Hertz Finland Reviews 12

I am an Argentine traveller who visits Europe regularly and always rents cars. This was my first —and last— experience with Hertz. I want to warn other travellers, especially non-European ones, about what happened to me.

I rented a car at Helsinki Airport Vantaa in December 2023 for 26 days. At pick-up, Hertz charged me EUR 40 as a "cross-border fee" —written authorisation to drive outside Finland. This means Hertz knew perfectly well I was travelling to Norway. Despite this, they said nothing about Norway's fully electronic toll system, where there is no option to pay at the point of use, and nothing about the administrative fees they would later charge on top of the tolls. Every other rental company I have used —including Avis— proactively provides this information. Hertz did not say a word.

Then came the surprise charges:
— June 2024: EUR 133.80 in tolls + EUR 31.00 admin fee = EUR 164.80
— February 2026 (TWO YEARS later): EUR 44.28 in tolls + EUR 31.38 admin fee = EUR 75.28

Both charges are for the SAME rental period. Same trip. Same 26 days. Two separate admin fees because two different collection agencies contacted Hertz at different times. In their written response, Hertz explicitly admitted their policy: each time a collection agency contacts them, they charge a new admin fee —with no limit. If ten agencies contact them about the same rental, they charge ten admin fees. This was never disclosed.

I filed a detailed formal complaint twice, citing EU consumer law (Directive 2011/83/EU), the inadequate pre-contractual information, the fact that the entire digital signing process is very fast, and the significant difference between the terms I received at booking and the terms presented at the counter. Both times, Hertz rejected my complaint.

I have no problem paying the actual toll costs —that is fair. What is not fair is being charged double admin fees for the same rental without disclosure, having a contract signed in one minute at an airport counter held against you, and being offered zero goodwill after two years of chasing a EUR 62 refund.

If you are a non-European traveller planning to rent a car in Finland and drive to Norway or other Scandinavian countries: choose a different company. Hertz's undisclosed policy allows for unlimited administrative fees per rental. You will not know until the charges hit your card —months or years later.

Absolutely worse car rental company ever.. I arrived really late night at Ruvaniemi Airport as my first flight got really delayed.. no people at the rental desk.. no messages from Hertz.. other people had received a code for a small key box on the wall at the rental desk.. nothing for me.. 24hr local service number where not answered.. airport closed shortly after.. no hotel nearby so I was forced to take a taxi to my hotel, which was a 2hrs drive from the airport.. costing me 300euros.. now a big problem because I have no rental car and have to visit several sites over the next 3-4 days.. Hertz refused to deliver me a car.. but tells me to take a taxi 2hrs back to the airport.. costing me another 300euros.. AND 4 hrs drive both ways.. not going to happen.. but massive transportation problem… NEVER HERTZ AGAIN…!!!!

Rented a Ford van and it was clean and quite new. Filled her up after our tour and when returning I took the photos required etc. Other rental companies have a clear "End rental" button, which Hertz didn´t seem to have.

So I called their customer care number and waited. And waited. And waited... Finally someone answered my call and when I asked how to end the session, I got an answer. "Yes, when you have taken the photos, that´s enough". For this fun I had to pay 8 euros and wait for over 10 minutes. So, would one line of text explaining that the rental has ended, hurt here?

Second surprise came after 5 days when the final bill came. I had filled up the van, but Hertz had managed to fill 5 extra liters (to a 70 liter tank) and they refuse to tell the mileage from THEIR fill-up. For this, they want 15 euros plus 10 euros for the diesel.

When I did the refill, the nozzle clicked three times so it was full and the gauge was also showing a full tank.

Not a biggie, but enough to avoid Hertz in the future.

Disgusting behaviour from their Ivalo office.
I booked a Car with Thrifty on the Expedia website and booked a mini car. When I got to Ivalo I noticed that Thrifty is covered by Hertz, a company that had tried to overcharge me previously and I avoided at all cost. As the agent was doing the paperwork I was told that I had been lucky as I had been chosen to get an upgraded car; I told him I didn’t want an upgrade as I prefer to drive smaller cars in Lapland as I feel safer on icy roads but be assured me it wasn’t a big car. When I went outside I was given a big SUV so he had lied to me. I went back and told him I didn’t want this car but he told me he had no other cars available and that even this car had been ‘borrowed’ from europcar. A Dutch couple behind me were happy to swap with me but the agent would not allow this. I explained I did not Feel safe driving such a big car but there was no duty Of care and I was told there was nothing he could do and closed his office. I told him this car would use far more fuel but again, he was not interested, telling me for ‘security reasons’ he could not swap the car with the other couple and that I had to take this car so I told him I would not fill up the tank so he left me with the keys. A journey which would normally take 2 and a half hours (to Utsjoki) took me 4 hours as I was driving so slow as I didn’t feel safe. The option of an overnight in Ivalo and seeing if I could get a smaller car the next day was not viable as I went up north to spread my parents’ ashes and it had to happen on Thursday as that’s the day I had permission for. After a stressful drive I arrived in the middle of the night in utsjoki. The next day, what should have been an immensely private ceremony for me, was ruined as I had to ask someone to join me on the trip since I didn’t feel safe nor comfortable driving this big SUV, which is totally inappropriate for icy and snowy roads in Finnmark. I rang Hertz Finland, Hertz Rovaniemi and Hertz Ivalo every day and contacted them several times via email to explain the urgency of swapping cars but they never did anything to help.
When I arrived back I left the car with half a tank, more than I had told I would to the agent but I was still charged an excessive amount for fuel and I was not given any compensation.
Only after going on social media to complain about their behaviour got someone in touch and they offered me a voucher for my next car rental, which will NEVER happen again.
I went to the Arctic to spread my parents’ ashes, not on some jolly holiday and the moment was ruined because I could not do This privately. It was hurtful and embarrassing as I was obviously very emotional. Hertz took a very private moment away from me and their behaviour has been appalling.
The office in Ivalo is not fit for purpose.
AVOID AT ALL COST!

Happy with the Car, tidy and little driven. Every time with Hertz is a success.

The staff and car in San Francisco were great.
However, Hertz lost my voucher, and it took an extra hour to get out of SFO. October 1-8, 2010
I use Hertz to go direct to the car; this time it failed miserably.
Please get your computers up to date.
Eric Pollock, architect and lecturer, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, Helsinki

Good car, excellent service!

Very nice customer service, car spick & span clean, price reasonable. Easy pick-up and leave.

Really bad experience!
Firstly is that there is no contract signed when renting the car. There is no instruction regarding the insurance which in Hertz 'Supercover' insurance. After some damage, the Hertz Kemi require 1500 euro for repair fee without any instruction.
I will not recommend Hertz and I will never rent any car from Hertz anymore.