Hertz - BOS Airport Hertz = worst Hertz location

I just had the worst service ever from Hertz Boston Airport.
I have had some issues with Hertz rentals before but this location has the worst service ever. I may continue to rent from Hertz at other locations but whenever I go to Boston I am going to stay far, far away from this place.
When I arrived at the Hertz location, my car was placed far away, not at the usual "President Circle" or even "Gold" spots. Then when I got to the car, there was no contract so I had to go all the way back to the office and wait in line to get my contract. The counter woman was explaining to the customer in front of me regarding some kind of eZ-pass thing and asked whether they want it, which took some time. Fine, I waited and got my contract, no question asked. I drove the car through several toll stations and paid cash for all the tolls then continued on with my business trip. On my way back I drove through the cash-only lane and waited for a long time. I thought I should have gotten the EZ-pass thing which could have saved me some time. Everything seemed to have worked out okay. 3 weeks later. I found a suspicious charge on my credit card from a company called "www.platepass.com".
After doing some online investigation, I found this to be the EZ-pass thing that lady was talking about. I never knew that it was installed on my car and they charged me for EVERY SINGLE TOLL that I paid at the "CASH ONLY" lane plus a fee. I didn't even get a receipt from them.
I called this platepass company to dispute the charge but they refused to refund the money. The most they were willing to do was sending me the "receipt". But this has already passed my company's expense deadline so I would have to eat it up. It's not a huge amount of money but being ripped off is not a good feeling.

I just read another President Circle member's complaint regarding being downgraded at the BOS airport location.
I start to wonder if BOS airport Hertz hates Gold and President Circle members. To be fair, I've had a lot of good experiences with Hertz especially at the PHX airport location. However this experience at BOS was really disappointing. I am also very upset about the response from this platepass company. I am going to be extra careful and will never give another dime to this robber.

Was the EZ PASSbox thingie opened or closed?

Was the EZ PASSbox thingie opened or closed?

I didn't touch it so I really can't remember.
From now on whenever I see this piece of crap I am going to go back to Hertz and get a different car.

I rented from BOS Hertz this year, had an Audi A6 reserved for a week, turned up to my stall and it was a Q7 with no Sirius and no NL. I went back to the agent and asked for a A6 and they said they gave me an upgrade and I said I do not want an upgrade and I want my originally reserved A6. I called earlier in the day to make sure I get the A6.

I told the agent, you did not give me an upgrade, you gave me a Q7 because you did not have an A6 left. She said, no that is not true, your reservation is for an A6 or better and we gave you a better car. WHAT? I thought it was model reservable for Prestige collection. She told me no. I walked away and called the Gold desk from outside. The lady was sympathetic and told me to come back next morning to get my A6.

I insisted on the A6 because I was driving to YUL and back and Q7 sucked in terms of MPG. They really need to train their staff better in terms of knowledge. I am shocked at Hertz and UA staff and their lack of knowledge on their own products. Don't companies here have secret staff to evaluate their own employees?

Ok - so you were annoyed because your car wasn't parked close and and you had go back to the counter for your contract, and you didn't know about EZPass . . .

I don't really think this is evidence that Boston hates PC members.
Based on your profile, you are a very frequent traveler - If that is "the worst service ever" in your experience, then count yourself very very lucky!

You also must not drive on the East Coast much if you never heard of EZ Pass. For any others that might be wondering - most major Hertz locations like NY, Boston, PHL, etc. now have this on many vehicles. It is in a little plastic box that is stuck to the windshield behind the mirror. If you slide the box open, tolls will be billed to your credit card. If you keep the box closed, the RF chip inside is shielded and the tollbooths can't read it, so you don't get billed.

