Alan6557

I reserved a 24-hour 1-way car rental on Hertz.com for the UK. The return time on the reservation is when the station is closed. The reservation confirmation shows the total charge and does not indicate any additional charge for returning when the station is closed. When picking up the car in London, I had to wait 3 hours since the station had run out of vehicles. I contacted Hertz via chat and they confirmed in writing that the car can be returned after hours and there is not an additional charge. I also verbally confirmed that same when picking up the car. I returned the car 1 hour early, wrote the return date/time where indicated on the paperwork and deposited it with the keys in the after hours return slot. A couple of days later I received an emailed invoice from Hertz indicating the vehicle was returned the next day, when the station opened, and was charged an additional 75 GBP.

I contacted both Hertz Customer Service and the local station. Both told me they would research and get back to me. Neither has since replied, it's been over 1-month. I then disputed the additional charge with my credit card company, which is currently under review.

Subsequently I received a 2nd additional charge of 42 GBP for an administrative fee. The invoice states "The charges on this invoice cover costs incurred in providing the driver or rental name and address to the relevant authority in the UK, subsequent to notification of a traffic offence that is alleged to have occurred during the period covered by the original rental invoice. Unless declared or where the driver or rental retains payment responsibility due to applicable laws, fine costs are not included on the invoice." I'm not aware of any traffic offense. I asked Hertz Customer Service for the detailed documentation relating to this charge and have not received a reply.

Are there any additional steps that I should take? Is there anything else I should have done to have prevented this situation from happening in the first place?

Dave Noble

My recollection is that in UK - if out of hours return is permitted, charges still incur until the car is checked in when the location is opens. Rental return time will be the opening time of the location. From https://www.hertz.co.uk/p/vehicle-gu...g-your-vehicle

As for the GBP42 fee, you may be able to ask Hertz's customer relations in UK to identify who it disclosed it to which might help, otherwise wait until you receive notification from the authority issuing the fine

AutoSlash

The 75 GBP charge is annoying, as is the lack of response to your inquiry. You should continue to press them on it and publicly call them out on Twitter if you're not getting a response. Often that helps to grease the skids.

As for the 42 GBP admin charge, it was most likely a speed camera. They are pervasive in the UK and often the speeds are set quite low on local roads, so even if you don't remember speeding per se, you may have been nabbed going at a modest speed on a section of road where the limit was far below what you would have considered a safe and acceptable speed. It's a real problem over there.

Dave Noble

It is not a problem - speed cameras are set at a level higher than the speed limit - if complying with the speed limit, not going to get photographed and incur a fine

Speed limits are not some sort of discretionary thing are ok to be ignored

AutoSlash

Speed cameras are also a significant source of income for local municipalities. Simply stating a fact. Folks can read into that what they will.

Dave Noble

No, you stated an opinion with " It's a real problem over there"

On top of that , another factually incorrect statement in that revenue from speed cameras does not go to "municipalities" either

Often1

The base fine for speeding in the UK is GBP 100. So, not a cheap thing.

747FC

rcspeirs

Alan6557

Due to lack of response from Hertz UK, I made a claim for the 75 GBP through CitiCards. After going back and forth for 3 months, my claim was denied. CitiCards said that Hertz UK has a clause in the Terms and Conditions that gives Hertz the right to change the rental amount. However CitiCards did provide me with a $85 courtesy credit. I was told that this situation does come up especially on international rentals. What's the point of getting a written quote for a car rental when the company can subsequently change the rate without prior notice? Other than not returning a vehicle to a location that is not open at the time of return, I'm not sure what could have been done differently to avoid this situation in the future.

As a separate matter, the second administrative charge for 45 GBP was for a DART toll that I didn't pay. I wasn't aware that I was driving through a toll. It turns out that the toll was only about 3 GBP. I think the 45 GBP assessed by Hertz was excessive. The toll authority did not charge any administration fee.

Dave Noble

I am not surprised that it was denied - the rental was not closed until the location was open and as such you were charged up until that time

The fee for handling the non payment of the dartford river crossing is documented

The admin fee would have been avoided by paying the toll for the dartford river crossing at the time ( up until 23:59 on day after travel). It is hard to miss all the toll signs on the approaches to the river crossing

rcspeirs

ijgordon

So my understanding is that the rate was not changed, nor were you charged a £75 after-hours return "fee." But the charge was the result of the general policy that the rental does not end until the paperwork is completed, and if a location is closed, while the facility may accept physical possession of the vehicle, the contract isn't terminated until the Hertz office opens in the morning and processes the return. At that point, the rental charges are based on how long you held the car for, incorporating charges for extra hours or days as defined in the contract.

Alan6557

The return time on the original reservation is when the station is closed. The reservation confirmation shows the total charge and does not indicate any additional charge for returning when the station is closed. I contacted Hertz via chat and they confirmed in writing that the car can be returned after hours and there is not an additional charge. I also verbally confirmed that same when picking up the car. I returned the car 1 hour early, when the station was closed, wrote the return date/time where indicated on the paperwork and deposited it with the keys in the after hours return slot.

Dave Noble

Indeed - there is no ADDITIONAL charge for returning out of hours
You are responsible for the vehicle until the location is opened and the car is checked in; normal charges apply until the car is officially returned when the location opens

As the Hertz UK site states

you were chsarged the normal rental rate , with no additional charges, for the period from pick up until the vehicle was checked in