Today I returned the car, with a full tank of gas, and was told the price was $72.55. I asked how could that be, since my receipt showed $45.06. The response was that it was only the Totaled Estimated Charge. The woman waiting on me would not give me a satisfactory answer but kept telling me I had rented the car on line through AAA and that I should have read the contract. I told her I had gone to the Hertz information to order the car and not to AAA. I asked to speak to a manager and she said she was the manager. I asked to speak to someone higher than she was, and she told me to call the Billing Department. I did and I spoke with Rita, who basically told me the same thing; AAA has a mileage limit. I told her, as I also told the "manager" that the person who waited on me had said, "Hertz never charges for mileage because it is unlimited."
I returned to the manager and she already had the final papers completed. Now I understand why they take a deposit of $245. All she had to do was subtract the $72.55 from my credit card. I could not even refuse to pay until I got the problem straightened out! I asked the young man sitting at the computer, "Didn't you tell me that it was unlimited mileage?" His response was, "I never knew Hertz had a mileage charge." Even with that comment the "manager" would not give me a break. She told me I should have read the contract. She was right on that count but I told her I went with what the clerk had told me.
When I got to my car, it had bird poop all over it and I couldn't help but think, now that is appropriate when renting a car from Hertz!
A thought ran through my head, if it looks too good to be true, question it. I ended up paying $24 a day when I could have gone some where else that advertised for $14.00 a day. Live and learn!
I will write to Hertz and complain, yet I have a feeling this is how they make their money, a little hidden truth here and there. When I told the manager that the fellow who waited on me should have told me about the AAA mileage limit and she said, "He may not have known about it." I raised an eyebrow and said, "I don't think I am the first one that has been shocked by the news about AAA." I told her I did not believe I should have to pay the extra fee but she would not budge an inch! I rue the day that she came to wait on me because I feel that the young man would have charged me the $45.06 and that would have been the end of it. I got a feeling she was trying to show off her management position. She insisted I had not gone through Hertz to rent the car and I told her I had put Hertz Car Rentals when looking for a rental on line.
As per a blurb on the Internet some of the rental car rip-offs are mileage, over priced insurance and fuel. So my caveat to other people renting a car from Hertz is beware of hidden surprises that are not made clear at the time of rental!
My next move was to contact AAA to make them aware that since I think I am getting a discount because I am a member, that there was a surprise when I paid for the rental car. Nicole from Ft. Collins was the next available agent and she told me they have unlimited mileage whenever they go through Hertz. She had her manager call me and Paula will check with a Hertz representative to find out what and why I was charged. I sent her a copy of the contract and my guess is that nothing will be done but at least I feel better blogging about my experience with Hertz and getting my frustration off my chest!
The next day Paula asked that I send the actual receipt of what I paid. I got a copy from Dan at Hertz and forwarded to Paula. Before reaching any conclusion I received an email that her father had passed away and she would get back to me on Monday. I felt bad that she is having to deal with my problem when she has a much bigger sadness in her life.
I will close this blog for now until I hear next week. Hope it will be good news!
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