Hertz customers outraged over AI-powered scanner that detects small marks, charges hundreds — including $440 for one-inch scuff

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ChefCobra@reddit

Aai does what it does, just compares how car was sent out and how it came back. Problem is that when you drive car, even if you are the most safest driver, you will have stone chips from actual driving. AI ( as much as o hate to defend it ) does what it is asked to do, but it does not calculate simple wear from actual use, which should be added by operator of AI.

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FartyCakes12@reddit

Another major issue at hand is accuracy. AI being used to automatically charge customers when it can be, you know, wrong is a problem

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WhiteNamesInChat@reddit

As opposed to humans, who are widely-known to never be wrong.

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amd2800barton@reddit

Yeah I’d be more accepting of this if the AI was used to flag possible damage for a human to review. Then the human can go out and see if the damage was from normal wear, or if it’s something that needs to be billed.

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OoIIoO@reddit

Or if I could have my own independent AI before I drive off, that would be used to contradict their AI. I don't work in a body shop, nor am I up to date on the latest subcompact vehicles, so I wouldn't be able to discern a dent from a design feature.

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TunakTun633@reddit

Let's be honest: The real value of "AI" in this context is that people treat it like it's infallible. It makes it harder for customers to dispute the charges.

Health insurance is doing the same thing these days. Something isn't covered that should be? Sorry, AI determined... And we don't know why, but it's obviously correct.

My company gave me 18 months' worth of Hertz rentals, and the fight to actually get the loyalty points for those rentals was goddamn exhausting. They give you a card full of numbers to call at the counter, but they all route to the same, entirely automated phone service that directs you to their website.

Fuck Hertz.

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gay_manta_ray@reddit

lol why the hell are people acting like health insurance claims being automatically rejected is some kind of new thing?

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Drzhivago138@reddit

They're not. They're saying that claims being rejected because AI said so is a new thing.

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WhiteNamesInChat@reddit

And why does the AI say so?

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metengrinwi@reddit

“Infallible”

It’s extremely difficult to photograph a gloss painted finish (I know, I do it in a lab setting). Let me set up the lighting, and I can make the pic show whatever you want.

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GrynaiTaip@reddit

The real value of "AI" in this context is that people treat it like it's infallible.

A lot of people treat it the same way in many other situations too. Apparently chatGPT is responsible for ruining several families, because someone started asking it for verdict in disagreements and AI said "Looks like you'd be better off without her."

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pr0b0ner@reddit

Also anyone visiting r/AITAH for relationship advice

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pigwona@reddit

I thought that sub was sort of a joke because everything posted on there is "AITAH for not being a total doormat?".

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Dark_Knight2000@reddit

Yeah 90% of the people posting know that they’re not in the wrong and just want validation.

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FesteringNeonDistrac@reddit

Using ChatGPT as a relationship counselor is wild. That is full on kookoo for cocoa puffs crazy.

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Elderbrute@reddit

"Looks like you'd be better off without her."

Which is not surprising since chatgpt was trained using social media, all relationship advice on reddit is basically that.

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GrynaiTaip@reddit

It's that, and also it's programmed to generally support your views. If you feel that you've been wronged, then the bot will agree with you.

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dagelijksestijl@reddit

Not to mention the origin of the prompt being the party that supplies it with half-truths.

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Umikaloo@reddit

Website doesn't have the service you need

Use phone-line

automated voice: have you tried using our website?**

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wpm@reddit

“A computer can never be held accountable, therefore a computer must never make a management decision.” - IBM, 1978

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pr0b0ner@reddit

Kinda disagree. It's not about AI being infallible, so much as it's AI having no scruples, especially in the Healthcare scenario you bring up. Human employees have judgement and empathy which gets in the way of companies being as ruthless as they set out to be. It's hard for a low level employee to go to work everyday and gouge the fuck out of people so their employer (who underpays them) can make additional billions to line stakeholder pockets. AI doesn't and literally cannot give a fuck.

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hutacars@reddit

AI does what it does, just compares how car was sent out and how it came back.

It’s not even good at that. Give it a photo and tell it to reproduce the photo with no changes and you end up with, well, this. It has no concept of “same image.”

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an_actual_lawyer@reddit

Differences in lighting, weather the car is dirty, etc. can easily throw off an AI scan.

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axc630@reddit

It has its own lighting so that is at least taken out of the equation. I just rented a car from Hertz this week and drove through one on the way out and during the return.

What I'm really interested in is how it handles wet cars where water refracts the light in different ways.

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KM964@reddit

Where did you rent it from? The Hertz subreddit is trying to put a list together.

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dam_sharks_mother@reddit

The Hertz subreddit

There is a HERTZ subreddit?

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KM964@reddit

There’s a subreddit for anything honestly.

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axc630@reddit

IAH - Houston.

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TheHast@reddit

the last time I returned a hertz car to IAH I filled up the gas tank about 1/4 mile down the road and then they charged me $16 for 1 gallon of gas.

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axc630@reddit

This is why you wait for a person to check you in and issue a final receipt. I never do the drop and go thing unless I have to (like snall airport middle of night return).

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Millicent_Bystandard@reddit

So that's the solution then? If you suspect damage- Spray your car with water before returning it and watch the AI goes nuts trying to figure out whats water and whats actual damage without flagging the entire car. Eventually Hertz has to let the car go as automated review fails.

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Fbolanos@reddit

Get that thing all muddy. Fuck em

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Logitech4873@reddit

It rains every other day here, so they surely have to account for that.

