I will never pre-pay again! Got a flat and was on hold with Hertz for over an hour and a half. Then the rep put me on hold again to arrange with a local Firestone dealer to replace the tire. The designated dealer refused to help when I called (explanation follows). Called the second one and they said it would take hours to get approval through Hertz, that they needed a PO number. So I called Hertz again only to be told I'd be on hold another 40 minutes. Hung up and called Firestone dealer number 2 back and tell them I'm just going to come in so the replacement can be underway while they're trying to get authorization through the Hertz system (I had the paperwork the Hertz rep emailed me but apparently the tire shop needs this PO). When I got to the shop they explained they wouldn't provide a new tire following Hertz' protocols because they've been burned so much in the past chasing money/trying to get paid (the reason the first shop refused to help me). So I took the car to the airport Hertz dealer but couldn't trade the car in there or to any of the Hertz locations anywhere near Boise, (and possibly the entire state) because they are all private rather than corporate, ie, own their own fleets. If I hadn't pre-paid they could have. So I drove back to Firestone, paid for the new tire out of pocket, and bc I followed the Hertz rep's directions in going to Firestone rather than a more affordable tire shop, paid top dollar. Dealing with this fiasco also robbed me of an entire day of my vacation. Once I turned the car in, the dealer would not reimburse me, told me I'd have to take it up with Hertz corporate. I'm not even going to try. In addition, there was no wiper fluid, and my windshield became a filthy hazard as I drove through snowy/sanded road conditions, so I had to buy a gallon of fluid to fill it up myself. Granted, that's the dealer's oversight, not a result of pre-paying. I needed a car for a month, so thought this would be a good deal, otherwise I'd never rent from Hertz as they are always the most expensive. But between the tire and the fact that my trip ended a week early due to unforeseen circumstances, it certainly was not a bargain. Lesson learned, never again. The one very good thing to come of this is that the tire didn't blow out at 80 mph (legal speed limit) between Nevada and Idaho or I wouldn't be alive to write this review. It went flat after I'd safely parked in front of my friend's house.
