Hertz complaints: the 14-day deadline, damage and deposit

Hertz complaints: how and when to complain in Spain

The "Disputes" section of Hertz's rental terms for Spain asks you to send any dispute about card charges or damage billing to its customer service within 14 days of the end of your rental, with your rental agreement and/or reservation number, full information and any supporting evidence. These are the channels:

The phone numbers on Hertz Spain's contact page are for reservations (+34 91 749 77 65) and for help with online bookings (+34 91 749 90 69), and the ones in its terms are for roadside assistance. Whichever way you contact Hertz, put your complaint in writing so you have a record of the date.

What happens next: Hertz's customer service re-evaluates the case. If it agrees with you, it issues a revised invoice and refunds you in whole or in part; if it doesn't, it goes ahead and collects the amount invoiced. Hertz says it aims to deal with all customer contacts within 14 days.

If you hired outside Spain, check your rental agreement for the company and its terms: these are Hertz's terms for rentals in Spain.

Inspection and damage charges at Hertz

• At pick-up: Hertz lists any pre-existing damage and the car's accessories on its Vehicle Condition Report (VCR). Its terms ask you to compare the car with the VCR before you leave and to have any difference added; damage that isn't recorded will be put down to you when you return the car.
• At the return: Hertz inspects the car and records any new damage or missing accessory on a Damage Appraisal Report (DAR), which it emails to you with pictures. At busy times its terms tell you to allow 20 to 30 minutes to do the inspection with its staff and agree any damage. If you don't have time, the damage is assessed without you.
• Out of hours: you can only return the car outside opening hours with Hertz's prior agreement, following its instructions: park in its car park, lock the car, leave the documents (including the fuel receipt if you filled up) on the driver's seat and post the keys in the marked key box.

How Hertz prices the damage

• Common, minor damage: charged from a damage repair matrix based on local body shops' costs for parts and labour, plus loss of use while the car is repaired. Hertz says the matrix is audited by impartial third parties and updated at least four times a year. The cost and any Damage Administration Charge go on your final invoice.
• Other damage: referred to Hertz's damage assessor, who aims to finish within 20 days (up to 90 if a third party or the police are involved). You then get a separate invoice.
• Notice before the charge: Hertz emails you the cost at least seven days before it charges your credit card. The charge is taken from the amount it reserved on your card, and anything above that is charged to the card.
• With a damage waiver: if you bought one, Hertz charges up to the excess that applies, which may be reduced or zero, unless the waiver has been invalidated, for instance by damage caused intentionally or through gross negligence.

Damage found later: some damage, such as to the engine or clutch, or scratches hidden by dirt, darkness or heavy rain, may only turn up after the inspection. Hertz's terms say it will email you with evidence before charging, won't charge until seven days after telling you, and won't charge at all if the mileage is higher than when you returned the car, which would suggest it was used after your hire.

How to dispute a Hertz damage charge

1. Note the deadline: 14 days from the end of your rental. Don't wait for the final invoice to start.
2. Check the evidence Hertz sent against the list below, and ask for anything missing.
3. Compare with your evidence: the VCR, and your photos or video from pick-up and return. Our guide to disputing hire car damage explains what to look for.
4. Send your dispute in writing with your agreement or reservation number, what you dispute and the outcome you want. You can start from our complaint letter template.
5. Keep proof of what you sent and when. If you use the chat, save a copy of the conversation.

The evidence Hertz must provide

Hertz's terms say it will provide evidence of any damage charge, which should include:

• the rental agreement number, the date and the return location;
• a damage appraisal from a body repair shop and/or the invoice for the repairs;
• the signed VCR, any accident report form, and photographs of the damage in place and of the odometer.

If any of these is missing, ask for it in your dispute.