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I_Am_Vladimir_Putin@reddit

I mean yeah, Hertz is to blame not Aai

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Pitiful_Special_8745@reddit

Wait let me get this straight.

So you rent a car from a car rental. You agree if there is a damage our fault or not, you pay.

They make photos, you make photos.

You return with damages.

They charge you.

Their fault???

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Grabthar-the-Avenger@reddit

Cheap trashy rental places act this way. More reputable renters recognize normal cosmetic wear and tear as acceptable and will ignore dents and scratches under specified sizes.

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Dark_Knight2000@reddit

My brother in Christ, rock chips are just normal wear and tear. Literally every person with a brain knows that any car is going to show signs of normal wear and tear when it’s used. If Hertz is that concerned about their cars they can just not rent them.

AI could easily mistake a little mud as a scratch, it’s a really dumb tool to use for something like this.

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Logitech4873@reddit

Damage to paint will just happen beyond your control. Rock chips are inevitable and random, and not the fault of the driver

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GimmeChickenBlasters@reddit

Yes? This is a real "guns don't kill, people do" type of remark. No one thinks AI has a grudge against them, they're mad at Hertz for using it as an excuse to nickel and dime them.

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MachWun@reddit

Rock chips are a chargeable offense!

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wot_in_ternation@reddit

I work with AI in my day to day and it often fucks up. This is nothing more than a money grab.

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calcium@reddit

Wonder how it detects issues if you drove through mud - does it give your car a quick wash before you drive through?

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deleted_by_reddit@reddit

[removed]

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velociraptorfarmer@reddit

You mean people are just blindly throwing AI at their problems without understanding it's nuances and just taking it as gospel instead?

Well colored me shocked...

/s

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ManufacturerBest2758@reddit

This is actually why AI is evil, it will only ever be used by nefarious entities for nefarious purposes

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Futt_Buckman@reddit

"Computers don't make mistakes, people do". Which is to say the computer is only telling you what you're asking of it, which is to find anything they can charge you for

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ChefCobra@reddit

In this situation even calling it AI is a bit pushing. As that system just scans the car condition at the start and at the end of rental. Even after wash there will be stone chips or normal wear and tier. Computer, as you say, did exactly what it was asked to: find differences between two pictures. Problem is, people who are in charge just go with that reading and charge customer.

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Bigringcycling@reddit

It’ll be interesting to see how society responds to something like this, the impact from their escalation. When people/groups don’t like something, they’ll often push on it to try and “break” it.

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Specific-Gain5710@reddit

But when they sell the car, they will expect MSRP for their clapped out 50k mile in a year car. But damn; I’m fuckin walking before I’ll get charged $400 for something that I can 1000% guarantee will not be repaired at any point in its life at hertz.

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Worldly-Debate-3227@reddit

I saw Sixt using the same tech but crappy photos

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f1mike@reddit

Not renting from Hertz again then. I travel often for work and the number of cars that I got with a check engine light on or a random error tells me that they never fix the issue if the car is drivable.

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stoned-autistic-dude@reddit

If their goal is maximizing revenue, they'll drive a car into the ground before fixing anything. I've seen bald tires on rentals offered to me. It's crazy. They're like "you can go to a Firestone and credit the repair to us" and my argument is "why would I waste my time putting a new tire on YOUR car?"

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JimFromSunnyvale@reddit

Maximize profit, not revenue.

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CreaminFreeman@reddit

Like how I see so many renters doing upgrades to rental properties and deducting it from the rent. It’s just home ownership without actually owning anything… messed up times we live in.

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zerogee616@reddit

Except for the tangible benefit of living with the upgrades you made. Like, it's the place you're living and it's being taken off the rent.

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marinuss@reddit

At least with that you get to enjoy it while you're living there. Plenty of people rent houses for 5-10+ years. A rental car.. I'm sure there's fringe cases of having a rental for a few months but most are a few days or weeks at most. Not replacing tires on it even if I can deduct it from the rental cost lol.

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iroll20s@reddit

Can you even imagine the hassle of trying to get them to actually PAY you?

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Standard-Juice-3738@reddit

I just rented from Enterprise this week and they were fantastic. 10/10 will be using them from now on

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TheRealPizza@reddit

National is even better. If you get Executive status, you can pick whatever you want from those sections and I’ve gotten some cars that had no business being rental cars. Wildest stuff I’ve gotten was a Kona N, Giulia (took it to tail of the dragon), Charger Scat Pack and an A5 convertible. All for like $40/day with my corporate code. And I regularly get Miatas, Mustangs or luxury crossovers/sedans. Never had a customer service issue either.

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theatrus@reddit

Alamo, Enterprise, National are all the same company. They even share vehicles at locations. They oddly don’t share any loyalty programs though.

But agree, Emerald Aisle Executive is the preferred route for no-fuss rental pickups with occasional great finds.

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FixTheWisz@reddit

Occasional? Until this year, I was Executive or Exec Elite with National for the past 8 years. Just thinking about my 2024 rentals, I’d pay for a midsize (Mazda3, Corolla, Sentra, etc) but always ended up with Grand Wagoneer, Tahoe, Explorer Limited, Audi A6, A4, BMW 530e, 430i convertible, X5, Expedition, and even a neat Tacoma TRD Off Toad in Phoenix. The lowest-level car I got was a brand-new Mustang convertible. Landing in fun rentals is my favorite part of work travel, so I do admit that, if nothing satisfactory is in the lot when I get there, I’m usually happy to just wait for a while until something more interesting pulls around.

My new employer only allows Hertz and Sixx. Uggh.

