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Update:
- Hertz Global Holdings has agreed to pay $168 million to resolve more than 350 claims that the car-rental agency falsely reported missing vehicles as stolen, leading to customers being detained by law enforcement.
- The class action settlement will put an end to 364 pending claims against Hertz, according to the company.
- Hertz had been accused of filing thousands of false reports of rented vehicles being stolen, after the company was unable to immediately find them.
- Customers argued Hertz would fail to enter the theft report into its systems and end up renting out the reported-stolen vehicle to unsuspecting customers.
- Hertz said it only falsely reported cars as stolen prior to its 2021 bankruptcy filing, a claim that was contested by customers.
Hertz stolen rental cars class action lawsuits overview:
- Who: Nearly 200 Hertz customers have lobbied class action lawsuits against the car rental company.
- Why: Customers claim Hertz falsely reported vehicles they were renting as stolen, causing them to face legal trouble.
- Where: The class action lawsuits involve consumers nationwide.
(Dec. 16, 2021)
Hertz customers from across the country are continuing to come forward with claims the rental car company has had them arrested or jailed after filing reports that vehicles they were renting had been stolen.
Almost 200 individuals have lobbied class action lawsuits against Hertz, claiming they were falsely implicated in car thefts they did not commit, reports Nashville’s WSMV News4.
Plaintiffs are reported asking for roughly $530 million in damages aimed at recovering days spent in prison, reputation damage, credit repair, expungement and days of prosecution.
One plaintiff, Cristel Hibbs, claims she was arrested after she was unable to return her rented vehicle that she had previously extended prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, WSMV News4 reports.
Hibbs claims she called Hertz to inquire about returning her car, but was told she would have to travel to another state to do so, something she argues she was unable to do on account of pandemic-induced lockdowns.
Police ultimately showed up and arrested Hertz, she claims, putting her in handcuffs and telling her she was in possession of a stolen vehicle, WSMV News4 reports.
“It has torn my life up!” Hibbs told WSMV News4.
Hertz calls the allegations “baseless” and says attorneys “blatantly misrepresent the facts”
While Hibbs’ criminal case was ultimately dismissed, she claims she lost her residence as a result of the situation, which she says still causes her emotional distress.
“It was just a really tough time, and I’m just praying and hoping I can just close this chapter and move forward,” Hibbs told WSMV News4.
In a statement provided to WSMV News4, Hertz called the allegations against the company “baseless” accusations made by attorneys who “blatantly misrepresent the facts.”
“The vast majority of these cases involve renters who were many weeks or even months overdue returning vehicles and who stopped communicating with us well beyond the scheduled due date,” Hertz said in its statement. “Situations where vehicles are reported to the authorities are very rare and happen only after exhaustive attempts to reach the customer.”
Hertz reached a $48 million settlement agreement with a former employee earlier this year to settle claims it had failed to pay them for overtime hours worked.
Has Hertz accused you of stealing a car you rented from the company? Let us know in the comments!
The plaintiffs are represented by Francis Malofiy of Francis Alexander, LLC.
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149 thoughts onHertz settles false stolen car report claims for $168M
I had a case like this done to me by enterprise in Nov of 20or 21 please contact me just got off probation for a crime of failure to return felonymisdormenor charges pregnant lost my babies in gross point police jail need expungement never have a record before this
My name is Bill Daniels Jr. And I am interested in the Class Action Suit against Hertz Rent-A-Car. I was worngfuly detained by MPD (Midland Police Department) in Sept. 2022 because the rental lhad was reported stolen by Midland, Texas.
I rented a car from Enterprise Rental Car In August 2018.
I was late turning the car in although I did
speak to management daily. Our last
conversation I was told that they would give
me a couple of more days and that I could
drop it off at any Enterprise. On October 11
2018 the car was repossessed in front of
my apartment in Laguna Beach. Laguna
Beach PD contacted Enterprise and the
Riverside County Sheriff’s and let them
both know that the car was repossessed.
