Hertz customers say they accused of stealing a car from the rental company will receive about 168 million USD to deal with nearly all of the claims they have filed.
Hertz CEO Stephen Scherr earlier this year blamed the mistake on a “malfunction” in the company’s data systems. The parent company, Hertz Global Holdings Inc., said today that it will 364 pending claims resolved regarding false reports, rsolve more 95% of them.
“As I have said since joining Hertz earlier this year, my intention is to lead a company that puts the customer first. In addressing these complaints, we are keeping that objective,” Scherr said in a statement.
In one case, CBS News Report in February that a Colorado man spent 24 hours in jail after he was arrested for stealing a Hertz car in Georgia even though he said he had never been to Georgia and had never rented a Hertz car.
In other cases, complaints prompted police to halt drivers on suspicion of driving stolen car.
Hertz countered at the time, noting that “of the more than 25 million Hertz rentals in the United States each year, 0.014% fall into the rare situation where vehicles are reported to the following authorities: when you have made every effort to reach customers.”
Hertz submitted to bankruptcy protection in 2020, as it struggles with mounting debt and reduced passenger traffic due to the Covid pandemic. The parent company operates the Hertz, Dollar and Thrifty car rental brands.
