Hi all,

Just got an amusing letter from Hertz and wanted to see if anyone has had a similar experience.

Two weeks ago, I rented a Nissan NV2500 from JFK for one day. Picked it up with a full tank of gas, and returned it with a full tank. When I pump gas, I always lock the gas pump handle in place and wait until the pump shuts off by itself, signaling the tank is completely full. When returning, the agent marked the fuel as full and noted the miles. The final charges were the same as the estimated charges (no fuel and service charges added). Two weeks later, I get a letter from Hertz saying that although the fuel was noted as FULL when the vehicle was returned, 13.17 gallons were needed to refuel for the next rental, and so $157.72 will be charged to my CC (the original rental cost $47).

Of course, in many cars the fuel tank can be short a few gallons and the gauge will still read full. However, an NV2500 holds 28 gallons, so according to Hertz, if 13.17 gallons could be added to the tank, then the fuel tank was actually half empty when it read full! As I always do, I took a photo of the fuel gauge and odometer when returning the NV2500, which shows a full fuel tank. Maybe the fuel tank is leaking. Maybe someone drove it on the lot or let it idle for a few hours before it was serviced for the next rental. Maybe the gauge doesn't work. I don't know and don't care, whatever the reason is it's not my fault. And now of course I have to spend an hour dealing with Hertz CS....

Seems to me like Hertz is just auditing its high volume stations, looking to squeeze more money out of customers that'll miss the letter or overlook the charges on their CCs. With the woeful Q1 2017 earnings reported today, I hope this type of gimmick isn't part of Kathryn Marinello's 'strategy'


I've left the full letter below:

The letter reads:

"Dear Mr. .... ........

Thank you for selecting Hertz as your rental car provider.

Under terms of your Rental Agreement, Hertz audited your recent rental charges. When the vehicle was returned, the fuel tank was noted as "full". However, when the vehicle was serviced for the next rental, 13.17 gallons of gas were needed to refuel the vehicle.

We have corrected your rental charges and applied the appropriate Fuel and Service Charge of $151.72 to the credit or debit card provided as your final form of payment. This charge will appear on a future card statement.

We regret any inconvenience caused by this delay in billing. Should you have any questions concerning these charges, please contact Hertz Customer Service at 800-654-4173 or correspond to Hertz Corporation, 14501 Hertz Quail Springs Parkway, Oklahoma City, OK 73134.

As always, thank you for choosing Hertz. We look forward to serving your future car rental needs.

The Hertz Corporation"