Returning a rental car with a full tank of fuel is common for many travelers, but what if it’s an electric car? One Hertz customer faced a surprise fee of almost $300 after returning a rented Tesla Model 3.
Joshua Lee chose the “Skip the Pump and Save Time” option, thinking it covered fuel costs without needing to fill up before returning the car. However, he was charged $277.39 to refuel the car, even though he returned it with a 96 percent charge, the same as when he got it.
Hertz’s policy states that the maximum fee for charging is $35, much less than what Lee was charged. Despite Lee’s attempts to get a refund, Hertz denied his request, citing his signed rental agreement. This is puzzling because the “fuel option” shouldn’t apply to an EV rental, and Hertz’s own policies mention a much smaller fee for recharging a battery.
Lee, a loyal Hertz customer with President’s Circle status, has tried to resolve the issue over the phone, but Hertz still refuses to refund his money. The $277 charge seems unreasonable, especially considering Hertz could have used the most expensive gasoline in California to wash the Model 3, and it still would have cost less than $277.
