Latest news with #KellyRogers
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Hertz AI Charges Family $195 Even After Employee Found No Damage To Returned Car
Hertz is in the news again because of the AI-powered scanners the rental car company now uses to find damage on cars after they're returned in order to charged customers for that alleged damage. Of course, you can't forget about the processing and administrative fees, either. After all, why shouldn't a $250 charge actually cost you $440? The bad news is, it doesn't sound like Hertz plans to stop with this AI nonsense. Now, if you screw up and actually damage a rental car, that's one thing. You or your insurance should expect to pay for that. But that also doesn't sound like what happened to Kelly Rogers when she and her husband rented a minivan in Atlanta recently. As the New York Times explains: When they returned the car in Atlanta, they inspected it and saw no damage. A Hertz employee inspected the vehicle upon its return as well, they said, and did not flag any damage. But once the couple had passed through airport security, they received a notification via the Hertz app that its automated system had detected a dent in the passenger-side front door. They were charged $195: $80 for the damage and $115 in fees, including those incurred "as a result of processing" the damage claim and the "cost to detect and estimate the damage" that occurred during the rental. Hertz offered to reduce the charge to $130 if they paid within one day. That's a lot of money for "damage" an employee had already said they didn't see, but at least they were offered a discount if they paid quickly. A Hertz spokesperson also told the Times the company had reviewed the incident and confirmed the dent was new. Rogers, however, reportedly still finds it difficult to believe, telling the newspaper, "It could have been a shadow. We were pulling it up on the app, and we're like, 'This is so bananas.'" Read more: The Least Reliable Cars, Trucks And SUVs You Can Buy In 2025, According To Consumer Reports You Have Other Options Maybe Rogers or her husband really did return the minivan with an imperceptibly small ding in it. Maybe they didn't. But it still sucks to be told there's no damage, only to get charged for damage some computer program allegedly found after the fact. Especially since we know AI is wildly unreliable and regularly gets even the most basic stuff wrong. Just look at what happened to the MyPillow guy's lawyers when they used AI to do their jobs for them. And that's far from the only story about faulty AI software getting people in trouble. Heck, if you ask Google, its AI thinks my name "appears to be a typo." Hertz isn't the only rental car company toying with the most annoying new technology. Sixt uses an AI software called Car Gate, the Times reports. Avis has also been toying with AI since 2019, but told the Times the process remains "human-led." Hertz has had a rough few years in the customer satisfaction department. It almost had a customer arrested for putting too many miles on an "unlimited mileage" rental. It's also the same Hertz that had customers wrongly arrested on charges of stealing rental cars they didn't actually steal. Then, after getting a new CEO, Hertz got sued again for having customers wrongly arrested. Eventually, Hertz agreed to a $168 million settlement over those wrongful arrests. I've reached out to Hertz for a comment, but I have yet to hear back from them. I'll be sure to update this post with their statement. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
The Star
18-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Star
AI is making sure you pay for that ding on your rental car
The next time you rent a car, that ding on the door might not slip under the radar. Powerful new AI-driven tools are helping Hertz and other companies catch every little scratch, and puzzled renters are being asked to pay up. Hertz, one of the world's largest car rental companies, debuted the technology last fall at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and it's now in use at five other US airports, said Emily Spencer, a Hertz spokesperson. Developed by a company called UVeye, the scanning system works by capturing thousands of high-resolution images from all angles as a vehicle passes through a rental lot's gates at pickup and return. Artificial intelligence then compares those images and flags any discrepancies. The system automatically creates and sends damage reports, Spencer said. An employee reviews the report only if a customer flags an issue after receiving the bill. She added that fewer than 3% of vehicles scanned by the AI system show any billable damage. Still, unexpected charges for damage that's barely visible to the naked eye are leaving renters wondering what's going on. 'It could have been a shadow' Kelly Rogers and her husband rented a car from Hertz at the Atlanta airport over the July 4 weekend to travel to a family wedding in Birmingham, Alabama. The couple, who live in Scarsdale, New York, booked a minivan to shuttle family around, and the drive in both directions was uneventful, they said. When they returned the car in Atlanta, they inspected it and saw no damage. A Hertz employee inspected the vehicle upon its return as well, they said, and did not flag any damage. But once the couple had passed through airport security, they received a notification via the Hertz app that its automated system had detected a dent in the passenger-side front door. They were charged US$195 (RM 827) : US$80 (RM339) for the damage and US$115 (RM488) in fees, including those incurred 'as a result of processing' the damage claim and the 'cost to detect and estimate the damage' that occurred during the rental. Hertz offered to reduce the charge to US$130 (RM551) if they paid within one day. An image from a car scanner shows the passenger-side front door of a minivan, as she returned it in Atlanta, with a spot Hertz claimed was a dent highlighted in red. As Hertz rolls out AI-powered scanners that generate damage reports and fees, unexpected charges for damage barely visible to the naked eye are leaving some renters wondering what's going on. — Kelly Rogers via The New York Times Rogers said the charge was inexplicable. 'It could have been a shadow,' she said in a phone interview. 