Hertz to Refund Florida Customers over Toll Charges

Hertz has agreed to a settlement with the Florida attorney general's office over complaints that Dollar and Thrift customers were hit with additional charges for going through cashless tolls, according to AG's office.

An investigation found that the companies did not clearly inform customers that they would be charged $15 per cashless toll. The charges maxed out at $105.

Complaints about Dollar and Thrifty's PlatePass service were also investigated. Customers said they were misled about the need for PlatePass (which cost $10.49 per day) to guard against fines in addition to the per toll charges.

“Companies owe it to their consumers to be upfront about all of their services and the prices and fees that accompany them," Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said in a statement. "This case not only affected Floridians, but people visiting Florida from all over the country. I am hopeful that this settlement will provide relief to consumers harmed by the company’s actions and prevent future harm.”

As part of the settlement, both companies must clearly disclose its toll and PlatePass fees, explain to customers how to avoid these charges, and refund customers who were previously no sufficiently informed about the program.

The settlement also forbids Dollar and Thrifty from charging customers for a higher class of car if the class of vehicle they reserved is not available at the time of pickup.