Hertz - #1 Club Gold - free renewal?

I'm currently #1 Club Gold member - had the membership fee for first year waived (promo).

I just got couple of other offers for free year. Can I somehow use it/apply it so I will not have to pay it? I use Gold services but not so often.

Any ideas?

I don't think you really have to renew it ... it's pretty much a permanent thing once you have it.

Ohh! Thanks Beckles. I thought the $50 fee is being waived for the first year, but I may have misconfused it with credit cards http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

Well, I just pulled up the agreement from Hertz's website and here is the copy:

As of January 1, 2002, the Hertz #1 Club Gold membership fee is US$50.00 for one year, which fee may be waived by Hertz. At any time during the year You may notify the Enrolling Company in writing of Your desire to cancel Your Gold membership and obtain a refund of Your paid membership fee for the remaining months of the year. Hertz reserves the right to cancel or suspend Your membership for any reason at any time, without notice. If Hertz cancels Your membership, it will refund to You a pro rata portion of the membership fee You paid with respect to the period in which the cancellation occurs, unless cancellation occurs following Your failure to pay any sums payable by You to Hertz or any of our licensees, subsidiaries or other affiliates or Your violation of any of the terms of this Agreement or any other obligation owed by You to any Hertz company. If You return Your Hertz #1 Club Gold Card within thirty (30) days of receipt, and before renting a car using the Program, then You will receive a full refund of Your membership fee. Your membership will expire on the expiration date specified on Your Hertz #1 Club Gold Gold Card, or in the absence of such expiration date after 12 months from submission to You of such card, unless, in either case, Your membership is renewed or extended for an additional period of 12 months upon payment by You of any membership renewal fee notified to You by Hertz. Hertz reserves the right not to renew Your membership and will not be obliged to provide any explanation for not doing so.

My card doesn't have an expiration date and I don't remember when I got it so I don't think when it expiries.

Hmm, I received a free year in '94. Have used Hertz exclusively since then (just a 5* though). Never had to pay the fee, Hertz has always waived it without any prompting on my part. I suggest you don't sweat it, wait unitl they bill you for it - they most likely will not as long as you rent regularly form them.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Dataton:
Hmm, I received a free year in '94. Have used Hertz exclusively since then (just a 5* though). Never had to pay the fee, Hertz has always waived it without any prompting on my part.</font>
A Hertz rep told me that the fee is waived automatically if you rent several times a year (I think it's three or four).

On a related note, be aware that Hertz #1 Club Gold
terms (http://www2.hertz.com/2002goldrenewal) have changed.



[This message has been edited by Family flyer (edited 06-30-2002).]

Thanks guys!

I rent from them MORE then 3-4 times a year so seems like I should be fine.

I have been forced to use Hertz by my company so I have been renting just about every week. With Avis the Preferred was free but Hertz wants me to spend $50 for the "Gold." My personal principals tell me not to spend $50 something that Avis offers free so I spend many minutes waiting in line for Hertz to check out my car every Sunday. I hate their system as it takes so long to get my stupid car (Mazda 626 - yuck!). I wish I could could encourage my company to use Avis and get much better service and fast checkout. My company is gigantic so the employees have very little pull in influencing this area.

I 'think' that you need 4 rentals per year to maintain #1 Gold membership (without paying for it). I haven't heard of anyone around here who has ever had to pay a renewal fee.

If you are looking for a free #1 Gold membership, here is a continental promo (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum79/HTML/000278.html). There was another free promo Marriott MR members, but I couldn't find it.

Regardless of what the rules say, in practice they don't enforce it, and in my experience it is not even dependent on activity (my girlfriend has had her account for years, and had no activity for quite a while and even over the past two years when she's actually used it has maybe one rental per year). You have to recognize the fact that #1 Club Gold saves Hertz money by cutting down on the time it takes for you to rent a car ... why do you think they just give away the memberships so freely.

Good point Beckles. I really like Hertz and really like the Gold service. I've always got upgraded and been treated well so I'm not planning on leaving them or canceling Gold membership even If they asked me to pay that fee. Just wanted to know for sure If there is a way to avoid it http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif so I could spend that $50 elswhere. I think this is quite reasonable isn't it?

The fee is very easy to avoid. When joining give an address which is outside the US or Canada. There is only a fee for US/CA residents, elsewhere it is free

Once you have joined, then get you membership moved to your local address ( or leave it where it is if you want to get PC for 30 rentals rather than 40)

Dave

[This message has been edited by Dave Noble (edited 07-06-2002).]