‘Longtime' Hertz customer says he's ‘done' after AI scanner flagged phony damage: ‘Unchallengable, automated accusation'

New York Post

3 days ago

A 'longtime' Hertz customer says he is 'done' with the car rental company after he claimed that the AI-powered damage detection system improperly flagged a nonexistent mark on the vehicle — even though video that he filmed immediately afterwards appeared to back up his claim.
'After 10 years as a loyal Hertz customer — hardly any issues, always returning cars in great condition — I'm done,' the customer, a Reddit user who goes by the name Akkasca, wrote on the massaging board site last week. Akkasca did not specify how much he was asked to pay by Hertz to cover the damage.
Akkasca's story follows other Hertz customers who have said in recent weeks that they were charged several hundred dollars for minor scrapes and scuffs that were detected by the AI scanner.
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6 A Hertz customer said he was flagged by the company for a dent after returning the car to the service lot at George Bush Intercontinental Airport near Houston last week.
Reddit /HertzRentals
6 The customer wrote on Reddit that he was flagged for a dent that didn't really exist.
Reddit /HertzRentals
6 The customer included a screenshot of the computer-generated image that he said was sent to him by Hertz.
Reddit /HertzRentals
When angry customers sought to dispute the claim, they were unable to immediately reach a customer service rep.
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'This system is broken, and the lack of human accountability is infuriating,' Akkasca, whose ordeal was first reported by the news site Carscoops, wrote on Reddit.
6 'After 10 years as a loyal Hertz customer — hardly any issues, always returning cars in great condition — I'm done,' the customer, a Reddit user who goes by the name Akkasca, wrote.
Akkasca wrote that he rented a car from the Hertz location at George Bush Intercontinental Airport near Houston.
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According to the account, problems began immediately after driving through Hertz's automated return scanner.
'Just minutes later, while heading upstairs to catch the airport shuttle, I received a text from Hertz: 'Damage detected,'' the customer wrote.
'I clicked the link and, concerned, got off the shuttle with all my luggage and went back downstairs to inspect the vehicle.'
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Upon inspection, the customer said he found no evidence of damage.
'The supposed damage area? Completely fine. No visible damage whatsoever. I even recorded a video on the spot to document the condition of the car,' they stated.
When the customer sought assistance at the Hertz location, he said that the staff was unable to address his concerns.
6 Hertz said it plans to roll out the new artificial intelligence-powered scanner at 100 locations nationwide.
REUTERS
'To make matters worse, no one at the Hertz location could help. Employees and managers all pointed fingers at the 'AI scanner' and told me to contact customer support — they claimed they had no control over the damage claim.'
The customer initially believed he would be able to resolve the matter through Hertz's dispute process.
'So I figured, no worries. I have a video. I'll dispute it later. I have a flight to catch,' they wrote.
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However, he reported encountering obstacles when attempting to dispute the claim.
'The link they send you does NOT allow you to submit a dispute. Calling customer support? Useless. They said they can't do anything, even when I told them I have clear video evidence of the car being undamaged at the exact time the damage was claimed,' he wrote.
The customer also noted what he perceived as inconsistencies in the AI system's performance.
Comment
byu/Akkasca from discussion
inHertzRentals
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'To make thing worse i noticed damage in another area with the clear sticker the AI didn't even pick up as previous damage! Its A JOKE. If you look below the rear tail light you can see the giant scratch the AI does not even pick up.'
He questioned whether environmental conditions may have affected the scanner's accuracy.
'Did the AI scanner misinterpret water reflections or dirt on the black car as damage? But there's no way to even present that possibility, no path to defend yourself. It's an unchallengeable, automated accusation.'
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In a follow-up post, the customer said that he finally managed to get through to Hertz corporate and that he was eventually connected to the claims department.
'According to the claims department, the damage claim has been denied/dismissed, and I will not be responsible for any charges,' he wrote.
Despite the resolution, the customer outlined several ongoing concerns about Hertz's process — describing what he called a broken dispute system, stating: 'The link provided to dispute the claim sends you in an endless loop' and 'does not allow you to submit any actual dispute.'
6 The UVeye scanners are currently in service at several Hertz locations including Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson, Charlotte Douglas, Newark Liberty and Phoenix Sky Harbor.
UVEYE
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The Post has sought comment from Hertz and the Reddit user.
Last week, the company told The Post that the scanner 'only detects billable damage.'
Hertz has defended the technology, saying that 'the vast majority of rentals are incident-free' and that 'when damage does occur, our goal is to enhance the rental experience by bringing greater transparency, precision, and speed to the process.'
Hertz uses the UVeye scanners at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson, Charlotte Douglas, Houston George Bush, Newark Liberty, Phoenix Sky Harbor and Tampa International.
The company plans to expand the service to 100 locations by the end of 2025.