This is the “after” picture of Christy Nidle’s Hertz rental last year in Perugia, Italy. “I changed lanes and scraped a car passing me from behind,” she says.
HERTZ
One of the most common questions I get from car rental customers who are facing a damage claim is: “Why can’t they take pictures of my car before it leaves the facility?”
It happens all the time.
Phillip Barszczowski’s Hertz car, which he booked through Priceline, cost $122. Not bad for a four-day rental in Wyoming, considering what rates have been doing lately.
Brian Perez-Daple rents a car in Mexico through Hotwire. But his car rental company insists he needs to buy extra insurance, which he doesn’t. Is there any way to get his money back?
Tracey Brown Osborne finds a mysterious charge on her American Express bill that turns out to be a repair bill for a rental car tire — a tire she says she never damaged. When her charge card sides with her in the dispute, her car rental company threatens to take her to court. What should she do?
Southwest Airlines, according to a new survey by Glassdoor, a company that conducts online salary surveys.
I am Patient Zero for attention deficit disorder, which may explain why more than a few people with legitimate grievances e-mail me back after I’ve responded to their questions, asking me if I even bothered to read their inquiry. I did, but I was probably distracted by a screaming child in my home office or a kitten scurrying across my keyboard.
Next time you rent a car, take a picture of it. No, seriously. Whip out your digital camera and take a snapshot.
Travel can be an olfactory experience, by which I mean everything smells. Even your rental car.
Philip Getson thought he’d have to pay $270 for his Hertz rental in Cancun. He though wrong. His final bill came to a shocking $1,227.
Hertz has a better-than-average reputation for customer service, although recent efforts to collect new fees from its drivers have made a dent in it. Still, the company does far better than many other car rental companies.
Refueling fees are a contentious issue for car rental companies, drivers, and government regulators. Last summer, Hertz changed its refueling policy after being pressured by customers and government officials, but other companies have imposed increasingly strict terms when it comes to gas charges.
When Jessica Santangelo and her husband check in at the Hertz rental counter in Zagreb, they’re told they have to buy insurance. But Santangelo had been told she was fully covered before her trip. Should Hertz refund her insurance now that she’s home?
Elliott is consumer advocate 
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