Hertz rental price discrepancy

For a trip to Mexico City with my wife, Arlene, Feb. 17-25, 2019, I reserved a car online with Hertz (www.hertz.com) in January. I was given a total cost of $192, which would equal MXN3,694.

However, when we went to pick up the car, the price we were charged was MXN5,490 ($285, according to my credit card statement), or 48% more, even though I had with me the original receipt with the price I had been given at booking. On my part, there was no informed consent that the price in Mexico would be different.

The Mexico City Hertz employee made it very clear that I had to pay the amount on the second document, which I did, using my Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select card. She could not explain any reason the two numbers were different.

After returning home from the trip, I called Hertz twice. Hertz’s home office in the US could not explain the discrepancy. I was even shuttled over to the international division but, again, no one could explain the difference in price.

It seems there are some independently owned “franchises” that, although they use the Hertz name, do whatever they want with the bills.

In the first week of March, I filed a dispute by phone with my credit card company, Mastercard, which began investigating my claim. Once that happened, I got an email from Hertz with an offer of a free one-day rental, which I would have to return to Mexico to use.

Mastercard ended up reimbursing me $51 of the $93 extra I paid.

JOE WHITEHOUSE
Oakland, CA

ITN emailed a copy of the above letter to Hertz and received no reply.