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The $123 key

September 28, 2000

Q: In July I rented a car from Hertz in Montevideo, Uruguay. While trying to start the car on the first day of the rental the “electric” key simply broke apart when I put it into the ignition.

Their Punta del Este office came out to rescue me, but now Hertz is charging me $123 for damage to the key. I would say they gave me a defective key. To think I would deliberately break a key, inconveniencing myself in a foreign country where I do not speak the language is ridiculous.

I’ve complained via both Hertz and my credit card company. Deaf ears! Do you have any suggestions?

– Michael Ryan

A: Have you asked your credit card company about insurance coverage? Many credit cards specifically offer coverage for renting cars, although there may be a deductible in some instances. You’re probably going directly to the grievance department rather than calling the benefits office first. It may be worth another call.

It goes without saying that car rental surcharges are one of the most complained-about issues for travelers. Hertz isn’t alone in socking customers with everything from fuel surcharges to add-ons for additional drivers, insurance and, of course, taxes.

But this $123 does seem to single the largest car rental company out as irresponsible, if not a little greedy. No reasonable person would expect to pay that much for a simple key. Most reasonable people, in fact, would anticipate that a company like Hertz would absorb the expense of a new key as a cost of doing business.

Alas, this isn’t a reasonable world. Many car rental companies – not just Hertz – are so fixated on the bottom line that they sometimes forget they’re dealing with real travelers. Not all of their customers are on a lavish expense account. Some of them actually rented with the company because it offered a lower rate.

Next time you rent a car, start by reviewing the contract. Check all the options for insurance coverage, and if you think you need additional insurance, buy it. If something isn’t clear, ask to have it explained (preferably in your own language).

Don’t drive off the car rental lot until you’ve dotted your proverbial “I”s and crossed your “T”s. It’s the only way to prevent a surprise somewhere down the road.

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

4 comments

  • Hank Jeffries

    $123 for one of the new “electronic” keys is not an outrageous price – I paid more than that to get a spare made for my own car. The chip in the key needs to be synchornized with the electronics in the ignition system – that takes time, and time is money. It’s a lot more complicated than simply punching grooves in a key blank, which costs maybe $3 at the hardware store.

  • phil

    Should not this key been covered under the automobile warrantee?

  • Chris

    Just as a point of reference, the dealer cost–and what the rental companies get charged–for a 2010 Toyota Camry or 2010 Toyota Corolla key is (don’t faint) $272.

    Ouch.

    If the key were defective, that’s another story, but if it were indeed the customer’s fault (or the customer did something dumb like lose the keys), then I would absolutely *not* agree that “most reasonable people, in fact, would anticipate that a company like Hertz would absorb the expense of a new key as a cost of doing business.”

  • Luq07

    I had the same issue with Hertz last week. They charged my $200 for a key that broke apart when I took it out of the ignition. It fell apart into 2 pieces. The metal part and the plastic part. I finally ended up contacting the manager on duty from the Hertz location where I rented the vehicle. She spoke to the rental clerk where I was dropping off the vehicle to ask if I had indeed returned the key pieces and the vehicle. I took pictures of the key and the fact that it had popped out of its plastic casing. There were obvious signs of repair as well to the key which I noted with my cell phone. The $200 charge was removed. Road side assistance had put the charge on my bill.

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