Nightmare with Hertz - can anyone help?

boopolo

Dannyboy83 wrote: »

Sunday 7th September at approx 6.30pm - 7pm

Why is that mate?

Because the photo was taken in the carpark on the 12-09-2008 with an Olympus uD600/S600 (ordinary compact camera). That is some 5 days later.


Boo

Alun

boopolo wrote: »

Because the photo was taken in the carpark on the 12-09-2008 with an Olympus uD600/S600 (ordinary compact camera). That is some 5 days later.

Well spotted! Yes, you can see it all quite clearly in the photo's EXIF data.

EKRIUQ

Alun wrote: »

Well spotted! Yes, you can see it all quite clearly in the photo's EXIF data.

Pictures taken on the 12th of Sept

2008:09:12 at 11:41:53 OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. uD600
2008:09:12 at 11:42:05 OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. uD600

5 days later that car could of been rented twice after you:mad:

sharkman

You need to write to the Customer Service Manager Hertz Europe Services Centre,Swords Business Park, Swords,Co. Dublin, Ireland.

boopolo

Alun wrote: »

Well spotted! Yes, you can see it all quite clearly in the photo's EXIF data.

Yes thats why I asked Danny. Had checked the EXIF data a few days ago cause i suspected that he gave the car back well before the 12th.

Boo

Dannyboy83

boopolo wrote: »

Because the photo was taken in the carpark on the 12-09-2008 with an Olympus uD600/S600 (ordinary compact camera). That is some 5 days later.


Boo

Wow! Genius mate!
That is an interesting twist.

How can I verify that?

I think I need to get writing asap.

Dannyboy83

sharkman wrote: »

You need to write to the Customer Service Manager Hertz Europe Services Centre,Swords Business Park, Swords,Co. Dublin, Ireland.

Thank you, I was looking all over but couldn't find anything like this.

Our man in Havana

I can let you into another secret.

When you take the extra cover they tell you what damage is on the car when you take it out. When you don't they get upset and they don't tell you anything, until after you return the car. Also I reckon they don't ever get the minor scuffs repaired and they then blame the next renter for the same damage. So it is a scam between the rental company and the garages which may be one and the same outfit.

A few tips:

1. Always inspect the car carefully on collection and note any damage present before leaving the place.

2. Never return a car when the rental company is not open.

3. Always inspect the car with a rental company employee on return and have them sign that there is no damage.

boopolo

Used Photoshop

Opening this in browser is not clear

so

Rightclick attached image 'screenshot_car2'/save target as. Then open with whatever photo viewer program you use.



Boo

dahamsta

Well spotted boopolo!

Greenman

Dannyboy83 wrote: »

Thank you, I was looking all over but couldn't find anything like this.

So after all this how did the story end???

EKRIUQ

Would this new EU directive work, small claims court across borders now, I think

Dannyboy83

I got a very late reply just on the 22nd of December

Ref. No:

---

22.12.08
Rental Agreement #:

---

Reservation Id. ---
Rental: Kaunas Airport, 30.08-07.09.08


Dear sir,

Thank you for your e-mail of 05.12.08 regarding the amount charged for the damage to the hired car.

Please be advised that we contacted the Lithuanian Customer Service again and went through the correspondence received and sent. Today I can inform you that the amount charged is correct. The damage was billed with EUR 223.29 + 18 % VAT = EUR 263.48. The additional amount refers to an additional rental day. According to your internet booking the car was prepaid for the duration of 30.08-06.09.08. The car was registered as returned on 07.09.08 which resulted in an additional rental day. Since this rental day was not prepaid this was billed to your credit card account. However, if you returned the car as booked on 06.09.08 I would like to ask you to send a copy of a document which indicates that the car was being returned on that day, i. e. boarding pass etc. Please send this document to:

Facsimle: ----
email:customer-relations-uk@hertz.com


I apologise for inconveniences caused and I hope I could assist you with this query.



