Hertz Presidents Club or Europcar #1 Club

[AdMEL]

Not sure if this is the right thread... but interested if anyone has experienced (or can explain) the issue below. For local (Australian) rentals the Hertz PC seems to provide favourable pricing: I've generally received a 1-2 car upgrade (I normally book a mid-size car) and the service is quick. My only gripe has been the fact if you pre-pay you don't get any points, and even now that I'm aware of this I can't see this stated anywhere if you select this option.

My issue: for overseas bookings, the pricing I get if I enter my PC number is, to put it bluntly, ridiculous. Like 497.66 GBP for a booking under my PC number versus 141.55 GBP if I do an "anonymous" booking. And less inclusions with the PC booking. Doesn't make any sense.

Based on these pricing issues - making PC useless for OS bookings - I'd shuold have selected Europcar (I seem to have the PC status via Amex Platinum card, but am also Velocity Platinum).

Ford Focus - 1 week ex LHR - 497.66 GBP with Presidents Circle
View attachment 17640View attachment 17641

Ford Focus - 1 week - 141.55 GBP without entering any membership number (all details the same)
View attachment 17642View attachment 17643

Your getting the locals rate VS overseas licence I suspect, and click best rate, not your CDP.

Don't think so, markis10.

When I checked without logging in, I got the same rate as oliverd (GBP141, which is equivalent to ~AUD243) but when logged in, I got the following rates:

~AUD228 with no CDP
~AUD205 with Virgin Australia CDP (10% discount)
~AUD194 with Amex Platinum Charge Card CDP (15% discount)

All cheaper! The downside is the AUD rates are prepaid, the upside is that you lock in the exchange rate.

Initially I thought the high quote was likely a quirk of the Amex Centurion, though my understanding is that CDP usually just gives you a 20% discount.

I had another look at the quotes and realised they are not the same - Amex quote does not include CDW or TP, so this high quote is due to account settings in Hertz profile - you need to ensure that you have accepted CDW and TP for UK/Europe bookings and the quote should then be lower.

Note that you will probably find the rate then becomes prepaid.

 

[markis10]

All cheaper! The downside is the AUD rates are prepaid, the upside is that you lock in the exchange rate.

From this, it seems to me that the high Amex Centurion price is likely a quirk of that CDP, or possibly a Hertz account setting for UK/Europe bookings (though unlikely given the same cover in the quote).

I was inferring it was likely the CDP being Overseas vs local retail rates.

 

[AdMEL]

I was inferring it was likely the CDP being Overseas vs local retail rates.

The CDP clearly says Amex Centurion Australia!

 

[markis10]

The CDP clearly says Amex Centurion Australia!

Which is overseas from the place of collection

 

[AdMEL]

Which is overseas from the place of collection

Oh, I see where you're coming from now!

As long as shows Australia in the top right corner (which it defaults to when you're on the Australian website) it should give you rates applicable to an Australian regardless of whether you are logged in or not.

 

[beardoc]

Experiences with Hertz President's Club have been better after the first mis-steps:

booked Premium Car (Holden SV6), got premium cars (SV6) but went to chat to them, and they gave me a Mini Cooper.
booked CCAR (Corolla), got Hyundai i40.
booked CCAR, got Toyota Camry Altima.

Overall, I'm not unhappy with that. Will see how the status is dealt with overseas soon.

 

[aupirate]

As a #1 Club Gold when booking the cheapest car I usually receive an upgrade 1 level. Great service being able to go directly to my car and drive away in major cities, or use the priority counter in regional centres. Getting to know the local staff if travelling regularly to the same destination pays dividends. Currently running a project in a small tourist area, its low season, rent a Yaris, get a Prado if one is available

 

[markis10]

Currently running a project in a small tourist area, its low season, rent a Yaris, get a Prado if one is available

Regular customer at one spot often trumps any loyalty program, both Europcar and Hertz Brisbane know me well and offer me a car choice.

 

[boomy]

Regular customer at one spot often trumps any loyalty program, both Europcar and Hertz Brisbane know me well and offer me a car choice.

+1

Hertz Brisbane are very generous and always give me an upgrade or a choice of car.

 

[markis10]

+1

Hertz Brisbane are very generous and always give me an upgrade or a choice of car.

