Easy pickup and return.

Pickup was a bit slow, mainly because the staff were slow to work. Since the X3 I booked was unavailable, I got a free upgrade to an X5, which was very satisfying. When returning the car, due to staff error, I almost overpaid for fuel. Service needs improvement!

The car rental procedures at Hertz were very simple, both for picking up and returning the vehicle. For the return, they just did a quick inspection of the exterior. I only bought basic insurance and they didn't push for more coverage. The vehicle inspection was straightforward. Due to a long waiting time during pickup, they generously gave a free tank of gas to every customer waiting. A big company with a big heart!

The service at the Melbourne airport location was very poor. First, I booked an Audi Q7 two months in advance. During those two months, no one informed me that the car was unavailable. When I arrived, they told me that there were no Q7s, and they didn't have any 7-seaters either. Why wasn't I informed earlier if there were no cars available during those two months? Not even a single other 7-seater? The staff didn't even apologize, telling me confidently that there were no cars, and suggesting I switch to a smaller car. I had three people, three suitcases, and two backpacks. How could a small car fit all that? I booked a Q7 for the comfort, not to make do with a smaller car! Second, the staff rudely informed me that the insurance I bought on Zuzuche wasn't recognized by Hertz! Excuse me? I bought full coverage and additional insurance! They gave me a document stating that if there was an accident and I didn't buy their insurance, I would be liable for 5500 AUD! My insurance wasn't applicable! Third, they finally gave me an Audi Q5, which took almost an hour to get. During this time, I called Zuzuche's customer service to complain, but nothing was resolved! The car hadn't been cleaned at all. I picked up the car late at night, so I didn't have time to inspect it. We arrived at 6:30 PM and got the car at 8 PM, needing to drive to Geelong, an hour away from Melbourne. The next day, I found the back seats were filthy. My daughter sat in the back, and her shorts were stained. We had to clean the seats bit by bit! Also, the MMI system stopped working the next day. We had already left Melbourne and couldn't return to the office. I called Zuzuche, who told me Hertz would contact me, but no one ever did! We also rented from Hertz in Sydney, and that car hadn't been cleaned either. The first car we got in Sydney had tire pressure issues, but luckily we were still in Sydney and quickly went back to the office. The staff told me I could either fill up the gas tank before returning or inflate the tires myself. Was it my fault the tire pressure was low? After arguing for a while, they finally replaced the car without conditions. The first staff member who served me in Sydney was nice and patiently explained that I could drive confidently because I had bought full coverage. She also asked if I wanted to purchase a toll pass to avoid additional charges on toll roads. I appreciated that service. However, the Melbourne staff was very impatient once I refused to buy their recommended insurance, and they just handed me the rental documents and moved on to the next customer. Before returning the car, we refueled, but since we had to drive to the airport, the gas gauge might not have shown full after a half-hour drive. An inspector told us the tank wasn't full and asked for either 60 AUD or suggested we refuel again. We drove to a nearby gas station and spent 6 AUD on gas to get the approval. This was my first experience with Hertz, and I will never use them again! The company abuses its position. The waiting time was long, the car was dirty, and there were problems. My two rentals were dirty with issues. This is definitely not an isolated incident!

Like: Having not rented a car for a long time this was such a pleasure to go to the counter and get the car no worries!
Dislike: Nothing really. Very satisfied customer.