Hertz Rent A Car

I would rate 0 stars if I could. Long, slow-​moving lines, and there were only 3 employees working the counter. We paid for a compact car, and they tried to give us a sub-​compact car (without telling us, and we didn’t figure it out until we left the line) because there were only 2 people in our party, so we had to wait in the long, slow-​moving line a second time to get the car that we paid for.

I am really blessed especially after reading all the terrible reviews. My flight landed at 9:55 am on the Mokulele airlines, I called Hertz shuttle to come pick me up thanks to the two aunties working at the commuter station that gave me the number! Actually the shuttle arrived at the station 5 mins after I called, I think it was good timing. Hertz shuttle driver was very informative with the traffic out on the main highway.
Got into the office at Hertz I walked and I said «woe it’s busy» to the workers they responded with laughter and they said that they are busy. I felt very comfortable and welcomed. In reality they had absolutely no lines no but me. Lol… The people that rode with on the shuttle had a gold membership so they just automatically get their cars. The man I was dealing with very nice and professional.
Got my car a Nissan Altima seriously it was perfect some scratches but it doesn’t bother me! Perfect!!! But I hate the keys no key eeekk! And the brakes ugh!!! Thank you Hertz yay!!!

I personally waited in a line that got 9 people deep for 25 minutes (I was 2^nd in line so dont know how long the other customers who looked Japanese so likely not to complain waited) because the older lady doing the check ins was more interested in chatting and upselling and of course answering the phone to chat with whoever would call to explain that «no we dont have that kind of car … no we dont have economy either, no we dont have blah blah blah…, actually we dont have any rentals available for the next two months … does that matter?»
But even after I told her that I didnt want any upgrades, extra insurance etc. (I have rented too many cars so I know the drill), she still insisted on trying to spend time talking about this. After her third phone call pick up while she was supposedly helping me, I said, can you please just finish with me first. Oh god … that sent her off on another TMI waste of time telling me about how she should answer the phone and she doesnt want to make customers angry, blah blah blah, then I said to her «I am your customer right here.» Oh crap that set her mouth off again, and she said she isnt an octopus, but a lot of the time she feels like one because blah, blah, blah, and she is the only one there which isnt fair, blah blah, I told her I want to focus on getting my rental and not what she was saying and she said if I have a problem I can email Justin. I resolved to just shut up to just get out of there.
Lastly she lied about how much the gas upcharge was — its not 5 cents bitch and she lied about that we would have difficulty finding a station driving and that we needed a to buy a full tank up front for sure to be safe because we would need it as we were driving to the volcano visitors ctr and back — that was a lie too. FYI even with various stops you use about ¾ tank and several to places to get gas along the way but most importantly you can get gas in Kona (of course).
What really pissed me off is she didn’t explain where/​what # to get my car, give me a damage report slip, or give me a map. And for time it took — we walked into the rental office at 8am didnt drive out until 9:04.
Its easy to seem like you have decent service when you are dealing with folks from other countries or its not a busy season. This lady needs some serious adjustment — last thing you tell a paying customer is lies and start bitching about your complaints of your work environment — a customer is not your therapist!

The shuttle driver saved our butts! Went above and beyond. We were running SO late for our flight, and we were already on the shuttle my friend realized she had forgotten her purse in the rental car. He not only waited for us but actually got out of the bus and grabbed the purse for us. Then, at the airport, my friend forgot her coat (did I mention we were really late and scatterbrained!) and he reminded us. Add that to a reasonable price and fast pick up and return, this place gets 5 stars.

Great rates. Good selection of cars for the island. Convenient too. I’m a Gold member so that really makes it easy.

I was here over thanksgiving… chose the «managers special» which includes compact, 4 door sedans, SUVs, and minivans. Was told the only option was a 15 person passenger van. Had to pay an extra $ 22 a day so that I could drive a compact car around instead of the van. Costumer service was absolutely no help, do not chose the managers special! Such a scam! I have rented from hertz 5 times in the last 8 months, I will never be giving them my service ever again.

It went very smooth! Absolutely no problems. I waited 8 minutes to get my car.
For all the complainers out there, wherever you go you need to be patient bank, store, DMV… Get over it!
Sign up for the gold which is free and you won’t have to wait after your first rental, the car will be waiting for you!

Always a great experience with Hertz at Kona International Airport. Even during the busy times we have had prompt and courteous service. Thank you!

I had a bad experience with Hertz at Kona International Airport. My friend and I came in after a long flight to hawaii, hoping to get our rental car.
We pre-​booked and paid with expedia, so we expected to walk in, show the confirmation number and our drivers licenses, and get out. The man at the desk «helping» us printed out the confirmation, and placed it behind the counter, telling us to wait and saying that «we’re the second one in line». So we waited and saw 5 people getting their cars for the next half hour. Only when we complained twice did we finally get our car. The whole process took over an hour!
Another really bad thing is that Hertz does not even follow it’s own policy. They won’t ask whether you’re with AAA. We told the man that we are with AAA. He still wanted to charge $ 13 for adding an additional driver. This goes against their own policy, as AAA members should get free additional drivers.
Hertz at Kona is slow and dishonest. The man helping us is an older guy with glasses, with Hertz user name «HIKON11». Be forewarned.