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AWD_OWNZ_U@reddit

ha, I thought I was the only one who waited around the Emerald Aisle for something cool. My company switch to Avis only. It was awful, I eventually got an exception

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FixTheWisz@reddit

During my National years, I was also Presidents with Avis. They didn’t exactly have the same setup as National, but I’d just walk the lot and note 4 or 5 cars that I wanted and their respective spots. Walk up to the counter afterwards and just say “yeah how about that Tahoe in space G39?” It worked over 90% of the time. They were especially good with trucks, given that my local always had full-sized options. There are probably a dozen times when I’d need a truck for some home project, rent a Corolla, and just take for granted that I’d drive away from the lot in Titan that was about to have 800 lbs of manure thrown in the bed an hour later.

But, I guess presidents status is invite only, which I was lucky enough to be given due to my employer at the time. I highly doubt I’d have had nearly as positive of an experience if I was Preferred status or whatever.

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funnyfarm299@reddit

You can earn National credits at non-Airport Enterprise locations.

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isomorphZeta@reddit

Ha! We must have about the same corporate negotiated rate: mine is $32.50/day before taxes.

If you get Executive Elite, you're guaranteed a rental with 24 hours notice, to the point that they'll bump somebody else to get you in a car. It's come in super handy for emergency business travel.

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123_fo_fif@reddit

Damn our corpo rate stinks lol. $42/day

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TheRealPizza@reddit

Yeah, that sounds about right haha. I’ve definitely had locations sold out online before but maybe calling would’ve got me a car.

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velociraptorfarmer@reddit

I snagged a Gladiator Rubicon once while I was down in Oklahoma for work in April once.

Driving back to the hotel after working all day with the hardtop off in the spring fucking rocked.

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TheRealPizza@reddit

Took one through rocky mountain once, gotten plenty of 4XE Wranglers too

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funnyfarm299@reddit

National has almost always been great to me. The one customer service issue I ever had with them coincidently would have been prevented by a system such as the one Hertz is using.

I rented from LGA last year and was told to take a specific car by the agent (it was the only one on the aisle). When I returned it they claimed I had caused $5000 worth of damage to the front bumper and radiator. I had coworkers with me the entire rental, we never hit anything. They "reviewed the footage" from the pickup and claim it wasn't high enough quality to see any damage.

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TheRealPizza@reddit

That sucks. In general, I’ve noticed LGA doesn’t really have much when it comes to cars with National. But i’ve never had to claim damage, or even taken pictures of a car before. I had one time I scratched a car door (Chicago location), and they didn’t even catch it on return until I pointed it out myself.

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funnyfarm299@reddit

LGA usually has one or two prestige cars set aside for executive elite members. I've seen crazy stuff there like Acura TLXs and Range Rovers.

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TheRealPizza@reddit

Guess I’ve gotta start asking, last week the guy was just like “take whatever” but they didn’t have much around. Ended up in a new prius because I wanted to try it out

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funnyfarm299@reddit

NYC is the only location I've ever seen Priuses on the aisle. How did you like it?

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TheRealPizza@reddit

I’ve also seen some in I think Seattle and SLC

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TheRealPizza@reddit

Liked it quite a bit! Wasn’t the plug-in hybrid obviously, but felt quick enough with the electric motor. Enough space for me and got a solid 50+ mpg the whole time which was nice. Don’t love toyota infotainments in general but that’s my only complaint. I’d want one if it wasn’t impossible to actually get a PHEV one.

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TorchedUserID@reddit

Most Enterprise offices have fleets of less than 150 cars. It's hard to see how this sort of tech would be cost effective. Enterprise also doesn't have shareholders to satisfy.

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jdalex@reddit

I've also rented from Hertz for work and more often than not there's been something wrong with the car, regardless of make/model. No exaggeration, maybe 4 out of 5 times the car is some combination of dirty, poorly maintained, or has some weird mechanical/electronic issue. I've refused to use them since they had 400+ people falsely arrested for stealing cars ...this AI bullshit is just the latest reason to find somewhere else to rent cars.

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idiot_proof@reddit

I got a car from them with a non-functional airbag when my car was in the shop. I ended up returning it and just saying, screw it, I’ll go without.

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velociraptorfarmer@reddit

My parents rented a minivan a month ago that got a flat 5 miles after picking it up. No spare, so Hertz sent a flatbed, and left 5 people stranded at a random store with all their luggage, and they had to find their own way back to the airport to get a different car.

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ulfric_stormcloak156@reddit

I used to work at a Pepboys that had a car rental agency as a fleet contract. I can’t remember exactly which company it was, but I’m sure the sentiment I’m about to tell you is shared among all the major companies. The only things they are concerned about is the vehicle being safe to drive. They want good tires, good wipers, and good brakes. They literally do not care about the condition of anything else. Shocks can be completely blown out, as long as it’s still drivable, they’ll refuse to buy anything.

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TheWeinerThief@reddit

Yeah this is correct. Have worked for one of the companies that isn't getting hated in other comments. They are all pretty much the same. Differences really come down to rates or availability

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ulfric_stormcloak156@reddit

Yeah, they’re all just doing the bare minimum in all honesty. Gotta maximize that profit I guess. Pretty sure they get rid of cars around 65k. As a tech, I’d never buy a rental.

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FalloutRip@reddit

That’s exactly what they do - charge customers for wear and tear, but never actually use that money to fix the cars beyond the legal minimum to keep them on the road.

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funnyfarm299@reddit

In theory this is to recoup the lost resale value.

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idiotaidiota@reddit

Including these owned by Hertz: Dollar, Thrifty, and Firefly.

