Man Trying To Rent A Car Finds Out He's Banned After The Company Put His Dad On Their 'Do Not Rent' List
He's been banned for life.
Ground Picture / Shutterstock.com Whether you're on a vacation or a work trip, renting a car is a luxury many of us take for granted.
The consumer advocacy group Elliot Advocacy shared the story of one man’s rental car dilemma that might have you rethinking how amazing the luxury really is.
What would you do if you showed up to rent a car only to be told you were banned for doing nothing wrong? Well, that’s exactly what happened to Eric Siegel.
Siegel found out he was banned from Hertz after trying to rent a car, thanks to his dad.
After trying to rent a car and being immediately rejected by an associate, Siegel couldn’t help but be confused. Why was he banned? More importantly, how was he going to get home?
After further investigation, it became apparent that the Siegel they had banned was not him but his father. Apparently, Hertz's ‘do not rent’ list bans perpetrators of destruction, reckless driving, and any other behavior that might put the safety, cleanliness, or functionality of a car at risk.
Unfortunately, the “do not rent” list is known for being incredibly hard to dispute.
According to Elliot Advocacy, sometimes it’s just a matter of contacting the company and clearing up the confusion. Siegel’s situation would prove to be much more complicated.
Not only was his father rightfully on the list, but he was no longer around to advocate for his son’s innocence.
After his father ‘wrecked’ a rental car several years back, both he and his father were placed on the ‘do not rent’ list at Hertz.
“My father Garry was supposed to rent a car from Hertz at the Austin airport in October 2022,” he told Elliot Advocacy about his father’s situation. “There was a problem with his reservation. Things were said. A car was dinged, and he was put on their Do Not Rent list.”
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In an unfortunate series of events where a car ended up almost completely demolished, Siegel’s father was banned. His family and friends were concerned following the incident, which was completely off-the-wall from his typical demeanor. Turns out, a brain tumor diagnosis came just days later.
It’s exactly the explanation he tried to give to Hertz associates when he called, requesting to be taken off the banned list. His father had since passed — which clearly didn’t matter to the associates — as he remained on the list.
That’s where Elliot and his team came along as consumer advocates for Siegel.
Of course, the car rental industry has flaws like any other, but when it comes to banning customers — they truly act ferociously. In fact, there are no regulations to the bans they enact. They can ban someone for whatever reason they choose without explanation.
It took a while, but Siegel was eventually able to reverse the ban.
After contacting Hertz under the guidance of his new consumer advocates, Siegel pleaded his heartfelt case to no avail.
After his last rejection, it seemed useless to continue. However, Elliot Advocacy revealed that just a few months later, Siegel got a call letting him know he’d been removed from the banned list. So, clearly, someone was looking out for him — no matter how long it actually took.
So, while Siegel’s wild and frustrating story might just be simply about the quirks of rental car companies, it’s also a reminder of empathy in general. Whether it was the actions and subsequent illness of his father or the employees at Hertz — you never truly know what’s going on behind the scenes.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a News & Entertainment Writer at YourTango who focuses on health & wellness, social policy, and human interest stories.