You also must not drive on the East Coast much if you never heard of EZ Pass. For any others that might be wondering - most major Hertz locations like NY, Boston, PHL, etc. now have this on many vehicles. It is in a little plastic box that is stuck to the windshield behind the mirror. If you slide the box open, tolls will be billed to your credit card. If you keep the box closed, the RF chip inside is shielded and the tollbooths can't read it, so you don't get billed.
This is ridiculous. I DID NOT touch the box and I had no clue whether it was open or not when I picked up the car. Especially that it was late in the night and it was dark. The bottom line is that they set up and billed me a servicve that I never asked for and didn't want!
This is a very bad business practice. Also, the whole purpose of the Gold program is to save time. My flight arrived late and if I have to go to the counter to get the contract for a car parked far away, what's the point of enrolling in the Gold program? Again, if they only did one thing wrong that's understandable. Making multiple mistakes like this is unacceptable. People who don't live in Northeast have the right to know before they are double billed at a toll booth.
I've rented over 50 times in Northeast Hertz locations including PHL, BWI, RDU,
PVD, and EWR. I've never had so much trouble. Sometimes my car was parked far away but it has been almost always in a Gold spot or at least have the contract.
Not even one time it was neither in a Gold spot nor having a contract.
You are a very biased Northeast resident.

Sounds like a very bad (and costly) experience !

I have a friend who is satisfied with the BOS station but then again he might not know alot of other stations.

The above example with the Audi A6 is not acceptable. The Q7 is a totally different car class and when I reserve a Prestige Collection Limousine then I do not want a SUV. Hertz should better compensate this incident.

How much were the total charges for your EZ-Pass tolls ? Did Hertz charge you for the device as well ?

Cheers,
S

This is ridiculous. I DID NOT touch the box and I had no clue whether it was open or not when I picked up the car. Especially that it was late in the night and it was dark. The bottom line is that they set up and billed me a servicve that I never asked for and didn't want!
This is a very bad business practice. Also, the whole purpose of the Gold program is to save time. My flight arrived late and if I have to go to the counter to get the contract for a car parked far away, what's the point of enrolling in the Gold program? Again, if they only did one thing wrong that's understandable. Making multiple mistakes like this is unacceptable. People who don't live in Northeast have the right to know before they are double billed at a toll booth.
I've rented over 50 times in Northeast Hertz locations including PHL, BWI, RDU,
PVD, and EWR. I've never had so much trouble. Sometimes my car was parked far away but it has been almost always in a Gold spot or at least have the contract.
Not even one time it was neither in a Gold spot nor having a contract.
You are a very biased Northeast resident.
Based on my experiences in Florida, I found out that PlatePass is a different system. It uses the fact that the various toll systems record the actual image of the rear-license plate of all vehicles that pass the system and bills based on that information. Hertz registers the vehicle with PlatePass and allows them to process the toll charges. Hertz in FL does not even put a SunPass in the vehicles anymore, all of their FL tagged vehicles are listed with PlatePass.

I assume they are moving to the PlatePass for all of the other systems, so that they can avoid having to place an EZPASS transponder in a shielded box in every vehicle.

I tried to have PlatePass removed from the record in FLL the last time that I was there, since my company will not reimburse the service charge, only the actual tolls. The rep told me that he did not have the ability to do it.

I tried to have PlatePass removed from the record in FLL the last time that I was there, since my company will not reimburse the service charge, only the actual tolls. The rep told me that he did not have the ability to do it.

Why? If you pay the toll then it doesn't matter. I routinely rent in Florida and just pay the tolls. No billing from Plate Pass. Now the few times I did just drive through I did get the charge.

As for BOS. I got one of my nicest upgrade ever there... And I won't rent again without the EZpass system. I hate the toll roads up there.

(And if OP thinks this is the "worst ever" let's hope he doesn't go to Seattle or even LAX. In LAX my "PC" car is generaly in the rowfarthest from the drop off point possible (seriously last time it was down by the exit at the FAR end of that row) and an 'upgrade" is a convertible that has mildewed!:rolleyes:

Why? If you pay the toll then it doesn't matter. .

As for BOS. I got one of my nicest upgrade ever there... And I won't rent again without the EZpass system. I hate the toll roads up there.

