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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

#101

Post by epcoa »

SoftTalker wrote: post #92

When people suggest owning an EV for daily use and renting a gas car for occasional long trips, this is exactly why that's not a attractive idea for most people. Even in the best case scenario, renting a car is a time-consuming hassle and you have to navigate high pressure tactics on buying upgrades, fuel, insurance, etc.

> Even in the best case scenario, renting a car is a time-consuming hassle

No that’s the worst case scenario.

> you have to navigate high pressure tactics on buying upgrades, fuel, insurance, etc.

No you don’t. In the US, the major reputable companies allow you to register your DL and insurance, pick your default fuel preference. 20 minutes prior the reservation you get a list of available cars and proceed directly to the car. You then scan a QR code at the exit, maybe you show your DL to a guy at the gate, who is in no position to sell anything. This is for almost all airport locations and many corporate locations.

Even when you see an agent.. High pressure tactics? That’s impossible, they have no leverage. It’s not like buying a hot new car or something. The insurance is usually worthless to you so you aren’t losing anything by walking away. Just say no? A simple no always works. Carry a credit card with primary rental insurance. I have had a sales person try to give some bullshit song and dance even when I politely tell them I have primary insurance on my card. It’s a simple “no, not interested.” What are they going to do?

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

#102

Post by mncharity »

ChrisMarshallNY wrote: post #67
hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #24

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…

I remember, back in the last century, a TV station did a test, where they went to a whole bunch of supermarkets, and brought stuff. Some was on sale, some was not. What they found, was that every (100%) error in price went to the favor of the company. Not one single error was in favor of the customer. Often, the stores were good about correcting the error, but the cashier could never do it. They always had to go to t…

Massachusetts regulation addresses this particular misincentive with a "one item (per customer day) is $10 off" when a food store/department scanner/checkout price isn't the lowest of advertised/display/sticker/scanner price. My own supermarket experience is of a clear sign posted by the cashier, and of hassle varying from the cashier handling it routinely and quickly, to trick question "So you want ${scanned - correct} back?", to waiting for a manager type and initialing/signing something simple.

[1] https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/massachusetts/202-CM...

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

#104

Post by sneak »

Aurornis wrote: post #90
DangitBobby wrote: post #2

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.

> Why do consumers have no recourse against companies that steal from them? Stuff like this is easy to charge back with your credit card company. But in this case, the article makes it clear that the people were able to get the charges reversed by talking to Hertz. It wasn't necessarily convenient, but the funds were returned when a human saw the mistake. > If I made charges to someone's card for services that weren'…

> Stuff like this is easy to charge back with your credit card company.

That's not actually true. This sort of "oh, you never have to pay for services not rendered" is mostly just a fiction. I've had multiple issues with major credit card issuers who refused to persist chargebacks when vendors screwed me.

The other issue is that, even if you successfully chargeback against a vendor, oftentimes that vendor is a monopoly or duopoloy, and they will terminate your account and ban any new accounts using the same name or card number, and you'll be screwed.

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

#105

Post by sneak »

mbesto wrote: post #29
grugagag wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was too busy to fight it off, initially called my CC and put stop on charges. Eventually they got my money.

This is a huge feature of CCs that most people don't recognize. You're paying an extra ~3% to credit card companies in exchange for the ability to dispute a charge. If a merchant (in this case Hertz) accepted cash, you would get an invoice in your hand that you could dispute on the spot and just simply not pay. The reverse would be true for Hertz who could try to sue you for not complying.

Yeah, this is mostly a fiction, much like the idea that if someone steals from you, your tax dollars fund the police, and you can call them and they'll do anything meaningful.

It's a belief held by people who don't actually try to use these systems. Major credit card companies aren't in the business of consumer protection.

Many times I've tried to do chargebacks, only to be denied by the card issuer with some unsubstantiated claim by the vendor that they held up their end of the transaction. No recourse short of spending four or five figures on a lawyer and a lawsuit. As a result, if they cheat you out of less than $5k, they win.

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

#106

Post by [deleted] »

mbesto wrote: post #29
grugagag wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was too busy to fight it off, initially called my CC and put stop on charges. Eventually they got my money.

This is a huge feature of CCs that most people don't recognize. You're paying an extra ~3% to credit card companies in exchange for the ability to dispute a charge. If a merchant (in this case Hertz) accepted cash, you would get an invoice in your hand that you could dispute on the spot and just simply not pay. The reverse would be true for Hertz who could try to sue you for not complying.

[deleted]

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

#107

Post by millzlane »

epcoa wrote: post #101
SoftTalker wrote: post #92

When people suggest owning an EV for daily use and renting a gas car for occasional long trips, this is exactly why that's not a attractive idea for most people. Even in the best case scenario, renting a car is a time-consuming hassle and you have to navigate high pressure tactics on buying upgrades, fuel, insurance, etc.

> Even in the best case scenario, renting a car is a time-consuming hassle No that’s the worst case scenario. > you have to navigate high pressure tactics on buying upgrades, fuel, insurance, etc. No you don’t. In the US, the major reputable companies allow you to register your DL and insurance, pick your default fuel preference. 20 minutes prior the reservation you get a list of available cars and proceed directly t…

Rented from enterprise last month. I booked a Sports Car Rental (Dodge Challenger or Similar). I got there and they only had a miata. Certainly a cool car. But it's too small for me. I needed a Dodge Challenger or similar. So I ended up with the slowest truck imaginable with no fuel in it. They wouldn't give me my company's corp. rate even though I had my work badge and this rental was for a work training in DC. Oh! and I brought my own EZ pass, but somehow the enterprise car somehow still charged me for tolls. But not without the extra convenience fee. Rental car companies here suck.

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

#108

Post by dawnerd »

I make sure the car is fully checked in when I drop off and I get a recipe and verify before I leave that all is good.

Last year they tried to charge me for a tiny chip in the window that I hadn’t seen before. They tried to force me to fill out a form admitting fault for insurance but refused. Nothing came of it and have rented since no problem.

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

#109

Post by millzlane »

grugagag wrote: post #9

Rented a Hertz and got charged $90 a day for easy pass service whether I drove the car or not (I was camping for a week) and had no way of fighting the charges, some fine print tricked me. For such scams I vowed to never give my business to Hertz again. Ever.

Enterprise did the same thing to me, and I had my ez pass in the car. Not as much, though.

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

#110

Post by Animats »

InfamousRece wrote: post #37
Teever wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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?

If the arbitrator is specified as the American Arbitration Association, usually yes. See section R-9 of the AAA Consumer Rules.[1]

JAMS just updated their "minimum standards" for consumer arbitration as of May 1, 2024, and they now seem to allow for transfer to small claims court.[2]

[1] https://adr.org/sites/default/files/Consumer_Rules_Web_0.pdf

[2] https://www.jamsadr.com/consumer-minimum-standards/

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