US senators urge federal investigation on Hertz rental car company after customers wrongfully accused of driving stolen rental cars

Federal lawmakers are urging the federal government to examine Hertz’s company procedures immediately after shoppers had been wrongfully accused of driving rental autos that had been claimed as stolen.

In a letter to the rental vehicle enterprise, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal said he demanded Hertz tackle “grievous shortcomings that have had serious and really serious outcomes for its clients.”

Related articles: KPRC 2 Investigates: Hertz prospects report being accused of driving stolen rental autos

Meanwhile, Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s letter to the White Property Competitors Council said that the untrue arrests caused a “disturbing sample that led to traumatic ordeals, job losses, and even jail time for their customers.” She also named for a extensive investigation into the car retail industry.

“This is all the far more relating to because arrests—even false ones—have daily life-transforming and extended-lasting repercussions,” reported Sen. Blumenthal, “To that stop, I demand from customers information about the policies and procedures Hertz has in location associated to stolen automobile stories and that Hertz to take immediate steps to present redress to shoppers who have suffered the profound and enduring harm of a phony arrest.”

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Hertz Corporation has previously denied statements they falsely accused clients.

Houstonians say they had been falsely accused, some billed

KPRC 2 Investigates claimed that several Houston-area buyers who rented vehicles from Hertz had been later on accused, some arrested and billed, with driving the stolen rentals. Courtroom records show that in some situations, the stolen car or truck stories led to confrontational situations between customers and police officers.

KPRC 2 Investigates discovered numerous scenarios exactly where documents display the stolen car or truck report was submitted just before the accused shopper rented the car.

Connected: Harris County Legal professional checking out solutions on Hertz rental motor vehicle arrests

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The Harris County District Attorney’s Workplace has dropped the felony situations against various defendants who were being charged.

Hertz faces a class-action lawsuit which includes hundreds of people today throughout the region. The lawsuit alleges Hertz has a observe of filing stolen automobile stories, inspite of obtaining other evidence.

The company has responded with the following assertion last November:

“Hertz cares deeply about our prospects, and we efficiently supply rental automobiles for tens of tens of millions of tourists each yr. Sadly, in the authorized matters remaining talked about, the lawyers have a track file of creating baseless statements that blatantly misrepresent the info. The huge the vast majority of these situations require renters who were quite a few weeks or even months overdue returning vehicles and who stopped speaking with us very well further than the scheduled because of date. Predicaments where vehicles are reported to the authorities are quite rare and happen only right after exhaustive makes an attempt to reach the buyer.”

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To browse the letter from Sen. Blumenthal, click on below.

To read through the letter from Sen. Warren, click in this article.

Relevant: Hertz data files countless numbers of car theft stories against buyers every year