3Cforme

If legislatures or other empowered agencies chose to regulate it, fine. The major agencies will all fall in line to comply. Until then, Hertz can declare its charges and price to market.

As for the argument that prices should reflect costs - ha ha ha ha ha. This is travel services we're talking about. One can also note that rental agencies have an economic interest in discouraging drivers with routine violations - as is typical with (U.S., anyway) insurance carriers.

spades097

The fee is disproportional the efforts of Hertz? How do you know what their efforts are? Sometimes the local government goes directly after Hertz, they pay the ticket up front, and then have to try to recover the money from the renter. Regardless, they do not have to justify their charges. They are not a not-for-profit organization. If you don't like the charges then rent elsewhere. Better yet, stop breaking the law.

Dave Noble

What the salary of staff at Hertz Customer Head office where the letters go ( iirc ) is not the cost of staff in total. As mentioned, simple solution is not to commit any offences; if not liking the terms of the contract, then should be dealt with *before* taking the car and not wait until after the rental to complaint.

Dave

DanK

As if the contract you sign were negotiable. "Uh, I want you to change these lines here, and insert some others..."
Yeah, right.

Dave Noble

If you don't like the terms, then there is no requirement to hire the car, can always choose not to rent the car

DanK

Of course there is no "requirement". But since all the companies have more or less the same type of contract, if you want to rent a car, any car, or worse, if you need to rent a car, you have to sign the contract.

Dave Noble

ok; And if you sign the contract, expect to be charged according to the contract rather than wanting to know how to contest the charges

Merlin666

As far as I know I have not committed anything. It has now been more than two months since the alleged incident and I have not heard from the Swiss authorities. Furthermore, I have the parking receipt that demonstrates that the vehicle was safely and legally parked at Rhine Falls during the time when this was supposed to have happened. The charge is utterly frivolous.

Dave Noble

If they were contacted by the relevent parties regarding an alleged offence then Hertz charges for processing it. If the request for information was unjustified, then contact the ones that requested it. If you contact Hertz they should be able to give you the details of the infringement allegation to follow up.

I doubt very much that Hertz just decided on their own to send your details off

travelkid

Received a letter from Hertz Germany informing they had charged me 20€ + vat for informing "the relevant authority".

I didnt find this info on any of my receipts, and specifically asked what extras that might occur. This was not mentioned. I e-mailed then about it, and got a standard "reply within 14 days" e-mail. After 15 days I sent a follow-up (which only gave me the same standard reply) saying that no reply within coming Monday would make me assume they didnt backup the charge, and wouldnt mind me disputing the charge with Amex. Called Amex, explained, and they promised money back on card within 48 hours.^

Hertz: a big

Dave Noble

If you dispute the charge to AMEX, then Hertz will respond to the dispute indicating that they are entitled to charge the fee and have seen them do so.

Disputing does not mean that you will get the money back just that the charge will be disputed with the vendor

Dave

travelkid

Yes of course.

But now the incentive is at Hertz, and their case is getting weaker by the day, especially as they havent responded to my mails.

And let me add.

In some cases bills are sent to car owner who is legally responsible (typically parking/toll), and other cases only the driver will be responsible (typically criminal offenses).

In the first case Hertz has to pay, and a minor fee would bee in order.

In the second, all Hertz has to do is provide the renter data, which as of 2010 should be very quick and easy and an automated process. This should not be charged for. Especially since all criminal cases ( the term to include traffic violations) are based on the principle innocent until proven guilty. And further, in most juridictions you are obliged by law to witness regarding criminal cases, and as such in this case Hertz is only fulfilling the duty of a citizen.

Dave Noble

That you do not want them to charge does not mean that they are not allowed to charge for doing so. They have received the violation notice and have charged a fee for processing it. If you dispute the charge Hertz will provide the details of the rental , the entry in their terms which covers charging it plus the notice which they received back to AMEX and they will get their money back.

travelkid

First of all I challenge their right as well.
- I havent yet seen the contractual evidence that would allow them.
- I clearly asked, with multiple witnesses, what extras that would possibly occur ( I asked this "stupid" question as I almost never rent cars). This fee was not mentioned. Possibly because the clerk was not aware of it, and if it exists in the contract, then its "hidden" deep in with small letters. I asked so I did not have to read pages of fine print. I ask you one question; do you always read all the fine print on all contracts as a consumer? In that case I bet you are a RPITA for not only the company but for all other customers waiting.
- What if I had signed my own death sentence? Or if that fee was said to be 500€? Have you heard about (european) consumer rights? There are limits to what extend professional companies can include in the standard t&c when dealing with consumers.
- I have yet to see the specific writing, but it might be some vague "appropriate fee". If thats the case, as I said when they are legally responsible for the bill a minor fee would be included in such term. But not charging a fee for doing whats obliged by law, witness in a criminal case, as part of Contrate Social.

So even if there is some wording in the contract that might allow the charge, multiple reasons suggest they shouldnt. As any clause is open to interpretation as well.
In any case a fee should not exceed the costs involved, and I assume you see there is a big difference between the 2 cases originally mentioned (1 where they have to deal with paying etc, and this one where a simple automated letter could be sent, even electronically, plausible fee 2$).

Let me also add that Hertz post-dealings with this might legally imply after a certain time that they no longer have a valid claim.


Let me ask how you feel about the fee, if the alleged offense is disputed and withdrawn?

travelkid

Just a few cents on a few of your comments. In general though, after searching "speed camera", I find your comments in general to be in line with the company/cops policy. I dont know if you are work related or just having that customer unfriendly approach in general.

Although also Hertz makes errors I dont believe that in general. Alot of the companies that request info from Hertz do mistakes for sure, especially parking companies. Maybe Hertz should charge the one requesting info? Then they would think before they do it. Exception of course like my case, if they are obliged by law to supply renter details (and of course where they are obliged to pay as owner).

Sticking to my case the cost in total could be standarized routines, entering car number, date and press "send data to #insert recipent#" electronically, at practically no cost at all.

This is more or less a repetition on your above comment, and as such very customer unfriendly, in terms of consumer at least.
I have commented in previous post about standard t&c vs consumers. And as long as the clerks have no authority to adjust t&c, you are in reality forced to sign them. If you book a car for a meeting by internet where these terms are not included in the confirmation, and are presented you upon pick up, you dont really have a choice if you are short of time, or the competitors on spot have far higher walk-in prices or in any case the same customer unfriendly t&c.

These issues are the fine print, and not any key element in the confirmation or contract, and not likely to be read at all, and even then not clearly written. You could end up spending a full day at the desk to ask the clerk to explain the content, and still most of it would probably not hold in court.

I find it provocative that you mean I as a customer should try to claim back money from the party requesting money from Hertz. Do you have any idea how hard it is to follow up such a minor claim against a company in far away country where you dont speak the language? If I understand you correct, this is by far crossing the border. Maybe Hertz would charge me for giving me those details as well then? I guess you would justify that?