I did not complain about the EZpass system. My complaint was about "NOT BEING INFORMED FOR THE ENTIRE DURATION OF THE RENTAL PLUS 3 ADDITIONAL WEEKS." and "HAVING TO PAY THE UNWARRANTED "TOLL" OUT OF MY OWN POCKET THOUGH I WAITED IN A SLOW-MOVING CASH-ONLY LANE AT EVERY SINGLE TOLL STATION". Sorry for the capitals but I think they have to be in upper case to be clear enough.
I really didn't care about "nicest upgrade" So in my experience and my opinion, Hertz BOS is the worst. I've been to LAX multiple times and never had any problem.
The last time they gave me a brand new Toyota Camry which worked quite well. I've only been to SEA once and they didn't give me any trouble, either. As for convertibles,
as a PC I am sure they would give you pretty much anything that you request. All you need to do is asking.

I did not complain about the EZpass system. My complaint was about "NOT BEING INFORMED FOR THE ENTIRE DURATION OF THE RENTAL PLUS 3 ADDITIONAL WEEKS." and "HAVING TO PAY THE UNWARRANTED "TOLL" OUT OF MY OWN POCKET THOUGH I WAITED IN A SLOW-MOVING CASH-ONLY LANE AT EVERY SINGLE TOLL STATION". Sorry for the capitals but I think they have to be in upper case to be clear enough.
I really didn't care about "nicest upgrade" So in my experience and my opinion, Hertz BOS is the worst. I've been to LAX multiple times and never had any problem.
The last time they gave me a brand new Toyota Camry which worked quite well. I've only been to SEA once and they didn't give me any trouble, either. As for convertibles,
as a PC I am sure they would give you pretty much anything that you request. All you need to do is asking.

Well... I fly in and out of LAX about once a month. No, they 'won't give you anything you request' One woman said "well the only upgrade we can give you is a minivan" Plus WHY should I have to wait in line every time to get my upgrade. (And I am not alone I once walked to the outer reaches of the parking lot and overheard another customer on the phone with Hertz saying "don't I get an automatic upgrade" And there's a reason there's always a LINE in the Gold booth!) Overall I find it pretty horrid there. (I will admit that ATL was just as bad LOL!) As for Seattle do a search on here. It's not pretty LOL!

And as to the SCREAMING AT ME about EZ PASS did you notice I was responding to another poster about the Florida program????I am sorry that you aren't the center of attention you want to be, but the response here tells me all I need to know.... Acting out is not generally the most effective method of dealing with things LOL! (I now return you to your fit in progress!)

It uses the fact that the various toll systems record the actual image of the rear-license plate of all vehicles that pass the system and bills based on that information. Hertz registers the vehicle with PlatePass and allows them to process the toll charges.

Thank you for this information - I m presently fighting a charge myself that completely dumbfounded me as my rental vehicle did not have a Hertz-supplied EZPass transponder. In fact, I used my personal transponder therefore paid twice (like the OP). This was on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

Platepass has opened an investigation but appears to have blown me off. Time to contest it with the credit card company.

Why? If you pay the toll then it doesn't matter. I routinely rent in Florida and just pay the tolls. No billing from Plate Pass. Now the few times I did just drive through I did get the charge.


The last two times that I was in FL, I was charged for the PlatePass system when going through the Exact Change only lanes at the Homestead exit points, despite tossing in the change.

I did not complain about the EZpass system. My complaint was about "NOT BEING INFORMED FOR THE ENTIRE DURATION OF THE RENTAL PLUS 3 ADDITIONAL WEEKS." and "HAVING TO PAY THE UNWARRANTED "TOLL" OUT OF MY OWN POCKET THOUGH I WAITED IN A SLOW-MOVING CASH-ONLY LANE AT EVERY SINGLE TOLL STATION". Sorry for the capitals but I think they have to be in upper case to be clear enough.
I really didn't care about "nicest upgrade" So in my experience and my opinion, Hertz BOS is the worst. I've been to LAX multiple times and never had any problem.
The last time they gave me a brand new Toyota Camry which worked quite well. I've only been to SEA once and they didn't give me any trouble, either. As for convertibles,
as a PC I am sure they would give you pretty much anything that you request. All you need to do is asking.

Wow. Slow down, take a breath, and relax a little.

First off, and as was said before, if this is your worst rental with Hertz you either aren't really PC or you need to buy a lottery ticket due to your incredible luck.

