Hertz - Hertz s***s

After yet another horrible experience at the Hertz counter I decided to NEVER EVER rent from Hertz again. Even if I have to walk 15 miles in a rain storm, these people do not get my business anymore, EVER!

One makes a reservation, at pick up is told that the vehicle is not available as reserved and one can gets a lower class vehicle for the same special price, or pay $40 a day extra to get the next class of vehicle!

When I "complained" this was not they way to take care of your customer and that in this way, there was no reason for me anymore to not just walk over to National across the terminal, the guy looks at me, tore up the contract and said, we don't even want to rent to you anymore!!!! What the H*** to be completely honest... I was still being nice to the guy...

This is WRONG WRONG WRONG... no way to take care of your frequent renters, and after all the crap with missing mileage credit, missing rentals on the Hertz account, missing reservations, etc. this was just it...

oh... and... the guy at National charged less, gave me nice upgrade to a deluxe car, explained how I can get a status match and how their frequent renter program is far superior to Hertz'

Two thumbs up for National, with almost 450 frequently traveling consultants on staff at our company this is going to be fun as Hertz now WAS the prefered rental agency... Goodby Hertz...

Where was this?

Sounds like LAS or SEA if you ask me.

Sounds like LAS or SEA if you ask me.

Well, I had Gus a senior manager at Orlando tell me that I could either take a Toyota Camry (instead of our reserved Corvette convertible), pay something like $140/day for an Audi A4, or "just not rent from us". So we went to Avis and got a free upgrade to a 350z convertible.

After that experience, I've tried to stop renting from Hertz. I've gone from spending nearly $10k / yr to only a couple hundred. Something's changed and it appears customer service is really going downhill.

Well, I had Gus a senior manager at Orlando tell me that I could either take a Toyota Camry (instead of our reserved Corvette convertible), pay something like $140/day for an Audi A4, or "just not rent from us". So we went to Avis and got a free upgrade to a 350z convertible.

After that experience, I've tried to stop renting from Hertz. I've gone from spending nearly $10k / yr to only a couple hundred. Something's changed and it appears customer service is really going downhill.

HA! Wow. Two references to agents saying basically "We don't need you". I haven't had to rent in a while but travel season for me is fast approaching. It's going to be interesting seeing what changes are in store with Hertz.

Sounds like LAS or SEA if you ask me.

I have found both much more tolerable since going Gold service; they seem to actually deliver the reserved or higher class car and have it ready for you. Once in SEA (using counter service) I had to wait an hour to get a car.

Interestingly, I frequently rent in SEA, and for many years have rented there once or twice a year for family trips. We spend time out in the Olympic Peninsula for the most part. Well this year we're going there via PDX. It is 60 miles farther, and the rental is $120/week less - this is mostly fees and taxes in SEA. Even factoring in the cost of gas for the 120 miles rt, this is an amazing price differential.

This was in BZN. But I have had other bad experiences in LAX, SEA and SFO. Going gold didn't make it better for me!

As I said yesterday, National it is for me! More afforable, a better frequent renter plan, nicer cars and the kind of service I like and was willing to pay the extra buck for at Hertz better never got!

This was in BZN. But I have had other bad experiences in LAX, SEA and SFO. Going gold didn't make it better for me!


BZN is a franchise.

BTW National once refused to honor the rate in TUS because a moron at the desk felt the price on my confirmed reservation was too low and it was too late to call the CS line to sort this out.

I don't think I care that BZN is a franchise, they are part of the Hertz Family and their actions reflect on Hertz' reputation.

I am just done with them!

Hey choefman - this is your co-worker John N. What a coincidence! I saw your complaint about renting in Bozeman and then saw your user ID - not too many people renting in Bozeman other than RNT.

I just had an issue with Hertz. Apparantly if you don't explicitely request to receive points on you #1club gold account, you don't get any.

What kind of loyalty program makes you sign up and then gives you absolutely nothing for it?

I just chatted with Hertz live support (powered by our company, another coincidence) and they told me I can request missing rewards points but have to call in tomorrow.