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dlama@reddit

Avis/budget ALWAYS claims their car needed extra cleaning and charges for it. I'll never use them again.

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ugfish@reddit

National has been the best for me. I use them for work and personal rentals and always feel like I’m treated fairly and offered complimentary upgrades often.

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tri_9@reddit

Never renting from Avis. They gave me a janky car that broke down just 5 miles in. They told me I need to stay with the car until a tow truck comes out. Tow truck arrived five hours later. I then got back to the counter to get a replacement and they had the gall to say that the next available car would cost me more.

Avis is trash.

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idownvoteanimalpics@reddit

"revenue enhancement-

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scottjl@reddit

Stockholders love this one simple trick..

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slowpoke2018@reddit

One simple trick consumer - never rent from Hertz

Let's see how those corporate profits look in 6mos

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scottjl@reddit

You might never, but many companies do. You’re just a drop in the ocean.

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gullskoen@reddit

It is anecdotal to what many other companies have done and what many more companies are going to do. The drops in the ocean are multiplying.

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slowpoke2018@reddit

Get that, I travel a lot for work and I get points so if I were to tell my travel peeps that Hertz sucks - which I've done - they'll stop using them as a default for corp rentals.

At the end of the day, they're all priced within a few bucks of each other so small, iterative changes can cause major corporate shifts

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scottjl@reddit

When I used to travel for work I didn’t have a choice in the matter. They had a deal with Hertz, and it was Hertz I got. Funny, they even had a deal for much bigger vehicles than I ever needed or liked to drive. I couldn’t even talk them into giving me small manageable cars.

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Colddeck64@reddit

My company is extremely large and in my division we travel constantly.

We were already told last week to stop renting through Hertz.

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silentrawr@reddit

Just rent from Turo and you're already better off.

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mishap1@reddit

Having read some of the posts on Turo, no that's an overstatement. You're mileage will vary far more than it will through even Hertz. It's effectively AirBNB for cars and far more variable b/c some hosts will absolutely nitpick everything even if you don't notice it.

For any rental car, I always take pictures of the outside of the car to make sure I document any damage I can find. I've rented something north of 300 cars at this point and have only dealt with a couple of spurious claims.

With this scanner, you've at least got proof of you exiting and you then returning it.

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silentrawr@reddit

Turo certainly has a downside or two, but at least they're not messing up paperwork and having the cops come after you for "stealing" a rental after you've returned it. Or taking you to court for those same little damages you didn't notice.

Realistically, I'd rather take an extra five minutes doing a detailed job of recording everything wrong with any rental (which is a necessity either way) and know I'm getting something that's much closer to what I want. I doubt that's doable for someone renting on business weekly or w/e, but that's the exception in a lot of cases, not the rule.

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stakoverflo@reddit

Honestly I genuinely do not understand the argument for Turo from a normie perspective. And I had a crap experience the one time I used it that it entirely turned me off from using it ever again.

If you just want a basic ass appliance while on vacation, it is significantly less convenient than just getting something at the airport or whatever.

And if you want an interesting enthusiast car, you'll only have options in a wealthy large city. And there's not even a guarantee you'll get what you asked for. The time I used it, I rented a Cayman. Day of, the guy called me and told me it was in an accident and the only other car in his fleet was a fucking Q7.

Had to take a million photos of the exterior & interior to make not of any & all pre-existing damage, arrange transportation to pick it up / drop it off.

Just an absolute 0/10 experience all around.

Also, what even is their website. Their filters suck. Vehicle Type - Coupe/Convertible isn't an option. Genuinely a baffling business. Who are they catering to.

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silentrawr@reddit

I'd understand normies not wanting the few extra (small) hoops, but the idea that around any decent-sized city I can pick out the specific model (tons with far better performance/specs/options than most rental agencies) of what I want to drive, and then have the owner drop it off in the airport parking (instead of having to wait in line with a bunch of cranky other travelers right after getting off a plane), while not having to do ANY load of bullshit paperwork? That already sounds like a dream to me.

Obviously, you have to do a CYA walkaround video/pics of the car (which most rental agencies do anyway), and a bit of diligence on the specific "vendor" to make sure they have good reviews, but that's pretty much it.

Yeah, "shopping" cars on the website isn't perfectly ideal - there is a category for small convertibles; it goes by "theme" or whatever they call it - but that seems like a tiny downside for not having to deal with the perpetually understaffed circus of most car rental joints.

Like, I rented a Lucid Air Grand Touring (the 800hp+ model) for a week at $100/day OTD. What are you getting for that price at Enterprise?

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feketegy@reddit

daily reminder to stop using this rent-a-car service

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Angry_Robot@reddit

They’ll unlock a whole bunch of shareholder value for that financial quarter right before everyone stops using Hertz.

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szatrob@reddit

Wasn't Enterpise found to charge multiple customers for the same damage a few years ago.

I honestly, don't see that changing.

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pimp_bizkit@reddit

dont rent their cars.

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DeepDishlife@reddit

I had a literal 700+ rental days with Avis. Then one day I returned a car and got dinged for $500+ in mileage overage fees and $400 cleaning fees. The overage fees were the result of a clerical mistake that took HOURS to reverse. As for the $400 (?) cleaning fee? They sent me “proof” which was a photo at a resolution from 2003.

Since then I go through ungodly lengths to use Ubers. It does end up costing more, but I don’t care.

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Lucreth2@reddit

You don't take a quick picture (s) or video of both inside and outside of the car?

