LoyaltyLobby
  • News
  • Hotel Promos
    • Accor
    • Best Western
    • Radisson Rewards
    • Choice
    • Fairmont
    • Hilton
    • World of Hyatt
    • IHG Rewards
    • Marriott
    • Ritz-Carlton
    • Starwood
    • Wyndham Rewards
  • Reviews
  • Contact Us
  • Blog View
  •  
LoyaltyLobby
  • News
  • Hotel Promos
    • Accor
    • Best Western
    • Radisson Rewards
    • Choice
    • Fairmont
    • Hilton
    • World of Hyatt
    • IHG Rewards
    • Marriott
    • Ritz-Carlton
    • Starwood
    • Wyndham Rewards
  • Reviews
  • Contact Us
  • Blog View
  •  
LoyaltyLobby
No Result
View All Result
ADVERTISEMENT

San Francisco Sues Hertz Rent A Car Over Bridge Toll Service Fees Charged To Customers

by Sebastian Powell
March 5, 2017
Reading Time: 3 mins read
9

The City of San Francisco has filed a lawsuit against rental car company Hertz due service charges the company adds on to bridge tolls and then automatically charges the customer.

Customers have no directly visible option to opt out of the system provided by Hertz and the associated service fees, even if they want to use their own bridge toll devices.

Bridge and road tolls are very common in many U.S. states and especially in California where you find these installations from the bridges in San Francisco down to the coastal highways in San Diego.

ADVERTISEMENT

As soon as I heard about this it came back to me that about two years ago we already wrote about the practice of rental car companies taking customers to the cleaners over these toll charges as part of our Whine Wednesday series (see our article here).

Then this week a brief article of the San Francisco Examiner (see here) popped up on my social media.

Hertz rental car customers are being charged steep fees when they cross the Golden Gate Bridge that can add up to more than four times the cost of bridge tolls, according to a lawsuit filed by the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office on Thursday.

The lawsuit alleges that Hertz is misleading customers and engaging in unlawful, unfair and fraudulent business practices by charging “toll service” fees without giving customers sufficient notice or a chance to opt out.

The toll service, called PlatePass, is an optional service that allows customers to use the electronic Fastrack lanes on most Bay Area bridges and bypass cash toll lanes.

However, on the Golden Gate Bridge, which switched to a cashless service four years ago, Hertz customers are not given the option of choosing or declining the service.

Instead, they are automatically charged the full, undiscounted toll of $7.50 without the Fastrak discount, and are then automatically charged “toll service” fees on top of that of up to $24.75.

The charges are not disclosed to customers up front by Hertz, but instead are charged to the customers’ credit card bills at a later date through a third party service provider, American Traffic Solutions, Inc., the lawsuit alleges.

City Attorney Dennis Herrera said the practice is illegal under state laws prohibiting abusive practices in the rental car industry.

“These practices are not only unfair; they’re unlawful,” Herrera said. “Rather than Hertz putting you in the driver’s seat, they’re taking their customers to the cleaners.”

It’s nothing new that car rental companies always look for ways to rip off their customers for a few extra dollars in hidden fees. For a long time this was done by methods of insurance (often still the case) but with the increasing standard of rental car coverage being part of many, if not most credit cards the companies had to look out for additional ways to make extra money.

Road toll charges are common as noted and so Hertz (and others) started the automated collection service for which they also add a convenience fee which is in fact a complete rip off just as the lawsuit alleges.

Conclusion

Many customers are local who have their own automated tolling devices yet they are unable to use them to have a most cost efficient solution. A total scam!

Good for the City of San Francisco to stand up to these irregular and, as the City Attorney put it, illegal business practices of Hertz Rent a Car. It will be interesting to see what will become of this lawsuit as it will likely have implications for other parts of the country as well.

Previous Post

Hilton Honors 1,000 Bonus Points Weekend Nights February 1 – April 30, 2017 (Targeted)

Next Post

LAST CALL: Marriott Rewards Award Category Changes Effective March 7, 2017

Related Articles

Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Award Changes Effective August 9, 2022

Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Award Changes Effective August 9, 2022

John Ollila
August 9, 2022
5

Hertz Gold Plus Rewards has adjusted its Points Rewards Chart effective immediately (August 9, 2022). The most recent previous devaluation...

