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
App displayed £15 but undisclosed membership and mileage fees were charged.
“it said £15 for an hour to rent a van.”
Staff gave incorrect information about additional charges and overcharged me.
“Gave incorrect information about additional charges then overcharged me.”
Customer service offered a free upgrade and excellent support in Glasgow.
“customer service was A++”
Reception added unwanted insurance and overcharged card beyond quoted amount.
“Ireland reception had added insurance that I had clearly stated I did not want”
Upfront 'fuel deposit' included extras and significantly increased final cost.
“My £30 great deal car ended up being £110.”
Locked out of rental with no support and refund not received.
“I was completely locked out of the vehicle and the Hertz app”
Blake at Heathrow provided friendly, clear and helpful customer service.
“Blake was friendly, professional, and went above and beyond”
Staff refused service because digital licences were not accepted despite confirmation.
“the staff refused to release the vehicle, claiming Hertz does not accept digital driver’s licences”
Charged £100 for charging despite returning car fully charged; poor handling.
“charged me an additional £100 for charging the car!”
Overcharged without consent and received no replies to follow-up attempts.
“Overcharged me for the car hire without consent”
Charged for minor dirt then agreed to reduce the amount after contest.
“They attempted to charge €84 for nothing - a tiny bit of dirt/gravel left in the footwell.”
Charged well above market rate for scratch repair using expensive quotes.
“They charged four times over the market rate for the damage.”
Returned from holiday and was billed €1320 for disputed additional mileage.
“charge of 1320 EUR for additional mileage”
One employee was helpful while another was rude and unhelpful at Boston Logan.
“I wish I could leave Rony with a 25 million star review for service above and beyond”
Cancellation was made difficult and membership fee was taken despite requests.
“they have taken the membership fee from me despite email proof”
Hertz placed a large card hold and failed to return funds after hire.
“Hertz told me they were putting a hold on my card for double what I paid”
Multiple operational failures at Gatwick caused delays and a disputed damage claim.
“It turns out that Hertz has subcontracted this role to another company!”
App hire quoted £80 but final invoice added hourly fees and VAT.
“it just said to hire it for 12 hours was 80 pound”
Vehicle not checked before pickup and refund for fuel not received yet.
“Car had not been checked beforehand”
Staff pressured to buy extra insurance and revealed a high excess amount.
“the clerk casually announced that it would be much better to take an extra insurance”
Was charged unexpected additional fees despite prepayment and full tank.
“charged me an additional £249”
Could not reach Hertz after parked car was hit; recovery numbers failed.
“Accident recovery phone number doesn't work.”
Reserved vehicle unavailable; offered pricier alternative or uncertain waiting list.
“it would double the price of the original reservation.”
Additional unwanted charges were added, producing a very high final bill.
“Added additional costs even though we made it very clear we did not want it.”
Cash deposit taken by employee then not returned; company denies taking cash.
“Gave the employee behind the counter cash for our deposit and it was stolen from us.”
Booking mishandled; no vehicle provided and customer assistance was poor.
“there was nothing they could do.”
Optional charges were applied without clear explanation and calls were unanswered.
“the optional charges were not explained or agreed to.”
Charged £50 for rubbish left in the boot.
“been chagred £50 for some rubbish in the boot”
Poor phone and reception service; wrong car supplied and undisclosed deposit.
“The phone rang for half an hour without any answer”
Staff at West Palm Beach provided fast, convenient and professional service.
“Fast, convenient , professional.”
Hertz couldn't find my long-term address yet still charged for the rental.
“that Hertz couldn’t find my address in there system”
Hertz closed instead of waiting for delayed flight, causing extra hotel cost.
“they didn’t bother to wait and had closed up and left.”
Vehicle battery failed; replacement was slow and reimbursement remained unresolved.
“we were charged for an auto but were given a manual”
Hertz adds unexpected fees revealed only upon vehicle return.
“They add additional fees that you will only learn about on return of the car.”
Online booking failed and phone representative quoted a much higher price then hung up.
“Your representative then hung up on me”
Waited 90 minutes despite arriving on time and experienced rude staff behaviour.
“i received the car after waiting by the desk 1 and a half hours”
A 90-minute wait to collect a car due to understaffing at Edinburgh airport.
“A 1 hr 30 min wait to collect a car at Edinburgh airport”
Booked car not provided; pressured into insurance and charged $800 without consent.
“boom!!! $800 was taken from my credit card without notice or consent.”
Waited 2.5 hours in a queue at Edinburgh airport to collect a booked car.
“Waiting 2.5 hours in a queue at Edinburgh airport to pick up my booked car rental”
£1500 taken without explanation and no human contact; stranded in France.
“They have taken £1500 from my credit card without explanation.”
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.