The deposit at Hertz

• How much: under its terms for Spain, Hertz reserves on your credit or debit card (or takes as a deposit) the amounts due at the start of the rental, such as a pay-later rate and extras bought at the counter, plus the cost of a full tank of fuel or charge unless you bought the fuel purchase option, with a minimum of €200; plus €500 if you didn't buy SuperCover. The final amount is set at pick-up and shown on your rental agreement.
• When it comes back: the amount is released or repaid when you return the car and pay the rental charges, but its terms warn that releasing an unused pre-authorisation or deposit can take up to 30 days. If there's a damage charge, Hertz takes it from the reserved amount and releases only the rest.

If it still isn't released after that, ask Hertz in writing and see our guides to card holds that aren't released and to getting a car hire deposit back.

Fuel and fines

• Fuel: fuel isn't included in the rate. Either refuel to the level shown on your rental agreement before you return the car, or return it lower and pay Hertz to refuel it, which costs the fuel plus a service charge. Keep the petrol station receipt and a photo of the fuel gauge.
• Fines: you pay any fine or toll from your rental, and Hertz may add a Fines Administration Charge. Its terms say that charge is refunded in full if you show you weren't responsible for the fine or that Hertz had no extra costs, and in part if you show its costs were lower than the charge. Check that the offence falls within your rental period.

If you bought excess cover elsewhere

A standalone excess insurance policy, or cover bought through the booking website, doesn't stop Hertz charging your card. You normally pay Hertz and then claim from your insurer, so keep the Damage Appraisal Report, the photos, the evidence Hertz sent and the invoice, and check your policy's time limits. Our guide to being charged the excess explains how this works.

If Hertz doesn't reply or rejects your complaint

• Independent adjudicator: Hertz's terms say that if it can't resolve the matter to your satisfaction, you can contact an independent adjudicator whose decision will be binding on Hertz. The terms don't name the adjudicator in their text, so ask Hertz which one applies to your hire.
• European conciliation (ECRCS): Hertz's terms offer the European Car Rental Conciliation Service if you live in the EU or the UK and were renting in a different country within the EU or the UK, and say Hertz will comply with its decision. You can reach it at complaint@ecrcs.eu. According to Leaseurope, the service covers rentals booked directly rather than through a broker, after the company's final answer, and you remain free to go to court.
• If you live in the EU, Iceland or Norway: the European Consumer Centre in your own country can help with a dispute with a trader in another of these countries; Hertz's terms point to it too if your case isn't eligible for the ECRCS. If you live in the UK, the UK International Consumer Centre can help.
• Consumer bodies in Spain: a municipal or regional consumer office can take your complaint. Spain's Ministry of Consumer Affairs explains the official channels (in Spanish).
• Your card issuer: if your card was charged an amount that was not fixed when you gave it as a guarantee, and it is more than you could reasonably have expected, you may be able to ask your card issuer for a refund within eight weeks of the charge. This comes from articles 76 and 77 of the EU Payment Services Directive and, for UK cards, regulations 79 and 80 of the Payment Services Regulations 2017. Ask your bank how it applies to your card.

How does Hertz compare with other car rental companies? See our comparison of ten car hire companies in Spain: deposits, deadlines to dispute damage, fuel and conciliation.

Common questions about Hertz complaints

What is Hertz's complaints phone number in Spain?

Hertz doesn't give one. Its contact page offers a live chat and, for questions after your hire, an online form; its phone lines are for reservations and help with online bookings. Complain in writing so you have a record of the date.

How long do I have to dispute a Hertz charge?

Its terms ask you to tell its customer service within 14 days of the end of your rental. Do it as soon as you can, even if you haven't had the final invoice yet.

Can Hertz charge me for damage without telling me?

Its terms say it will email you the cost at least seven days before charging your credit card, and provide evidence of the charge, including photographs of the damage and of the odometer.

Can Hertz charge me for damage it finds after I returned the car?

Its terms allow it for damage that couldn't be seen at the inspection, but it must email you with evidence first and wait seven days, and it won't charge if the car's mileage is higher than when you returned it.

How long does Hertz take to release the deposit?

Its terms say releasing an unused pre-authorisation or deposit can take up to 30 days.