Didn't rent their car--not stopping them from logging pending charges!
Jun 25, 2019, 3:40 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 66
Didn't rent their car--not stopping them from logging pending charges!
Hertz IT is something else. I didn't rent their car on 6/22, but that hasn't stopped them from logging pending charges each day. Calling in to Hertz results in broken telephony systems (hang up at billing, message loop at reservations, and what I almost think is a rerouted 800 number to a timeshare company).
After 3 calls Hertz can't handle, should I just let my credit card company handle the fraud?
After 3 calls Hertz can't handle, should I just let my credit card company handle the fraud?
Jun 25, 2019, 4:03 pm
#2
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Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,744
Did you book a car though but didn't actually picki it up?
Pending charges are not charges and , assuming you reserved a car, there is nothing untoward in a hold being taken. The hold will drop off after a few days ( up to about 10 days depending on the card company )
There is nothing much that the credit card company will do unless an actual invalid charge gets applied to the card; there is nothing fraudulent about taking a hold for a booking
If you didn't reserve a car at all, then if a real charge gets applied, call the card company
Pending charges are not charges and , assuming you reserved a car, there is nothing untoward in a hold being taken. The hold will drop off after a few days ( up to about 10 days depending on the card company )
There is nothing much that the credit card company will do unless an actual invalid charge gets applied to the card; there is nothing fraudulent about taking a hold for a booking
If you didn't reserve a car at all, then if a real charge gets applied, call the card company
Jun 25, 2019, 4:10 pm
#3
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Join Date: Aug 2010
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What do you mean by, "I didn't rent their car on 6/22?" Do you mean that you did not reserve a car and simply failed to pick it up or that the entire transaction was fabricated by some other person?
If the former, you can expect the pending items to show and then drop off in due course. If the latter, then someone has stolen your identity. If the former and the charges do not drop off, call and ask for a refund and if the refund does not arrive promptly, initiate a chargeback dispute (presuming all of this took place in the US or that you at least have a card issued by a US issuer (bank). If the latter, this is a law enforcement matter.
As you can see, depending on the complete facts which you presumably know, this is either a big nothing or a big something.
If the former, you can expect the pending items to show and then drop off in due course. If the latter, then someone has stolen your identity. If the former and the charges do not drop off, call and ask for a refund and if the refund does not arrive promptly, initiate a chargeback dispute (presuming all of this took place in the US or that you at least have a card issued by a US issuer (bank). If the latter, this is a law enforcement matter.
As you can see, depending on the complete facts which you presumably know, this is either a big nothing or a big something.
Jun 25, 2019, 4:15 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 66
It is more an annoyance that they don't have a functional telephony system. It was a single day reservation on 6/22 where I went with Alamo instead of Hertz. However, Hertz has sent the day's rental, and then $100 each subsequent day for a deposit, to my credit card. It's all pending charges--true. However, it is annoying to have a single day's rental spawn multiple days of deposits on a car that wasn't even rented.
Oh--and this was a pure reservation with no fee. I attempted to cancel the Hertz reservation multiple times, and the Hertz site being what it is... yeah... we all know how that goes.
Oh--and this was a pure reservation with no fee. I attempted to cancel the Hertz reservation multiple times, and the Hertz site being what it is... yeah... we all know how that goes.
Jun 25, 2019, 6:27 pm
#5
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Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,744
My experience of the Hertz site is that making bookings and cancelling bookings are both trivially easy
$100 plus price of rental seems pretty normal to me - would actually have expected $200 plus the rental cost tbh
Since you made a reservation and didn't cancel the reservation, then a hold being taken on the credit card is a perfectly normal occurrence
$100 plus price of rental seems pretty normal to me - would actually have expected $200 plus the rental cost tbh
Since you made a reservation and didn't cancel the reservation, then a hold being taken on the credit card is a perfectly normal occurrence
Jun 26, 2019, 9:11 am
#6
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Los Angeles, CA,
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Posts: 588
My experience of the Hertz site is that making bookings and cancelling bookings are both trivially easy
$100 plus price of rental seems pretty normal to me - would actually have expected $200 plus the rental cost tbh
Since you made a reservation and didn't cancel the reservation, then a hold being taken on the credit card is a perfectly normal occurrence
$100 plus price of rental seems pretty normal to me - would actually have expected $200 plus the rental cost tbh
Since you made a reservation and didn't cancel the reservation, then a hold being taken on the credit card is a perfectly normal occurrence
If you are still gettting the $100 authorization each day, I am guessing that the car was rented out, either by mistake, or what not, and that the system shows that it has not been returned yet and continues to authorize the additional $100 authorization for each of the day that it has not yet been returned. If this is the case, I can see why you would be concerned about getting additional $100 authorizations when you have not picked up your car.
