Great Ocean Road + Melbourne to Sydney

The return parking lot was very small, which really tested my driving skills. However, the staff were very friendly and patient.

No extra charge for returning the car in a different location, and they have a self-service return option! Very convenient and good.

The staff were very friendly, and there was hardly any waiting. We got the car immediately and the procedure was very simple.

Terrible experience!!! Just awful!!! We booked a mid-size SUV, and HERTZ's list included four models: RAV4, OUTLANDER, X-TRAIL, and a Renault model, but we ended up with a very poor HYUNDAI TUCSON. It has weak power!! It struggled to climb hills in Melbourne and had turtle-like acceleration when loaded!! The key issue is that this car wasn't even listed in HERTZ's promotional brochure! False advertising!!!! Even worse, when returning the car at the airport, we had already refueled it fully, but the inspector (of Indian descent) claimed the tank was not full and said that refueling only counts if done within 15KM of the return location, allegedly according to their contract. This is pure extortion! We argued with this person, but he was very stubborn and forcefully charged us additional fees (refueling service fee + postage) and was very rude! We ended up speaking multiple times with the HERTZ office manager, who finally waived these charges!!! This fee was outright extortion!!! It wasted our time and energy, making us almost miss our flight!!! We will never use this damn company again!!!

The service at the Melbourne airport location was very poor. First, I booked an Audi Q7 two months in advance. During those two months, no one informed me that the car was unavailable. When I arrived, they told me that there were no Q7s, and they didn't have any 7-seaters either. Why wasn't I informed earlier if there were no cars available during those two months? Not even a single other 7-seater? The staff didn't even apologize, telling me confidently that there were no cars, and suggesting I switch to a smaller car. I had three people, three suitcases, and two backpacks. How could a small car fit all that? I booked a Q7 for the comfort, not to make do with a smaller car! Second, the staff rudely informed me that the insurance I bought on Zuzuche wasn't recognized by Hertz! Excuse me? I bought full coverage and additional insurance! They gave me a document stating that if there was an accident and I didn't buy their insurance, I would be liable for 5500 AUD! My insurance wasn't applicable! Third, they finally gave me an Audi Q5, which took almost an hour to get. During this time, I called Zuzuche's customer service to complain, but nothing was resolved! The car hadn't been cleaned at all. I picked up the car late at night, so I didn't have time to inspect it. We arrived at 6:30 PM and got the car at 8 PM, needing to drive to Geelong, an hour away from Melbourne. The next day, I found the back seats were filthy. My daughter sat in the back, and her shorts were stained. We had to clean the seats bit by bit! Also, the MMI system stopped working the next day. We had already left Melbourne and couldn't return to the office. I called Zuzuche, who told me Hertz would contact me, but no one ever did! We also rented from Hertz in Sydney, and that car hadn't been cleaned either. The first car we got in Sydney had tire pressure issues, but luckily we were still in Sydney and quickly went back to the office. The staff told me I could either fill up the gas tank before returning or inflate the tires myself. Was it my fault the tire pressure was low? After arguing for a while, they finally replaced the car without conditions. The first staff member who served me in Sydney was nice and patiently explained that I could drive confidently because I had bought full coverage. She also asked if I wanted to purchase a toll pass to avoid additional charges on toll roads. I appreciated that service. However, the Melbourne staff was very impatient once I refused to buy their recommended insurance, and they just handed me the rental documents and moved on to the next customer. Before returning the car, we refueled, but since we had to drive to the airport, the gas gauge might not have shown full after a half-hour drive. An inspector told us the tank wasn't full and asked for either 60 AUD or suggested we refuel again. We drove to a nearby gas station and spent 6 AUD on gas to get the approval. This was my first experience with Hertz, and I will never use them again! The company abuses its position. The waiting time was long, the car was dirty, and there were problems. My two rentals were dirty with issues. This is definitely not an isolated incident!