Car given away, billed more, incorrect late fee.
 

So Hertz managed to get this wrong in so many ways. I missed a connection in FRA for a flight to HAN and arrived 2 hours later than my original time. A colleague, who arrived on time told the Hertz desk I would be late. My reservation was pre-paid. When I arrived they had given my car (group M5 category) away to someone else, and the only explanation was that I was late and that if people want cars they have to give them cars! My view on this is that I had pre-paid for the vehicle and if I want to leave it sat in the Hertz parking garage for my entire rental then that's my business, but they shouldn't give my car to someone else.

They offered me a Mercedes GLC instead but told me I had to pay EUR45 per day for a two day rental to upgrade. I refused that as I felt like they shouldn't be profiting from giving my car away in the first place. Eventually they found a Fiesta (group B) but refused to refund any difference! So they want to charge me more for an upgrade, but when I have to take a downgrade I get nothing back? That is ridiculously cheeky!

I returned the vehicle to CGN (as booked) at 18:45 the next day, a full 15 minutes before my booked time of 19:00. Today I found that I had been charged a fee on return of £76.97, and I hadn't received any notification that the payment had been taken and no invoice emailed to me. I phone Hertz to find out what it was for and the CSR told me it was for returning my car late?!?!?! I walked her through the invoice and she agreed that I shouldn't have been billed for this but said she couldn't make the refund. She also sounded surprised that I wasn't offered a refund at the Hertz desk when I collected the lower category vehicle.

She has opened a case for me but doesn't know what the outcome will be.

You were 2 hours late and the car was no longer available . That is normal. You didn't turn up until 2 hours after the reservation time and location quite free to release the vehicle;
Based on that, no reason for location not to charge extra for an upgrade

The only issue seems to be the extra charge ; it is possible that the rate for pick up at the time you actually did would have been more expensive, in which case the charge would be correct - if it is just an erroneous late return fee, I would have little doubt that once the issue has been investigated , that the extra cost will be refunded

It doesn't matter whether it was prepaid or not - the location is not required to give money back for the downgrade in this situation

If the CSR stated it was a late return fee, then I would just wait and I am sure that the overpayment will be addressed

This is incorrect. OP is correct that they had to hold the reservation.

https://www.hertz.com/rentacar/reser...=LATE&EOAG=FCO

Relevant sections copied below (which makes it sound like the reservation and vehicle is guaranteed until close or before midnight for prepaid):

"Airport locations/Railway Stations: Reservations will be held for two (2) hours past the reserved pick-up time, except if you contact your Reservation Centre to change your arrival time. Two (2) hours after the reserved pick-up time the reserved vehicle will be made available for other customers. If you arrive at the location more than two (2) hours after the reserved pick-up time, we will try to provide a vehicle for you, however, availability cannot be guaranteed.

If you are a Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Member, the pick-up period will be extended to two hours in each case.

This does not apply to prepaid rentals. For prepaid rentals, the following policy applies:
Airport locations: If you do not arrive at the specified pick-up location for the prepaid rental transaction at the scheduled pick-up time, then the reservation for the transaction will be held only until 11:59 p.m. (local time) on the specified pick-up date, unless the pick-up location closes before 11:59 p.m., in which case the reservation will be held until the closing time of the location."

The OP arrived 2 hours after the reservation time - the OP did not call reservations to adjust the arrival time and so the vehicle was made available to other customers

The location did allow the OP to take a vehicle and did not cancel his booking - there is no requirement to keep the car available until 23:59 , just that the reservation will be kept

Since the reservation was still valid, then Hertz has the same obligation that they would have had if he'd shown up on time. In other words, to do one of the following:
1. Provide the promised vehicle
2. Provide a better vehicle
3. Provide a lesser vehicle, with an appropriate partial refund
4. Provide a full refund.

Thus far, they haven't done any of these.

[QUOTE=Dave Noble;31367436]
The location did allow the OP to take a vehicle and did not cancel his booking - there is no requirement to keep the car available until 23:59 , just that the reservation will be kept [/QUOTE]

lol

Are you making up what YOU think the definition of a 'reservation' is?

He reserved an M5 car. The reservation for an M5 car will be kept...but in daves world, the word 'reservation' means 'a reservation for only **A** car, not the reserved M5 car'

whatever

(Keep in mind that in the prior paragraph, Hertz clearly spells out how that will endeavor to honor the reservation and get you a car...just not the reserved car. So they know how to make that part clear, why are you trying to re-define the text?

OP.... I am a Hertz presidents circle member. . You need to use a sledge hammer with them, sometimes. I just tell AMEX to hammer them.