Customers often say the reserved car isn’t there at pickup. Many reviews mention surprise or unexplained charges added during or after the rental. Several accounts point to maintenance issues, especially with electric vehicles. Some locations earn clear praise for specific employees who provide helpful service.
Examples from available reviews (Aug 2022 – Mar 2026).
No car available at Newcastle despite booking; forced to pay much more elsewhere.
“Arrived at Newcastle airport having booked car to find no car available.”
Super Cover was added without discussion despite having purchased separate premium insurance.
“Hertz at Belfast International airport added Super Cover to my hire without even speaking to me about it.”
Frequent faulty cars and unhelpful staff caused lost work and significant stress.
“Faulty cars which they expect you to take a dead EV car to mechanic”
Georgia provided exceptional, caring and helpful customer service during hire.
“She went over and above to help me”
Most reviews focus on pickup problems: reserved cars missing, last‑minute cancellations, and long counter lines. Customers report these issues at multiple airport and local branches. A few reviews mention quick, efficient service at certain locations, but they are uncommon.
Many complaints centre on surprise fees, large card holds, and disputed damage or mileage charges at return. Several reviewers describe pushy upselling of insurance and fuel options that significantly raised the final cost. Mentions of fair pricing or refunds appear only rarely.
Customers describe repeated friction during the rental, including phone lines that don’t work, long waits, and app failures that stop pickup or create double bookings. Some say they were locked out of the car or the app mid‑rental, causing immediate disruption. Only a handful mention a smooth digital experience.
Many reviews point to car issues such as low EV charge at handover, battery failures, mouldy interiors, and vehicles that had to be swapped. These accounts mention safety worries as well as time lost. A small number note well‑kept cars at specific locations.
Many customers say optional charges or insurance were added without a clear explanation, and follow‑up messages often got no reply. Several reviews mention refunds or waived fees that later reappeared or were never resolved. In some cases, the support and recovery phone numbers did not work reliably.
Reviews split clearly between many low ratings tied to availability, billing, and vehicle issues, and a smaller group of high ratings that single out individual staff. The main negative theme is missed bookings, surprise charges, and car condition. Positive experiences often hinge on specific employees or particular branches.
For each review, the core experience based on original source reviews.
Sources: Trustpilot (40) · yelp.com (20) · Reviews (20) · Reviews (1) · Quotes shortened · As of: March 2026
Super Cover was added without discussion despite having purchased separate premium insurance.
“Hertz at Belfast International airport added Super Cover to my hire without even speaking to me about it.”
Mileage was disputed despite photographic evidence and no refund issued.
“Recorded mileage with photographic evidence and they insist I did well in excess of the mileage I did”
Charged $500 for alleged damage without any vehicle inspection report shown.
“I got totally scammed for $500 when they said I caused damage.”
No car available at Newcastle despite booking; forced to pay much more elsewhere.
“Arrived at Newcastle airport having booked car to find no car available.”
Confirmed booking but no cars available and customer service offered no help.
“They acknowledged we had a confirmed booking but they didnt have a car.”
Consistently quick service at Gatwick South with accurate damage reports.
“the staff were always polite, the car was always ready”
Booking cancelled without reason shortly before collection, causing major disruption.
“Cancelled my booking with no reason”
Reserved Tesla unavailable after long wait; replacement demanded additional daily charge.
“reserved Tesla Model 3 was not available.”
Location cancels reservations last minute and provides no alternative or phone support.
“will cancel your reservation last minute with no care or alternative solution”
Received a Tesla with only 20% charge and no satisfactory remedy offered.
“they still gave it to me on 20% charge.”
No vehicles available, staff pushed upgrades and charged card multiple times for cancelled hire.
“they wanted my to upgrade and pay more for a Benz.”
Service denied despite a reservation, customer willing to rebook but refused assistance.
“Denied me service despite having a reservation.”
Shuttle driver Dave Mollet helped with luggage and provided enjoyable service.
“Was blessed to have Dave Mollet as a shuttle driver again today”
Phones unanswered and car availability in the area is consistently limited.
“I've tried calling all of them in the area and no one answers the phone.”
Customer service and staff improved noticeably after management change recently.
“their customer service and personnel have greatly Improved.”
Waited over 45 minutes outside in cold with no heating or progress.
“We waited outside for over 45 minutes in 14 degree weather with no heat.”
Agent referred to corporate line promising voucher and AAA pickup, issue unresolved.
“She referred me to a corporate line.”
Hertz provided a suitable larger vehicle and saved the day.
“I got really lucky with Hertz!”
Two unexplained £42 charges appeared days after returning the car with no invoice.
“8 days after I returned the car I had 2 additional charges for £42 applied”
Reservation not honoured; no car available at scheduled time.
“they did not have ANY car for me.”
No staff present; waited 30 minutes with phones unanswered.
“Been here 30 minutes and haven't seen a single person.”
Hertz instructed immediate return but then provided no car or help.
“They wouldn't even talk to me for five hours”
Rented Tesla had a mouldy smell and multiple maintenance issues.
“smelled like the carpets had been wet from mold”
Friendly staff, but vehicles were poorly maintained and required replacements.
“vehicles offered at this location are so poorly maintained.”
Staff members provided excellent service during an ice storm.
“they somehow helped me and family navigate the huge ice storm”
Very long queues and a two-hour wait despite having a reservation.
“Very long line and sometimes no one was at the counter.”
Many customers with reservations were told no cars were available.
“there are no cars for them.”
Long queue and unhelpful staff favour members over other customers.
“The line is extremely long with only 1 unhelpful worker”
Upsold to an unsuitable car, charged despite prepayment and deposit concerns.
“HERTZ have charged my card for the car rental, even though it was prepaid.”
Reservation refused due to residency background check and agent offered no solution.
“the rental was refused at the counter...I allegedly failed an internal “background check” related to my address”
App failures in low signal caused long delays and a double booking stress.
“the app wouldn’t work”
Georgia provided exceptional, caring and helpful customer service during hire.
“She went over and above to help me”
Booking cancelled then identical car offered later at much higher price online.
“I was able to book exactly the same car...but it was now £664”
Long-term customer repeatedly overcharged and faced poor, slow customer service responses.
“customer service is disgusting almost non-existent”
Previously waived damage charge reappeared and Hertz continued to demand payment again.
“I received another demand for payment for the same amount, despite having confirmation that the charge was made in error.”
Fuel option charged full tank despite car being three quarters full; high admin fees.
“They will charge you for a full tank of fuel when it was already 3/4 full”
No cars available on arrival and staff did not assist finding alternatives urgently.
“told they had no cars in the compound to hire out.”
Gold card pricing varied widely between app and website for the same hire.
“I was offered the same car for £63”
Frequent faulty cars and unhelpful staff caused lost work and significant stress.
“Faulty cars which they expect you to take a dead EV car to mechanic”
Reviewer accuses the company of attempting to take customers' money by any means.
“Try to take your money anyway they can.”
This page combines submitted experiences with public reviews from platforms such as Google, Trustpilot, etc. Recurring points are summarised without changing the content of reviews.
Hertz is a global car rental company that offers short‑term and long‑term hires for leisure and business travellers. It runs airport counters and neighbourhood branches, with a fleet that includes economy cars, luxury models, and electric vehicles. Hertz also offers a mobile app for booking, check‑in, and account management, plus a loyalty programme called Gold Plus Rewards for frequent renters. Corporate accounts and one‑way rentals are included in its commercial services.