Carjacking at Hertz BNE Dom

[boomy]

Sadly, not many people rent full size vehicles anymore, so there are not many floating around the Hertz lot, I have seen a few new SV6's and apparently the VW fleet is going, which was mainly the "Premium Full Size" vehicle of choice for a while. Wasn't told what the replacement was.

If you want a decent Full Size vehicle I'd rent from Avis/Europcar

Anyways, keys still in the car at SYD..... Even in all the BMW's.....

Yes, I did find find the keys in my BMW at Hertz SYD this Monday but I still can't understand why they have to keep both keys attached together, a very stupid idea IMO. I tried to ask for the reason a few times and couldn't get an answer.
As to full size vehicles at Hertz, I love the VWs and (you will probably laugh at me) I don't mind the Kia Optima and Hyundai i40. I think Korean cars improved a lot in recent years.

 

[lovestotravel]

Yes, I did find find the keys in my BMW at Hertz SYD this Monday but I still can't understand why they have to keep both keys attached together, a very stupid idea IMO. I tried to ask for the reason a few times and couldn't get an answer.
As to full size vehicles at Hertz, I love the VWs and (you will probably laugh at me) I don't mind the Kia Optima and Hyundai i40. I think Korean cars improved a lot in recent years.

The 2 keys attached is VERY annoying, especially if you want to put the keys in your pocket! If I have a rental for more than a few days I'll separate the 2 keys with a pair of pliers! I'll take them back on a cable tie normally

I have been told it's to keep the keys together for when the car is sold........

Yep the VW's are great, shame they are "apparently" leaving the fleet

I refuse to drive a Kia, had a few Hyundai's and while the features are nice, the engine/transmission sounds like rubbish, but I haven't driven any of the newer models in the past 9 months...

 

[markis10]

The 2 keys attached is VERY annoying, especially if you want to put the keys in your pocket! If I have a rental for more than a few days I'll separate the 2 keys with a pair of pliers! I'll take them back on a cable tie normally

I have been told it's to keep the keys together for when the car is sold........

Yep the VW's are great, shame they are "apparently" leaving the fleet

I refuse to drive a Kia, had a few Hyundai's and while the features are nice, the engine/transmission sounds like rubbish, but I haven't driven any of the newer models in the past 9 months...

Had a Suzuki on my last rental, it wasn't bad. I like the i30s but reckon the others are rubbish as far as Hyundai's go.

 

[AdMEL]

Yes, I did find find the keys in my BMW at Hertz SYD this Monday but I still can't understand why they have to keep both keys attached together, a very stupid idea IMO. I tried to ask for the reason a few times and couldn't get an answer.
As to full size vehicles at Hertz, I love the VWs and (you will probably laugh at me) I don't mind the Kia Optima and Hyundai i40. I think Korean cars improved a lot in recent years.

The 2 keys attached is VERY annoying, especially if you want to put the keys in your pocket! If I have a rental for more than a few days I'll separate the 2 keys with a pair of pliers! I'll take them back on a cable tie normally

I have been told it's to keep the keys together for when the car is sold........

Yep the VW's are great, shame they are "apparently" leaving the fleet

I refuse to drive a Kia, had a few Hyundai's and while the features are nice, the engine/transmission sounds like rubbish, but I haven't driven any of the newer models in the past 9 months...

As far as I understand, Hertz BMW's are leased on a buy back arrangement from BMW and one of the buy back conditions is that both keys must be returned, otherwise the price is reduced (the keys are expensive to replace). Usual Hertz policy for keys is to send the second key to a third party off site storage facility. When the keys are sent off, they are basically all thrown into a box and sent, never to be retrieved again, since they don't keep accurate records and there is usually no requirement to return the car with two keys. Given this, the easiest way to ensure the BMW keys are returned with the car, is to keep them together. To ensure they stay together, they are attached with a metal band which is crimped together.

Annoying carrying both in your pocket!

Also applies to prestige cars in the US from memory.

 

[markis10]

As far as I understand, Hertz BMW's are leased on a buy back arrangement from BMW and one of the buy back conditions is that both keys must be returned, otherwise the price is reduced (the keys are expensive to replace). Usual Hertz policy for keys is to send the second key to a third party off site storage facility. When the keys are sent off, they are basically all thrown into a box and sent, never to be retrieved again, since they don't keep accurate records and there is usually no requirement to return the car with two keys. Given this, the easiest way to ensure the BMW keys are returned with the car, is to keep them together. To ensure they stay together, they are attached with a metal band which is crimped together.