Second, this really isn't *that* big of a deal. You failed to read the sticker in the car or the documentation Hertz includes with each rental. I really am PC and while I've seen the occasional faded sticker (and they are easy to miss), I wouldn't dream of blaming Hertz because I didn't look over my car and documentation. What happened to you happened to me too. My reaction was a bit different: "Oh Dillman, you SILLY GOOSE!!!"

Did something else happen or were they just generally rude during your encounter with them? This really seems like making a mountain out of a molehill. :confused::rolleyes:

Agreed that the OP seems a bit excessively bent out of shape, though it certainly is annoying to have confusion about electronic toll payment.

Florida FastPass apparently uses an optical system that reads the license plate. So you might not be able to turn it off. Recently renting in MCO I didn't realize at first I had FastPass option (landing after midnight, yawn!) once I did, I just continued to pay in the side boths and it never registered. Note that some booths seem to be FastPass + exact change and I'm not sure how they would work, so I avoided them. But if in a hurry, it would be nice to know that I could use 'em.

EZPass (and the New England tolls in general) is an RF transponder.

Second, this really isn't *that* big of a deal. You failed to read the sticker in the car or the documentation Hertz includes with each rental. I really am PC and while I've seen the occasional faded sticker (and they are easy to miss), I wouldn't dream of blaming Hertz because I didn't look over my car and documentation.
You still don't understand what the problem is. This is like the following scenario:
You returned your car and then used the restroom before leaving Hertz. 3 weeks later, you found a charge on your credit card bill by a company you know nothing about.
Finally you found out this is a 3rd party restroom vendor that runs the restroom at the Hertz location. They insist that you are responsible for using the restroom because you were captured by the video camera. I would not have been so upset if the 9 letters "platepass" showed on the line items in original contract or if the charge showed up on the final bill. Hertz was not authorized to give my credit card number to a third-party vendor without my permission.

overall I like BOS. I would say PHL is the worst. As for EZ pass It is filled with good intentions but stinks. Getting a receipt 2 weeks later does me no good, I need the receipt when I turn the car in. I hate to pay the tolls, but need the receipts.

I have been flying to Boston just about every week since Sept. 2008. I have rented from the Logan hertz every week I have been here minus 1 week I rented a camaro from Avis across the street.

Let me share some of my horrible experiences with this location and let me say I agree with the original poster about the hidden charges on the platepass. It took me months to figure out they were charging my companies card the charge. I had always assumed the plate pass was wrapped up in that bill and its 1000 line items for concession fees, parking fees, taxes, convienance fees, etc. I don't have to itemize those things on my expense reports so I never noticed it not there. Then when I did I noticed I was getting charged 10 bucks for leaving the tunnel instead of 3.50.

Now on to the bad experiences. The employees there which haven't changed much since I have been going there are just dense. I got the hertz gold membership to get my name on the board and save me from having to go inside. Seems like every week I have to go inside though - either they give me an SUV which I have repeatedly asked them not to do or something or the car has never lost which is not in my profile and I don't request (but is on the tag in the window as a charge).

First really bad experience - I come in and it has been raining all night. The rain has stopped and I go to find they have given me a mini suv - rav4 - but I'm like screw it let me just get out of here. As I get in I notice the passenger window is down - like the other post had said it wasn't in the gold member section which happens quite often as well. I didn't think much of it because I figured they had just moved it or something. I get into the tunnel and the entire inside of the car fogs up including the neverlost thing I didn't ask for. I touch the passenger seat its soaked. I get to work and call them and ask them to come swap it out - nope its still runs so you have to take it back to logan (45 min one way drive). I talked to a manager they got me to go to a smaller one in burlington that night and swap it out - the hertz there puts me in a prius and tells me they will have to teach me to drive the car 30 minutes of the guy behind the counter trying to figure out why the prius won't "stay on" I ask him if I can try and I see that it just cuts on as you press the gas (duh electric).

