Durham woman's rental car stolen using KIA challenge, Hertz tacks on erroneous charges
Car rental company Hertz charged a woman late fees and failed to tell her that her stolen rental car had been recovered for a month. The company gave the Durham resident the runaround for months until 5 On Your Side stepped in and got the charges removed.
Mary Kennedy rented a Dollar Car Rental vehicle during a trip to Ohio last August.
"I was there for any nephew's wedding," the Durham resident explained.
Kennedy's time at the wedding was short-lived; within 30 minutes, her car, under the care of a valet service, was stolen while parked on a side street.
Within two minutes, a group of thieves broke into the car and gained access to the Kia using a technique popularized on social media.
Kennedy immediately filed a police report and got a ride to Dollar Car Rental.
“Something told me ‘Don’t wait.’ So I skipped out of the reception and we went to the airport to take care of this,” she said.
Kennedy was told Dollar Car Rental would reach out to her car insurance company, but two days later Dollar Car Rental’s parent company, Hertz, told Kennedy they had no knowledge of the situation.
“I said ‘I’ve given you the police report number. I told you exactly when I filled it out and who was at the counter when I filled it out.’”
A week later, Kennedy received a letter from Hertz telling her she did not file a police report or alert Hertz within a reasonable time. They then banned her from renting through any Hertz-owned company. They also changed her bill from a two-day $70 agreement to three days and increased her daily rate by $40. They even tacked on a late fee, pulling an additional $257 from her credit card. That’s when Kennedy reached out to 5 On Your Side.
“I normally know how to make my way through these issues but this one stumped me so I’m really happy that I could talk with 5 On Your Side,” she said.
5 On Your Side reached out to Hertz asking for a refund of the additional charges.
The previous year the company agreed to pay $168 million to customers who they falsely accused of stealing vehicles. In Kennedy’s case, the stolen Kia was recovered a day after she reported it. Hertz didn’t tell her until a month later.
A week after 5 On Your Side got involved, Kennedy got a resolution. She received a refund for the $257 and was officially removed from the rental suspension list. But don’t expect to see her in a Hertz rental any time soon.
“I honestly don’t think anyone should trust that company. There’s too much history with Hertz,” she said.
Hertz says it takes “all customer concerns very seriously.”
Before you rent a car be sure to check your agreement and know what is covered. In Kennedy’s case her insurance with State Farm covers her for the theft. Hertz has yet to reach out to State Farm.