Annoying carrying both in your pocket!

Also applies to prestige cars in the US from memory.

All Hertz cars are now two keys following a practice they have been doing overseas for a long time, change was mid last year from memory.

 

[boomy]

As far as I understand, Hertz BMW's are leased on a buy back arrangement from BMW and one of the buy back conditions is that both keys must be returned, otherwise the price is reduced (the keys are expensive to replace). Usual Hertz policy for keys is to send the second key to a third party off site storage facility. When the keys are sent off, they are basically all thrown into a box and sent, never to be retrieved again, since they don't keep accurate records and there is usually no requirement to return the car with two keys. Given this, the easiest way to ensure the BMW keys are returned with the car, is to keep them together. To ensure they stay together, they are attached with a metal band which is crimped together.

Annoying carrying both in your pocket!

Also applies to prestige cars in the US from memory.

Thanks for explaining this AdMEL. Looks like you know better then some of the Hertz employees who couldn't answer me when I asked them the reason behind the 2 keys attached policy.

 

[boomy]

All Hertz cars are now two keys following a practice they have been doing overseas for a long time, change was mid last year from memory.

Not all. The Mondeo I got this week had only 1 key, also the Camrys and some other non-prestige cars I got lately.

 

[markis10]

Not all. The Mondeo I got this week had only 1 key, also the Camrys and some other non-prestige cars I got lately.

I believe its all new fleet additions from mid last year, certainly been my experience but I only rent from one outlet who ensure I get very low km cars. We do have a Hertz lurker from that locale who will no doubt provide the story!

FWIW I book Yaris/Corollas

 

[lovestotravel]

All Hertz cars are now two keys following a practice they have been doing overseas for a long time, change was mid last year from memory.

Not with the 2 Dec 13 X5's I rented from SYD in the past few weeks!

But the other vehicles which were Nov 13 and Jan 14 vehicles did have, a pair of pliers fixes the problem

 

[AdMEL]

All Hertz cars are now two keys following a practice they have been doing overseas for a long time, change was mid last year from memory.

Interesting! I think I've only rented BMW's from Hertz since then! And no cars from them in a while!

I wonder if the other car suppliers have started requiring return of the second key? Or for those cars Hertz sells themselves, buyers are demanding them? Not so expensive to obtain a replacement key for a Falcon, Commodore and probably Toyotas and Hyundais though.

Thanks for explaining this AdMEL. Looks like you know better then some of the Hertz employees who couldn't answer me when I asked them the reason behind the 2 keys attached policy.

I wouldn't be surprised if the keys are done by 'back office' staff at the airport and the front line staff never get to see what goes on.

Not with the 2 Dec 13 X5's I rented from SYD in the past few weeks!

But the other vehicles which were Nov 13 and Jan 14 vehicles did have, a pair of pliers fixes the problem

Unusual to get a BMW with only one key! Maybe you're not the only one that 'fixes' the problem!

 

[Sprucegoose]

This week I found a new car to add to my 'no way' list at Hertz - the Ford Mondeo. Not only the seat is so hard it can break your back but it also takes forever for the engine to react from the moment you press the accelerator.
Now my list contains Holdens and ALL Fords.

Driving a rental Holden Commodore new model and very impressed. I think they may have finally got it right, on departure !!!

 

[boomy]

When I was in BNE last week I asked if the 'pick up keys at counter' is a permanent thing and was told that they will soon install car spikes and then leave keys in the cars again.

 

[lukenet]

I got a brand new ie. 16km on the clock Nissan x trail in CNS a few weeks ago. It was push button and had both "keys" attached together..

They attempted to permanently attach them together, but as they only put them through the metal rings, it would have been a 2 second job to separate them..

 

[jastel]

My father had the opposite experience at Avis BNE last week, he ended up with a new commodore, but couldn't figure out how to get the park brake off in the darkness of the carpark, no handbook in the glovebox.
So goes back to the office where coughy 21 yo comes out to the car and...he cant get the thing off either...soon 6 people are trying to make this car move.
Finally after several phone calls it was figured out.

Seems best way to prevent car stealing is use commodores....