I am quite frustrated with Hertz at this point and shocked that i would go through the trouble of setting up the 1 club gold account, and making sure all my rentals are listed under the account, and then get no rewards!

what the hell is the point of a loyalty program if you get no points?????

Hey choefman - this is your co-worker John N. What a coincidence! I saw your complaint about renting in Bozeman and then saw your user ID - not too many people renting in Bozeman other than RNT.

I just had an issue with Hertz. Apparantly if you don't explicitely request to receive points on you #1club gold account, you don't get any.

What kind of loyalty program makes you sign up and then gives you absolutely nothing for it?

I just chatted with Hertz live support (powered by our company, another coincidence) and they told me I can request missing rewards points but have to call in tomorrow.

I am quite frustrated with Hertz at this point and shocked that i would go through the trouble of setting up the 1 club gold account, and making sure all my rentals are listed under the account, and then get no rewards!

what the hell is the point of a loyalty program if you get no points?????

I always found that funny...you need to request ZE1 to be placed into your #1 profile to get points. That should be the default for all, unless the user chooses another option, like Airline miles.

I am amazed at the level of complaints I read here on these boards about Hertz. They use to be the best out there. How the mighty have fallen!

I hope mgt reads this as well. :(

I am amazed at the level of complaints I read here on these boards about Hertz. They use to be the best out there. How the mighty have fallen!

I hope mgt reads this as well. :(

Judging by their crappy responses to my complaint, I don't think they care.

Rented a full size car for a lesiure weekend rental. Used the %50 off weekend rental offer for airport and HLE locations when I made the reservation. When I look at the pre-printed rental agreement, estimated total charge is $184 rather than $116 for the rental period. I ask and the gate clerk has no clue and says it is the additional charges for taxes. I ask for a manager to be sent over and they do send one reasonably quickly. Then they point out in the fine print that it says a coupon will be applied when the car is returned. Fair enough, I remember having something like that before and I was tired. So far, shame on me for the most part.

Upon return, the check-in clerk meeting me has trouble pulling up the reservation. She eventually suceeds and the bill prints out with the $184 charge. I repeat what the manager told me upon checking out the car. She says she can't do anything and has already closed out the rental. She also says she doesn't understand why they didn't tell me I would need to go to the counter upon returning the car. I am annoyed at this point and head to the counter. The clerk asks me if I am gold, I confirm I am, and she quickly fixes the bill. New total is $111 (e.g. a few bucks less than the original estimate).

What annoys about this whole process is it defeats the point of being gold. Instead of avoiding counters and lines at both check-in and return, I had to wait both times. When Hertz has an offer used in the reservation, the estimated charges should appear correctly on the pre-printed gold rental agreement. When returning the car, nothing special should need to be done to get the discount rate used to book the rental. Oh well, end of rant....

I already moved my business rentals back to National the beginning of this year due to the crappy point accural and high point requirements for Hertz Award Rentals. Now, I will most likely move my leisure rentals as well. Unfortunately National tends to have relatively high rates with fewer specials for leisure weekend rentals. Guess I will need to give Avis or Dollar a chance at my business. Enf of rant for real this time. :p

Rented a full size car for a lesiure weekend rental. Used the %50 off weekend rental offer for airport and HLE locations when I made the reservation. When I look at the pre-printed rental agreement, estimated total charge is $184 rather than $116 for the rental period. I ask and the gate clerk has no clue and says it is the additional charges for taxes. I ask for a manager to be sent over and they do send one reasonably quickly. Then they point out in the fine print that it says a coupon will be applied when the car is returned. Fair enough, I remember having something like that before and I was tired. So far, shame on me for the most part.
I ran into this issue at FLL, using a 50% weekend coupon on a 3-day keep, as a #1 Gold. I called Hertz 800 after leaving the gate, and they said the same thing... it'll be adjusted after the return. I returned the car, didn't visit the counter, and the credit card charge matched the original final quote. I had kept the printout of the original quote, just in case. Yes, a PITA... yes, we shouldn't have to all know this about the 50% PCs.

Guess I will need to give Avis or Dollar a chance at my business. Enf of rant for real this time. :p
This is like the airlines... you'll run into a different problem at a different rental agency, you'll run out of rental agencies (or airlines)...