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DeepDishlife@reddit

Every time. I even disputed through my Chase Reserve. Got the charge temporarily reversed. The person I spoke with at Chase said that they see a ton of these disputes. In the end, Avis’ business is more important than mine.

Even for the mileage dispute it took so many calls and so many different people to finally get it taken care of. I had all the proof in the world. It doesn’t matter.

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Lucreth2@reddit

That's WILD but also sounds extremely American. Late stage capitalism comes for us all.

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DeepDishlife@reddit

100%. It’s coming for everyone.

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Phalanx32@reddit

If this is real I'm literally never renting from hertz ever again lol

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moutonbleu@reddit

Make sure to take videos and photos of the rental car before and after and date/time stamp it.

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J-ShaZzle@reddit

Well then you don't rent from them again. I'm sure somewhere in the fine print, people are signing off on bs charges and Hertz found a way to capitalize off it.

Show these companies what you stand for by closing your wallet. Plain and simple.

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idiotaidiota@reddit

Including these owned by Hertz: Dollar, Thrifty, and Firefly.

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linoleumknife@reddit

Nobody should have rented from Dollar or Thrifty to begin with. I've never rented from Firefly so I can't comment on them.

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Lucreth2@reddit

Tell that to my boss who is genuinely so simply minded that he thinks Thrifty must be the cheapest because of the name.

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linoleumknife@reddit

Yeah they're trash. I used to rent cars for work on a weekly basis and for a while I'd go with whoever was cheapest. Places like Dollar and Thrifty would give me some beat up dirty base model car for like $3/day cheaper than Enterprise, and several times tried charging me for damage that was already there when I got the car. It wasn't worth it.

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gumol@reddit

who should you rent from then?

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I_Am_Vladimir_Putin@reddit

There’s no shortage of rental companies. There’s also Turo.

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UnexpectedFisting@reddit

Turo is shit and charges more in platform fees than the actual rental itself. I yearn for the day Turo as a platform implodes, talk about the poster child of enshittification

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DameOClock@reddit

I rented a newer X1 off turo when I went to Hawaii back in march for much less than an equivalent car would have been through enterprise or hertz. I also rented a C7 for an upcoming 4 day trip I'm about to take for the same price as a small sedan rental through hertz.

So far these are my only two experiences with the app, but so far I'm impressed with the selection to cost ratio.

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I_Am_Vladimir_Putin@reddit

I used it two weeks ago and it was half the cost of a big name rental company even after fees

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Colorful_Monk_3467@reddit

For a modern car or a 15 yr old shitbox?

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I_Am_Vladimir_Putin@reddit

It was a 10 year old Mazda 3 in normal condition.

But for the price rental companies wanted I could've had a Range Rover on Turo.

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Colorful_Monk_3467@reddit

I'd say a 10yr old economy car is approaching shitbox status. But depending how much it saved I'd be happy with that. I've gotten some pretty dumpy rentals on a couple of the Caribbean islands and Mazda 3 is not bad in comparison.

I've never used Turo though. It's been tempting to drive some interesting cars, but I haven't ever found it worth the increased inconvenience given how close most rental car centers are to the airport.

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ceehouse@reddit

that hasnt been my experience at all 🤷🏽‍♂️. cheaper than big name rentals, i can choose and know exactly the car i'm renting, and my personal insurance covers turo rentals. most times i just walk up to car, enter in a code on a lockbox, get in and go. the only negative exp i had was a car owner trying to tell turo i killed their car battery via negligence, but after going through the rebuttal process, they sided w me and closed the complaint. all around great experience. and im talking rentals like a porsche macan, recent gen bmw 3 series, almost new toyota sienna, and couple diff jeeps for exploring hawaii. but i understand that im renting someones personal car, so i actually treat it like my own. im not one of those dickheads that mistreats a rental just cause it's not mine.

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Scumwaffle@reddit

Turo is a mixed bag. You'd think it's all people renting their extra car but it's also smaller rental companies with their own fleet or rentals. I had a good experience with the former, and an awful experience with the latter.

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RichardNixon345@reddit

Much like AirBnb, it was an okay idea quickly ruined by grifters and maroons.

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FesteringNeonDistrac@reddit

I rented from one of those people renting a fleet on turo and it was a good experience. Probably depends on the person doing it. The setup they had was very organized.

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Scumwaffle@reddit

I had a few problems. The "shuttle" to pick me up from the airport took an hour once I called for pickup. When I returned the car, they charged me extra for cleaning. The reasons listed were sand in the interior and a spilled drink, and they provided pictures. The sand was just a small amount on the floor mats that's unavoidable if you go anywhere near the beach in Florida. The spilled drink was the impression of a ring left from condensation in the bottom of the cupholder. You would think that SOP for a rental company would be to vacuum and clean the vehicle between rentals, and both those items aren't beyond what a standard cleaning should cover.

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I_Am_Vladimir_Putin@reddit

This just sounds like an absolute scumbag company/person. No way their rating is anywhere near good. Did you not check?

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gumol@reddit

There’s no shortage of rental companies.

Is there a rental company that doesn't have horror stories?

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huhwhat90@reddit

They all have horror stories, but none of them seem as consistently horrible as Hertz.

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zeekohli@reddit

ENTERPRISE

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Worldly-Debate-3227@reddit

I saw these at Sixt and at Avis. At least seems like UVeye is accurate and all damages I’ve seen (small or not) seem real. Seems like all the industry is using these kind of tools so at least have accurate ones: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/jul/3/renting-car-summer-ai-might-hit-surprise-damage-claim/

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surf_greatriver_v4@reddit

oh its this thread again

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joepierson123@reddit

If they want you to buy a full insurance

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Pitiful_Special_8745@reddit

No need. Just have your own. They charge you you can claim it back.