'We were pulling it up on the app, and we're like, 'This is so bananas'.' The couple has been in touch with customer service and is seeking to have the fee dismissed. Spencer said the incident was reviewed and confirmed as a new dent. What the eye doesn't see UVeye, which makes Hertz's scanners, says on its website that its technology can 'detect 5X more damage than manual checks' and generate '6X higher total value of damage captured'. Yaron Saghiv, the company's chief marketing officer, said in an email that its technology 'removes the need for manual walkarounds, increases vehicle safety, and ensures a reliable, objective record of vehicle condition'. Spencer, the Hertz spokesperson, said the company uses the scanners to make sure customers 'are not charged for damage that didn't occur during their rental, while bringing greater transparency, precision and speed to the process when new damage is detected'. As for the fees tacked on to the Rogers family's bill, Spencer said that damage fees 'are all incident-specific' and that they are calculated using multiple variables including 'the costs that are incurred, identifying and quantifying the damage, and administering the claim'. Hertz and its subsidiaries, Dollar and Thrifty, are using the technology at Newark Liberty International Airport, Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Tampa International Airport and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, as well as in Atlanta, Spencer said. Hertz plans to expand the technology to other 'major airport locations' this year, Spencer said, but did not specify how many or where. Sixt, another major rental car company, uses a different AI-supported tool called Car Gate, a scanner that relies on 'built-in sensors, cameras and a lighting system' to check for damage, according to the company's website. 'As part of the quality assurance, the photos are checked and verified,' the website says. Sixt did not respond to multiple requests for comment. A spokesperson for Enterprise Mobility, which owns Enterprise, National and Alamo, said the company does not use AI in its damage review process. Avis Budget Group, which includes the brands Avis, Budget and Payless, as well as the car-sharing company Zipcar, was reportedly testing AI damage scanning technology as early as 2019, but the company said via email that its damage assessment process 'remains human-led'. It added, 'While certain technologies, including AI, may be used to support internal efficiencies, they do not replace the judgment or involvement of our employees.' – ©2025 The New York Times Company This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
The Independent
10-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
Car rental companies using new AI tool which could cost you more
Car hire companies are deploying new AI-powered scanning systems to detect even minor vehicle damage, sparking customer outrage over unexpected charges. Hertz, a prominent car rental firm, is using UVeye's automated technology at several US airports, which compares high-resolution images taken at pickup and return to identify new damage. Customers report receiving substantial bills for tiny imperfections, such as small dents or scuffs, often just minutes after returning their vehicles. Specific cases include Kelly Rogers being charged for a 'dent' she thought was a shadow, and another customer facing a $440 bill for a one-inch scuff. Despite customer complaints and plans to expand the system to over 100 US airports, Hertz maintains the technology ensures customers are not charged for pre-existing damage.
The Independent
10-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
New AI tool picks up every minor scratch on your car rental – and its freaking people out
Car hire companies are rolling out new AI tools to detect even the tiniest scratches, leaving customers outraged over the 'aggressive' new technology. Developed by UVeye, the automated scanning system captures thousands of high-resolution images from every angle of the vehicle at both pickup and return, which are then compared to spot any damage. UVeye's website boasts that the technology can 'detect 5X more damage than manual checks' and can generate '6X higher total value of damage captured.' Hertz, one of the world's largest car rental companies, has introduced the system at five U.S. airports, following its debut at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport last fall. An automatic damage report is created, and an employee reviews the report only if a customer flags an issue after receiving the bill, Hertz spokeswoman Emily Spencer told The New York Times. Just three percent of vehicles scanned through the UVeye system showed billable damage, she said. Renters fear they'll be hit with hefty fees for damage as small as a scratch. Over the Fourth of July weekend, Kelly Rogers and her husband rented a minivan from Hertz at Atlanta airport to travel about 150 miles to a family wedding in Birmingham, Alabama. The drive to and from the airport went smoothly, they told The Times, and upon inspecting the car at drop-off, the couple said they saw no damage. They said a Hertz employee also inspected the minivan and found nothing. After passing through airport security, they received a message via their Hertz app: the AI system detected a dent on the passenger-side door. Rogers said she was charged $80 for the damage on top of the $115 in fees, which included 'processing' the claim and the 'cost to detect and estimate the damage.' Hertz offered to reduce the $195 charge to $130 if they paid within 24 hours, the couple said. 'It could have been a shadow,' she said. 'We were pulling it up on the app, and we're like, 'This is so bananas.'' Hertz spokesperson Spencer said that Hertz inspected the so-called damage and confirmed it as a new dent. Spencer said that the company, which plans to roll out the scanners at more than 100 U.S. airports, uses the technology to ensure customers 'are not charged for damage that didn't occur during their rental.' Another customer, Patrick, rented a Volkswagen from Hertz-owned Thrifty at Atlanta Airport and told The Drive that he received a bill just 'minutes' after dropping off the car. He returned the car with a one-inch scuff on the rear wheel and charged $440 for the damage and processing fee. He, too, was offered a discount if he paid the fee quickly. 'Saving $30 to accept responsibility is not worth it,' he told the outlet. Adam Foley condemned Hertz's 'aggressive AI use' on LinkedIn and claimed that he was charged $350 for slight damage to the vehicle's roof and fender. 'Enjoy the one-time cash grab with customers. I will never rent at Hertz while this policy continues,' he wrote. Sixt, another vehicle rental company, uses a different AI-supported tool called Car Gate. Avis Budget Group and Zipcar reportedly tested AI damage scanning technology as early as 2019, according to The Times.
