This week-end I went to a wedding in Midland, Michigan, flying into Detroit from Boston on Friday where I rented a full-size car for 4 days from Hertz at 69.78 per day. The total came to $389.97 because :

  1. I said yes to GPS when asked but was not told it was 13.99/day or 55.96 for the 4 days
  2. Concession Fee Recovery $36.11
  3. Energy Surcharge $1.49
  4. Vehicle License Recovery $2.36
  5. Tax $28.89

I noticed how much they hit me for the GPS when I got into the car, but at that point I chalked it up to lesson learned. As for those other fees, I have no idea?? After driving 307 and only 6 hours into day 4 of my car rental, I return the car. Before I do return the car, I pull off the highway early ( 3 or 4 exits before the airport) where I see a sign for gas and put in $46 dollars of gas filling up the gas tank, but I did not take a receipt (this is very important later). I drive the last ten miles, get checked in and walk away with the receipt in my hand.

I notice the bill is now for $416.19

  1. Fuel charge for $21.85
  2. Concession Service fee is now $38.54 now $36.11
  3. Taxes increased now to $30.83

Returning to the employee, who checked me in, I ask him why am I being charged $21.85 when the tank is full? He tells me it is not to the top of F on the fuel gauge. For the record, I am not sure it was at the top of the F when I took the car on Friday, but I digress?? Just tell me where the nearest gas station is since I am early for my flight, I will take the car, top it off and be right back. Even though I had 18 hours left on my rental, I am told that since I already returned the car this was not an option. My only option was to call Hertz, where I figured it would be easy to get this money credited back? I get on the Hertz Bus, check through JetBlue and as I am waiting for my flight to board I decide to make some calls.

I am on hold 5 minutes after pressing a button that actually is for fuel charge questions. After giving my Rental Record number and telling my story, I am told they will credit that back but I just need to send in a copy of the gas bill. I tell customer service I am already checked in for my flight, sitting at the gate and I did not get a receipt when I bought the gas. There is nothing that can be done at this level, she needs to pass me to someone who has more authority.

I am on hold ten minutes more. As I am waiting on hold, it dawns on me that other the gas station being next to the car rental agency or me putting a gas can in the trunk with a gallon of gas to top the tank off when I drop off the car, how am I suppose to return the car completely full at the top of the F. Finally the second person answers and tells me again no big deal, just send in a copy of the bill to prove I bought gas. The bill from Hertz says I drove 307 miles and their own employee says the car was returned on F, albeit just not the top of the F, but I need to prove I bought gas? Sorry no receipt means no credit, but I will get a $10 credit to show their appreciation?

At that point, I know I should just drop it but I was already not happy about the $55 GPS, a Concession Fee, an Energy Surcharge Fee and a Vehicle License Cost Recovery fee totaling over $125. My friend had a car crash in one of there cars and because he learned more from lawyers he was able to understand which option was right for him and he was charged a similar amount. I decide to go on Twitter where I was told to send them a DM, which I do. I board my flight, arrive in Boston, drive home and get this message on Twitter from Hertz:

 

In closing, Hertz expects me to find a gas station in a city that I have never been in my life, fill that tank and drop the car off to them before the needle moves. Although common sense would tell you I put gas in the car driving 307 and returning the car with the needle on the F, Hertz needs a receipt to proved I bought gas. Bottom line, can anyone in the Detroit area send to my e-mail a gas receipt from the Detroit area dated today so I can use it to get my $21.85 cents from Hertz credited.

As I finish this column, I now get this tweet

 

 

I would like to thank Hertz for doing the right thing, but that said I want people to 1) realize how much the GPS costs per day, 2) be very careful to return the car as close to the top of the F as possible and 3) I will follow-up on another column trying to figure out what these other fees were.