Fairfax Car Rentals

Cons: We were very upset over our experience with Hertz, and doubt if we will use them again. We booked on line and there was no reference to having to show our passports to get the vehicle. When we arrived to pick it up we were told they wouldn't release the vehicle unless we had our passports. We had our driver's licences with us. When we asked could we return within the hour with the passports, we were told they closed at 12 noon, and there would be no time. So we cancelled our rental and rang the company to explain our predicament, and asked that the cancellation fee be waived, which we hope has taken place. We subsequently booked with Enterprise, who did not need to see our passports. There was nothing on line to indicate with Hertz that we needed to show our passports. This was a very negative experience for us!

Will NEVER rent from Hertz again

Pros: DID NOT LIKE Unfortunately on this trip, the things Hertz did poorly far exceed what they did well. I picked up my car at the 11191 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax VA location. This franchise is located in a hallway in the basement of a hotel. It was very hard to find, and seemed pretty creepy. All there was to indicate a Hertz location was a desk that said “Hertz” jammed in next to some elevators. I had to wait about 15 minutes to be helped. Cheerav Petal, Assistant Branch Manager assisted me. He immediately began asking very personal questions, far beyond what he needed to know to complete my transaction. Things like “where do you live,” “where are you going,” “why are you here,” “where did you grow up,” “where do your parents live,” “where is your husband,” and the like. All of the info he truly needed was on my drivers license, and I made it clear through short answers that I wasn’t interested in giving this man my life story in the basement of a hotel after a long wait in line. Next, the internet at this location does not work, so Cheerav had to write down my information on a carbon copy form. It made me uncomfortable that he put my credit card info on this form that he left sitting out on his desk visible to other customers. I asked him why he had to do that and he said it was normal procedure. After I filled out the form, I went outside to wait for Cheerav to bring my car to me. It was the saddest little jalopy I’ve ever seen. It was a white Nissan Versa. I immediately noticed the entire passenger side of the car was covered in a brown spew of either vomit or some kind of spilled thick brown liquid. I asked Cheerav if I was supposed to wash it, and he said no, and blew off the filthiness. I also noticed the entire car was covered in black marks, as if it had been struck all over by objects. I asked Cheerav what that was from, and he said “luggage.” However, I’m not sure how luggage causes marks on the roof, gas cap, middle of doors, base of the entire vehicle, etc. I also noticed sticker and tape residue at various places on the roof of the car. Cheerav did not open all of the car doors for me to inspect whether they worked. He hustled me from the passenger side to the driver seat without letting me look at the front of the vehicle, and made me sit inside while he reached over me to show me the radio and how to adjust the seat. I felt very uncomfortable because I was alone and a female, and he was invading my personal space. I made it clear I did not want to hear about the radio, and that I was ready to leave. He gave me a copy of the “damage report,” for the car, indicating very little of the aforementioned cosmetic defects. Then he left quickly back into the hotel. I took pictures of the entire exterior of the car. That’s when I noticed the entire left, upper, and right portions of the windshield were covered in tape. I called Cheerav and said the tape was not mentioned on the damage report, and he said it was fine because the windshield w

Cons: On my trip I noticed that the car skidded around turns even though I was obeying the speed limit. I began to feel unsafe. When I reached my in-law’s home in Pennsylvania, my father in law inspected the tires and found they were bald. I also tried to get my luggage out of the drivers side rear door, but had difficulty opening it. Once open, I discovered the interior of the door was detached from the frame, with glue and rust leaking out onto the car. The hole was so big I could fit my hand inside the car. I called the nearest Hertz location, Harrisburg International Airport, and asked if I could swap out the car because I felt unsafe. I also called Cheerav and left a message about the car door. The next morning I took the car to Hertz in Harrisburg. The Hertz employee who immediately took the car from me was very nice. She was horrified about the condition of the vehicle. She called over the Hertz mechanics, who told me that the windshield looked like it had gone through a partial replacement, but it was missing the entire bottom portion of plastic that held the glass in place. They said it was not fit to go on the road in that condition, and that it was unsafe to drive. Then they saw the tires, and said those were too bald to go on the road and they were surprised that I made it safely to Harrisburg. All employees told me to go inside and ask for a new upgraded car and compensation for the trouble. I did so, and told the information to the Hertz clerk inside. She was gruff with me at first, but softened up after I told her about the damage. She gave me a new upgraded car, but said I had to contact the Hertz in Fairfax for compensation. Later, Cheerav called me back to say he knew about the car door before he rented the vehicle to me. I drove the new car without incident the rest of the trip. On the last day of my rental, I took the new car back to the Fairfax location. I told Cheerav about all the problems I had with the first car. He was extremely rude and dismissive, and would not let me finish speaking. He cut me off and went to get the gas and mileage from the new car. When he returned, I handed him a paper listing everything I explained in this post. He ignored it and would not listen to me. He said that it was not his fault that I received the car, and that I had to speak to his district manager if I wanted compensation. He got his district manager, Sebsatian Gorksi, on the phone. Sebastian also began to cut me off, but I firmly told him he needed to listen to what I had to say. I explained everything detailed in this post. After I finished, he said it was not his fault that I received the car, and that I had to talk to billing to get any compensation. I told him that I was sick of getting the runaround from Hertz, and that it was poor customer service to shift responsibility and not help me with my issue. He refused to help me. I completed my return and went back to my parents home in Virginia. Ran out of space >:(. DO NOT RENT HERTZ

Disgusting condition of car

Pros: Everyone was very polite though not accommodating.

Cons: The minivan that was waiting for me to pick up was in disgusting condition. Filth on all the seats and even gum (among other things) ground into the console panel. Stains, Soda and stickiness were on all the seats. I asked for a different car, and was told by the acting manager and the regional manager that there was no other car available for at least 24 hours. While I was told that I would receive a substantial discount if we still took the car, it was just a promise and no amount was given. Given the condition of the car, I refused the contract and ended up renting at another car rental company where the experience was 100 % satisfactory. I will never rent from hertz again.