Yours sincerely,

---
UK Customer Services Department

Dannyboy83

Here is my reply, going out today

Dear

---

Thank you for your reply. I suggest you forward this email to your management as I will be going on national radio shortly unless I receive some real results concerning what is contained in this email.

I have taken the photograph to a photographic specialist.
I am quite simply shocked by the evidence. I have attached an original photograph for you.
And I have attached a 2nd photo to show you exactly what I am looking at.

As you confirmed below, the car was returned on 07.09.08
As is clearly visible from the pictures I have sent you, this photograph was taken on 12.09.08 at 11:41:53 AM

This is a full 5 days after my rental ended.
This car could have been rented twice in 5 days. Or anything could have happened to it when it was NOT under my contract.

I don’t care if there are records to show the car was not rented during this time.
I returned the car on the 7th of September with NO visible damage.
And a photograph taken on the 12th of September shows visible damage.
May I remind you that this is a duration of over 107 hours AFTER my contract ceased.

Please do not patronise me with any more emails.
I find this incredibly unprofessional. This is borderline fraud/extortion.
I am expecting compensation or a refund to my credit card for the damage charges which were confirmed below to be exactly EUR 223.29 + 18 % VAT = EUR 263.48

My solicitor has suggested I have very strong grounds here for legal action, but most likely I am going to ring the Joe Duffy national radio talk show, and warn anyone travelling to Lithuania of the risk they are taking using Hertz, in particular Hertz Kaunas.
http://www.rte.ie/radio1/liveline/


I await a prompt reply,

Dannyboy83

If I don't get a refund or compensation, then I'm going on Joe Duffy.
And I need to see my solicitor again.
Its seems there is really good chance of legal action here.

I'm also planning to make a website about this too, about what happened with pictures and time line if they don't refund me the cost of the "damage" etc.
Its easy and cheap to make.

I want these guys to get the message.
This crap is not on.
Hertz in Lithuania are total gangsters.
And Hertz in the UK shouldn't be protecting them.

If I've saved 1 other person from the Hertz Nightmare, then I'm pleased.


A VERY big thank you to boopolo.
I knew there had been no damage when I gave the car back.
But I WAS starting to question myself if my girlfriend and her sister and I had missed something when we checked the car in the car park prior to returning keys!!

Until Boopolo pointed the little trick they did with dates, I couldn't understand it.

John_Mc

Personally, I'd ring my CC company and dispute the charge. I'd get solicitors involved and contact Hertz HQ about the matter.

Bluetonic

It was all going well until you mentioned going on Joe Duffy.

Just get a solicitor involved, it's fairly clear cut. Leave out the drama on Joe Duffy.

John_Mc

Bluetonic wrote: »

It was all going well until you mentioned going on Joe Duffy.

Just get a solicitor involved, it's fairly clear cut. Leave out the drama on Joe Duffy.

I was joking

Dannyboy83

It was my brother suggested Joe Duffy - hes a solicitor.

Why do you think I should skip Joe Duffy?

LolaDub

Bluetonic wrote: »

It was all going well until you mentioned going on Joe Duffy.

Just get a solicitor involved, it's fairly clear cut. Leave out the drama on Joe Duffy.

Firstly a solicitor can be costly and secondly getting the media involved does help. Companies have to sit up and take note when their activities are well known. I had a massive issue with dell a while ago that was completely ignored for months until i contacted pricewatch about it. Within hours dell had rang with an apology and fixing the issue.

There is no reason why he should protect their reputation by keeping this between himself and a solicitor and incur the solicitors costs himself.

EKRIUQ

I think your going to lose alot of credibility by threatening with "Joe Duffy", all retailers from small shops to a lager company have been all threatened with I’ll ring Joe Duffy, the local radio the papers, they have heard it all before some on a daily occurrence and a company like Hertz aren’t going to be bullied by this if they think there in the right. More likely they will be listening intently to your interview waiting for you to make a mistake or give some false information they sue the pants off RTE, that’s what I would do if I was Hertz.

If your brothers a solicitor the legal route is the way to go and if you build a website about it I’m sure that’s the route Hertz would take. I’m pretty sure I’ll never rent a car off Hertz after this story but with everything there are proper procedures to take.