Second really bad experience: I get this car monday morning and wednesday I go to get in it and the car won't start battery is completely dead (it was super cold and snow all over the place). Nothing was left on so the battery has to be just shot. I get a shuttle over to work and call hertz at 8am and they say I need to stand with the car and wait about an hour for a tow truck to jump me - at which point they want me to drive to a battery place and get the battery swapped out......WHAT? You want me to stop working while I've flown up here on site and drive your crappy car to get it fixed? I go round and round with them and try to get them to just come swap it out and they refuse so I told them to just come get it and take it back which they do. Thursday I ride back to the airport with another person that rented from hertz. I go in to get a receipt for that week and they have charged me all 4 days. I ask the gold room representative for a receipt. She hands me it and I've been charged all 4 days even though I called them at 8am on wednesday and told them it was broke and had them tow it back. I tell her I'm not paying for those days I didn't have a working car and she looks at me shocked and said "you don't want to pay the full bill?". Why hell no I don't I didn't have a car. She says I'll take off today but I'm not taking off yesterday because you had the car yesterday....YES BUT IT DIDN'T RUN!?! Get me a manager. Manager comes out and doesn't want to take it off either - now I really don't give two craps if they do I don't pay the bill but I'm not letting this go on principle. So finally I have the manager pull up the call in logs and he finally agrees I didn't really have it wednesday and drops the charge.

3rd horrible experience (you think I would learn and tell these guys to take a hike with avis, national, budget, enterprise right across the street). This was just last week. So I go and again - its a HUGE suv so I go inside and ask for another car. They send me out to another stall and its a crappy impala with cloth and high miles. I turn it on and the air conditioner continuously cuts off and on - I can't get it to stay on. I go back in wait 30 minutes in line as they deal with just 3 customers in front of me - I'll get to the layout of the gold member room in a minute - finally get to the girl and I'm like the air is broke on that and can I just get upgraded to the next higher class vehicle I'm willing to pay extra. She asks me what is the next higher up? What is nice to you? I'm like you are the hertz representative you tell me what is the next higher up - how bout a toyota avalon or a volvo or something - she says no we don't have any of those how about a suburu legacy -well I've never had one of those so I said ok whatever give it to me. I get out there and its this tiny car with cloth and a little tiny engine. Whatever just let me get this thing down the road and get to work. Well the next day after work I come out to the car and its dead as a door nail. My co-worker and I check the lights they are off and check the glove box, trunk, dome light all off. Call hertz they are like it will be an hour and we will have someone there. An hour later a guy shows up and hooks a jumper to it and the lights look on. I ask him to look and see if he sees any other way these lights could be on. He looks and says he agrees looks like they are set to off. He suggests letting it run 30 minutes to fully charge up then cut it off and check them after a couple minutes to see if they auto go off. He leaves I drive it over to the hotel and notice it has a new light on on the dash - flat tire warning light. I get out look and sure enough the back right is flat. I call hertz back and say he they tow truck just left and now my tire is flat. They say no problem tow truck will be there in an hour to put your spare on and she says - then you can drive it back to logan and swap it out (again that is 45min one way)......ANOTHER HOUR? PUT MY SPARE ON? DRIVE IT BACK WASTE A TOTAL OF 4+ HOURS OF MY NIGHT AT MINIMUM? I am like look this car has major issues can you not send someone out with another car and swap it out. Nope "car is drivable can't do that" Um clearly it ISN'T driveable or I wouldn't be on the phone with you. Finally I'm just fed up and I said look just come tow it away I'll get a taxi back to the airport. She says "that will be $107 extra dollars for us to pick it up". Seriously....you just said that out of your mouth? This is a company that just since march (not sept when I started coming) has made $4,304 dollars off of my rentals alone. If I went back to Sept. it would be like $12,000 just from the Logan Hertz and they can't come out one of the 30 or so weeks when I have a problem and take care of me? I had to get her to call a manager and the manager said if it didn't look like I was abusive to the car she would wave the fee - whatever that means - I put about 75 miles on them mon-thurs. all highway not sure how I could abuse it in that short time. She later called me at like midnight to let me know she was going to wave the charge (thanks but couldn't it wait until the next day when I was awake).

Now on to the layout of their gold room - it fits about 6 people maybe with luggage and thats a tight squeeze. They have two counter reps to help you. Now in the winter when its super cold out and 8 people from the bus have problems and need to go in the door is open you are freezing you tail off because the door is held open because not everyone fits and the ones that do are packed in like sardines. The none gold club area - room for multiple clerks, lots of extra waiting room seating, kiosks for self checkin that don't work.

