Charged for damage without authorization
 

a while back I took a car out from MUC, there was un noted scratches which I reported to the agent.. ten or so days later, I turned the car into TXL. I then took the same car out of TXL (mind you the agents never noted the scratches on intake) Again ten days later I come back to TXL and start a new contract with the same car on intake the contractor notes a scratch. (mind you they are contractors and not hertz) I was given a form and wrote on it that it was there before and it was not mine. I admited no guilt. I kept the car, and just for the hell of it had the scratch repaired to save me any hassle down the line.

Well I finally said good by to the car, and upon intake they topped up my gas which was full. (I even gave my receipt to the contractors, but they did it anyway) and I just looked at my receipt from the second contract on the car and found a 200 euro charge for damage. Damage which I never agreed to, and damage which I fixed myself. I'm not going to bother with hertz Germany as I told them not to charge me in the first place. I just completely did a 100% charge back against them. My card was billed for the damage (which isn't there) and two extra days. I'll call the extra days my charge for fixing the damage..
I recall having damage with sixt who asked authorization to charge for damage, and who later realized that I never caused it. Nonetheless they got an estimate, and asked me. They didn't just put an unauthorized charge through.

When you signed the contract to get the car you agreed they could charge you for damages.

I'm at a total loss as to why you would get something fixed that you did not do, and why you would repair their car without getting their authorization first.

I would expect you will lose the charge back, and you will be paying for the damage to be fixed by their people and for the extra days.

Agreed. If you didn't cause the damage, why on earth would you take to responsibility of fixing it?? That's like admitting guilt to causing the damage. Please tell us the rest of the story, because you are clearing not telling us everything.

1. Rule 1 is don't ever repair a rental and, if you do, only do so with the rental company's express written authorization.

2. I have not seen your Hertz contract(s), but if they were standard Hertz contracts, you did authorize Hertz to post the debits for the damage and the time the car was out of service to the CC you provided.

3. You can trye the chargeback, but Hertz is very good about documenting these things and will simply supply your CC issuer with the damage information and the contract provision. Rarely, if ever, does Hertz lose these.

You are far better off working with Hertz on this than attempting a chargeback. You may reach a deal with Hertz. With the chargeback, once you lose, you owe.

The damage was pretty much nothing. Looked like some paint that rubbed on from another car etc. I fixed it with a kit I bought for 15 Euro.. Took all but one minute to scrub out. My reason to fix it was because it was simple, and saved me a hassle of arguing that I didn't cause it. Which I made a statement of.

I have read a lot of people being charged and never getting their money back. So whats 15 Euro? What annoys me is Hertz never saw the so called damage, as I took the car back from them right away. I'll give them a ring tomorrow. My card is great with charge backs nonetheless.

Which is it? In first post, you had the car two for two extra days to have the scratch repaired, now you repaired it yourself with a 15 Euro kit. Why would you think you can keep the car 2 extra days as a "thanks" for repairing their car? It obviously wasn't a decent repair, as they still noticed the damage.

LOL... NO!
~I had it for two days over my prepaid week... No biggie..
~I came back with the car to start a new contract (using points)
~Upon bringing the car to check in the contractors made note of a scratch.
~I took the same car for another week or so. In that week, I personally fixed the scratch.
~My contract from before was of course closed and I was charged for the scratch (although Hertz never personally saw it or anything, they took the word of the check in staff)
~So at the end of the day there is NO scratch anywhere, yet I am 200 Eur poorer.

Further contributions to this thread will be constructive or it will be closed.

The relevant issue is well noted in the thread's subject: there was a charge for damage which the customer was not informed of.

I'd prefer to keep this thread open and hear the outcome of the chargeback.

- Rut Dog, Moderator Hertz

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