But the Riverside Sheriff’s said that they
never received any communication from
Laguna Beach PD so they entered the car
as stolen in NCIC. On May 20, 2020 I was
arrested in Calabasas for the warrant of
vehicular theft. Riverside Sheriff’s refused
to pick me up on the warrant and I was
released. Then on November 17, 2022 I
was arrested again at the Mexican
border for the same warrant and spent a
week in jail and then spent $5,000 to bail
out. At my preliminary hearing none of the
victims/staff of Enterprise showed up and
the DA reduced the charge to misdemeanor
Embezzlement but I refused to take that
deal. I didn’t commit any crime. I was simply
late on payments that could have been
recovered through collections instead of
putting me through two arrests, and
incarceration and $5,000 bail.
I was a victim of hertz
I drive for Uber and use the rentals as my company vehicle so to speak about 3 weeks after I was in an accident caused by another party running a red light Hertz came after me and put an issue for a stolen vehicle on my record as well as restricting me from being able to make any money when they were contacted the same day of the accident and I was issued a replacement vehicle they are still reporting the one that was involved in the accident stolen and greatly affecting my life
I’ve been arrested and spent 7 months total in jail over there stolen car BS. It’s ruining .life.
Yes they did the same to me. I was hit from behind and got the rental. They were already calling me daily about when my car would be ready. Then they demanded I take it back so we did. Less than 2 days I was getting calls asking me where the car was and that they were reporting it stolen. I told them I took it back. I gave them all the information. They reported it stolen. I was contacted by investigators that I told them the same. Then they threatened to have me arrested. It was so bad I was scared to death because I have never been arrested, I did nothing wrong and I didn’t have the car. My husband got in contact with them and threatened to sue them and it finally stopped. They are still sending me bills saying I owe them money. It was awful on top of an already bad situation. I was terrified.
I also still have all my voicemails from them threatening me.
I was a victim from hertz car rental as well. Almost everyone’s story compared to my worst experience and they caused me a 1200 debt owed to the bank. Newport Mall jersey city location. I turned the car in within a week later I get a call from. Hertz telling they are going to report the rental car if I didn’t turn it in. A week later is when I spoke with a Manger telling me not an apology but they found the car. I argued with the workers and manager for a week. I complained to consumer affairs and still have my complaint letter about hertz caused me a $ 1200 from TD bank. I need to get something back from my horrible experience with hertz.
I as well was fasely arrested in 2018 by Hertz through the express Lyft rental. I have never been in trouble and never been arrested before. I was on my way to drop my 4 year old at the time to preschool before going to my real job then notice I was surrounded by 3 unmarked vehicles. They pulled out there guns on me. They allowed me to drop my son off. One officer said we should charge her with child endangerment. It was one of the most devastating times of my life. Now to date I was trying to get into a new but couldn’t get the job due to me having an arrest on my record. I have been saving peoples lives for 18 years and now this is coming to a stop due to my now new arrest on my record .. I was in contact with Hertz. To me if they failed to keep in contact with me especially when I was in contact with them( I have emails to prove it), why didn’t they just come pick up the car?!? Why would you say the car was stolen when they knew where I lived?!? Why have me followed with my child in my car. Especially after I had paid them thousand of dollars!!!! How would I even go by filing a lawsuit?
I have been arrested in 2018 for allegedly stealing their car after extending the rental for two weeks and returning the car on time.
I was taken from my workplace in handcuffs that resulted in me losing my job at the time. I have spent a weekend in jail until I was bailed. The case was eventually dismissed. However, they’ve strip searched me in jail, ordering me to take off all of my clothes in front of an officer, including bra and underwear, and squat and cough naked. This was extremely degrading, and still haunts me. I was 22 at the time.
2018 or 2019 in the summer i rented a car from the airport. And after i returned it they said they couldn’t find it amd accused me of stealing it. I filed a police report and talked to a cop about i.