There are not enough words in this space to explain my horrible and beyond frustrating experience renting a car in Cleveland (airport area) through Hertz. The rental process via Kayak was fine. However, if you ever have a problem with a service booked through Kayak, there is no help from Kayak. Period. This will also be the last time I use Kayak due to their lack of customer service. From the Hertz standpoint, I was told three times by the phone rep that I had to pick up my car at the airport location, which was not near where I thought I had to pick it up (downtown). He insisted. So I went to the airport location to get the car only to be told I had to go downtown. I told them the phone rep insisted I come to the airport even though I was willing, and thought I would go to the downtown location. They said they can't rent a car to me unless I paid a nearly $700 additional fee because I had prepaid for my rental. What does that have to do with anything? Then I was told that I couldn't pick up downtown because their office is in fact closed. I asked why Hertz allowed me to book from an office that wouldn't be open the day I needed to get the car, and confirmed to me it would be available. I was told "It happens all the time and we don't know why." A very long, frustrating time later, and after speaking with two local counter reps and two phone reps, I was able to rent the car from the airport location but told I had to return it to the downtown location and not at the airport. When I returned it to the downtown location as instructed, the first thing out of the counter rep's mouth was "why didn't you just return it at the airport, it would be easier, you can do that you know." He did accept the return at his office and was pleasant. The biggest problem I had was at pick up and return with the phone reps, both who did not have very good English and didn't listen to me, or understand me, and were not willing to assist. No one ever answered a local office number. When I asked to speak to a manager on the national customer service line I was told there is no manager on duty because it was a Saturday. Really? Doubtful. Counter reps push the problem to the national call center, and vice versa. There is also a very big difference in how they treat pre-paid clients with on the spot bookings. Anyway, it was a really horrible experience and never again will I rent from Hertz. They don't know their head from their tail, and have no desire to rectify the problem THEY created, not me.
