Hertz reported its latest earnings on Thursday morning, as it expands a controversial damage scanner that has triggered a wave of consumer complaints.
The company posted a $294 million loss on $2.18 billion in revenue — slightly above Wall Street’s expectations of $2.16 billion.
That’s still a 66 percent improvement from the same period last year, when the company lost $865 million. It also improved over last quarter, when the company lost $443 million.
‘Our transformation is taking hold,’ Gil West, the top boss, said.
He cited ‘smarter fleet management, improved utilization, and enhanced customer experience’ for the turnaround.
Hertz has been under fire since April for rolling out vehicle-scanning technology that renters say has led to surprise damage fees for minor or nonexistent dings.
Multiple drivers have told the Daily Mail they’ve received surprise fees of $130 to $935 after driving their vehicles through the company’s damage detectors.
When they tried to fight the fees, Hertz only spoke through chatbots.
None of the drivers speaking to the Daily Mail has recognized the alleged damage. Hertz says that the system does not charge a majority of its scanned renters.
Executives are expected to address the growing backlash on a conference call scheduled for 9AM.
And now, Hertz is not alone in using AI scanners.
Sixt, a premium rental car company with 100 rental lots in the US, has apologized to a customer after their scanner accidentally sent an incorrect $600 fee.