Its just a pity that they cannot fix their computer systems, at least I have them trained up that it must be VS, for the time being.....

 

[austgap]

+1

Hertz Brisbane are very generous and always give me an upgrade or a choice of car.

Great to hear you have had a good experience with us In Brisbane, we are certainly trying to improve the experience for our loyalty members. Once we move our wash location to the new site, we will be taking on plenty of new fleet including a greater diesel range. If you need any further help with any future rentals in BNE feel free to PM me and I can try and assist wherever possible

 

[austgap]

Its just a pity that they cannot fix their computer systems, at least I have them trained up that it must be VS, for the time being.....

I'm sure I've done up your rental papers on a few occasions markis10 ! You've got those notes regarding your VS FF in your profile, correct?

 

[markis10]

I'm sure I've done up your rental papers on a few occasions markis10 ! You've got those notes regarding your VS FF in your profile, correct?

Um, yes!

 

[boomy]

Great to hear you have had a good experience with us In Brisbane, we are certainly trying to improve the experience for our loyalty members. Once we move our wash location to the new site, we will be taking on plenty of new fleet including a greater diesel range. If you need any further help with any future rentals in BNE feel free to PM me and I can try and assist wherever possible

Thanks for that. So far so good...
Will be nice to drive the Passat in Brisbane

 

[oliverd]

Don't think so, markis10.

Initially I thought the high quote was likely a quirk of the Amex Centurion, though my understanding is that CDP usually just gives you a 20% discount.

I had another look at the quotes and realised they are not the same - Amex quote does not include CDW or TP, so this high quote is due to account settings in Hertz profile - you need to ensure that you have accepted CDW and TP for UK/Europe bookings and the quote should then be lower.

Note that you will probably find the rate then becomes prepaid.

Thanks for all the advice received, and apologies for the belated response... I did phone Hertz as suggested to ask for my profile to be "fixed". I was told it was a common problem, but that because there were so many different rate options if I was renting overseas I'd need to call to get the best rate. A little frustrating - nothing I hate more than having to call to get pricing or make a booking - but at last they acknowledged the issue.

 

[AdMEL]

Thanks for all the advice received, and apologies for the belated response... I did phone Hertz as suggested to ask for my profile to be "fixed". I was told it was a common problem, but that because there were so many different rate options if I was renting overseas I'd need to call to get the best rate. A little frustrating - nothing I hate more than having to call to get pricing or make a booking - but at last they acknowledged the issue.

Did they amend your profile when you called? Note that you don't need to call to amend your profile - you can do it yourself when you are logged in to Gold Plus Rewards/#1Club Gold. In my experience, I would not rely on Hertz staff to get it right.

Also, you do not necessarily need to call Hertz to get the best rate, if your profile is set up correctly with the correct insurance settings and CDP.

 

[beardoc]

So what is the optimal setup in your Hertz profile to get the cheaper "package" rates? I'm assuming Loss Damage Waiver and Liability Insurance Supplement, but do the packages include Personal Effects (PAI)?

 

[AdMEL]

So what is the optimal setup in your Hertz profile to get the cheaper "package" rates? I'm assuming Loss Damage Waiver and Liability Insurance Supplement, but do the packages include Personal Effects (PAI)?

My experience is that packaged rates include CDW and LIS, so you need to have accepted these in your profile. There may be packaged rates that include PAI, but as far as I'm aware, it's not usually part of the packaged rates. Travel insurance covers that component so not an issue.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Great to hear you have had a good experience with us In Brisbane, we are certainly trying to improve the experience for our loyalty members. Once we move our wash location to the new site, we will be taking on plenty of new fleet including a greater diesel range. If you need any further help with any future rentals in BNE feel free to PM me and I can try and assist wherever possible

As a PC and renting a XR6 and getting an XR6...I thought that was pedestrian.

 

[Boris spatsky]

As a PC and renting a XR6 and getting an XR6...I thought that was pedestrian.

Presidents Club with Hertz very rarely gets me an upgrade. Just finished rental from LAX - at check in they told me i had a comp upgrade from my booked Cruze, i walk out, see a Porsche 911, get excited. Whoops, wrong bay - my car is next to it - a Cruze!! Go figure...