LolaDub

EKRIUQ wrote: »

If your brothers a solicitor the legal route is the way to go and if you build a website about it I’m sure that’s the route Hertz would take. I’m pretty sure I’ll never rent a car off Hertz after this story but with everything there are proper procedures to take.

I agree with you on following proper procedures but i think he has exhausted the proper procedures with hertz and gotten nowhere at all.

Bluetonic

Dannyboy83 wrote: »

It was my brother suggested Joe Duffy - hes a solicitor.

Why do you think I should skip Joe Duffy?

It's a drama, nothing more, nothing less. If your serious send a solicitors letter.

LolaDub wrote: »

Firstly a solicitor can be costly and secondly getting the media involved does help. Companies have to sit up and take note when their activities are well known. I had a massive issue with dell a while ago that was completely ignored for months until i contacted pricewatch about it. Within hours dell had rang with an apology and fixing the issue.

There is no reason why he should protect their reputation by keeping this between himself and a solicitor and incur the solicitors costs himself.

A solicitors letter is inexpensive especially in these times where they are biting your hand off for work.

Your not going to get your average Joe Duffy listener to relate to a story like this, therefore it probably won't be scripted into the daily drama. There might be some chance of coverage during the summer months when car hire is higher.

The legal route is the way to go here, not like some child throwing the toys out of the pram so to speak.

Our man in Havana

Hertz LT are going to be very hard to pin down. Hertz UK will claim that they are only agents for Hertz LT and to take the matter up with them.

As for talking to Joe, that would affect hertz IRL's rep and something will be done.

Dannyboy83

Bad idea or not, its too late, I already sent the email before I posted here, the threat has been made.
I'm waiting to see what their response is, hopefully I won't have to wait too long.

Regardless, if I don't get a result, it'll be worth the cost of a solicitors letter.

If I get no results from them, then I'll go to Liveline and see if Joe is interested.

At the very worst, it might save somebody else the bones of 300 euro!

sharkman

Head of Customer relations in Dublin is Chris Diviney , Hertz Europe Service Centre , Swords Business Park, Swords Co Dublin Telephone:01 8133550 Fax 01 8133440 .

You need to get in touch with him !

LolaDub

Well i certainly wouldn't use hertz after reading this!

Climate Expert

Fair dues Danny, I won't be using Hertz ever again and you can point them here for confirmation of that.

Dannyboy83

sharkman wrote: »

Head of Customer relations in Dublin is Chris Diviney , Hertz Europe Service Centre , Swords Business Park, Swords Co Dublin Telephone:01 8133550 Fax 01 8133440 .

You need to get in touch with him !

Brilliant, thanks for that.

I just gave a quick call there but couldn't get through, I left voicemail and asked him to contact me asap.

We'll see what happens.

Dannyboy83

Just a quick update,

Chris Deviney rang me back yesterday evening and assured me she would be investigating the matter personally.
She seemed like a very nice woman and very professional and I was utterly relieved to speak to somebody in management at last.

She explained that the UK customer service representative are simply acting as mediators between me and Hertz Lithuania as they are a franchise and it is Hertz Lithuania who have taken the money from my credit card for "damages".


I briefly explained my case to her and how we saw no damage when we returned the car, and the photos being taken after 5 days etc.
She agreed that there was a very large amount of detail/communication in the file and she assured me she would deal with it personally and advised that there would be a delay due to the issues with communication etc. etc.

I told her that I don't mind if it takes 2 days or 2 weeks, once somebody in management is dealing with it.
I'm hoping she will be able to help with the return the money I was charged for "damages".

I'm hoping now that its in her hands, I won't have to go on Joe Duffy now or start messing with solicitors etc.

Anyway, I was speaking to my girlfriend's mom on skype yesterday, and she was suggesting I use her solicitor in Lithuania rather than an Irish solicitor to go ahead with it. Not sure how this works, need to talk to my brother about this.

Big Thank You to Sharkman for the contact info