Are you a Hertz Gold member? If so, you should be getting an automated phone call from Hertz informing you that you need to return the car. Additionally, if you are a gold member, generally you should also get an emailed copy of the reservation. I assume that you are since they appear to have your credit card on file.
Whatever it is, I doubt it's simply an IT issue with Hertz that is causing you to get tacked with an ongoing $100 authorization.
Jun 26, 2019, 3:24 pm
#7
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I have never had issues with cancelling Hertz reservations except on day of rental. Of course, you cannot cancel after day of rental.
Jun 27, 2019, 12:48 pm
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 66
*chuckle* I tried cancelling ahead of picking up the Alamo car, and was able to push the "Cancel reservation" button on that particular Hertz reservation at least twice on their website. Reservation wouldn't drop from the listings for me on my mobile Firefox. Hertz's website is always a bit fragile for me; there's a valid reason Hertz and Accenture are suing each other over Hertz's non-functional website.
The credit card charges have now been sent through for the car I didn't rent, so I have a receipt to point to for demonstrating the pure hokum of this situation. Someone else other than me moved the minivan from MIA to FLL, with a check-in time of 23:00 on 6/22. Hertz kept sending $100 credit card authorizations on the subsequent days, however.
I've formally lodged a "did not rent" with Hertz now that their telephony is working again. I've been told to expect a response in 5-7 days; if that doesn't fully resolve the false charges, my credit card company can take over the situation.
The credit card charges have now been sent through for the car I didn't rent, so I have a receipt to point to for demonstrating the pure hokum of this situation. Someone else other than me moved the minivan from MIA to FLL, with a check-in time of 23:00 on 6/22. Hertz kept sending $100 credit card authorizations on the subsequent days, however.
I've formally lodged a "did not rent" with Hertz now that their telephony is working again. I've been told to expect a response in 5-7 days; if that doesn't fully resolve the false charges, my credit card company can take over the situation.
Jan 17, 2024, 6:18 pm
#9
Join Date: Jan 2024
Posts: 5
*chuckle* I tried cancelling ahead of picking up the Alamo car, and was able to push the "Cancel reservation" button on that particular Hertz reservation at least twice on their website. Reservation wouldn't drop from the listings for me on my mobile Firefox. Hertz's website is always a bit fragile for me; there's a valid reason Hertz and Accenture are suing each other over Hertz's non-functional website.
The credit card charges have now been sent through for the car I didn't rent, so I have a receipt to point to for demonstrating the pure hokum of this situation. Someone else other than me moved the minivan from MIA to FLL, with a check-in time of 23:00 on 6/22. Hertz kept sending $100 credit card authorizations on the subsequent days, however.
I've formally lodged a "did not rent" with Hertz now that their telephony is working again. I've been told to expect a response in 5-7 days; if that doesn't fully resolve the false charges, my credit card company can take over the situation.
The credit card charges have now been sent through for the car I didn't rent, so I have a receipt to point to for demonstrating the pure hokum of this situation. Someone else other than me moved the minivan from MIA to FLL, with a check-in time of 23:00 on 6/22. Hertz kept sending $100 credit card authorizations on the subsequent days, however.
I've formally lodged a "did not rent" with Hertz now that their telephony is working again. I've been told to expect a response in 5-7 days; if that doesn't fully resolve the false charges, my credit card company can take over the situation.