible you'll never actually get the fine, if the relevant authoritative decide it's not worth following up for a foreign address. Or it might just still be on it's way to you...

Parking tickets are Eur 17 in France. You can be fined three times while parking in the same spot, if you do not remove the vehicle or pay the parking fee and the officer notices the vehicle in the same spot for a long period of time.

I got another email from Hertz France today. They stated, as was said by posters here, that these E19.99 charges are "administrative fees" that Hertz routinely charges to provide my details to the ticket issuing authorities.

However, they also say that they cannot provide any further details, i.e., the name of the authority (the town) nor the offense.

So basically, Hertz can just say that they got 3 requests for my name, and that's it. They feel they have no obligation to provide any more information.

So what if they just made it up? Or more likely, what if the charges are from La Rochelle and I never went within 500 Kilometers of La Rochelle during my rental?

I need the name of the authority and the time date and offense they are charging. That's not unreasonable.

And, I find it hard to believe that the CC will accept the idea of "no further information."

In the contract you will have agreed that they can charge the fee for providing information to the authorities ; they just need to send a copy of that contract to visa to show that the charging for this purpose is something you have agreed to

Maybe Hertz will not provide this information to Visa and you'll be successful, but I doubt it

Maybe Hertz will not provide this information to Visa and you'll be successful, but I doubt it

Three charges for the same thing are suspicious to me. And if they provided information to a parking entity, I don't understand why they can't identify the parking entity.

Three charges for the same thing are suspicious to me. And if they provided information to a parking entity, I don't understand why they can't identify the parking entity.

Exactly, and if they try this same tact with Visa, I'm sure my dispute will be upheld in short order. I mean, these companies could just arbitrarily decide that they sent my name to a half dozen entities. No documentation? Not acceptable.

Menton 1 - how do you know the charges are for parking violations ?

Also did you use any Autoroutes? and did you notice the nice little grey boxes and warnings for RADAR ? I would suggest these are probably speed camera related incidents -

In France they will not pursue non Europeans or UK residents for speed camera offences - its too difficult. However you would have been driving a French registered car and the ticket would be sent to Hertz - they fill out your details and send them back to the police etc. at 20 Euro a go this is very cheap - my current lease car provider would charge at least £35($52) - if the police had stopped you for speeding you would have had an on the spot fine 10 times bigger.

Exactly, and if they try this same tact with Visa, I'm sure my dispute will be upheld in short order. I mean, these companies could just arbitrarily decide that they sent my name to a half dozen entities. No documentation? Not acceptable.

Visa does not look at the merits of the charge, only whether there was an authorisation for the company to make the charge; Hertz can provide a copy of the agreement that shows that they can charge for processing traffic offences/parking offences

I would be v surprised if Hertz cannot provide enough to validate the charge as far as Visa dispute is concerned

In France they will not pursue non Europeans or UK residents for speed camera offences - its too difficult. However you would have been driving a French registered car and the ticket would be sent to Hertz - they fill out your details and send them back to the police etc.

The police will charge Hertz for the speeding ticket, who will then charge it on your credit card plus admin fees. It looks like you were only charged for three separate admin fees, but no other charge for the offence? Watch your statements, you may have more charges coming.

Visa does not look at the merits of the charge, only whether there was an authorisation for the company to make the charge; Hertz can provide a copy of the agreement that shows that they can charge for processing traffic offences/parking offences

I would be v surprised if Hertz cannot provide enough to validate the charge as far as Visa dispute is concerned

It's nothing about the "merits" of the charge. The issue now is whether there should be a charge at all! At this rate, Hertz can just fabricate these charges, say they had say, 8 requests for my name from entities, and charge me without further adieu.

Oh, so you say well, big companies like Hertz would never make this stuff up. Really??? Think Barclay's Bank! Or, perhaps, a computer or billing glitch!

I want to see copies of the requests that Hertz got with the date, time, license plate#, and what the offense is. Totally reasonable. So far, Hertz says that they are "unable to provide that information." Bull___!!

It's nothing about the "merits" of the charge. The issue now is whether there should be a charge at all! At this rate, Hertz can just fabricate these charges, say they had say, 8 requests for my name from entities, and charge me without further adieu.

Oh, so you say well, big companies like Hertz would never make this stuff up. Really??? Think Barclay's Bank! Or, perhaps, a computer or billing glitch!

I want to see copies of the requests that Hertz got with the date, time, license plate#, and what the offense is. Totally reasonable. So far, Hertz says that they are "unable to provide that information." Bull___!!

There is a difference between what a court would be responsible for dealing with and what a credit card dispute is for

As far as a credit card dispute goes, the only thing that Visa cares for is whether you agreed that the charge can be made to the card or requested goods / services were not delivered

There is a difference between what a court would be responsible for dealing with and what a credit card dispute is for

As far as a credit card dispute goes, the only thing that Visa cares for is whether you agreed that the charge can be made to the card or requested goods / services were not delivered

I disagree. Agreeing to the conditions for being charged doesn't excuse the merchant from proving the actual occurrence of the incident(s) that triggers the charges. It's not a blank check! If what you say is true, that's just a green light for fraud.

I mean, what you are saying is that a restaurant can bill you twice for the same dinner because you agreed to pay for the dinner.

I mean, what you are saying is that a restaurant can bill you twice for the same dinner because you agreed to pay for the dinner.

No, that is what you are saying, not me

No, that is what you are saying, not me

Sorry Dave, but that is what your message was saying.

The fact that the person authorized administrative charges, for the purpose of a credit card dispute, has nothing to do with whether there were grounds for Hertz to apply an administrative charge to this customer. So, on a credit card dispute, Hertz needs to show that the "good or services were delivered." Authorization is not even being questioned by the OP - the OP is questioning the delivery of goods/services.

Just a follow up, since we spent a lot of time and posts on this topic/situation.

Today I got a letter from Chase Visa:

"Dear ___: We are informing you that the 3 credits issued to you on a temporary basis back on July 9 are now to considered permanent. The credits issued to your account will stand, this is our final determination. Thank you for choosing Chase/Visa."

So apparently after all the bluster of some on this thread, the bank did what it advertises, and protects its customers. Looks like whatever Hetrz replied to them just wasn't good enough. Bravo! How dare they think they can just wantonly fabricate charges without any documentation? Justice prevails this time.

Just a follow up, since we spent a lot of time and posts on this topic/situation.

Today I got a letter from Chase Visa:

"Dear ___: We are informing you that the 3 credits issued to you on a temporary basis back on July 9 are now to considered permanent. The credits issued to your account will stand, this is our final determination. Thank you for choosing Chase/Visa."

So apparently after all the bluster of some on this thread, the bank did what it advertises, and protects its customers. Looks like whatever Hetrz replied to them just wasn't good enough. Bravo! How dare they think they can just wantonly fabricate charges without any documentation? Justice prevails this time.
From your post in another thread it seems there really were violations(speeding tickets) at the base of this:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/19505477-post11.html