6 hours ago
8
Customers are complaining of surprise fees for nearly indistinguishable marks found by Hertz’s AI inspection technology.
Car-rental company Hertz is facing numerous customer complaints for its implementation of an AI-driven vehicle inspection camera that can detect even the tiniest signs of damage.
Hertz recently partnered with UVeye (a computer vision company) to implement the new technology to its US operations, but customers have started receiving repair bills for damage that is common with car usage.
Under the alias animemufin, one customer posted on Reddit’s r/HertzRentals board that “I recently rented a car from Hertz at IAH (Houston airport) and upon 30 mins of dropping the car off, I received a text saying there was damage reported on the car with a $195 bill tacked on it.”
They continue to explain that “upon taking a look at the pictures included, the ‘dent’ they’re referring to is negligible and even looks like a smudge to be quite honest. Am I crazy for fighting back and emailing/calling customer service that I’m not paying for it?”
Accompanying the post are pictures showing the car before and after the damage, alongside the repair bill and and a discount if paid before a countdown expires.
Originally charging $US195, Hertz is offering a limited time discount with an expiration of six hours to accept $US65 off, for a special saving of $US130.
The Reddit user, while contemplating disputing the bill, also drops a quote from an email from Hertz’s claims team.
“If you do not acknowledge in the notice, a claim will be established and sent to a recovery specialist for further handling. If the claim remains unpaid through this process, the claim could be forwarded to a collection team for handling,” the email said.
This is not the first time a Hertz customer has expressed their grievances on the AI system. After a return at the Atlanta airport, a renter was slapped with a $195, and, again, took to Reddit.
“I will no longer be using Hertz. Reached out to customer service and they said they stand by the AI. There are too many other rental car options to stick with one that pulls BS like this, even if I did enjoy the status.”
This growing dissatisfaction from Hertz renters seems to be common in the comments of both posts, posing a potential dangerous loss of future business for the car-rental company.
Ilana is a Melbourne-based journalist who was previously a copywriter in the Big Apple. Having moved to Melbourne for her Master of Journalism, she has written articles about food, farm machinery, fashion, and now the fast and furious. Her dream car has been a Mini Cooper since the fifth grade, eyeing its style and petite size.
