Bad news for Hertz customers: The car rental company’s AI scanners are overcharging users for non-existent damage
Hertz renters say they’ve been hit with hefty repair fees for tiny scratches, or damage that wasn’t there at all.
If you are planning on renting a car from Hertz, or indeed Sixt, it may be wise to closely inspect any minor scrapes or dents on your vehicle immediately after it’s handed over to you and just before returning it.
AI scanners “inventing” car damage
In April, Hertz started using UVeye, an AI damage scanning hardware and software system, to check their rental cars for damage after they were given back to them.
According to the company itself, the system “only detects billable damage.” However, it appears UVeye has been getting a little carried away when it comes to identifying “damage,” much to the displeasure of unhappy customers.
As reported by The Drive, disgruntled car leasers have complained about Hertz charging them hundreds of dollars for returning vehicles with the smallest of scrapes and, in some cases, even “phantom” damage. Several Reddit users have also lashed out at the company on the same grounds.
Hertz planning to expand use of AI-powered system
To make matters worse, there have been examples of affected customers getting in touch with the company to air their grievances, only for customer support to point the finger at the AI-powered system, which seemingly has the final say in the matter.
Per the New York Post, UVeye is only used at Hertz’s airport locations at the time of writing, although the company plans to install the scanners in 100 locations by the end of 2025.
Sixt also in trouble due to AI
Fellow car rental firm Sixt uses Car Gate, another AI-powered system, to detect damage. Two customers told The Drive they had been handed fines based on “damage” that had occurred before they had even rented the car, as proven by the time that photos attached to the fines were taken.
In Sixt’s case, human staff are required to review the cases before fines are handed out, which arguably makes the situation even worse.
Those fines were, at least, reversed, although those customers’ experiences serve as a reminder to inform rental companies of your intention to take your own photos should they accuse you of anything you simply aren’t responsible for.
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