RobertTheTraveler

SMF Sacramento has now been hit with this. The staff all said it started on 10-01-19.

WARRIOR OF THE ROAD

It just started at LGA and DCA. (at least in my experience) I spent like 20 minutes in President's Circle on 10/3 looking for an active radio and there were none. Called the President's Circle line and they're aware that they're rolling it out.

10/7/19 - the woman at the gate at DCA said there have been a lot of complaints.

It's not like I can expense $5 a day for satellite radio, so they're devaluing my experience for nothing. I guess renting 75 to 100 times a year is not enough.

Dave Noble

Perhaps a better way to look at it is how you have avoided paying $375-$500 a year ( based on single day rentals ) by not booking to have the radio but using a loophole in car selection to get the service

If it is worth $5 to you, then perhaps pay directly and not expense it. Just connecting a smart phone to the bluetooth would seem to be a free workaround and getting radio via internet

WARRIOR OF THE ROAD

That's the point. It's something that made my life better that's not worth spending $5 a day on. So it gives them no new revenue and makes me unhappy.

I'm just wondering what focus group or consultant told them this would be a good idea.

AutoSlash

It's the same focus group that told them that devaluing their loyalty points was a good idea. Also the same focus group that countless airlines and hotels used when devaluing their loyalty programs, and Citi used when they dropped price-protection and most travel benefits from their credit cards recently. Basically the calculation was that they'd make more incremental revenue by charging for it than the business they'd lose from folks who were annoyed and went elsewhere. They may not be wrong. It does suck that it has come to this, but it's a competitive world, and it seems that it's all about the Benjamins at the end of the day.

Dave Noble

Probably one that realised that current procedures were losing the company potential revenue.

This has never been said to be a free offering or a benefit of status - just that it seems that previously the company had no way to address the issue that was componded by benefits such as 'ultimate choice' - there needs to be vehicles there with the feature for those that actually book to have the satellite radio - seems that others were actively exploiting this limitation

That you have decided not to pay $5 for the service, does not mean that others will not now pay for it

You have had hundreds of dollars of free use of the feature - just that this has come to an end

WARRIOR OF THE ROAD

And perhaps they could realize that I paid them probably $15,000 in that year so they could throw me a bone for $375 in something that has little to no marginal cost to them.

Dave Noble

The company offers reward points or airline miles to the renter of the vehicle, plus other benefits on rental count

Why should it also provide another 2.5% rebate on top of that? Has Hertx ever made a representation to you that it will provide the satellite radio free of charge or have you just been taking advantage of a limitation in the Hertz systen?

If it is an important issue, perhaps move to a rental company that will provide it, if there is one that does

SixAlpha

SilverCar will be happy to take your money. Or start renting Prestige Collection vehicles. It’s still included with those.

melissaru

I think the point is simply that it would have been a nice/reasonable perk to provide PC - Hertz's most loyal rental base - with something that makes customers happy at very little (and sometimes zero depending upon the agreements with new cars) cost to them. Yes, we know we've been "exploiting a loophole" for however long it's been. Of course Hertz is within their rights to start charging for a service. But just like Delta provides me with free bag check and free drink coupons because of my status, and casinos I patronize waive my resort fees because of my status and Marriott allows me free access to their lounges and/or breakfast because of my status, it might behoove Hertz - which has already pissed off regular renters with the insane point devaluation - to provide free satellite as a perk to those who have attained status. Which was pretty much what they were doing with the cars in the PC section of Ultimate Choice, so it always seemed to be an unspoken benefit for renting 20+ times a year.

Dave Noble

I believe that Delta states that complimentary bags are a benefit of status and that lounge access is a documented benefit with Marriott

It seems to be a continual problem that if someone gets something to which they are not entitled, that rather than just be happy when received, start complaining when not given it

CalItalian

My latest experience. Had a Dodge Ram 1500 (S class) monthly rental through Sept. 22 at LAX. Has a (LAX station) vehicle registration from May 2019 and did have an active SiriusXM when I rented it on Aug. 22. Returned it to get another vehicle (S class) for another month. There was no vehicle assigned so I had to go to the Gold office. They found me a somewhat thrashed Nissan Titan which I declined after seeing it (its SiriusXM was not active, btw, as I always check). I had to wait around for about a half an hour before they were able to bring up a vehicle for me. It was the exact same Dodge Ram that I had driven for a month but SiriusXM was no longer active on it. I had looked at the President's Circle SUV's while I was waiting since that was going to be the fallback option if they could find me an S class vehicle. None had SiriusXM active.

WARRIOR OF THE ROAD

Well I know when I get surveys for rentals in my email that I'll be dinging them for this. I've also complained to the President's Circle and will probably email customer service.

At least hitting their metrics for customer sat is something to register displeasure. The poor woman at the checkout gate at DCA had been getting an earful yesterday.

I don't suppose Hertz is listening, but having Sirius included with President's Circle would be nice. Like free drinks in coach for Executive Platinum, it makes things more bearable.

Bjam99

It seems to me that actually it's going to hurt Sirius XM more than Hertz....I have Sirius in my owned car, simply because I found a few stations I like when I rent cars. I know the whole satellite radio business model is already on thin ice, given that everyone just uses Carplay now...(sidebar: I wonder if Hertz will pass on the BMW subscription charge for Carplay in any BMW rentals?) But I wonder how many other potential customers Sirius is missing out on from this.

Dave Noble

I can't see it hurting Sirius - it is already getting paid by Hertz

I find the idea of paying for radio when there are so many options via internet and just about every car offers bluetooth connectivity, one that seems unlikely to be a long term success