**Extremely Frustrating Experience with Hertz**…read more
My recent experience with Hertz has been extremely frustrating.
I rented a Chevy Tahoe from Hertz on Saturday, August 15, with a scheduled return date of Friday, August 21 at 10:00 AM. I returned the vehicle as scheduled.
On **Saturday, August 22**, I received a text from Hertz stating that the rental was **"overdue."** I contacted Hertz chat support, explained that the vehicle had already been returned, and was told to wait 24-48 hours because the return may not have been processed yet.
On **Sunday, August 23**, I received another overdue notification. I contacted support again and was again told to allow 24-48 hours for the return to process.
Then, on **Monday, August 24 -- the third consecutive day of overdue notifications -- I received an "URGENT" message** stating that the rental was still overdue.
I contacted Hertz support again. This time, the agent asked me to fill out a form with various questions about where and how the vehicle was returned. I copied the questions into Notepad and started answering them. While I was in the middle of doing that, the chat session timed out and disconnected.
So now I'm waiting yet again for another support agent.
My frustration is with **Hertz as a company and the overall customer-service experience**. I returned the vehicle on time, contacted Hertz when I received the first notification, followed the instructions I was given, and waited the requested 24-48 hours. Despite doing everything I was asked to do, I was still receiving overdue notifications three days later and having to spend more time trying to get the issue resolved.
And now there's another problem.
I received my final receipt from Hertz today and noticed a **$127 "Fuel and Service" charge**. I filled the Tahoe up at a Shell station on Ohio Street shortly before returning it, and the airport was only roughly 10 miles away. The vehicle had a full tank when I returned it, so I have no idea why Hertz applied a $127 fuel and service charge.
At this point, I am now having to dispute a charge for fuel that I had already purchased, on top of trying to get Hertz to properly process a vehicle that I returned on time.
**My advice to anyone renting from Hertz: take pictures of your fuel gauge and odometer immediately before you return the vehicle, and keep your gas receipt.** Having documentation of the vehicle's condition and fuel level may save you a lot of trouble if there is a dispute later.
There was also an issue when I initially picked up the Tahoe. Shortly after pickup, the **"Low Oil"** warning light came on. Hertz did eventually provide a voucher so I could get the oil changed, which I appreciate. However, I still spent nearly an hour sitting in a hot vehicle at a Take 5 Oil Change location in the Texas heat while waiting for Hertz to approve the service.
I understand that problems can happen with rental vehicles and that returns can sometimes take time to process. What I find unacceptable is the **lack of communication, follow-through, and effective customer support** when something goes wrong.
What should have been a simple rental has turned into repeated overdue notifications for a vehicle I already returned, multiple contacts with customer support, a disconnected support chat while I was actively trying to resolve the issue, and now a **$127 fuel and service charge that appears to be incorrect**.
**This experience has seriously damaged my confidence in Hertz. What should have been a routine rental has turned into an ongoing customer-service nightmare, and I'll think twice before renting from Hertz again.**