Really need to hire more people! Have been in the line for an hour already and I just got from a 7 hour long flight:(
and there is about 5 – 6 people in the front of me. What is taking so long?
Just hire more people on your team so people don’t have to wait after an exhausting flight

I am pretty surprised by the negative reviews. Might be that I have a work account which upgrades to Gold so my car is always waiting. Only complaint I would have if anything is more often than not my car is much nicer or slightly larger than what I would have wanted (I want compact and cheap, I’m there only for a few hours and wanna get to what I need to see, see it, and leave). I’ve been going into this location maybe 1 – 3 times a month for the last 4 months or so.
On the rare account I have had to use the counter there was either no one or one person in front of me so I am surprised by the reports of a long line by a lot of Unilocalers.
Shuttle staff is so nice.

I’m very appalled by their customer service. We got a Nissan Altima and when we received it there were scratched and marks all over the car. For what I paid, it was not worth my money. Beside THAT point, we arrived in Hawaii and just wanted to keep a positive attitude about the situation.
While having the car, there were two times when the car did not recognize the key and kept us playing with it until it worked after 15 – 30 minutes each time. One day we had it, we were driving and were slowing down to take a left, the car shut off and we almost hit a side walk.
I called customer service immediately and the representatives were saying to call road side assistance. I was dumbfounded how they acted like robots and didn’t bother to apologize for the car or the inconvienence it caused us. They couldn’t even come to give us a replacement and said WE needed to come to them and get it which was an hour away.
We ended up not driving it until we had to drop it off.
I wrote a letter to corporate and asked them to address this immediately and I haven’t even heard a response yet.
I arrived to Hertz and addressed as to why we haven’t heard a response and the lack of customer service provided to us… «Bill» said he couldn’t do anything but give us a certificate for $ 30.00 off our next rental. I told him I won’t be coming back. He said it was out of his hands.
Again, no apology and no number or who to contact so I can speak to someone about my concerning issue about their horrible service. I refuse to pay for services for a car that was not properly function, would you?
I will take this up with corporate but I am ABSOLUTELY DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS PLACE.

Never thought I’d b reviewing a car rental place. Wendy who served us was amazing. So nice, got us an Amazing deal!!!
I can’t say nice enough things. Thanks Wendy!

I’ve been in line for over an hour with just 5 people in front of me. They try to socialize with everyone coming through, chit chatting, even as the line builds.
Edit: had to bring the car back in with low tire pressure. The only option Hertz gave me was to drive it 20 miles back to the rental shop and exchange it. I had to wait in line another 20 minutes.
They upgraded me as an apology, but the next car they exchanged it with needed an oil change. They wouldn’t let me drive it out even after getting the key.
I waited in line another 20 minutes. They downgraded me back to a compact but offered to pay for gas when I return.
Altogether I’ve spent 6 hours in the store, on the phone, or driving to and from the Hertz location on my first day in Hawaii. I’m expecting more trouble before I leave.
Use ANY OTHER RENTAL COMPANY.

Took me an hour to get through their line. They were taking 15mins per customer and they were only staffing 2 agents at the desk. Longest wait I’ve ever had to endure for a car rental, made all the worse after a 4 hour flight landing late into the night travelling with 2 kids. Management basically dropped the ball.
However the line workers really saved the day: the desk agent was nice and actually comped us an upgrade on account of the kids.

