...and then quite rapidly sending out automated bills for any damage its 'AI' system detects. What could possible go wrong!
https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a65176049/hertz-ai-scan-rental-car-damage/
(My apologies if this has already been brought up here.)
They did this to me recently at Newark airport. Like driving through a car wash.
The example in the linked article said the 1-inch scrape on the wheel resulted in a $250 repair, plus $190 in administrative and processing fees. Those fees must really be to cover the MRI-like scanner. How are they going to pay for 100 of those machines around the U.S.? By charging customers administrative and processing fees, of course. I wonder if bug splats on the windshield, or any dirt on the body, will be seen by the AI as “damage?”
One of the reasons I thoroughly go over the car prior to leaving the lot. If I find any damage, I tell the person checking me out and they give me a receipt for it.
According to a Motor Trend article, the car is also supposed to go through the scanner upon checkout to not any damage prior to rental.
As a Presidents Circle customer of Hertz, I can tell you their service has gone downhill since Covid.
Hertz, donut?
The problem is there’s no way you’re going to see the same scratches.. You’re a human eye and by the way, Hertz is notorious for charging you for damage other people did.. I’ll be honest of all the rental car companies in the United States they are at the very bottom of my list.
I wouldn’t put it past Hertz to charge everybody who drives that car for the next year for that same scratch
Frank, their customer service started going way down hill before Covid. It’s now reached the bottom feeder status. As a former president club member, you couldn’t pay me to return to Hertz.
What rental car companies do you recommend in the US?
Enterprise did this the last time I rented in Tampa.
I have moved all my business to National and I have been very happy with them. I wouldn’t rent Hertz again if they paid me
I did try to give them one more chance about two years ago. I reserved a car at a hotel in Los Angeles. I get to the hotel on the Hertz website. That location closed three years ago.
I tell the person checking me out and they give me a receipt for it.
In the US anyway this is not possible, for any rental anywhere. The typical agent respond is, “just take a picture.”
A couple years ago @ Budget Sacramento airport after being told there’s no way to record damage at rental I wrote up the damage longhand on a sheet of paper and had the agent sign it.
thanks for the heads up about this, though I haven't rented from anyone but National in the last five years. I am a big fan. They're usually a little more expensive than the others but their service is very good. I was reserving a rental car for my husband a few months ago with National, and when I signed him up for an Emerald Club membership and logged him in, the rental rates I was seeing went down about ten percent. I didn't know that was a thing.
Having worked for a law firm that has done defense work for one of the aforementioned agencies, based upon the quality of their in-house claims staff and their rental counter staff, I would never rent from them.
Good one, Cyn.
I tell the person checking me out and they give me a receipt for it.
In the US anyway this is not possible, for any rental anywhere. The typical agent respond is, “just take a picture.”
Not true. I've had cars with damage at Hertz and they fill out a form marking the damage on the car on the form. They keep a copy and I get a copy.
Regarding National, I'm waiting for a status match and then I'll start renting from them.
They're really just automating the current system of - walk around car with agent, note damages. Upon return, walk around car with agent and, note damages. I think I actually prefer being scanned by a machine on the way in and the way out, more objective and thorough.
The real issue here are the stupid charges they've tacked on to pay for it. And as a Youtube lawyer pointed out, there is an incentive for quick payment that is negated by the fact that you can't reach a human in time if you wish to discuss/dispute the claim.
FYI: Hertz also owns Dollar and Thrifty.
