The HERTZ Ordeal: stopped at gunpoint, handcuffed & detained over Hertz Clerical Negligence.
On the evening of December 23, 2020, my boyfriend was stopped. The officers ordered him, over the speaker, to step out of the vehicle. Complying, he opened the car door to find several officers with their chambered weapons drawn on him. Without telling him why he had been stopped, they ordered him to lift his shirt to reveal if he was armed, they then, with guns still drawn, patted him down, cuffed him, and put him in the backseat of the police car. It was only then that they advised him as to why he was stopped: the vehicle he was driving had been reported stolen.
He had not stolen a car. He was driving a rental car that had been legitimately rented to him (November 2020); his return date (December 30, 2020) had not yet come. In fact, Hertz had rented him a car that they had reported stolen on September 9, 2020, per the police report. To be clear, Hertz rented him a truck that they had previously reported stolen. Because of Hertz’s clerical error, failing to inform law enforcement of the recovered vehicle, an innocent man was stopped in the dead of night, cuffed, had 4 guns drawn on him, and taken to the police station with an alleged charge of grand theft auto.
THANKFULLY, his just make it home upbringing and his calculated calm demeanor lead the officers to investigate the claims he made while in the ride to the station (that the rental contract was in the glove box had his name and wasn't yet expired), discovering that the rental was, in fact, legitimate and that the stolen report was placed in September( months before he rented the car in November).
What we've come to find out is that sometimes Hertz uses law enforcement instead of a repo company (which would be standard practice) to attempt to reclaim their vehicles. When they do, they do not always update law enforcement to alert them that the vehicle has been recovered.
To be very clear, the issue my bf experienced was a direct result of Hertz not notifying HPD once their previously reported vehicle had been recovered. They simply put the vehicle back into the rotation while HPD still had those plates tagged as stolen, thus resulting in the arrest. He was not stopped for any reason other than the allegedly stolen plates, which is the reason they released him after the cops confirmed his story. Hertz’s system is faulty; resulting in clerical errors that do not close the loop with local law enforcement.
This is not an issue isolated to Black people, this can happen to anyone. It has happened to several people simply because they rented a car from Hertz. I am sharing this experience because in this travel group you are bound to rent cars, and I want you to know if you do rent from Hertz, you could find yourself in a situation like my partner, or worse in a situation like others whose stories you can find on this link: www.truthhertz.net. Some have served jail time (months) before having their charges dismissed. STOP renting from Hertz.
I know this story sounds incredible, but I would not share this if I didn’t have proof to back it all up. Carry always the burden of proof. I was floored to hear the same exact thing happened to this guy. Hertz apologized to us and offered to credit his rental for the inconvenience as long as he signed a liability waiver. He did not sign because this is bigger than a rental credit.
The ASK:
STOP renting from Hertz and/or cancel any future reservations you already have in order to protect yourself from a similar fate
Watch the videos of others victimized by Hertz’s practices on www.truthhertz.net
Sign the petition at https://www.change.org/.../hertz-rent-a-car-hold-hertz...
Ask your company if Hertz is its preferred rental company, and if so, share this information with them; specifically, this lady’s story, who was arrested under similar circumstances on a company rental. and encourage your company to find a new rental partner.
Share this in any other travel groups you may be a part of and
If this has happened to you or anyone you know, click the link to notify the legal group at truthhertz.net