I’ve used Hertz car rental company a few times in my travels to the mainland US, but it was the first time in Kailua-​Kona, I think. Hertz is a nice rental car company, but I think they’re geared towards the business traveler and the rates were kind of pricey.
I thought that it was a pretty cool deal online that I got to experience Hertz on a recent weekend getaway to Kona in June 26 – 28, 2015. I used Priceline to secure my deal for a compact car Hertz had to offer 2 months prior to arrival in Kona. At $ 28/​day for the rental, it was an affordable deal, especially for Kona standards. Upon arrival to the Kona airport, I made my way to the shuttle bus area, where I was transported to the Hertz car rental complex facility, which was a short 2 minute ride from the airport the airport terminal. The shuttle driver was nice and offered to carry my luggage onto the bus, but I was just carrying my backpack, so I was good to go. The ride was enjoyable with other people arriving from Honolulu and other destinations from the U.S. Mainland. Arrival here at 8:00pm on a Friday night was busy. Had to wait a good 10 minutes for service and was in front of two people. It seemed like an eternity, but it was not too bad (the wait).
This Hertz location is adjacent to the Kailua-​Kona international airport (KOA). The shuttle bus is every efficient, leaving and arriving the compound every 5 minutes, so that’s always great. Like all major car rental companies, they accept major credit cards — so that’s usually the conventional industry standard. I opted to stay with my compact car, which I got a white boxy Chevy Sonic for the weekend. I opted for the LDW coverage for the car and bought gas at a local nearby gas station instead of pre paying for gas. The check out process was quite nice — minus the long wait to get service. The dude behind the counter was professional and certainly good at what he does. The Hertz airport office was clean and nice, like most car rental agencies. There is a dedicated gold member line, but I’m not one of those yet. Maybe one day soon.
After getting the paperwork for my rental, I located the car and drove out of the lot — after showing the gate attendant the documents. It was a decent car with a few thousand miles on it. I didn’t drive much on this trip, which saves me $$ on the gas bill. The car rental return was quite fast. Park the car at the return stall and they’ll check your car back into their inventory, and give you your receipt. The turn around time is so quick that you have some time for your flight and then some. That’s always great! The overall experience here at Hertz was a good one. While the wait for the car at the beginning of the rental period didn’t overshadow the rest of my time with the car, I can say that it was a good time with it. Depending on what you want out of your car rental experience, best bet would be to car shop and see the various prices and the online rental rates before booking. You’ll be glad you did — and it may save you some $$ too!
Support local!
B+

Awesomeness & loyalty abounds here at Hertz… & 30% of the price Dollar tried to charge
After an extremely frustrating debacle of an ordeal w/​Dollar, I had gone online to seek a cheaper car but had extremely low expectations since I was looking to book a week’s rental but picking up the same day
Knowing most places price gouge when not booking ahead of time, I was so shocked & amazed to find that Hertz not only had a 4X4 available but it was at a price ²⁄₃ LESS than the POS compact sedan (read, 3-​class levels lower) I currently had from Dollar
Not only was this car outstanding, it was brand new — only 12 miles on it. Plush, cush & tons of power… I was in total love w/​this car & also with Hertz for treating me so right when I could have been totally been taken advantage of
My loyalty w/​Hertz has just been renewed & my luv for you has increased even more! Thanks for saving our vacation!!!

I’ve read the Unilocal reviews prior to my rental, but I didn’t believe the negativity since I’ve used them before on the Big Island. My prior experience was good. On this trip Hertz was not sadly lacking
From the airport, I took the shuttle and presented myself at the counter. There was no line so everything was great. The gentleman doing the paperwork comment on my numerous prior cancellations (which I thought was strange) to which I replied I wanted the best deal.
So he did the paperwork work and guided me to a Ford Focus on the lot. I got to the car and looked it over. The exterior was washed but not washed well. Ok no big deal.
I got to my destination and pulled out my computer confirmation paperwork. I requested and paid for an intermediate car which is one class above the Ford Focus. The payment for the Ford Focus was the same as the intermediate which means I overpaid for a lesser vehicle. Also it should be noted that the Focus had 42,000 miles.
The Focus was fine. It was basic transportation and decent gas mileage. I would have preferred that Hertz either provide the vehicle agreed to or informed me that they were downsizing the car because they had no other intermediate vehicles. So I would have expected a small discount. After all when you upgrade you usually pay for it.
In my experience after 14 trips to Hawaii, if the car you requested is unavailable they upgrade at no cost. That is the consumer friendly solution and the one not chosen by Hertz.
It does appear the KOA Hertz has a problem. I had no such problems with the Hertz on Maui earlier in my trip. Probably will not use Hertz out of KOA again.
I’ll give Hertz 1.5 Stars for their unfriendly service.

While I normally rent cars from another national chain… Hertz was significantly cheaper in this case and I came to the conclusion that my loyalty could be bought… I mean, come on, a car is a car generally speaking and can it make that much a difference? Why yes… yes it can…
The staff at the Kona location were extremely pleasant and helpful. From the time I boarded the bus across from the baggage claim to the time I returned my car, I was always greeted with a smile and a hello. As I slid my driver’s license and credit card across the counter, they were helpful and provided real local tips that I definitely took advantage of. It wasn’t pressuring or anything.
My midsize car was comfortable and decent. It had some miles on it but it was clean and reliable which is what I really am looking for. It’s not my day to day car for crying out loud.
Prices were what got me through the door, the car filled my need, but their service is what made me very happy with my rental experience. While there are a lot of car rental companies out there, I tried Hertz for the first time and was very surprised.

Very friendly staff. They are always smiling, even at 630 in the morning. I come here every week for work and they have been very consistent with their service and their vehicle availability.
Book very early when it is Merrie Monarch season! Cars run out FAST and can get a little pricier.
Sign up for Gold membership and you can go straight to your car without having to check in at the counter.
President’s Circle gets it’s perks too! Free upgrades and guaranteed availability.
The shuttle service they provide is convenient and the drivers actually help you with your luggage. Especially Mel!