This week when I went in I asked for my receipt from last week (from the one that was towed tuesday night). She says I can't give you that here you will have to pull it off the website.....you don't store 1 weeks worth of receipts? This rental was due to be turned in last thursday - 4 days before I am standing in front of her. I again get a car with neverlost and I tell her about it and she looks and says "well your profile clearly has you not ask for it...but in this other screen it says you want it" what other screen? My order from the travel agent? "No not the order screen....this is just weird". Can you fix it? "I'm not even sure why it is this way I don't know why it does this" Well that makes me confident it won't happen again. Ok well lets move on can we get me a car without it - a camary or an impala LTZ - I specifically like the LTZ model of the impala -"We don't have those...no those are too nice we don't carry them" - Really? Cause I have rented those about 6 times from you - the LTZ and last week I also noticed you have malibu LTZ models. "No I don't think we have them" Really cause I see one over there in the return lot? "I'm not sure what that is" Ok well how bout this how much would it be to upgrade to one of those nice 2 door volvo's parked by that boat you had me assigned to? Oh we don't carry those either......Seriously? Walk ten feet out your door and you will run into one. I mean what the hell - why do I know what cars they carry better then the Gold Service Employee? Totally nuts. This was my last week renting from Hertz. I have changed my future reservations up here.

I will say there is a young african american guy who always opened the gate to let me off the lot and he was always friendly and nice.

Other than that this place doesn't even get 1 star.

Why? If you pay the toll then it doesn't matter. I routinely rent in Florida and just pay the tolls. No billing from Plate Pass. Now the few times I did just drive through I did get the charge.

As for BOS. I got one of my nicest upgrade ever there... And I won't rent again without the EZpass system. I hate the toll roads up there.

(And if OP thinks this is the "worst ever" let's hope he doesn't go to Seattle or even LAX. In LAX my "PC" car is generaly in the rowfarthest from the drop off point possible (seriously last time it was down by the exit at the FAR end of that row) and an 'upgrade" is a convertible that has mildewed!:rolleyes:


I continue to be amazed how u always get the short end of the straw @ LAX Carol. LAX has been very good to me except when the guy from Senegal works at the Gold Desk. He is such a CHEAP ...!!!! He never wants to give me the upgrade even if it's plainly available...He even tried to charge me because I wanted a Black G37 instead of the Lakeshore Blue I received. Everytime I have to go to the Gold Desk...I wince when I see him there. The only time I've had to travel far for a vehicle was the two times I rented the 350Z's...Coupe and Roadster. 1s time was exactly where ur car was and the 2nd time was #15 all the way in the front of the Lot...And I'm a 5 * star so I'm amazed as a PC they are like that with you.

I had to get her to call a manager and the manager said if it didn't look like I was abusive to the car she would wave the fee - whatever that means - I put about 75 miles on them mon-thurs. all highway not sure how I could abuse it in that short time.

I've heard some rental agents, typically from the mom-and-pops and sometimes from Enterprise, say people who drive high miles over a small number of days are "abusing" it. That's why Enterprise and many mom-and-pops may only give free miles with a return airline ticket. Those folks are frequently the long days, low miles type.

As we all know, each rental company has its own profile of its "favorite" customer, and evidently in some cases various companies think it actually pays more to give up the business from a particular market segment. See a similar discussion about this over on the Dollar forum, in the thread explaining how the separate, flat drop charge targets weekly leisure travelers at the expense of daily business travelers.

Totally agree, BOS and PHL are the worst Hertz locations. I rent from BOS all the time and hate seeing big fat FLO. Wanted to rent from Avis on my next trip but they are 100 more for the week, not sure its worth it. Hertz BOS is very sneaky. I got upgraded last time to a vehicle with sirius. The original person did not upcharge me for sirius but the returning person added it to my bill. Hate Hertz BOS!

Sorry, I think MIA is the worst.

Oh boy. I'm inclined to agree with you, but that would be unfair since I haven't been to BOS. What happened, may I ask?

Let me share some of my horrible experiences with this location.

I hope it felt good to get that off your chest. You've had some truly horrible rental car luck.

Excellent post.