I rented a car from Hertz at the Willow Run airport, YIP. This was my only time flying on a private plane and dealing with a FBO. The car was delivered and waiting at the plane, awesome!

​​​​​​I returned the car to the same location. I parked outside the FBO, gave the keys to the receptionist who told me I was all set. The bill was supposed to be around $200. I honestly didn't think about it again.

A couple of months later, I was charged approximately $1600 on my Amex, and received a bill from Hertz purporting to show the car return many days after I did.

I called Hertz and they said they would investigate but not inform me of the results. I disputed the charge with amex who credited me the difference within a day. Now, three weeks later, my Amex has the disputed charges back on my account.

Any suggestions? I have zero experience with FBO's and private airports, and probably won't again.

Help!

Don't charge back to your credit card

See Posts 1 and 3.

Do you have any proof that you returned the car on the required date? Witnesses who saw you return it? Photos or videos which you took at the return location to establish the mileage/fuel level, and that there was no damage to the car? Did you ask the receptionist for a return receipt, or at least ask her to sign your copy of the contract, noting the date and time of the return? Do you have anything to prove that you arrived back home the same day that you returned the car, such as a charge for a purchase of some sort?

I occasionally rent and/or return from/to FBOs and, while it makes me nervous, ultimately rental records have been correctly charged though it often takes a while for someone from Hertz to pick up cars at the FBO, drive them back to their lot, and close out the rental, backdating where necessary.

(Pre-Covid I remember some larger FBOs having Hertz employees at a Hertz counter inside the FBO but I haven't seen any of these recently)

If you're hitting a brick wall with Hertz, call the FBO instead. FBOs are at least interested in customer service as opposed to Hertz who seems to actively hate its customers. You can certainly prove that you departed YIP on tail number N##### on date X at time Y.

Since the FBO has a contact at the local Hertz station that delivers cars and RAs from their main local lot to the FBO and back again, the FBO's reception desk/customer service staff all know how to get in touch with the local Hertz station. I'd work that angle. It will be a lot more fruitful than the Hertz run-around.

Thanks for this excellent advice. After I posted I got on the Hertz chat function and the person I communicated with actually asked for information such as flight times and tail number of the plane. I have multiple people who were with me on the plane, including three priests!

The chat person promised to get back to me, we'll see. In the meantime, I will contact the FBO as suggested.

Thanks again.

Casimir.

Don't fool around with this. File for arbitration. The instructions are in the Hertz terms and conditions. They will drop it post haste.

I am writing to thank Herb687 for this advice about dealing with a large overcharge attributable to a Hertz rental at an FBO. It took some time, but just today the refund was credited to my American Express card. The experience and advice of people here regarding appealing a charge was very good. Amex immediately reversed the charge. However, about a month later, it was reinstated and charged to my card. Based on advice here, I did not pursue a remedy through Amex.

However, I reached out to Odyssey Aviation at the FBO, and an excellent person named Nicolle Trombley replied within the hour. I provided complete information in my flights including tail number, schedule, and pilots' names for the flights into and out of YIP. Ms. Trombley enlisted the help of a Hertz regional manager, Donnie Solleri who also was immediately responsive.

Between the two of them, they learned after some digging that what Herb 687 described as his experience with Hertz rentals at FBOs happened here with a mistake. Apparently, it took some time for the car to be picked up, and for some reason the contract wasn't closed out until 10 days after the rental ended. Hence large the overcharge.

Having established that fairly quickly, it unfortunately took about 2 months for them, particularly Donnie, the Hertz employee, to get Hertz corporate to refund the money. For some reason this had to be processed through "corporate " in Arizona. It also involved me providing documentation of the charge, the reversal of the charge, and the reversal of the reversal. It was kind of a pain in the neck and it it would have soured me on Hertz forever but for the extraordinary diligence and hard work of their employee, Donnie Solleri.

All's well that ends well. Again, thanks to the always awesome Flyertalk community for your experience and advice.

-- Casimir