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Hertz Charging a Tesla Renter for Gas Was Not an Isolated Incident

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Re: Hertz Charging a Tesla Renter for Gas Was Not an Isolated Incident

#31
post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Small claims court. Just depends on your time value of money. Or willingness to screw with them for gigs.

I'd love to see a campaign to coordinate small claims court claims against abusive companies. It could really fuck a company's day up if several hundred to thousand people across the world decides to seek redress from a small claims court on the same day.

If it's to dispute small charges, the company doesn't need to show up and just accept the loss.

Re: Hertz Charging a Tesla Renter for Gas Was Not an Isolated Incident

#32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not theft. Rather just regular old big company incompetence. You're dealing with broken automated systems and an out-sourced customer support agent. Wait until LLMs arrive on the scene and further exacerbate the problem.

While I generally agree with your premise, the problem is that when companies realize they can make more money through "old big company incompetence", at best it means they have no incentive to improve, and at worst in means they can maliciously overcharge and then just blame it on "incompetence". I really think government needs to enact laws that make companies compensate people for their time when they have to deal…

Yes. This is why I find Hanlon's Razor annoying (" Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity"), as it doesn't consider the higher order effect of what happens when the malicious are aware of the adage and willing to pretend to be incompetent.

One obvious example: OneTrust cookie banners. They're nearly all misconfigured to have the "Reject Cookies" button greyed out or missing (or a link to a little minigame) and the "Accept Cookies" button prominent. Are all companies simply so incompetent? Is OneTrust (easy; no, it's correct on their own website). Or are they deliberately and maliciously breaking the law and when challenged will just do the wide-eyed "oh gosh, I'm such a silly-billy clutz with these things tee-hee"

Re: Hertz Charging a Tesla Renter for Gas Was Not an Isolated Incident

#33

Half of the stories about billing for unused gas are clearly just theft. Why do consumers have no recourse against companies that steal from them? If I made charges to someone's card for services that weren't rendered, I'd probably go to jail.

It's not theft. Rather just regular old big company incompetence. You're dealing with broken automated systems and an out-sourced customer support agent. Wait until LLMs arrive on the scene and further exacerbate the problem.

Okay, fraudulent billing then.

Re: Hertz Charging a Tesla Renter for Gas Was Not an Isolated Incident

#34
I wonder if this depends on the Hertz franchise location? I've rented EVs from Hertz at the Fort Lauderdale airport twice and had a great experience with things costing just what I expected. It was a great way to learn about EVs: my new car is a Volvo C40 mostly because I had such a good experience with a Polestar from Hertz.

Re: Hertz Charging a Tesla Renter for Gas Was Not an Isolated Incident

#35

Half of the stories about billing for unused gas are clearly just theft. Why do consumers have no recourse against companies that steal from them? If I made charges to someone's card for services that weren't rendered, I'd probably go to jail.

at what point does something like this garner class-action attention? most of the money ends up going to the lawyers, though…

Class action is often prohibited through terms that force you to act solely and also they require arbitration. This sort of thing should be banned and made retroactive.

Re: Hertz Charging a Tesla Renter for Gas Was Not an Isolated Incident

#36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While I generally agree with your premise, the problem is that when companies realize they can make more money through "old big company incompetence", at best it means they have no incentive to improve, and at worst in means they can maliciously overcharge and then just blame it on "incompetence". I really think government needs to enact laws that make companies compensate people for their time when they have to deal…

Yes. This is why I find Hanlon's Razor annoying (" Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity"), as it doesn't consider the higher order effect of what happens when the malicious are aware of the adage and willing to pretend to be incompetent. One obvious example: OneTrust cookie banners. They're nearly all misconfigured to have the "Reject Cookies" button greyed out or missing (or a li…

How about the gaslighting that happens from couriers around missed deliveries (we tried but you were not home) when no damn delivery attempt was made?

Re: Hertz Charging a Tesla Renter for Gas Was Not an Isolated Incident

#37
post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Small claims court. Just depends on your time value of money. Or willingness to screw with them for gigs.

I'd love to see a campaign to coordinate small claims court claims against abusive companies. It could really fuck a company's day up if several hundred to thousand people across the world decides to seek redress from a small claims court on the same day.

Can you use a small claims court if the rental contract has mandatory binding arbitration clause?

Re: Hertz Charging a Tesla Renter for Gas Was Not an Isolated Incident

#38

I wonder if this depends on the Hertz franchise location? I've rented EVs from Hertz at the Fort Lauderdale airport twice and had a great experience with things costing just what I expected. It was a great way to learn about EVs: my new car is a Volvo C40 mostly because I had such a good experience with a Polestar from Hertz.

Great question and point. I was be surprised if there was not an incentive for the manager at each individual location to push up incidental charges.

Re: Hertz Charging a Tesla Renter for Gas Was Not an Isolated Incident

#39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not theft. Rather just regular old big company incompetence. You're dealing with broken automated systems and an out-sourced customer support agent. Wait until LLMs arrive on the scene and further exacerbate the problem.

While I generally agree with your premise, the problem is that when companies realize they can make more money through "old big company incompetence", at best it means they have no incentive to improve, and at worst in means they can maliciously overcharge and then just blame it on "incompetence". I really think government needs to enact laws that make companies compensate people for their time when they have to deal…

Yep compensation for time must be required. Insurance companies, particularly in healthcare (Aetna especially), love subjecting customers to repeated calls with hour long wait times. They hope to just exhaust you from getting a claim honored.

Re: Hertz Charging a Tesla Renter for Gas Was Not an Isolated Incident

#40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

at what point does something like this garner class-action attention? most of the money ends up going to the lawyers, though…

Class action is often prohibited through terms that force you to act solely and also they require arbitration. This sort of thing should be banned and made retroactive.

Sadly the courts are on the side of large corporate interests.
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