I rented a car from Hertz at High Wycombe in June 2018. It took an imprint of my credit card for a £500 deposit that would be destroyed upon my return of the vehicle.
At the end of the rental it advised me it would return the £500 once its card machine was up and operating. When it did not arrive, I was told they had a backlog of refunds they were getting through. After weeks of this, Hertz head office advised that the money should not have been taken in the first place and I should contact my credit card company. I did so but Hertz told my card issuer the £500 was for damage. I will need to take legal steps to get my money back, which is difficult as I live in Australia. LC, Richmond, Victoria, Australia
This disgraceful saga ended the day the Observer got involved – when the £500 was effortlessly returned. Hertz explains that the £500 was categorised as a payment rather than a deposit and the mistake went “undetected” when the branch changed ownership. It would undoubtedly still be “undetected” if the media spotlight hadn’t swivelled their way. You’ve now been sent a £200 voucher in the unlikely event you want to use Hertz again.
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