Only reason to take it locally if yours not covering the country which is the case in small islands. For some reason certain countries are excluded from mine like Turks an c, Malta, Cyprus.

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joepierson123@reddit

Definitely don't want to file claim for $440 scratch on your own insurance, it may not meet your deductible and will probably increase your insurance rates. Rental insurance has zero deductible and claim isn't reported to anyone.

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prothero99@reddit

Don't rent from there then. There are alternatives.

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kdoxy@reddit

Super easy to not rent from Hertz. I mean all the car joins seem about the same price and they're all next to each other at the air port.

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RedShiftedTime@reddit

I cancelled a Hertz rental this morning because of this article.

Just too much ambiguity for me to risk it. Switched to Enterprise instead.

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Mackinnon29E@reddit

Just never use them again, wouldn't trust their scanners to know the difference from real damage and dirt either.

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6786_007@reddit

Good point. What if it's raining?

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Pitiful_Special_8745@reddit

I rent car often even from Turo.

They always ask me if I want insurance I say no.

They say if there is a damage even if someone else hits me i have to pay.

I agree.

Now if i always make photos before taking it. They do too.

We compare. If it was raining we wipe it a bit no big deal.

But if we found a new damage and I refuse to pay that means either im lying, as we know its new. It can mean i didn't understand the rules, so im a fool.

And yet some people who fell into this category they complain here. Not sure what to say. I agreed and i keep my word.

Now granted I saw some sh*tty practices where they claim there is a new damage, but its old, but i make photos. And I only saw this with small car rentals or on Turo.

With big franchises they rent hundreds of cars every single day.

You think if they would scam people there would be no riot, thousand of people lining up to fighte them?

Come on don't be naive. I bet these commenters play also stupid when getting ticketed for parking at a Handicap spot

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Seymour_Tamzarian@reddit

I’m surprised this isn’t mentioned more. I’m supposedly believe that AI will tell the difference between a streak of dirt or bug guts vs an actual scrape or scuff.

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Warm_Regard@reddit

Or if you know you fucked up the car, throw mud on it

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adudeguyman@reddit

The real LPT possibly

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grumpypantaloon@reddit

I used to travel a lot. In my worst year, It was 41 weeks, on average 25 on the road, almost all of my trips (all within EU) I would also rent a car. Company I worked for had a policy that you can't rent a car from anywhere else unless Hertz can't accommodate you. Every single fucking time I had to go through the rigmarole with expense team showing them hey, your buyers should be making deals with our partners right? Company of 300k workforce worldwide, with thousands traveling each week, and with our premium whatever Hertz deal I get quoted 400 EUR for a fuckin' Astra? Because Europcar and Avis are offering me Audi A6 or similar... Even if I would take the Golf/Astra/i30 whatever class from half the price, I still would need to fill out forms with my expense claims why I didn't use Hertz. I strongly suspect this is how they stay in business, with corporations signing very unfavorable deals, because not once have I ever seen a good offer from Hertz.

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Outside-Rub5852@reddit

They better run it thru the scanner when they issue it to me

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Ashamed-Simple-8303@reddit

Thete is a simple solution. Dont rent a car from them.

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SchrodingerHat@reddit

I'll consider Hertz when they stop getting their customers arrested.

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amishbill@reddit

I thought it was Hertz that reported their cars stolen while still being actively rented.

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Powered_by_JetA@reddit

It was. They also charged someone for not returning a Tesla with a full tank of gas, and they charged someone for going over the allowed miles on their unlimited mileage rental.

If neither of those make sense, then you’re too smart to work at Hertz.

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EatSleepJeep@reddit

The fact that they charged the Tesla renter to fill it with gas isn't even the most fucked up part of that story. The customer had the courtesy refill option on the rental, AND THEY STILL TRIED TO CHARGE THEM.

Do not rent from Hertz or Dollar or Thrifty or Firely.

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123_fo_fif@reddit

National all day, every day. I don't even think they care lol. Been executive elite for over a decade and have NEVER had an extra charge.

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Trades46@reddit

You know it was some corporate man in an office meeting room pitched this to make more profits above all else to the board and shareholders that this got approved.

This is designed to nick and dime customers with no means of pushback after removing the human element from the rental process.

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che85mor@reddit

Pay with a prepaid card.

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This_Elk_1460@reddit

Anybody else remember that time Hertz got a bunch of innocent people arrested by claiming they stole they stole their cars when they didn't?

Petridge farms remembers.

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DayUp3@reddit

Guess never renting from them again

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phxees@reddit

I haven’t found any company which won’t screw you over for preexisting damage.

Although my most recent awful experience was with Hertz, and I am currently renting from them again.

The driver’s door wouldn’t close all the way, and I took it because I was late to get my kid lunch. I figured I was just doing something wrong. Later that day, I found out that the door was bent, took the car back for an exchange, and all went mostly okay, just took a while. Later, I got an email from Hertz asking me to sign for the damage. I told them no and explained the situation. They still wanted me to sign, so I stopped responding. Eventually, they went away.

If they tried to pursue it more, I never would’ve rented from them again, but they gave up, so I figured I’d roll the dice again. Probably on my 5th rental since then. I get a great rate through work.

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raven00x@reddit

fun fact, this article is drawn from a reddit thread from a couple days ago. I went looking for a non-NY Post link, and found this instead.