Hertz Gold Plus Rewards

Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Tier Extension Through January 31, 2023 & Lower Qualification Requirement

John Ollila
May 26, 2022
6

Hertz Gold Plus Rewards has decided to extend Five Star and President's Circle member tiers through January 31, 2023. The...

Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Member Tier Extension Through January 2022

Reader Email: Hertz Return Scam In Germany

John Ollila
May 25, 2022
28

A LoyaltyLobby reader sent us a maddening case with Hertz where the car rental company claims that the car was...

Upgrade Your Travel IQ

Make the most of your travel with our free and daily newsletter with the latest hotel and airline news and promotions.

We do not sell or share email addresses.

ADVERTISEMENT

Trending

American Express Design Of New Marriott Bonvoy Premium Card “BEVY” Leaked
Marriott Bonvoy

American Express Design Of New Marriott Bonvoy Premium Card “BEVY” Leaked

August 13, 2022
Hilton Go Employee And Friends & Family Rate Plans
Hilton Honors

Hilton Go Employee And Friends & Family Rate Plans

July 25, 2021
Thailand Is Considering To Bring Back The 45-Day Visa Exemption Stamp
Thailand

Thailand Is Considering To Bring Back The 45-Day Visa Exemption Stamp

August 12, 2022
White House: No Covid-19 Vaccine Passports Required For Travel, General Activities In The U.S.
Health & Medical

CDC Update: Could The U.S. Soon Drop Their Mandatory Vaccination Policy For Incoming Travelers?

August 14, 2022
Accor ALL Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand & Vietnam 35% Off Through December 31, 2021
Accor ALL

Accor ALL Asia 20% Off Asia Offer For Stays Through December 31, 2022 (Book By November 5)

August 14, 2022

Top Categories

  • IHG Rewards Club
  • Marriott Bonvoy
  • Hilton Honors
  • Accor ALL
  • Airfare Of The Day
  • Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG)
  • Hyatt – World of Hyatt
  • American Airlines – AAdvantage
  • Travel News
  • United Airlines – Mileage Plus
ADVERTISEMENT

All Categories

In Case You Missed It

Avis 20,000 Bonus Etihad Guest Miles For Three Day Or Longer Rentals September 1 – November 30, 2022 (Book August 14 – 17)

Avis 20,000 Bonus Etihad Guest Miles For Three Day Or Longer Rentals September 1 – November 30, 2022 (Book August 14 – 17)

August 14, 2022
Airfare of the Day [Business Class] STAR ALLIANCE New York to Cairo from $2,211

Airfare of the Day [Business Class] STAR ALLIANCE New York to Cairo from $2,211

August 13, 2022
Airfare of the Day [Business Class] British Airways Dublin to Las Vegas from 1,586€

Airfare of the Day [Business Class] British Airways Dublin to Las Vegas from 1,586€

August 9, 2022
Wyndham Rewards Food & Beverage Bonus Through June 30, 2022 (Book By April 15)

Wyndham Rewards 7,500 Or 14,000 Points For A Stay By September 30, 2022 (Book August 8 – 14)

August 9, 2022
Air Canada 4X Aeroplan Points To/From Bogota September 13 – March 31, 2023

Air Canada 4X Aeroplan Points To/From Bogota September 13 – March 31, 2023

August 12, 2022
ADVERTISEMENT

Since 2011, we have been helping millions of visitors like you untangle travel loyalty programs for free upgrades, flights and hotel nights.

Facebook Twitter Youtube Instagram

Site Navigation

  • About LoyaltyLobby
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Airfares
  • Contact Us

Hotel Promotions

  • Accor
  • Hilton
  • IHG Rewards
  • Marriott
  • World of Hyatt

Sign Up For Our Newsletter

Our free daily newsletter sends you the latest information on hotel and airline programs.

We do not share or sell email addresses.

Site & Contents ©2011-2022 LoyaltyLobby.com
Terms of Use & Privacy Policy

  • News
  • Hotel Promotions
    • Accor
    • Best Western
    • Choice
    • Fairmont
    • Hilton
    • IHG Rewards
    • Marriott
    • Radisson Rewards
    • Ritz-Carlton
    • Starwood
    • World of Hyatt
    • Wyndham Rewards
  • Reviews
  • Contact Us
  • Blog View
No Result
View All Result

© 2011–2021 LoyaltyLobby.com - Site & Contents