How To Get Most Of Your Money Back Even Though Hertz Won't Refund Prepaid Reservations - View from the Wing

Airlines are offering travel credit for cancelled reservations. Hotels are letting customers with prepaid reservations cancel without penalty. It's frequently not possible to travel, either because of a government ban or an employer's policy. The events or activities you planned to go to may not be happening - all of the world's Disney theme parks are closed, even. Yet Hertz is keeping your money from prepaid car rental reservations.

I've never been a fan of prepaid car bookings, and don't even like them for hotels. The savings just usually isn't worth it (outside of Hotwire-style opaque bookings). Nonetheless they've become increasingly common.

Readers keep asking me when Hertz will let up and become more flexible? At best Hertz is saying

, we are reviewing cancelations on a case by case basis. May you please provide the name of the primary renter and the reservation number starting with a J or H in DM? -Emily https://t.co/XlMbBhg3yW

- Hertz (@Hertz) March 14, 2020

Fortunately Edward Chan points out this hack to save some money if Hertz won't offer a refund.

To clarify, they will keep up to $100 of your prepaid rental when you cancel, but if you downgrade to a 1 day $30 rental, you'll get everything back minus the $30 for your changed reservation. Then cancel the reservation a few days later and you get back the taxes and fees.

- Edward Chan (@edwardhchan) March 14, 2020

Hertz once informed me that reservations for their cars are never guaranteed.

There was a time when Hertz was the rental company for business travelers. In this extended montage from Up in the Air when George Clooney is grounded in Omaha he wants to buy a Chrysler Sebring from Hertz.

Now I avoid them.