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pfojes@reddit

I rented a car from Hertz recently and, a day later, I noticed it had a huge 1-inch wide & 4-5 inches long scratch on the passenger-side rear quarter; the metal was really gouged. Initially, I thought it had happened under my watch but a review of the photographs take before rental revealed the damage was there already. I’m confident somebody was charged for that damage yet they never fixed it. Nobody paid attention to the car’s condition when I returned it

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Ok_Top55@reddit

I don’t know why hertz do this.

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daphatty@reddit

Yep. That eliminates Hertz from consideration.

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Left4DayZGone@reddit

Hertz: “Hey jackasses, remember when your granddads would rent our Mustang GT’s and swap the 289 out with the straight 6 from their base model and we took an absurdly long time to figure out that it was happening? Who’s laughing now, fuckers?”

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LeoLeoni@reddit

How does an image-based AI analyzer differentiate between an actual chip scratch in the paint and a spot of mud or bird shit? Are they washing these cars right before handing them off to customers and right before they scan them for damages, as well as cleaning the wheels? Is there any proof of them actually paying for these alleged repairs?

Feels like a greedy moneygrab and an insult to their customers.

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PersiusAlloy@reddit

God dammit. I just booked a work trip with Hertz as a rental company. It's our preferred rental vendor.

Sigh, guess I'll have to take a very in depth video of the outside before leaving. Avis tried to scam me for a charge because I had asked for a vehicle be cause the one was out already. Fuckers happily rang me up though and didn't bother to tell me about the extra charge.

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biggsteve81@reddit

If it is for work, make work pay for the collision damage waiver. Then it doesn't matter if the car is damaged.

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RBeck@reddit

If you rent enough for work they like to get a company policy, which probably doesn't cover minor scrapes.

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RBeck@reddit

Avis tried to scam me for a charge because I had asked for a vehicle be cause the one was out already.

Most overt scam they have. "We're out of the mid-size, do you want to upgrade to the full-size?". If you say No they have to give you the free upgrade.

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_galaga_@reddit

I just rented from Budget and the car had some scrapes when I picked it up, more than I’ve seen in my last half dozen rentals, so I took a vid and lots of pics just to cover my ass. I was waiting for trouble after I turned it in but nothing happened, luckily. Feels like the risk of those sorts of shenanigans goes up once all the companies are AI scanning.

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lvl_60@reddit

Hertz once charged 5 people for the same marks and it was a scandal around here. They closed shop and moved to the next town lmao.

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zeekohli@reddit

Enterprise is still the best car rental company

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wilco-roger@reddit

R/assholedesign

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UpvoteMagnet99@reddit

Better than getting arrested when they forget that you actually returned the car

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elgoato@reddit

Hertz is terrible, but the whole industry is really. My own admittedly trivial experiences with them:

- Their payment systems are antiquated. CC used to book rental car was stolen, changed CC via bank, when I went to pick up the car I had prepaid for, they refused to release it to me despite presenting multiple forms of ID until I called head office 6hrs away and rebooked on a different card - vs. just taking care of it locally.

- Their location at LIH can easily house 20-30 people in the air conditioned lobby and yet they require everyone who isn't standing at the desk to wait outside in the heat. Originally this was "due to COVID" but whoever the fuck knows what their deal is now.

- Routinely don't have my car ready despite being a Gold member. Routinely downgraded in vehicle class due to poor management of inventory.

- A RAV4 is somehow considered a "midsize SUV".

- Massive SUV pricing premium despite car manufacturers making hardly anything else these days. And then downgrading you to a 2WD due to poor inventory management (see above). This was the last straw + jacked prices.

The whole industry, much like the hotel industry, is increasingly customer hostile. For the prices they are charging, you should be able to choose the make and model of the car you're going to get. If their systems weren't from the 1980s they'd be able to do that.

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James-Dicker@reddit

In an efficient capitalistic market, all this will do is lower the prices for responsible renters and make irresponsible renters pay for their mistakes.

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C-c-c-comboBreaker17@reddit

In reality, the AI picks up a tiny scuff that isn't actually there because of the shiny paint and maybe it's wet out, meeting you to spend months disputing charges for something that is basically just free revenue for the company

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James-Dicker@reddit

Im sure you can challenge what the AI says. And nobody is saying its perfect, but its probably very good and will only get better, hence back to my original comment.

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C-c-c-comboBreaker17@reddit

Why would they make it better when, in it's broken implementation, it makes them more money?

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James-Dicker@reddit

Because that pisses of customers and drives them to their competitors?

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C-c-c-comboBreaker17@reddit

And when their competitors do it too?

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James-Dicker@reddit

Then you have a cartel with collusion and other better options form. Pretty hard to hold a monopoly on car rentals.

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TunakTun633@reddit

In our actual capitalistic market, all this will do is pad profits for the pleasure of the shareholders.

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James-Dicker@reddit

If its unfair, customers will complain, sue, and use their competitors instead, all of which are very bad for business. The market will correct

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TunakTun633@reddit

Did you just swallow an Economics 101 textbook?

They might be shamed out of using this, or it might go the way of airline bag fees and become standard practice across the industry.

Are you saying that it's "fair" if it sticks, under the assumption that our real-world capitalist system adheres exactly to Adam Smith's principles? Because it doesn't. The world is too complex; large companies carry too much power.

And remember what "irresponsibility" you're punishing. A rock in the highway can dent a car or chip the paint. How does one avoid that?

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Odd_Bus618@reddit

It's what you get for renting with Hertz. They have always used underhand dodgy tactics to extract more cash from renters so this is no surprise.

