In most parts of the country, driving is the only way to get around. There are a few exceptions, such as New York City, where public transit is the more popular mode of transportation, as parking is scarce and expensive, traffic is heavy, and driving just isn't efficient. And perhaps most importantly, it has a robust public transit system. According to one woman, however, car rental companies may be taking advantage of that by charging renters additional fees labeled as toll and congestion charges. In a video that has garnered over 6,545 views, TikTok creator Lauren (@laurenmarymoore) says she’s struggling to get answers about a series of extra fees associated with her Hertz rental. What Fees Did Hertz Charge Her For The Car Rental? "Let this be your sign to never, ever rent from Hertz," Lauren begins. "They’re refusing to answer my emails… they don’t pick up my phone calls, and I’m still getting charged for things." She explains that two months ago, she rented a car in New York City for a trip to Virginia and added a toll pass at checkout. "They asked me if I wanted a toll pass… it’s like $20, $25 per day," she says. "And I was like, yeah… I know I’m gonna go through a lot of tolls." She says she returned the car without any issues. "I bring the car back, I drop it off, all is good," she says. Tell us what you think! View Comments About a week later, though, she says additional charges started appearing. "I get a charge of $85 for toll charges through Hertz," she says. "And I’m so confused because I purchased that pass." When she reached out to the company, she says Hertz directed her to a third-party billing company. They allegedly told her she’d be partially refunded. "They say… we’re gonna reimburse you half," she says. "Did I ever see that reimbursement? No, I did not." The charges kept on coming. Later, she says she received an $11 congestion fee in the mail, which she paid via a check. "Last week, I get another email saying that my credit card is about to be charged $10 for a congestion fee," she says. "I then get a reimbursement in the mail for that $11 that I sent the check for." To "wrap it all up in a bow," she says she got another congestion fee of $23. She says she repeatedly tried to contact the company without success. "Unless you're someone who wants a rental car company to just continue to charge your credit card months after your rental, never, ever rent from Hertz," she concludes the video. Is There A Reasonable Explanation For The Fees? In the comments section, viewers said Hertz may not be at fault in this situation. "This isn't a Hertz thing, depending what city you're in, the toll device is just so you can either get mailed the toll fees or pay from their app like in bay area, [California]," one user wrote. "I had to learn the hard way as well when I visited Chicago. We live and learn." Another user broke down how the toll system works with rental cars. "You paid like $15 to enable plate pass but you still need to pay the tolls. The plate pass just allows you to go through tolls seamlessly in your rental without having to stop and pay cash or put your personal E-ZPass in the rental," they explained. "If you went without plate pass at all, they would’ve charged you about an extra $100 for the process of sending you the bill they received, which is ridiculous." A third user shared their own grievances with the company. "Hertz is the WORST. They double booked me and despite me showing them every single receipt, they refused to stop asking me to pay," they shared. "They sent me to collections LOL f them I’m not paying and I’m not answering the collection calls because I didn’t rent two cars in one day." What Went Wrong Here? New York City alone has over 30 toll roads, all with their own fees that a $20 pass would likely not cover. Some areas also have congestion pricing, intended to reduce traffic in certain parts of the city. In some areas of Manhattan, for example, you’ll pay a fee just to drive through. However, some customers may expect that a company would clearly explain how these charges work upfront, especially because they offer a toll pass as an add-on In the case of an E-ZPass, for example, it doesn’t cover the toll fees; it simply allows the charges to be billed later through a third-party system. Motor1 has reached out to Hertz via email and Lauren via Instagram messages for comment. We’ll update this piece if we hear back. We want your opinion! What would you like to see on Motor1.com? Take our 3 minute survey. - The Motor1.com Team
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