Steve B.

This is like the airlines... you'll run into a different problem at a different rental agency, you'll run out of rental agencies (or airlines)...

Steve B.

Steve I generally agree with your comment on running out of agencies (or airlines). I.e. if you leave an agency or an airline due to a single issue, no one will be left. At times all of them will screw up in one way or another. For me Hertz has gone down hill in a number of respects:

1) ZE Points Earned vs. Redemption Cost Ratio is poor. It takes way too many points to get free rentals versus dollars spent. This is compounded with lack of flexibility of combining paid and award days into a single rental.

2) Of late, the cars I have been getting are all higher mileage and not as nice as they use to be.

3) Booking snafu's. I never used to have any rate issues with Hertz (even before I became gold). Now it is fairly common.

4) I have run into problems at National, Avis, and Dollar in the past. I have the most experience with National and Hertz, my corporate preferred providers. I have had far less problems with National, Avis, and Dollar than I have had with Hertz lately.

5) On the favorable side, Hertz seems to have more generally available, easy to find discount rates for leisure rentals. This is a weak spot for National. I believe Avis and Dollar also have fairly good weekend leisure rates. In any case, I will most likely give them a shot the next time I need a leisure rental.

6) Last but not least, loyalty in car rental programs seems to be of a minimal value (at least at my level 10 to 20 rentals per year). I am not getting better cars nor better rates for my loyalty. The loyalty points earned are minimal on car rentals and not a big factor. So I am more inclined to go with booking whoever will give me a better deal at the time.

YMMV...

--Jon

Judging by their crappy responses to my complaint, I don't think they care.
I was frankly very surprised at the very lukewarm email I rec'd this week from Hertz Customer Service.

I had called to question an item on my receipt from my latest MUC rental; the agent was very kind and insisted on filing a complaint on my behalf, even though I wasn't looking to do so (I had already decided to ditch Hertz in MUC) She took about 20 minutes asking me leading questions, noting my responses, reading items back, reconfirming details, etc. She really made me feel like she cared about my experience and my feedback.

Two days later I received a what appears to be a form reply from Hertz Customer Service summarized Apologies are seldom sufficient when customers receive poor service, and we regret your inconvenience. Every effort will be made to serve your future needs in a manner more consistent with your expectations and our standards.

I replied back, not expecting a response, telling them that this lukewarm follow up sealed my decision to find an alternate provider at MUC after years of consistently poor service (no cars, downgrades, told to return following day, etc)

So, yes, in my mind service does seem to have slipped in many locations, and follow up service has slipped as well.

I'm not quite ready to jump ship to my alternate provider (National) but may start splitting my business between the two.

1) ZE Points Earned vs. Redemption Cost Ratio is poor. It takes way too many points to get free rentals versus dollars spent. I guess that depends on your rental patterns. I get fantastic value, since a rental costs on average $100/day in Manhattan. I think it's 550 points (and $) for a free rental when redeemed online, so that's an effective 18% discount built in to all my rentals. With the 5* Bonus points it's a little better. Then add in the 5* free day certs and the Manhattan Gold free certs (every 6 paid rentals in Manhattan) and it's a pretty darn good program.

This is compounded with lack of flexibility of combining paid and award days into a single rental.I'm not sure what you mean. I do this all the time. Book a paid rental, and apply the PC free day code for however many free days you want, they'll deduct the appropriate cost.

I don't think I care that BZN is a franchise, they are part of the Hertz Family and their actions reflect on Hertz' reputation.

I am just done with them!

Believe me the prices in BZN are cheap compared to JAC. Plus if you rent a SUV in JAC in the summer you may not get one when you get there from any agency. Seems tourist like to take them off-road and drive like they are in a SUV commercial and then put a big hole in the oil pan and need to get towed out out the wood. Then the are in the shop getting new oil pans and you get stuck with a car when you need a SUV due to the number of people and fly fishing gear. I always stay in Jackson the first night, just in-case I need to swing by the airport to swap the car out for a SUV that is getting a new oil pan.