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GothGod1776@reddit

If this is how they’re going to roll they better have the associate scan the car during your walk around and send you a copy before you leave as well. Every time I’ve rented a car I’ve had to point out dings and scratches the guys missed and every time their response is “meh that’s not a big deal”

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GothGod1776@reddit

I know I know, this will never happen.

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InvasionOfScipio@reddit

Reminder - Stop renting from this scam of a company.

https://www.npr.org/2022/12/06/1140998674/hertz-false-accusation-stealing-cars-settlement

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funnyfarm299@reddit

I had this happen to me. Between getting accused of stealing a car and having another Hertz rental break down leaving me stranded for hours, I swore to never rent from them again.

I exclusively use Enterprise and National now.

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idiotaidiota@reddit

Including these owned by Hertz: Dollar, Thrifty, and Firefly.

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RTRC@reddit

I brought my first car from Hertz. They let you 'rent' it for three days and if you decide to buy it, whatever fee they quoted you goes towards the down payment. Ended up buying the car and a week later my phone and email were flooded with threatening messages from Hertz claiming I didnt return my rental lol. They tried to bill my CC thousands of dollars in late fees and extra days.

Was resolved quickly after a phone conversation with Hertz but could have ended a lot worse.

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MKVIgti@reddit

Just don’t ever rent from Hertz.

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idiotaidiota@reddit

Reminder that Hertz also owns Dollar, Thrifty, and Firefly. Avoid all of those too.

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RegretLegal3954@reddit

Hah! I rent several times a year, will never use hertz again, while I’m sure they couldn’t care less, is too egregious to risk renting. Pathetic.

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Atrampoline@reddit

Sounds like a great reason to use Turo more often.

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ChilePepperWolf@reddit

You have to be an idiot to rent with Hertz at this point.

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Helpful_Umpire_9049@reddit

No more renting from hertz. What a bunch of dorks.

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Vesploogie@reddit

Hertz sent me a bill for hundreds in damages 2 months after I returned my car (with no damage of course). I ignored it, then got a letter from a collections agency that spelled both my name and address wrong. Then a week later another letter saying they dismissed the charges but I’m banned from renting from Hertz. Which was a bit redundant.

I cheer for their failure more than any other company.

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ditto3000@reddit

Reminds me of the how health insurance companies work.

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Latios19@reddit

Every rental car has its % of wear and tear. It’s been a standard for decades in the industry. Customers shouldn’t be charge for chips, small scratches. Every company has its policy of what they consider a major defect and we all agreed to those terms. But now using AI to charge for any minimal change, it’s evil. I wouldn’t rent from them if that’s the case.

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deleted_by_reddit@reddit

[removed]

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CookieMonsterFL@reddit

What?

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okaquauseless@reddit

Hertz is going to get a class action lawsuit if it charges for normal wear and tear

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OkDirection8015@reddit

I still fail to see why people even bother doing business with them. Hertz has proven to be the perfect poster child for how not to run a business. Not to mention having customers arrested for renting cars and now AI garbage scamming people even more. I would rather deal with Dollar then ever rent from hertz.

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tofulo@reddit

Only rent from enterprise. It is worth the extra

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kon---@reddit

You have to know they take the money and do not address the blemish.

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desirox@reddit

Great way to ensure no one rents from hertz again. Guarantee whoever implemented this will be fired within the month once revenue figures are available

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dopadelic@reddit

helps to have a microfiber towel and some rubbing compound to buff out any scuffs

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LV526@reddit

If I'm on vacation I don't have time for that kind of work. Just don't rent from Hertz is easier.

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dopadelic@reddit

Takes a minute to buff off scuffs. A bit longer to stop by an automotive shop to buy it.

Perhaps you want to not rent from Hertz, but other rentals will charge you for scuffs if they see it. They're just more likely to not notice.

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PalmSizedTriceratops@reddit

Never in my life have I or will I "buff out" anything on a rental car.

Jesus.

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dopadelic@reddit

lmao, okay pay $300 over spending a minute buffing something out.

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PalmSizedTriceratops@reddit

Or I just won't rent from Hertz. Problem solved.

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dopadelic@reddit

Any car rental shop would hold you responsible for scuffs, as they should. Just that Hertz is more likely to notice it.

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gumol@reddit

Any car rental shop would hold you responsible for scuffs

no they don't. A lot of them ignore scuffs smaller than golf ball size (1.75 inches)

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PalmSizedTriceratops@reddit

Did you even read the article? They're charging for more than just the repair.

Additionally the photo evidence they supplied is extremely questionable.

I will happily not rent a car from Hertz to avoid the headache of false positives that trigger hundreds of dollars in bills.

You do you though.

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dopadelic@reddit

I wouldn't use Hertz after reading this article. But it doesn't change the fact that you'd still get charged by any other rental company if they saw scuffs that you incurred.

You do you though.

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FutureBBetter@reddit

Why ANYONE would rent from this criminal company is incredible.

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A_Right_Proper_Lad@reddit

If you did scratch the car, is it really "unfair"?

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exoriare@reddit

There's normal wear and tear. A one inch scratch is likely the result of a pebble launched at your car by another vehicle, or a grocery cart bumping into you while you're parked.

This kind of damage has always existed, but it's been treated as normal wear and tear. If Hertz suddenly wants to insist that normal wear and tear is actionable, they won't be in the car rental business for long.

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dopadelic@reddit

Don't bring principles into this discussion!

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DoobieGibson@reddit

i work for enterprise and they give you a 2x2in circle of clearance

the damage in this article should never ever be flagged at enterprise/national/alamo

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