Complaint Review: Hertz

In July, 2002, I rented a car from the Hertz agency in Duluth, MN. I filled the car up with gas before I retured it at a gas station located within ten miles of the agency.

Later I received a notice from the company that they were charging my credit card $6.71 for a refuling charge. I wrote them saying it had to be a mistake since I filled the tank up before I returned it.

They replied stating, "After return, every vehicle is brought to our gas pump regardless of whether or not the gas guage shows "Full." ....If a vehicle accepts more than one gallon, the charges are corrected....After return your rental accepted 1.4 gallons." Since the car "accepted" 1.4 gallons I was charged $4.79 a gallon for a total of $6.71.

How can a customer rely on anything but what the fuel gauge reads when renting or returning a car. I had no way of knowing if the car would have "accepted" a gallon or more of fuel when I received it. I had to rely on the gauge. When I returned it I pumped gas until the pump shut off as the pumps recommed you do. I didn't try to "top it off". Under the policy they applied, I would have had to using a measuring stick to insert in the tank when I picked it up and returned it to determine if the car had the exact amount of fuel. I then would have needed a one or two gallon gas can with me to "top off" the car if it needed to be to insure it had the exact amount of gas on return as it had when I received it.

This policy is absured. There is basically no way for a customer to protect himself from such a refueling charge.

Ron
Surprise, Arizona