Controversial rental car charges

Q: I rented a car from Hertz more than a year ago. Another motorist rear-ended my rental. I was slightly hurt, and the rental sustained minor damage to the bumper.

I followed all the rules during the claims process. The other driver's insurance paid a $2,000 claim to Hertz. A Hertz representative told me the claim was closed.

I got a call almost 10 months after the accident from Hertz telling me that I still owe them $658 for loss of use, underpayment by the other driver's insurance and a processing fee. Hertz claims it called me "many times." But it was the first time I had heard from the company.

I can't file another claim with my insurance because I'm past the 60-day limit. I thought it was a scam because it was so long after the accident, and it just didn't seem realistic. Hertz has now sent my case to collections.

What can I do? I've sent emails to customer relations, and I used your reference guide to email corporate members of Hertz. But I keep getting the runaround. Hertz now refuses to speak to me, only referring me to the outside collection agency. I would appreciate any assistance in this matter. ─ Michael Edgar, Vancouver, Washington

A: Hertz should have closed your claim when it said it did. The fees it's charging for loss of use and processing are controversial. Some might even call them junk fees. Loss of use covers the hypothetical revenue the car rental company would get if the vehicle wasn't in the repair shop. Many insurance adjusters won't cover this fee. Chances are, the other driver's insurance wouldn't cover it ─ leaving you with the bill.

The administrative fee is also problematic. It's essentially asking you to cover the car rental company's other costs associated with repairing the vehicle, such as employee salaries and other overhead expenses. Again, I'm betting the other driver's insurance refused to pay this junk fee.

If an employee tells you that you're good to go, you should be good to go. But it's best to get this decision in writing. That's particularly true when you're dealing with a car rental damage claim.

I see you tried to use the list of executive contacts for Hertz found on my consumer advocacy site at elliott.org/company-contacts/hertz. Someone should have responded quickly and fixed this for you.

I contacted Hertz on your behalf. It dropped the claim against you.